Designer experts say: A separate glass gas cooktop offers much more flexibility, in both design and how you use the kitchen. That is because it gives you the opportunity to divide your workspace into separate stations. And that is great if you like to do a lot of entertaining or have multiple cooks in your home.

Why a glass gas cooktop?

Traditionally, gas is the preferred choice for cooktops. That is due to its ability to achieve a required heating level in no time. Nowadays, 'gas on a glass cooktop' is the newest trend. Glass gas cooktops have sealed burners that are fixed onto a continuous ceramic-glass surface, which make cleaning very easy. Other advantages of glass gas cooktops are:

• Cost – While buying and installing a glass gas cooktop may be more expensive than the other models, the cost of cooking with gas is usually a lot less.
• Control – Gas cooktops have faster responses to temperature change controls. For some dishes that can be very important.
• Safety – The surface of glass gas cooktops tend to stay cooler than of electric cooktops, reducing the risk of burns.

Which glass gas cooktop to choose?

Aside of offering many advantages, glass gas cooktops are available in different sizes. The typical four burner glass gas cooktop is 76 cm; a five-burner unit measures about 91cm, and a professional-style model - which will have up to six burners and grill or griddle – can be as much as 121 cm wide. Deciding on which glass gas cooktop to choose will depend on the size as well as the style of your kitchen.

Venting concerns

A glass gas cooktop also requires a proper exhaust system to clear the air of smoke, odors and grease. In that case you will need a downdraft or a hood system. A hood system works by capturing the air as it rises and expelling it through ducts to the outside. On the other hand, a downdraft system works forcing the air above the burners through a filter, and then pulling it through a ductwork under the floor to the outside. Usually a hood is used over an island cooktop and a downdraft system for cooktop installations.

Extra tips

• When purchasing a glass gas cooktop, make sure its components are made of good-quality brass.
• Look for a model that feature at least one high-heat output burner.
• Consider electric ignition, automatic reignition, continuous grates, child-lock controls and other safety features.
• Avoid cooktop models with knobs located at the back of the unit.