Function

• Cooktops have some qualities of ceramics and some qualities of glass. The tops are formed first as glass, then the glass is treated with heat application that causes it to partially crystallize. This gives the cooktop the expansion capabilities of a ceramic without the porous nature of a true ceramic.
  
  

Considerations

• The glass-ceramic cooktop is an extremely strong material that handles extreme temperature changes without breaking. It can break if a hard object is dropped on it, and can scratch, especially when a granular object is caught under a sliding pan on a stove top.
  
  

Cleaning

• Glass-ceramic stove tops are easy to clean, since they have a flat surface. However, most respond best to cleaners manufactured specifically for a smooth top stove. Spills clean up best when wiped immediately after they occur. For dried-on spills, a glass scraper effectively cleans the surface of the stove top.