--- title: "Cooktops" description: "KitchenAid cooktops: four different appliances under one word. Gas with sealed burners, gas on a glass surface, electric radiant under ceramic, and induction…" url: "https://kitchenaidmiami.support/appliances/cooktop/" date_modified: "2026-08-23" Appliance type: "Cooktops" --- # KitchenAid cooktops ### Four surfaces, and how to tell yours Sealed gas burners on stainless. Gas-on-glass, where the burners sit on a ceramic surface. Electric radiant, where the elements glow red under ceramic. Induction, where the surface never glows and only magnetic pans work. Widths run 15, 30 and 36 inches, and there are downdraft versions in gas and electric. ### What actually goes wrong - **Ignition** on the gas tops: electrodes, the spark module, and caps that are wet or misseated. - **A single radiant element or its switch**, which is the one-zone-dead complaint on an electric top. - **The induction generator and its cooling**, which is the zone-shuts-down complaint. - **The touch control**, which stops working reliably when there is water on it and stops working permanently when water has been under it. - **The glass itself**, which is a replacement rather than a repair. - **The downdraft blower and its damper**, on the models that have one. ### Islands, heat and what actually marks the surface An induction or downdraft top in a sealed island has nowhere to put its heat, and that is what shows up as protection cutting in. As for the finish: stainless is rust-resistant rather than rust-proof, and the causes KitchenAid itself names are water left to dry on it and the wrong cleaners — bleach, ammonia, citrus and vinegar cleaners and anything abrasive, which it says outright are not covered by the warranty. Dry the surface after cleaning it and keep those off it. ### What to have ready when you call The model number from underneath or from the paperwork, which surface type it is, and whether one zone is affected or all of them. Gas · Gas-on-glass · Electric radiant · Induction · Downdraft · 15", 30", 36" Cooktop repair One zone or one burner dead while the rest work A surface that beeps or shuts a zone down on its own A cracked or chipped glass top Four surfaces, and how to tell yours Sealed gas burners on stainless. Gas-on-glass, where the burners sit on a ceramic surface. Electric radiant, where the elements glow red under ceramic. Induction, where the surface never glows and only magnetic pans work. Widths run 15, 30 and 36 inches, and there are downdraft versions in gas and electric. What actually goes wrong Ignition on the gas tops: electrodes, the spark module, and caps that are wet or misseated. A single radiant element or its switch, which is the one-zone-dead complaint on an electric top. The induction generator and its cooling, which is the zone-shuts-down complaint. The touch control, which stops working reliably when there is water on it and stops working permanently when water has been under it. The glass itself, which is a replacement rather than a repair. The downdraft blower and its damper, on the models that have one. Islands, heat and what actually marks the surface An induction or downdraft top in a sealed island has nowhere to put its heat, and that is what shows up as protection cutting in. As for the finish: stainless is rust-resistant rather than rust-proof, and the causes KitchenAid itself names are water left to dry on it and the wrong cleaners — bleach, ammonia, citrus and vinegar cleaners and anything abrasive, which it says outright are not covered by the warranty. Dry the surface after cleaning it and keep those off it. What to have ready when you call The model number from underneath or from the paperwork, which surface type it is, and whether one zone is affected or all of them. ### One burner will not light and the others do. Good news, because it rules out the supply and usually the module. Take the cap and head off that burner, check they are dry and seated square, and look at the electrode for cracks or soot. If everything else on the top sparks and this one does not, it is that burner's electrode or its wire far more often than the board. ### My induction top switches a zone off by itself. That is a protection working, not a failure — usually heat. Induction electronics live directly under the glass and are cooled by a fan that breathes through the cabinet; in a sealed island in August they can hit their limit. It can also be the pan: a base that is not flat or not fully magnetic makes the zone work harder for less. If the whole top shuts down rather than one zone, that is worth looking at properly. ### The glass is cracked. Can it still be used? No. A cracked ceramic or induction top is a live surface with a path to water and to your hand, and it should be switched off at the breaker until it is replaced. It is one of the few things on this site we will say plainly: stop using it. The replacement is a real cost and worth quoting before deciding. ### What is a downdraft cooktop and does it change the repair? It is a cooktop with the extraction built into it, drawing across the surface and down through the cabinet instead of up into a hood. This maker builds them in gas and electric. It changes the repair, because the blower, its motor and its ducting are part of the appliance — a downdraft that has stopped pulling is a cooktop call, not a hood call. ### How do I clean the glass without scratching it? Cooktop cream and a flat blade scraper held nearly parallel, on a surface that is cool. What scratches these tops is grit trapped under a cloth and abrasive pads; what damages them permanently is sugar left to cool on the glass, which lifts the surface with it. Wipe a sugar spill while it is still hot, carefully, and leave everything else until it cools. --- **[Read full article: Cooktops](https://kitchenaidmiami.support/appliances/cooktop/)**