Hi guys

I am looking for a vintage electric cooktop to buy and I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on which ones are best and which are to be avoided. 

Does anyone know how wide this GE model is?  Good performer?  I'd be interested to know the power of the largest burner.

These Thermador models look good.

My current cooktop is 36½" wide and 21" deep.

I've seen a lot of 30" Jenn Air models but they are not wide enough to fill my hole (!).  Does anyone know the power and size of these coils?

Here is a nice 48" model.  I could enlarge my cutout but I am not sure how I could accommodate a smaller cooktop.

All thoughts and advice much appreciated.

Mark

The first one (almond) fits a 30" base cabinet.  It features a 3-in-1 "Power Saver" unit that can be a 4", 6" or 8" unit.

lawrence

Thank you very much, Tom and Lawrence.  That's a real shame, as it is for sale locally but is not wide enough 😐.  Is it 21" deep?

Looking at the photos above, it looks to me like the largest Jenn Air coil is smaller than the largest on the GE and Thermador.  Is that the case?

Mark

When I bought this house in 1997, it had a Corning electric cooktop, with a flat piece of glass covering all the burners. I had the gas extended to that location, and then stored the Corning cooktop in the workshop. Unfortunately a year or so later it got tipped over and broke. It was no big loss, because it had burn marks, deep in the glass, underside, on at least one burner location. Still, I probably would have kept it. As it was, it went in the trash.

Now I have a five burner Frigidaire Gas-On-Glass cooktop that I've been quite happy with for the past 20+ years. If it were now, I'd probably consider an induction cooktop, except for the high price of electricity here. Gas has gone up as well, but not as much as electricity. Plus, I can cook with gas any time. Between 4 pm and 9 pm we get charged extra for electricity.

Well, I got inspired enough last night to give the Frigidiare Gas-On-Glass cooktop a thorough cleaning. Much better now!

Thanks for the replies and all the good info.

Here are a couple of photos of my current cooktop, which is in an island.  I have a pop-up downdraft vent that is ducted through the slab floor and out of the house.

John, I might even be able to catch up with you in Beltsville during the coming year!  

Regarding the power of the elements, I have seen some Thermador 8-inch replacement elements that say they are 2100 Watts.  Whereas some GE 8-inch elements say they are 3000 Watts.  I often bring large pans of water to the boil, so the extra power would be great.  If it turns out that the Thermador elements are 2100 Watts, could I replace one of them with a more powerful element?

I have found a Thermador cooktop for sale online in Montreal that I am considering buying.  I cook a lot and the cooktop is typically used for 3 meals per day.

I do have a 2-burner gas cooktop outside.  I'm excited about the prospect of replacing the Viking!

Happy New Year

Mark

What's wrong with the Viking gas cooktop? I'd probably be very happy with a six burner set up like that.

Of course you'll probably have to run a 220 volt connection under to the cooktop if one is not already there.

PS-Nice bananas!

"Yes, it would need a 240 V line of course note there’s no such thing as 220 V in this country."

Why on earth would a gas cooktop need 220 V?

Even more, 220 and 240 in America are basically the same:

In the previous time, they have been known as 220 volt electric circuits, but they are now refer to as 240 volt electric circuits. Over the years in America, there have been the problem of accommodating increase electric loads. In resolving this, the American utilities increase the minimal voltages in order to lower the electric current and the wire size that is being used.

220 volts is the most common way to refer to appliance electrical requirements, as is 110 volts for stuff like light bulbs. It doesn't matter when it was boosted to, as you claim, first to 230 and then later to 240. And it is hardly a big deal: when you say 220 volts people instantly know what is meant: it's for usually a home appliance. Similarly, 110 volts refers to stuff like light bulbs. You can bitch and moan that it's not accurate but I doubt anyone is going to change they way they talk about it just to shut your trap.

John, thank you so much for the great info.  This is really helpful.  I'll text you later. 

I do not currently have 240 V at the island but I have already had someone out to quote for this.  He is hoping to fish a cable through the existing conduit.  If that is not possible, new conduit will have to go in the slab floor.  I have 240 V at my house rather than 208 V which would often be found in apartment buildings.  And I most certainly do not have 220 V, as I would be the only person in North America to have that voltage by design.  But yes you're right, Suds, even the guy who came to quote referred to it as 220 V ha ha.  I had an electrician in the UK still referring to "the fuse board" or "fuse box" even though it contained circuit breakers and no fuses.  I guess legacy terms sometimes remain in use.  Maybe this is like ending a call on your mobile phone and describing it as "I hung up on him" or talking about "dialling" a number.  But personally I would never say 220 V because it is simply inaccurate and it is just as easy to say 240 V -- with the added benefit of being correct.

Suds, as for the 6-burner set-up, it's good in theory. But the burners are pretty close together and you can't really use 6 pans at once, unless they are small.  It's rather like the signs in lifts/elevators that say "maximum capacity 20 persons" when really anymore than 10 people would be a little difficult, even though it's not overloaded.  Other than that, it has all the usual advantages and disadvantages of gas cooktops.

All the best for the new year

Mark

Here you go…

Well, since the allowable variation is 10%, and 10% of 220 is 22, that means calling a 240 circuit 220 is within the variation. I.E., a 220 circuit can actually be 242. Furthermore, a 240 circuit could be 216 and still be within spec.

In other words, calling a 240 circuit 220 is within the specs for 240.

John,

I said the "specs", not what actually occurs. Do understand what "specs" means? It means specifications. Not spectacles.

And, as another poster already said, everyone knows what one is talking about if one says 110 or even 220. They are within specs and so IMHO it's ok to refer to 120 or 240 circuits as such.

Of course some will bitch and moan about this until the cows come home. That's just the way some people are. Their problem, not mine.

And John, as for your opinion of my background/experience/training: I don't really care. You seem to be taking a legalistic approach which may be fine in a courtroom, but in reality it's sort of useless.

Mark,

Thanks. As you say, the professionals often will say 220 instead of 240, or 110 instead of 120. But everyone (within reason) knows what they mean.

As for the cooktop, I have a five burner Frigidaire Gas-on-Glass cooktop that is now at least 20 years old, and which I much prefer to any resistance electric cooktop I've ever encountered. I suppose an induction cooktop would also be fine, except for the fact that some cookware won't heat up on induction burners. Notice I said "burners". Will someone try to sue me over that? I wonder...

I can certainly see how a 36" wide six burner cooktop could be problematic in terms of space between pots and pans. However it's rare that I've ever got all five burners going at once, so it may not be all that much of an issue even with the six burner setup. I suspect someone in the cooktop marketing department figured a six burner setup would attract more sales... and they may well have goofed on that assumption.

Glen,

Like was already discussed, and I know you're likely joking, but 122 and 244 are within the range of specs for 120 and 240 circuits. As are 110 and 220. Because the specifications say +/- 10%.

Hi Ralph.  I suppose I would be happy to oblige by suing you over the use of the word "burner" in the context of induction.

In the UK, they are called "burners" if they are gas.  They are called "zones" in the case of induction.  And they are called "elements" if they are...well...elements, such as coil elements which could also be called rings.  On ceramic resistance types they are called zones or elements.  I think the people who refer to induction "burners" are typically the same people who connect them to 220 Volts 😂.

For those who get all twisted out of shape when somebody calls an electric stove "element" a "burner":

How To Replace an Electric Stove Burner

Scott The Fix-It Guy

 ...

I think it's good that new definitions of words and changes in English usage are decided by English speakers themselves and not by a central regulatory agency, as is the case with languages such as Spanish.  So if enough people in Mississippi and Alabama refer to cooktop elements as "eyes" then it's therefore a valid definition of the word "eye" and is correct usage in those areas among those people, although it may not be used in places like California or England.  People all over the world have their own identities and cultures and their own way of speaking English.  It just so happens that the American way is wrong ha ha.  Just kidding!!!!!

Do electric cars have gas pedals?  🤔

Thank you all for the help and advice.  I've purchased the only electric 36" Thermador cooktop that I could find for sale.  Comes with griddle and grill.  I'm looking forward to restoring it and installing it!

Mark

Hey Greg.  Although the vent was also available with it, I didn't buy it.  I was advised to stick with my current Viking vent, as the Thermador vent is no better and it would be a pain to change it.  Not to mention the cost of shipping from Montreal to Palm Springs.

I was thinking it might be possible to hook up the cooktop's "vent up & down" control to my current vent. 

That's a nice looking cooktop Mark.

I'm of the opinion that much of the harmful pollutants that a gas cooktop or range might produce would be reduced, perhaps greatly, by getting rid of the pilot lights and replacing them, if possible, with pilotless ignition.