But what’s the difference between a smooth-top range (also referred to as a smooth-top stove) and a smooth-top cooktop? Teri Simone, a specialist in kitchen design and the Head of Design and Marketing for Nieu Cabinet Doors, provides some clarification: “A range means a cooktop and oven built-in to the same unit, that slides into an opening in your cabinetry. A cooktop is simply that: Your stove-top surface lives separately from an oven.” If you’re trying to decide which one may be best for you, keep in mind that a cooktop paired with a separate wall oven means you “need to use up cabinetry real-estate for two appliances compared to the all-in-one footprint of a slide-in range,” according to Simone. We recommend the Samsung NE63A6311SS as the best smooth-top range. It’s loaded with features for convenient and efficient cooking, including a five-element glass cooktop, a spacious 6.3-cubic-foot oven, and built-in Wi-Fi. The best smooth-top stoves and cooktops to complete your kitchen are below. The stovetop of the Samsung NE63A6311SS Smart Electric Range is equipped with five elements. While standard ranges typically offer four burners, the fifth element on this range has 100 watts of power and is handy for use as a warming zone. There are two 9-inch elements with 3,300 watts of power for high-heat cooking or rapid boiling, along with two 7-inch elements with 1,200 watts of power. Keep in mind that control knobs for the elements and the digital control pad for the oven are accessible on the back panel of this range. This makes the knobs less accessible than slide-in ranges with front control panels, but it’s typical for the design of a freestanding range. Inside the 6.3-cubic-foot oven, you’ll find no shortage of space for roasting, baking, or broiling. Hidden bake elements and a steam-cleaning mode make it easier to keep the oven interior spotless, while a full self-cleaning mode is available for routine oven maintenance.  Price at time of publish: $949 The smooth cooktop and radiant elements mean that you’ll be able to evenly heat pots and pans, and you can adjust the temperature output using the individual control knobs. Safety features of this cooktop include a control lock-out to prevent accidental operation of the elements and a hot surface indicator light that visually identifies active elements. For quick cleanup, the control knobs are removable and dishwasher-safe. None of the elements are adjustable in size but they are versatile enough to handle high-heat cooking tasks and low-heat melting or simmering functions. For example, the 6-inch elements are equipped with up to 1,200 watts of power but can also be turned low for use as a warming element. This cooktop earns plenty of praise from users for its reliable heating function and easy-to-clean surface, making it an outstanding choice for your kitchen. It’s available in black, stainless steel, and white finishes. Price at time of publish: $999 The smooth stovetop of this freestanding kitchen range is outfitted with four elements, including two dual-size elements with 3,100 watts of power for faster boiling. You’ll notice there’s no fifth element for a warming zone or to accommodate an extra saucepan, but few budget kitchen stoves have this option. Instead, the 3,100-watt elements are paired with two 1,200-watt elements for versatile prep of your stovetop favorites. The rear controls require you to reach over the cooktop to adjust the elements, but the knobs are simple to read and adjust. The smooth glass cooktop is also easy to wipe clean at the end of your cooking session—once the elements have cooled. The oven on this model offers standard cooking only, so convection baking enthusiasts will want to consider another smooth-top stove. However, the oven is slightly larger-than-average, with 5.3 cubic feet of room and dual bake elements for more even heating. It’s also equipped with an in-oven broiler, saving the drawer space underneath this freestanding range for stowing away extra bakeware, pots, and pans. The self-cleaning function is a real bonus on a budget stove. It will save you the effort of manually scrubbing the oven and ensure that your appliance stays clean for years to come. This is an especially helpful feature since the heating elements inside this oven aren’t hidden—you’ll have to wipe under and around the upper and lower elements on occasion to clear cooking grease and spills. This smooth-top stove costs under $1,000 and is available in a range of finishes to match your kitchen, including black, white, and stainless steel, as well as a fingerprint-resistant slate for a small premium to the price. Price at time of publish: $899 The leading feature of this budget cooktop is its 9-inch element with 3,000 watts of power, which will allow you to quickly boil water for pasta or turn up the heat for searing and sauteing. If you want to concentrate the heat underneath a smaller pot or pan, this element has a smaller inner ring. Another 9-inch element, plus two 6-inch elements complete the setup of this cooktop. The control knobs offer fixed positions to adjust the heat from high to low, but there is no control lockout function. Keep this in mind while cleaning the cooktop or if you have young children in the home that might be tempted to touch the cooktop controls. Home chefs might also wish for a fifth element or more adjustable elements. But for less than $1,000, this smooth cooktop is a popular pick. It’s available in black or stainless steel to complement your existing kitchen appliances. Price at time of publish: $699 Like other slide-in ranges, you’ll find a front control panel that operates the elements and oven. But rather than conventional control knobs, the GE Profile PSS93YPFS features glide-touch controls. More often seen on high-end induction ranges, this type of control panel is designed to be easy to use, since you simply slide your finger along the range of temperature settings. It’s also simple to clean, as there are no knobs to clean around or under. A locking feature ensures that you won’t accidentally activate the control panel if you bump into it or if you press it while wiping the panel clean. When it comes to using the smooth glass cooktop, you’ll have four cooking elements to utilize and an additional warming zone element. Two of the cooking elements can be synced together to create a larger cooking zone for a griddle or other oversized cookware.  The oven of the GE Profile PSS93YPFS has 5.3 cubic feet of space. It’s well-equipped for cooking or baking, especially since it has a fan and rear heating element for convection operation. This setup also means that this range offers a no-preheat air fry function—a faster way to cook up your favorite crispy menu items. Even if cooking, baking, roasting, or air frying causes some spills and splatters inside the oven, the range offers convenient cleaning modes: a 30-minute steam clean for light messes or an in-depth self-cleaning cycle. With the help of GE’s appliance app, you can remotely control the oven or receive notifications, including if you accidentally leave the oven on. It’s a modern convenience that makes it easier to keep tabs on your cooking or baking tasks, and give you peace of mind. Now, all of these features don’t come cheap. The GE Profile PSS93YPFS retails for just around $2,000. It’s also only available in stainless steel, which may be a drawback if you’re looking for other modern finishes like slate or black stainless steel. Price at time of publish: $2,399 The cooktop has four induction elements and one radiant element. The induction elements range in wattage from 100 to 3,200 watts, while the single radiant element has 1,800 watts of power. The slide-in design of this induction range gives you front control knobs for easy accessibility, along with a digital control pad for oven operation. The oven is very roomy, with 6.3 cubic feet of space. It has a convection cooking mode for turning out evenly browned baked goods. However, there is no air fryer function, which is a bit of a disappointment for such a well-equipped range. You have the choice between stainless steel and black stainless steel finishes. We read some reports that the oven finish and knobs can chip. However, most people appreciate the sophisticated appearance and consistent cooking results when using this smooth-top induction stove.  Price at time of publish: $3,532

While this induction cooktop only has four elements, it makes the most of the 30-inch-wide cooking surface. The elements have sensors to automatically detect pan size and adjust the heating radius. Plus, the largest element measures 10 inches and packs 3,800 watts of power, which is powerful enough to boil a pot of water in as little as 90 seconds. The other elements include two 7-inch elements and one 6-inch element. A unique feature of this induction cooktop is the built-in kitchen timer, giving you a convenient way to track cooking time as you prepare multiple stovetop items. Digital controls also provide a modern way to control the cooktop, and they can be locked for cleaning. One potential downside, depending on your decor preferences: Frigidaire Gallery FGIC3066TB is only available in a black finish.  Price at time of publish: $1,799 On the glass range top, two adjustable size elements optimize the heating area to match large pans or smaller pots. These larger 9- and 12-inch burners are located up front, for more convenient access. A trio of 6-inch elements (ranging in power from 1,300 watts to 100 watts) line the back of the cooktop and are designed for heating small pans, melting butter, or keeping sauces warm. Control knobs for the elements and a touchpad for the oven functions are located along the back panel of this freestanding range.  The total oven capacity of the Whirlpool WGE745C0FS is a whopping 6.7 cubic feet. It’s divided between a 4.2-cubic-foot lower oven and a 2.5-cubic-foot upper oven. The lower oven has convection cooking, plus a rapid preheat setting. The upper oven features an in-oven broiler. Price at time of publish: $1,799 With 5.7 cubic feet of space, the oven easily accommodates multiple baking sheets or roasting pans. Use the oven as an air fryer to make all your favorite crispy foods, like French fries, chicken tenders, and more. You’ll find that you can prepare larger batches of these items than with a countertop air fryer, saving you time and effort when cooking for a crowd. An air fryer tray is an optional purchase—it can help to improve heat circulation when using the oven for air frying. Convection cooking is another feature of this oven, giving you consistent, even results when baking or roasting. For making stovetop meals or sides, the Frigidaire Gallery GCRE3060AF has a powerful cooktop with five elements. The two larger elements measure 9 and 12 inches, and they are situated at the front of the cooktop for easy access. These elements are adjustable in size to accommodate different size pots and pans. It’s worth noting that the 9-inch element offers 3,000 watts of power for rapid boiling. This is slightly less than other high-power elements on similar stoves, which often have 3,500 watts of power. Still, it’s enough of a boost to deliver high heat faster than a standard element. Rounding out the element layout are three 6-inch elements of varying power levels for preparing sides and sauces.  Price at time of publish: $1,249 Part of the Profile series, this GE model offers elevated features and functions. The large center element adjusts to fit pans measuring 6, 9, or 12 inches. It has 3,000 watts of power, which is slightly less than some other power elements but still provides a boost of heating power to boil water or sear a steak. An 8-inch element also offers dual element sizes and can adjust to accommodate 6-inch pots and pans. Two 7-inch elements are stacked on the left side of the 36-inch cooktop and can be synced to create a large heating area. This comes in handy for evenly heating a griddle, Dutch oven, or other oversized cookware items. A 6-inch element with a melting function completes the element layout.  A digital control panel gives you the ability to control each element with the touch of your finger. If you’ve ever struggled to clean under and around cooktop knobs, you’ll appreciate how easy it is to wipe clean this control panel—and a lock feature makes it easy to do so without activating an element. This high-end 36-inch cooktop is available in black and stainless steel. It retails for about $2,000 but justifies its cost with advanced cooktop functionality and ease of use. It’s ideal for use on a kitchen island or if you need a large cooking surface for preparing gourmet meals to pair with a wall oven. Price at time of publish: $1,999 The cooking surface includes a large 10-inch element, a 9-inch element, and two 6-inch options. The 10-inch element is equipped to output 3,200 watts of power and has an adjustable diameter to accommodate 6-inch pots or pans. The ceramic glass surface of this cooktop has a special finish to resist scratches, which is helpful when you need to shift heavy pots and pans from one element to another. Stainless steel knobs give the cooktop a high-end feel and make it easy to individually adjust each element. However, some users may wish for a digital control pad to simplify the task of cleaning the cooktop.  The downdraft of this cooktop moves air at a rate of 300 CFM (cubic feet per minute). It’s equipped with a three-speed exhaust fan, which gives you the option of low, medium, and high fan speeds. Out of the box, it’s designed to integrate with existing ductwork, but a duct-free installation kit is also available. Price at time of publish: $2,199 A smooth cooktop is a worthwhile option, as well. It offers a streamlined look for your kitchen and is often paired with a wall oven or installed in a kitchen island. Small kitchen layouts and RV kitchens may also be a good match for the design of a smooth cooktop, rather than a full stove. While you won’t have the option for baking or roasting, a cooktop is well-equipped for making your favorite stovetop meals, like pasta, stir fry, steak, pancakes, eggs, and more. 

Dimensions, Capacity, and Elements

The exact dimensions of a smooth-top stove or cooktop will vary, but these cooking appliances usually fall into standard width categories. For smooth-top stoves, a 30-inch width is typical—although the width is usually just shy of this number to allow for clearance on either side of the appliance. Smooth cooktops, on the other hand, fall into two categories: 30 inches or 36 inches. The standard 30-inch width is most common but if you have the space for a 36-inch cooktop, it usually comes with a fifth element.  When comparing smooth-top stoves, capacity is a term you’ll hear in reference to the size of the oven. Average capacity for this type of appliance is typically between 5.3 and 5.8 cubic feet. Large capacity or double-oven models—including the Whirlpool WGE745C0FS—often have more than 6.0 cubic feet of room to allow for baking multiple dishes or sheet pans simultaneously.  For both smooth-top stoves and cooktops, it’s important to consider the number of elements. Four elements is standard, but an increasing number of models offer cooking surfaces with five elements. An additional element is a popular choice for avid cooks but may not be as necessary if you keep your cooktop meals simple and rarely use more than one or two pans or pots at a time. 

Fuel Type

For smooth-top stoves and cooktops, the fuel type is either electric (also referred to as radiant) or induction. Both types of appliances plug into an outlet, so you have more flexibility in choosing the type of cooking power that appeals to you the most. Radiant elements offer even heat distribution across the element and is typically the more affordable option. Induction elements use magnets to generate energy that is transferred directly to induction-compatible cookware. The benefit is that the cooktop surface stays much cooler and any spills or splatters are easy to wipe off, since they won’t burn on contact with the cooktop. It’s a very efficient form of cooking but comes at a premium price.

Additional Features

Other features of smooth-top appliances that are worth considering include adjustable elements for accommodating various sizes of cookware. Several picks on our list feature elements with adjustable sizes, including our “best budget cooktop” option, Frigidaire FFEC3025UB. Along with this feature, you’ll also find that some appliances offer one or two elements with higher wattages for faster boiling and high-heat cooking, which can save you time in the kitchen.  For smooth-top ranges, a self-cleaning mode for the oven is another popular feature you’ll see. Some ranges also offer an additional steam-cleaning mode that is quicker and useful for light-duty messes. 

Style and Finish

The style you choose will come down to your preferences for kitchen appliances. Many smooth-top stoves and cooktops have similar attributes, but some mimic professional-style appliances with stainless steel knobs and a high-end look. The most common finishes for smooth-top stoves and cooktops include black, stainless steel, and white. 

Standout Features

Self-Cleaning Mode

If your smooth-top range has a self-cleaning mode, it’s very easy to rid your oven cavity of grime or any other messes. The feature uses high heat to turn any oil splatters and grime into dust, which you can then wipe away with a wet cloth. In the process, your oven will generate a lot of heat, so you’ll want to open your windows and keep the kitchen well-ventilated. Ultimately, this feature takes an item off your to-do list and is a step up from a steam clean.

Adjustable Burners

In order to accommodate cookware in many sizes, smooth-top stoves and cooktops can feature adjustable burners. These burners have two or even three ring diameters, and don’t restrict you to just using one large or small element at a time. This feature is most convenient for households who require more flexibility when cooking, because they entertain often or have many family members.

Proofing Setting

A proofing setting turns your oven cavity into a humid and warm console that’s great for baking. In this warm space, your dough can gently rise, before it bakes and turns into the bread you want it to be. If you didn’t already know, warmth triggers the fermentation process and allows the yeast in the dough to expand. For that reason, this feature helps even new bakers achieve professional results.

Synchronized Elements

Smooth-top stoves or cooktops with synchronized elements enable you to link two elements for even heating of large cookware. It comes in handy for use with a Dutch oven, griddle, or other unusual shapes of cookware.

Wi-Fi

Smart kitchen appliances use built-in Wi-Fi to give you remote monitoring and control options. For ranges and cooktops, the options usually include features like preheating the oven or receiving notifications for kitchen timers or if you left an element on. These features offer convenience, but also can be a safety feature in the event that you leave the cooktop on by accident. 

Digital Controls

Digital controls are a modern update to smooth-top stoves and cooktops. Instead of control knobs, some models offer a touchpad that lets you adjust each element. This is the case for our top pick for a slide-in stove, the GE Profile PSS93YPFS. One advantage of digital controls is the fact that you won’t have knobs to clean under and around, which can be a big help in keeping your stove or cooktop clean while cooking. Another advantage is the fact that digital controls often include a lock feature that can be used to avoid accidental activation of an element.

Why Trust The Spruce?

This article was written by Erica Puisis, a freelance writer and product tester for The Spruce. Her areas of expertise include large and small appliances, like kitchen ranges, refrigerators, and vacuums. For this article, she considered the most popular ranges and cooktops with smooth glass surfaces from leading manufacturers like GE, Whirlpool, Samsung, Bosch, KitchenAid, Frigidaire, and more. Puisis compared models based on features such as the number of elements, oven operation, cleaning functions, and smart features that can make it easier to monitor cooking tasks.  Puisis also interviewed Teri Simone, Head of Design and Marketing at Nieu Cabinet Doors. As a kitchen design specialist, Simone has experience guiding homeowners in the decision between a kitchen range and cooktop and understands how the choice affects cabinet configuration and usability.