• Cooktop types vary.Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
  
  The first electric stove was showcased at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893, giving it widespread exposure. By the 1930s, reports Ed Informatics, the electric stove began to compete with the gas stove for a place in home kitchens. Today, there are multiple choices when it comes to types of electric cooktop burner elements.
  
  

Radiant Smooth

• The radiant smooth electric cooktop adds sleek, streamlined appeal to kitchen design. It is typically made of a glass-ceramic combination designed to resist not only impact but scratches as well. The glass-ceramic material also ensures that the stovetop surrounding the burners stays cooler than that of an exposed-coil cooktop. Electrical coils or infrared halogen lamps supply the heat.
  
  

Exposed Coil

• The coil glows red when it is hot.Close-up image of an electric range heating element image by Alexey Stiop from Fotolia.com
  
  The exposed-coil electric cooktop is the original. Coils turn red when fully activated and are removable for cleaning. A downside to the coil electric cooktop is that if food spills onto a coil, the resulting burn-off proves odorous; a good exhaust fan is advisable. On the upside, a coil typically heats up faster than a radiant smooth element.
  
  

Induction Smooth

• The induction smooth cooktop is a wise choice for those wanting to save energy. Designed to heat the pan only, it heats more quickly than radiant smooth or exposed-coil cooktops, states Consumer Reports. In addition, the induction cooktop remains cooler than more conventional stoves.
  
  Induction technology involves a copper coil, through which an electrical current passes. This creates an electromagnetic energy field, which in turn causes the bottom of the pan to heat. Because this process relies on increasing the vibration of iron molecules, pans used on induction cooktops must contain some iron. Cast-iron and enameled-steel pans will do very well. If you are not sure if your cookware will work with an induction cooktop, you can perform a home test by placing a magnet on the bottom of your pan. If the magnet does not adhere to the pan, the pan will not suit an induction cooktop.