If I were you, I would start saving for my excellent new gas range ASAP. In the meantime, most pots except glass ones can be used, none of them heat up too well and the heat is even harder to regulate than an electric (can you tell I don't like to cook on them?) It IS OK as a giant crockpopt sort of thing...

Do not "slide" pots or pans around on the ceramic top, you must pick up the pots or pans and place them where you want them. Sliding them can cause cuts or scrapes on the glass.

Always use proper pan size for the cooking area you are using...to determine proper pan size, it would be the size of the pan compared to the size of the cooking area, always try to match the pan as close as possible to the size of the burner.

Never operate the cooking areas without having a pan on them.

Never allow a pan or pot to boil dry.

Always keep utensil handles turned inwards towards the stove, not outwards where they can be bumped.

Do not leave food or utensils in the oven during self cleaning cycle

NEVER COOK ON A BROKEN RANGE TOP, if your top is cracked or broken contact your service dept.
immediately.

Then if something goes wrong, you can small claims them under your warranty. Then it is their money!

My cookware was a gift from my in-laws and was very expensive for them to buy and I cannot believe I'm going to have to stop using these over this relatively 'inexpensive' cooktop.

sonali, I have been told the stovetop should not be used if even one of the burners is exposed.

I just got a new Amana smooth top range delivered today (Weds.) On Saturday, I had bought myself an All Clad double griddle. But now I find that I am not supposed to use pans that are bigger than the burner size. Plus, the griddle has kind of a raised middle part -- definitely not flat!

Thanks for sharing the creative cleaning idea! For my non-handy readers, a Dremel is a small hand drill/ tool for jewelry making and for fine woodworking and model building, sort of like the drill your dentist uses. It comes with LOTS of interchangeable tips for drilling, buffing, etc.

I wonder if a plastic container could have a hole cut in it and be used to make the skirt or cup to catch the flying polish?

Most major appliances that are built in, have the warranty that transfers to the new owner if the house is sold. If you have the paperwork on the appliances it will probably tell you. If you know where they were purchased, the sellers might be able to help. Or you can call the manufacturer, but you may have to be persisitent and keep calling back until someone helps. (Don't take no for an answer and keep track of who you called and what they said.)

The bigest advantage is that after all the hard work to clean it, it actually looks clean. Every time. I'm pretty lazy so I dont clean it as regularaly as I should. When I do become a slave to the cooktop it looks good. All the time. When I dont I am rewarded with burnt on rings and lots of elbo grease.

There is not magic bullet, but I have found some cleaners work better on some things than others, so I try a few on my problem areas. Some times the only option is to try something a little more abrasive or a razor blade, I havent managed to damage mine yet.

After reading all the cleaning tales, I wonder if this is the best choice after all.

We have gas connections, so that option is open. But she just loves the look of those shiny new, unstained, smooth cooktops, and thinks that's how it'll be forever.

Is cleaning them really that bad? My wife boils food over the saucepan all the time, which is why she's so often trying to clean under the burners. She thinks the new smooth cooktop will mean just mopping up, like on the countertop. Not really so?

Any advice before we spend some big bucks getting one?

Electric ranges really do heat up twice as fast on high, but you should turn them down to medium before you put the pan on- Or if you are really trying to do temp, turn one on to medium and the other to hiogh and move the pan to medium as soon as it begins to simmer.

Love the cleanability of the product, but maybe one shouldn't use it. Also noticed a reduced amount of heat when needed, always had used electric coils before. We don't have gas here so that option doesn't work unless I have propane delivered.

Had a stove prior, not even an option these days to buy, but lasted until now, 1975. This one acts as though it may be booted out within 3 years. I'm not impressed!!!! So unimpressed that I'll probably buy a $200 electric coil unit next time assuming that all are poorly made! I'll just keep replacing with least costly because they all are poorly made.

I used to be a software quality engineer and I always went after engineers who decided they knew better and force the customers to bend to their demand. We need to be more demanding as customers and tell GE and other manufacturers of ceramic/glass stovetops off when they say you must use this size pan of this type of material, smooth bottom, blah de blah. LUDICROUS!!!! Don't put up with it!

As for the cleaning, we haven't had any problems.... YET.

Anyone know how to override the stupid software in the product that shuts the burner off every time you take the pan off the heat?

I do not 'baby' this cooktop, or clean it as often as some people think I should, but when it comes to cleanup the following works well.

a. Use a good sharp razor type knife to scrape the majority of the spills off. No chipped blades, and they're so cheap you can toss them each use.

b. Use one of many cleaners designed for these tops to do a final clean/polish.

I've used cheap T-Fal pans, nice Calphalon pans, even made gravy in my huge roasting pan on top of the stove, and loved it. Temperature control doesn't seem to ben an issue. Heavy-bottomed pans (like the Calphalon ones) heat evenly and cook evenly. I've never given a thought to whether the pans are smooth or ridged. Ridged bottoms "hiss" a little but cook just fine.

Clean up is a breeze. I use a damp paper towel first to wipe up basic "crud," squirt on some ceramic cooktop cleaner (bought at WalMart) and wipe down the surface with another damp paper towel. Buff dry with a clean kitchen towel and it's done! Beautiful, clean, shiny . . . If there's a particularly stubborn spill, I use a damp nylon "scrubby" sponge (came with the range) and some extra cleasner to scrape up the spill, then clean as normal.

Yes I do mean really crack, as in split the glass top and see bare electrical stuff (and then replacing the top, of course). Yes, heating without a pot can really crack it, so can setting a hot from the oven casserole on the room temp top, also, setting a very hot pan on a normal or unheated part of the stove top, or on a wet dish towel on the top. These tops are glass not metal.

Have moved around quite a bit and have had mostly electric coil top stoves with drip pans....and hate them with a passion.

Current GE stove (original in 20 yr old house we bought) only has 2 working burners, so I just purchased a Kenmore Elite black smoothtop-- as a replacement...but it hasn't been delivered or installed yet, so there is still time to change my mind. I chose black over white because I thought white would be too hard to keep clean-looking.

After reading these messages, I'm wondering if I should cancel my order and get a different type of stovetop. I have All-Clad pots and pans, and as wonderful as they are, I've probably warped them by pouring cold water into the hot pans in the sink in my rush to clean up....

Pretty much all the suppliers agree NO aluminum directly against the glass cooktop, so use a hotplate for your Expresso pot. I got the free-standing electric Krups for this reason.

Re: replace cooktop

I also think gas is the way to go. waterheater, stove, heat. Its the best thing if your electric goes out you still have those things to use.

I got a new set of pans as a gift and I was searching the net for info on if they are ok to use on my stove. They have the ridges that a couple people here described. I think I will return them and get flat bottomed pans however.

With iron pans, you have to have a smooth bottom and like the aluminum DO NOT slide or drag across the top!!! pick up and put down.

Several readres have not had good luck with copper bottom pans.

I am looking at replacing my old coil avocado green stove with a ceran top range. I have totally been freaked out by the comments I have read. My husband will have a fit if the thing ends up more work than not. I like the clean look that this stove gives and my pots are just analon no copper although I do have an old aluminium roaster which I use at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Do you recommend I get rid of this if I decide to get the smooth top range?

Thanks!

Jan, The ONLY thing I suggest to place on the stovetop is the 600 degree heat safe silicon pad that can be used in the oven, ANYTHING flammable is unsafe- just a disaster waiting to happen.

Sears will give me no idea of what the cost will be for the installation.

I am preparing to sell my home and need to take care of this, but want to do it correctly but not overspend if it's not necessary.

My questions are:

Does anyone have recent experience with Sears to have an idea about the actual costs of the installation, trip, etc?

Does anyone have recent experience with having a stovetop replaced by an independant repair person and what the approx costs are?
What type of repair person do I need?

Has anyone removed a stove top and installed a new one? What is involved? Or is there a website where I can get information.

1) Self cleaning needs to be run about once a month and runs at around 650 degrees or hotter. You should NEVER open the oven door while the cleaning cycle is running- most of the newer ovens lock the door so you can't. By lowering the temp and opening the door, you add oxygen and set up the likelihood of a fire.

2)Self cleaning is to remove the light coating of spatter that absorbs the infrared heat by burning it off. This helps the oven roast well. It works pretty well if you use it frequently. It absolutely WILL NOT clean up any spill big enough to scrape off. For example, you have to remove pie spills, sweet roll drips and sweet potato drippings yourself before running the self cleaning cycle.

3) MOst self cleaning ovens say not to use foil to line the bottom. Believe it. You will completely ruin the oven the first time ytou run self cleaning with aluminum foil still on the floor of the oven.

I am going to have to replace stove as the top unit has burned out and not sure parts for a 31 yr. old stove would be available. Also would not be feasible cost wise.

I dropped a candle holder on top of my Frigidaire ceramic cook top Gallery Series (model FEF389WJCB). I found I can simply replace the glass top piece unit.

I found the black glass top at this website for $239. Any home handy person can remove the top with screws, unplug first of course. My new top was in stock and should be here in 3 days.

They have free repair help Online as well as by Email. They also have an easy to use Parts Search for virtually every brand and model of home appliances.

With thousands of part photos, breakdown diagrams, and readily available repair tips they take the hassle out of repair problems.

AppliancePartsPros.com: http://www.appliancepartspros.com/?ref=taf

Thanks.
geoff

Cleaning - CERAN® cooktop panels are so easy to clean

Your CERAN® cooking surface is developed to be easy to use and to look great. The following hints and tips will help you to keep it that way for a long time to come.

Tip: Clean your CERAN® cooking surface regularly, preferably after each time you use it.

First remove any burnt-on deposits or spilled food from your CERAN® cooking surface with a suitable metal razor scraper (similar to scraping paint off of your windowpanes in your home - it will not damage the decorated cooking surface). Hold the scraper at approximately a 30° angle to the cooktop. For your safety, please wear a mitt potholder while using the metal scraper.
When the cooking surface has cooled down apply a few dabs (about the size of a dime) of an approved cleaner in each burner area and work the cleaning crème over the cooktop surface with a damp paper towel as if you were cleaning a window.
As a final step, clean with clear water and wipe the cooktop surface with a clean, dry paper towel.
Important: If any sugar or food containing sugar (preserves, ketchup, tomato sauce, etc.), a plastic item or kitchen foil accidentally melts on the hot surface of your smoothtop, remove the molten material IMMEDIATELY with a metal razor scraper (it will not damage the decorated cooking surface) while the cooking surface is still hot to avoid the risk of damage to the CERAN® surface. For your safety please wear a mitt potholder while cleaning the hot cooking surface.

!!! Do not use abrasive sponges or scouring pads of any type. Corrosive cleaners such as oven sprays, cleaners containing chlorine or ammonia and stain removers should not be used.

Scratches resulting from daily use are quite harmless and only impair the visual effect. There is no need to worry if something spills or boils over. Even burned-on food can be easily removed using the metal scraper. Please make sure that all deposits are removed before the cooking surface will be used again.

Following these simple hints will ensure that your CERAN® cooking surface will look good for a long time to come.

The following cleaners were successfully tested and approved by SCHOTT for CERAN® cooking surfaces:

What kind of cookware does SCHOTT recommend?

The bases of pots and pans should be slightly concave at room temperature, as it slightly expands when it gets hot. This ensures that it sits flush with the cooking surface resulting in the most efficient use of the heat. Please ensure that the pan base is the same size as the cooking zone

Glass-ceramic cookware is not really suitable because of its poor conductance and it's potential to scratch the CERAN® cooking surface.

Watch out for aluminium!
Pots and pans with copper and/or aluminum bases are not recommended because they are softer than the CERAN® cooking surface and tend to leave small particles, which are difficult to remove. If those particles are not immediately removed with an appropriate cleaning agent, they may burn onto the surface and mar its appearance.

Every pan base should be clean, dry and ridge-free to prevent any residue from burning onto the cooktop panel. It also prevents scratches and other damages or deposits (such as lime specks).

Why should the bottoms of pots and pans be slightly concave?

The base of a pot or pan slightly expands when hot, thus making it sit flush with the cooking surface and ensuring the most efficient use of the heat.

Which pot and pan sizes are best suitable?

For best cooking results use stainless steel or enameled steel pots and pans. The base of the stainless steel pans with sandwich bottoms should be 4-6 mm thick and the base of enameled steel pans should be 2-3 mm thick.

The diameter of the pot should correspond to the diameter of the cooking zone; then the heating energy is optimally used and energy consumption is kept low.

Is it possible to place cookware incorrectly onto the cooktop panel?

No, it's not. CERAN® cooktop panels are perfectly flat, so all pots and pans will stand securely, without the risk of overturning.

as for cleaning we only did it when it got dirty realy. a quick scrape with a razor blade and a polish. a good clean probably once a month. it still looked like new 5 years down the track

I think that you have to realy research what you get I would only buy a ceramic top that is at least 3mm thick some are only 1.5 which would be quicker heating but are not as strong and more prone to cracking.

also the ceran glass seems to be the way to go as it can easily withstand high variances in temporature and is very hard and strong

The smoothtop is fab and cleanup is a breeze. I use windex or 409 after every use and occassionaly use the ceramic cleaner. Tough spots get a quick swipe with a razor blade.

Do you have a cleaner for glasstop stoves.
I have a burnt deposit that will not come off, I have scraped and put glasstop cleaner, nothing works. It mifgt be in the glass, like maybe wore throughn or like a discoloration. My warranty won"t cover it, they say, it is cosmetic. What can I do?

Thank you

I have had my GE smooth top now since January and have had no problems as yet. I have the gray speckled top with black burners.

I'm not a particularly "neat" cook and have lots of splatters when I fry things, but I don't mind cleaning the stove top after EVERY use with the Cerama Cream that came with it. It takes a whole lot less time to clean it each time than it took to clean and/or wrap drip pans each week which was never satisfactory with me as I never could get everything off the drip pans and hated the look of them being aluminum wrapped. I also hated that every time I cooked, brown crud appeared on the stove top under the ring portion of the drip pan and that eventually the cleaning of this crud would take off the porcelain or paint of the stove.

Bought new cookware when we got this stove, as many of my old pots & pans did the rock and roll on the new cook surface. Farberware Millenium which has the aluminum disk sandwiched in 18/10 stainless steel. It's not All-Clad, but neither was the price. I have been happy with it and it performs well with the stove. The flat bottom is critical, and you can test your cookware by putting the straight edge of a ruler across the bottom. If you can see light, it won't work.

Someone wrote about the water never coming to a boil, check the bottom of your pan. If it's not flat, that may be the problem. Mine heats very fast.

You can use a wok, but it must--as mentioned earlier in this thread--be a flat bottomed wok. I have canned tons with no problem. The only thing my manual says is the pan's bottom must be flat. My pressure canner is heavy cast aluminum and for water bath I use my graniteware stockpot. Both work just fine.

To be fair, we recently went to another state to care for my in-laws after she was incapicated by a fall, and I cooked for weeks on her Amana cooktop which is newer than mine. If that were my only experience with ceramic, I'd be less than impressed. It didn't heat well, although I will admit her cookware is awful. We did buy a new pan for her, which I practically wore out before we left, as it was the only one fit to use. Still, her Amana wasn't as good as my GE here.

Spent many years cooking on gas (which I absolutely love) and prior to that on electric coil, but no gas hookup here, so we bought this stove. I LOVE IT and would buy another in a heartbeat.

Someone earlier posted information from a manufacturer's website. This is long, so in a separate post, I will cut & paste some information on cookware for ceramic cooktops from GE's website. It also gives a good explanation of the reasons not to use cast iron.

Types of Cookware that Can Be Used on the Smooth Glass Cooktop

Flat Bottom pans are essential for good cooking performance since the bottom of the pan needs to touch the glass for the best heat transfer. Most current brands sold today have flat bottoms. Much older, used cookware and/or thinner cookware will show signs of no longer being flat. Non-flat pans may crack the glass.

Use Medium or Heavy-Weight cookware.

Stainless Steel is highly recommended. A sandwich clad bottom is especially good because it combines the durability and stability of stainless steel with the heat conduction and distribution of aluminum or copper.

Heavy-Weight Aluminum cookware is also recommended. It conducts heat faster than other metals and cooks evenly. Aluminum residue sometimes appears as scratches on the cooktop, but these can be removed if cleaned immediately.

Copper Bottom pans are also good, but they can leave residues on the cooktop that appear as scratches. These can be removed if cleaned immediately, but do not let a copper bottom pan boil dry. An overheated copper pot will leave a residue that will permanently stain the cooktop.

Porcelain/Enamel pans give good performance only if they have a thick, flat bottom. Avoid boiling these pans dry, as porcelain can melt and fuse to the surface.

Glass or Ceramic cookware is not recommended. These pans may scratch the surface. Glass is a poor conductor of heat so cooking times will be longer and they may require constant attention during cooking.

Stoneware is not recommended. It may scratch the surface and will give poor performance.

Cast Iron cookware is not recommended. If the cookware has a burr or rough spot, it will scratch the glass surface. Additionally, it is slow to absorb heat. Once this type of cookware heats up, especially on hi heat it holds an intense amount of heat which is transferred to the cooktop. This can cause the element to shut down as a response to the temperature limiters which indicate surface temperature is too high for cooktop components to handle.

Porcelain Coated Cast Iron cookware is okay as long as the cookware is covered completely with porcelain enamel. Caution is recommended when using cast iron cookware that is not completely covered with smooth porcelain enamel, as it may scratch the glass ceramic cooktop. Additionally, if used at hi heat for a long period it will hold heat as described for plain cast iron and could shut down in response to the temperature limiters which indicate surface temperature is too high for cooktop components to handle.

Carbon Steel cookware is okay as long as the cookware has a flat bottom and is smooth to avoid scratching.

Confusing "ain't" it? I was confused too.

I obsessed over pots/pans. Made myself crazy. I ended up buying pan sizes I needed to fit my burners rather than buying a whole set of something & not be able to use two or three pans because the bottoms weren't the right size. For the most part I bought hard anodized aluminum pans--Calphalon as well as one or two other brands and I love them! Of course once I get really, really old, I won't be able to lift some of these bigger pans because of their weight. I did have it drilled in my head that one should never use lightweight aluminum.

I am one who does use the cream after each cooking, so I don't know if that is why I've had no problems with stains/scratches or not. I've had my GE since January and I've not had to use the razor blade once.

I've read where others think it is expensive to use the cream each time, but I don't think that at all. I was told to use about a quarter-sized dab on each burner. The little sample size lasted me over a month.

Here's what really helped me weed through my existing pans: The person at manufacturer's call center research turned up this: Test pan to see if it heats evenly by putting small amount of water in pan or pot. If it heats evenly across bottom of pan, bubbles will rise all across bottom of pan and not in splotches. If you have a pan that has an area of the pan which has area of bottom which does not have bubbles form when water boils, then that area of pan would have less heat in that area when cooking -- leading to un-even cooking of food.

I've set aside several old enamel pots for out-side use by the grill -- no more using good pots outside by grill for the barbeque sauce!

Yep, I read all the information above BEFORE I purchased my Kenmore Schott Ceran Grey Speckled Smooth Top Stove and I really THOUGHT that I was going to be one of the success stories.

I am not. It has me beat. I was arrogant, I admit it.

Before YOU buy, please consider the percentages here. How many people LOVE them to how many HATE them. It's just that simple - the "Odds" are you are not going to be completely happy with this setup.

If you love to scrub and scrub all day, you are probably a good candidate. Remember that the bottom of your cookware will need to be scrubbed, no throwing it into the dishwasher. Also, you must wait for the top to cool down before cleaning up - I get distracted by the waiting... I am a clean as you go type.

ALSO: I used the correct gauge stainless steel flat bottomed pans and still managed to have some of the speckled pattern come off - I have the 5 year warranty through Sears, and will eventually ask for a new top, but I am waiting around first to see what else breaks.

I have tried all kinds of cleaners - for me, they all seem to still take a lot of elbow grease. I was told NOT to use a razor blade, but heck, if everybody else it doing it, than I am going to give it a try too. (Remember, my pattern is already wearing off, so what have I to lose?)

If you read all this and still feel up to the "CHALLENGE" - then, I do absolutely recommend an extended warranty!

My owners manual warns not to spill sugar on your stove top and if you do, clean it off immediately or it will pit the top.

My big complain is that it doesn't produce enough heat, and it keeps turn off automatically. Frustrated.

I have been wiping up the marks with a paper towel and cream. Then I wipe the cream off with the towel. But I haven't been using water to make sure I get it all off. I think this is what has been making all those burn like marks on the cook top.

1. I routinely used uneven bottom pots/pans.
2. I routinely used copper bottom Revere-ware.
3. I used Corning-ware on the burners.
4. I routinely set blazing HOT Corning-ware straight from the hot oven on the cold top ALL the time.
5. I've boiled pots dry many many times.
6. On several occasions, I've left an empty T-Fal pan burning and smoking for more than a couple hours.
7. I've dropped heavy metal objects on the glass top a few times.
8. I've performed canning and pickling over many seasons.
9. More boil-overs and spills than I can count.
10. I routinely used oversized pots/pans on the burners.

BUT I kept it VERY clean. The past 14 years have taught me that beating the hell out of a Ceramic top with no ill effects makes it indestructible.

After all this... 14 years of daily abuse... today I just put a T-fal pan on the main burner to pre-heat just like I've done about 10,000 times before... It heated up in a minute or so, I added my food, I reduced the heat, ..... and TING... Shattered!!! Cracks run though 25% of the top all the way to the edges.

$320 for a new top!

Abuse the hell out of it for 14 years and it breaks while doing something completely benign. Did my luck just run out? Is this Karma? Did my years of abuse weaken the top somehow? Or do these things just break for no reason?

MOST IMPORTANTLY... If I spend the money on a new top and treat it the same as I've always treated it, can I expect another 14 years? Maybe if I treat it better, I'll get more than 14 years...

It's been repeated here over and over that you should never put a hot pan from the oven on a cold ceramic top because it may crack.

How is this?

You get 4 instantly red hot glowing coils under a cold top as soon as you turn them on.

Don't try to tell me that the glass over the burners is different because I know the whole top is the same material all across.

So how the hell is a hot object from the oven on a cold top a problem? Thermal shock couldn't be any worse than the thermal shock of a red hot coil under the cold top. How about middle of winter and your house gets down to 53 degrees overnight because you sleep under an electric blanket. So you now have a very very cold ceramic top. You turn on the burner to make your tea... a 53 degree top heats to 400+ degrees in less than 3 seconds... no problems with thermal shock here.

So a hot pan from oven on a cold top is bad... right, sure.

It should be noted that my owner's manual says NOTHING about this precaution. Even though I'm out of warranty, I've followed all guidelines as provided to me in my original documentation.

Has anyone else used Soft Scrub successfully or unsuccessfully on their ceramic cook top?

Rick, the simple answer is yes. If it was pristine as you said, it were me I would offer to replace the glass portion- 2-300 dollars- then ask if there is something else you could do.