Electric Range Advice Needed Please

I would definitely get a smooth top over the old fashioned one (and actually there are so few of those left, you would be hard pressed to find a decent one). My hubby sold appliances for a long time and for a good, mid-range range, he suggests Whirlpool. He hates Fridgedaire and GE because most of his customers have had some sort of issue with the ones that they bought.

Smooth top is much easier to clean than coils, looks nicer, and is just as reliable. Hope this helps!

I have a whirlpool glass top range. I've had it for 2 yrs and I love it. Much easier to clean that the coil type. If you spill something on it you just wipe it off and if it does get accidentally cooked on there are fabulous cleaners ( not expensive ) made for the class top ranges that help get it off. And there are special scrubbers that you can buy that won't scratch the surface. Plus I've been told ( though never had to try it) that you can use a razor blade carefully to scrap off burnt food. I love it and will never go back to the basic coil kind.

The smooth top is much easier to clean. Make sure you clean as soon as anything gets on it so it won't damage the top. Use a recommended cleaner--nothing abrasive. I also recommend you get a self-cleaning oven so you won't have to use toxic cleaners there either.

I like the smooth top better, but it is more delicate. (I just think it looks nicer, and I don't have to worry about burners going crooked like the old coils always did. And I think it's more energy efficient)

Go to Best Buy, Sears, etc, shop around, ask the sales people which ones are best (I like Best Buy because they don't get paid on commission, so they tend to listen better and not just offer the priciest)

We're shopping for a new range as well because we're building a house. My husband is really into comparison shopping and has done a LOT of research already. We are leaning toward Whirlpool appliances. For a mid-range price, they have by far the best consumer ratings in most areas. The cooktops are much easier to keep clean and the one I have, at least, both turns red when it is cooking and has an indicator light on top that stays red until the stovetop is cool enough to touch, so I don't have to worry about my kids getting burned. The one disadvantage to the cooktop is that if you do any home canning, you are not supposed to use them to can (at least not with a pressure cooker). They don't heat as evenly (because they alternately heat and cool as they cook) and the high heat for longer periods of time can cause the cooktop to crack. But other than that, they're great!

I also have a Whirlpool glass-top range. I've had it for 6 years and have never had a single problem with it. My mother has a GE smooth-top, and she can't believe how much faster my oven pre-heats than hers. Mine cost less than hers did too. Oh, and hers is 4 years newer too :)

I think it's really easy to clean. I use Whink brand cleaner. It works so much better than anything else I've tried, and works on other things too. If I get a stain on my formica countertop from the kids' juice or something, it takes it right off.

We have a glass cooktop as well. It's great in that it's easier to keep clean, but I hate it with little ones. The cooktop doesn't turn red or indicate that it's hot in any way so little ones don't see how dangerous it is, v. a gas top where they can actually see the fire. I really hate electric.... grrrrr..... :D

i HATE my flat cook top.... I cant wait for it to die so I can buy an old fashioned one. the reason i hate it is if something gets burned on its impossible to get off and I have tried EVERYTHING lol

I have a brand new Hotpoint electric range - i LOVE IT!! I have TWO large burners and two small burners....

My cousin has the smooth top and HATES HATES HATES it....hard to clean, if it cracks - you're screwed! YIKES!!!

I would go to Consumer Reports.com and do some research there. You can usually get a good deal at Sears and Home Depot. I bought mine in February for $194.90 - someone bought it and didn't fit. so I got a deal!

I would prefer gas - but with the way our home is set up - it would NOT be economical for us to do so until I win the lottery - we'll be using electric.

Good luck!!

Glass top you want that and they have them now just under 400. If you wash your range daily like I do a damp sponge will keep it clean & I do not use any special cleaners just normal cleaner