Shopping for a cooktop can be confusing. But when you want a luxury that you can really customize, you want Wolf.
You’ll love the company’s ultra-precise burners and heavy-duty grates, and there’s a variety of sizes and styles to fit every kitchen.
But that variety can make it tough to choose.
That’s why we put together this quick guide to help you pick the right cooktop for you.
For starters, know that you really can’t go wrong with Wolf.
One of its cooktops is a solid investment that you’ll love for years and that will boost your home’s value. It’s just a matter of deciding which pieces to put together.
First, let’s clear up a common question.
Wolf makes cooktops and rangetops. What’s the difference?
A cooktop is a cooking surface that sits on or fits into the top of your counter. If you can see the countertop edge in front, you’re looking at a cooktop.
Wolf makes cooktops in gas, electric, and induction.
A rangetop is exactly what it sounds like: the top of a range without an oven underneath.
It has a control panel on the front edge with forward-facing knobs. You cut out a whole section of the countertop, front to back, when you put in a rangetop, not just a hole on its surface.
Wolf makes rangetops only in gas.
You can get those chunky knobs in Wolf’s signature red, stainless steel, or black.
So, if you like a chunkier, more industrial look, you want a rangetop, and you’ll be cooking with gas.
Your next choices are size and configuration.
They come in 30, 36, and 48 inch widths.
The 30 has four burners. The 36 has either 6 burners, 4 burners plus an infrared charbroiler (aka grill) or griddle, or 2 burners plus a wok burner.
Step up to 48, and your options go up too. You can have either 4 burners with a wok, a grill and griddle, a double griddle, or a French top; or 6 burners with a grill or griddle.
Prefer a more streamlined style? Go for a cooktop.
We recommend either gas or induction over electric. If you’re not familiar with induction, it’s basically the more modern version of electric.
It’s also the fastest way to boil water! You’ll find that it’s as responsive as gas, and no, you don’t need to buy all-new cookware to use it. Anything a magnet sticks to works.
You can pick a 24 inch unit with 3 burners, a 30 inch unit with 4, or a 36 inch unit with 5. Notice that Wolf doesn’t make a 6 burner cooktop.
For even more cooking space, you can customize your setup with one of Wolf’s specialty modules. You can add an extra electric, gas, or induction burner; or a steamer, grill, griddle or deep fryer next to your cooktop or rangetop.
There’s also a multifunction burner that doubles as a wok burner or a regular gas burner.
Now let’s talk through some of our favorite combinations.
For a smaller kitchen or people who don’t cook a ton, we love a 24 inch gas or induction cooktop. It’ll give you maximum counter space plus all the searing or simmering power you need.
If you want to switch to eco-friendly induction but don’t want to give up on gas, you could do an induction cooktop with a gas or multifunction burner module.
Or you could go the opposite direction and choose a gas cooktop or rangetop plus an induction burner, to ease into the idea of induction cooking.
Love to cook big diner-style breakfasts at home? You’ll love a rangetop with an integrated griddle or a griddle module.
The only piece we’re not crazy about is the grill. We find that they get a little too smoky to be practical indoors.
I hope I’ve given you a better idea whether a Wolf cooktop is right for you.