Overall score is based on:

Cooking performance (60%): We conduct 4 tests to assess the performance of the cooktops:

White sauce on the smallest element with the lowest setting:
This tests the cooktop’s ability to perform at a low temperature for a long time.

White rice on the medium-sized element:
This tests the “turndown” capacity of the element (starting on a high heat and reducing to a simmer) and whether it can maintain a suitable heat at the lowest temperature setting.

Beef and vegetable stir-fry on the large element:
This tests whether the cooktop can deliver continuous high heat.

Chocolate melting:
With ceramic cooktops, we also melt chocolate to measure how well the simmer element/burner maintains the lowest temperature.

Ease of use (40%): Rates the ease of using the controls, ease of cleaning, and the user-friendliness of the cooktop layout.

Price is based on a September 2015 and March 2017 survey.