The Cleaning and Care of a Glass Smoothtop Stove

The steps for the cleaning and care of the smoothtop stove must be followed after each use, to keep it sparkling like new.

Anyone in the market for a new kitchen range and considering a smooth top should learn as much as possible about it before they bring it home. As with any major appliance purchase, reliability is the utmost concern. The item must work well, and work well for years to come. How it fits into the family lifestyle and its ease of use are two other important factors to consider.

The shiny glass-top stoves stand out in the store: Nothing about them suggests maintaining that like-new appearance might not be so easy, or that the cleaning and care requirement will affect the entire household. The cooktop range requires meticulous care. Old school kitchen stoves need little more than placing the soiled heating elements and heat reflectors in the dishwasher, then running the cleaning cycle. The new school glasstop range is much more fastidious. Since it has no removable parts, the glass catches all spills and overflows. The picky cooktop calls the shots. It demands immediate attention, then dictates how to clean it and what shampoos and conditioners to use.

Clean the Cooktop after Each Use

To prevent spilled food from cooking on the stovetop, clean spills off the top during and after each use. Do not use ammonia, citric acid, or abrasive cleaners of any kind. They can discolour, and eat into, the glass surface.

Use the Right Cooking Utensils on the Smoothtop

Older cookware can scratch and mar the surface. Grease buildup on skillet bottoms will transfer to the cooktop glass and cause discolouring. Cover frying pans with spatter screens to minimize burning grease on the glass. A cooktop stove works best with 18/10 stainless steel, hard anodised aluminum, or porcelain enamel cookware.

Prevent Boil-over on the Glasstop

The cooking elements cycle on and off to hold the preset heat settings. always use the lowest possible temperature setting for cooking. Low settings help eliminate sudden boil-over when the element cycles on.

Stop Spills Before they Start

Prevent spilling dry ingredients on the stove, by either measuring everything in individual containers, or measuring all dry ingredients in one bowl, instead of measuring or shaking them one-by-one directly into the pot. Before professional chefs start to cook, they pre-measure recipe ingredients in prep bowls then line them up in order of use. They refer to this practice as ‘mise en place’. Spilled sugar or salt on a cold glass-top shouldn’t be wiped off. Dry sugar and salt can scratch the surface. Cover the spill with a damp cloth then gently lift the cloth. Or, use a hand-held vacuum. Clean up gravies, cheeses, and sugary spills with a dry cloth or paper towels, while the stove is warm.
Use plastic scour pads to remove as much burned food as possible. Scrape off stubborn spots with a razor blade scraper. Cleaner and Conditioner made for glass bake ware works well for removing burned-on stains and is far less expensive than the recommended cleaning creams. Wipe off Cleaner and Conditioner residue with a damp, clean cloth, and then polish the stovetop with a non-ammonia glass cleaner.

Care and attentiveness can keep the smoothtop stove always sparkling like new.