Cleaning

• A glass-top range should be cleaned after every use, but certainly no less than every second or third use. Without regular cleaning, a glass-top range will show past spills that will become increasingly difficult to remove. A minimum cleaning of wiping the cooking surface with a wet cloth should occur after every use.
  
  A cleaner can be used to restore the shine to the cook top and remove baked-on foods. Cleaners made for use on glass cook tops can be bought in grocery stores, drug stores, home-improvement centers---almost anywhere. However, it is important to remember that the cleaner requires some elbow grease to work well.
  
  

Cookware

• Some types of cookware perform better than others on glass-top ranges. For example, cast iron cookware is a good choice for a glass range top as both the glass of the range and the cast iron of the pan are designed to heat evenly. However, more important than the material the cookware is made of is the amount of surface area touching the stove. If a pan becomes warped or has a concave bottom, it is not the best choice for cooking on a glass-top range. Even contact between the bottom of the pan and the top of the range is vital to even heating and cooking of the food. Do not use enameled pots on a glass range top as the enamel could melt and become bonded to the top of the range.
  
  

Canning

• Canning food is a major part of fall activities in many households. However, a glass-top range many not assist with these traditions. Many canners have a raised bottom and will not conduct heat evenly enough on glass-top ranges to reach the rolling boil needed to effectively create a seal on the canning jars. A flat-bottom canning pan can be used on a glass-top stove and may be able to conduct heat well enough to reach the rolling boil. Regardless of the type of canning pan used, the edge of the pan should not overlap the heating element of the stove by more than an inch. Overlapping the heating element will trap the heat and can cause the burner to overheat and stop working.
  
  

Features

• If glass-top ranges fall slightly short in meeting the needs of an avid canner, they make up for it in other features. One feature that traditional electric or gas stoves don't have is the two-in-one burner. This is one burner that can turn off a part of the heating element to accommodate different pan sizes. The warmer burner is also an added feature that traditional ranges don't have. The warmer burner is placed in between the back burners on the stove and allows a pan to have a low amount of heat to keep the food warm without cooking it further. This burner can also accommodate serving plates waiting to be set on the table. The temperature is low enough to prevent damage to the plate but will heat it through to keep the food warm until served.
  
  

Is a Glass-Top Range the Right Choice?

• Glass-top ranges eliminate the need for drip pans and cleaning under the cooking surface. But spills need to be cleaned quickly from the top of a glass range or they can become bonded and more difficult to clean later. While it may not matter that the burners take a little longer to heat, the time it takes for them to cool down may be more of an issue. Burners can take anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes to cool down completely, which may be a concern in homes with small children.