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Gourmet Guru
Cooktop Comparison In a kitchen, the cooktop is often the crowning jewel. With so many manufacturers, models, and features to choose from, it can be overwhelming to find the cooktop that is right for your home.

The Miele 36-inch five-burner gas cooktop, model KM342, has two 9,000-BTU burners, one 12,000-BTU high-speed burner, and two 15,300-BTU double-ring superburners (wok). The burners are completely sealed for easy cleaning and maintenance. The cooktop's center control configuration maximizes the space between the burners, while its continuous grate design allows you to move pots from burner to burner without lifting. Surface colors available include black, white, and stainless-steel with optional knob kits in black or stainless-steel. Choose from the classic round or contemporary linear grate design.

We and our professional chefs at Gourmet Gatherings™, with “deliciously fun” hands-on cooking parties, have worked in countless home kitchens to bring groups together to prepare and share gourmet meals. At our events, the most common question we are asked is, “What cooktop should I buy for my new kitchen?” So, we set out to research an answer.

We took four top-of-the-line gas cooktops for a test drive (Miele model #KM342, Thermador model #SGSX365ZW, Viking model #VGSU161, and Wolf model #CT36G) and focused on three purchase criteria: performance, appearance, and price.

The Thermador 36-inch 5-Star Burner Gas Cooktop, model SGSX365ZW is designed for fast time-to-boil, even heating, and extra-low simmer. The Star Burner guides the flame close to the center of a pan for even heat distribution and quicker heat-up. The cooking surface accommodates cookware in multiple shapes and sizes simultaneously, while allowing for optimal ease of movement on continuous, cast-iron grates. Other features include an ergonomic designed panel with a heat barrier and electronic single-point ignition.

Performance

We conducted three quintessential tests for the home cook to see how each cooktop performed: bringing water quickly to a boil, melting chocolate, and searing a pork chop. Busy families who would use the range for preparing simple pasta, rice, and soup dishes would benefit from the Wolf model, which boiled water the fastest-in 5 minutes. Next in line was the Miele model, followed by the Thermador and the Viking models.

To our surprise, the standings almost exactly reversed when searing the pork chop. The Thermador cooktop produced the most beautiful, golden sear. The Viking cooktop also gave a deep, rich color, and then the Miele and the Wolf cooktops gave a lighter sear. Home chefs who cook to entertain may put more “stock” in the searing result than how much time was needed to boil water.

When melting chocolate directly on the burner, we found that the Viking cooktop melted the best because of its low heat setting—you could basically walk away without watching and it did not burn. The chocolate was melted nicely and was smooth and silky. The Wolf cooktop's simmer setting was nice, but it was a bit slow compared to the Viking cooktop. The Miele cooktop also melted the chocolate nicely, but it would have burned if we left it unattended. And the Thermador cooktop melted the chocolate very easily on the low and extra-low settings, but the extra-low setting kept turning on and off.

The Viking Range 36-inch six-burner cooktop has an automatic electric spark ignition/re-ignition feature, where the burners will light at any position on the knob and re-light if extinguished, even at the lowest setting. Large, easy-to-read, commercial-type knobs have a childproof, push-to-turn safety feature. The heavy-duty, porcelainized, cast-iron, removable burner grates provide virtually continuous front-to-rear, left-to-right surface for easy movement of large pots, while separate spill collection areas surround the burners and hold up to five cups of liquid spill-over.

Appearance

Today's kitchens are spaces where we can express our design personality—whether sleek or cozy, modern or classic. The look of a cooktop plays an important role in the overall kitchen appearance. All of the manufacturers offer cooktops in white, black, and stainless-steel. While the Miele, Wolf, and Thermador cooktops have five burners, the Viking model offers six burners.

The Viking cooktop has a commercial look, with easy-to-read knobs along the right side (Viking offers 14 colors if are interested in purchasing a full range). The Miele cooktop has a contemporary look, and offers a choice of round or linear grate designs. The centrally-placed knobs are marked with flame icons instead of high, medium, or low markings.

The Wolf cooktop has a sturdy, professional look with knob placements on the right front side. But we found that the knobs' heat markings were somewhat difficult to quickly associate with the respective burners.

The Thermador model boasts a sleek, commercial look with front placement of the knobs, yet the knobs look less substantial than the other three models.

The Wolf Model CT36G 36-inch gas cooktop is available in natural or LP gas with Classic or Platinum Stainless-Steel finish. The sealed burners and deep recess of the seamless drawn pan area make clean up easy. The grates are dishwasher safe. An illuminated control panel with two-tiered control knobs indicates when the burners are on and active. Other features include a True Simmer setting on all of the burners, an individual spark ignition system, and low-profile, and cast-iron continuous burner grates with a matte porcelain finish that make it easy to slide pots from burner to burner without lifting.

Price

Price is often a critical factor in the selection of a cooktop. The great news in this case is that three of the cooktops (Miele, Viking, and Wolf) have the same manufacturer's suggested retail price of $1,599* for a 36-inch cooktop. The Thermador model is the least expensive, at a suggested retail price of $1,429*.

You can't go wrong with any of the cooktops we tested. When it comes to time-tested quality Miele, Thermador, Viking, and Wolf are among the “crème de la crème” of the culinary world. When our students want to know our favorite, we always answer, “it depends on what is important to you!” For solid performance with the most contemporary look of the four cooktops, we recommend going with the Miele cooktop.

If price is a factor, select the Thermador model, with its sleek and high-performing five-burner cooktop. For a large family or a home chef who entertains for a crowd, the six-burner Viking cooktop, with its commercial façade and steady performance is a good choice. And if you are looking for a quick response to pull together a simple meal and you prefer a more industrial look, choose the Wolf cooktop.

Regardless of your choice, before investing in a new cooktop, identify what type of tasks you will perform most often, how the cooktop will fit into the design of your kitchen, and which model will work best in your budget. This will ensure you make a four-star selection!

* Prices as quoted by Bob's Supply Company in San Francisco, CA, where testing of the cooktops took place.

Gourmet Gatherings, a San Francisco-based company owned by Bibby Gignilliat and Shannan Bishop, specializes in hands-on cooking class parties in private homes and in professional kitchens. Four-star chefs guide guests through the preparation of a fresh, seasonal gourmet meal, then participants sit down to enjoy the “fruits” of their labor. Gourmet Gatherings brings the cookware, ingredients, aprons, and recipes to each event and takes care of all the details from menu planning to kitchen clean-up. These parties are perfect for private celebrations, corporate teambuilding, singles mixers, or any event you want to make deliciously fun.

Special thanks to Gourmet Gatherings chefs Tanya Rogow and Tracey McKeown Gertler for their contributions to this article.

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