Are the smooth top ranges even heating and do they scratch easily?

I have a Jenn-Aire. It is great. I had a Kenmore smooth top in my previous home. We had gas when we moved here & I got the Jenn when we remodeled the kitchen in 1992. It's amazing and it has modules, so I can take burners out and replace them with a griddle or broiler. The cleanup is so easy compared to regular gas or electric (both of which I have had in the past). It's beautiful, heats evenly and is easy to clean. And, unlike my dishwasher and Sub Zero, I haven't had one service call in 20 years!

I have had a smooth top range for eight years now (the same one).

It does heat evenly, and quickly!

The best part is if you spill something on it you can wipe it right up without having to pull the burners out, open the stove top and clean in all the little cracks and crevices.

The only negative aspect is if you spill something on a hot burner, it will leave a burnt residue. But it's fairly easy to get off. There is a special non abrasive cleaner for the smooth top stoves. You just apply some generously to the surface, wait 5 minutes then rub it off with a towel.

My mother got one of the first glass tops made and has never gone back to a conventional top. This has given me some experience with how they've been improved over the years. My landlord remodeled and renovated the home I'm living in now, just for me after he agreed to rent it to me. He let me have some say so in what he did since it was being done for me. I requested a built in, glass top range for ease of cleaning. It's built right into the counter top and is super easy to keep clean because there is nowhere for anything to go. I haven't noticed it taking any longer to heat up, it heats evenly, has not changed in looks since I've lived here and cleans easily with the cleaner that's made just for glass tops. From what I've read on them, they don't scratch easily but you want to take certain precautions to make sure you don't. Like using smooth bottomed cookware. I've always swore by cast Iron but put them away when I moved in here, and bought a regular set of smooth bottomed cookware, stainless steel with cast iron core.

We have a smooth top and it does heat very well. If you have not used electric, it will take getting use to. As others have described, the smooth top requires a special white abrasive cream cleaner and some elbow grease. Also some older pots & pans do not work as well. The newer thinner non-stick fry pans & pots will heat up quicker for easier cooking.

I have had two now and over the past eight years and I love them.

Yes, it does cook evenly and my two always were pretty true to the setting (high, medium and low).

Cleaning is done with a white liquid which, when dry, will look and feel like car wax ( you have to rub pretty hard to get the drier parts up). It can give you a workout but, it always looks very nice afterward.

The biggest advantage is cleanliness. It takes away the multiple parts and areas you would have to scrub and replace.

I do not have any scratches on the surface but, I am careful with the surface too as I do not want to tempt this possibility.

I would recommend them but, I grew up cooking on gas and I suppose it will always be my choice of cook tops.

I've had a smooth top stove since 1995 and I wouldn't buy anything else. It is so much easier to keep clean and I've never had any problems with it...still looks new like the day I bought it.

I have had 2 and the most recent one I purchased was one with coils and reflector pans. It cost much less than the others. I liked the smooth top, but they are buggers to keep clean if you use them as often as I do.

I'm enjoying not having to "baby" the top to keep from scratching and I don't have to cringe when someone else is not as careful as I was to keep things from spilling over or scooting the metal pan across the surface. It's a personal choice.

I had one for 6 years until I had to sell it when I moved. I loved it! You do have to be a little careful not to set pans down too hard or be scraping the top, but you would be careful with any nice new stove. I miss it terribly ...I'm now back to the stone age with a smaller stove with burners, pans, and tricky cleanups.

You will not be sorry if you buy one.

Yes, we had one for a dozen years in Nebraska. My wife loved it. I second everything DBold & LeRoy said, and would only add one thing: the burners do NOT cool down quickly, though they do heat quickly. When you turn off the heat for a burner, it is best to remove whatever you had cooking there, and replace it with a teapot full of water until the burner cools off.

I finally got to a state that has mostly electric and so was able to get my glass top. I LOVE it and will never have a different kind of stove. You do use a mild scrubber on it with a soft fine abrasion paste made just for it. And no it doesn't scratch.

It is sooo clean and lovely. :)