BENTON HARBOR, Mich., April 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Gas or electric? When it comes to cooktops, home cooks have been asking this question for years and with so many options on the market today, how do you know which one is right for your lifestyle? Each option has distinct benefits so it's important to pick the one that meets your needs and cooking habits.

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The first step when shopping for a cooktop is to decide what type of power source you need, or in the case of a brand new kitchen, want. Design and cooking performance are also key factors. The experts at the Whirlpool Institute of Kitchen Science offer the following tips to help you choose:

Sleek & Easy-to-Clean Electric cooktops have a smooth, sleek surface that are easy to clean because food and grease can't get trapped in the grates covering the burners and crevices found on gas cooktops. The new Whirlpool Gold^® eco-friendly Scott Ceran^® Electric cooktop is easy to clean and withstands intense heat without cracking or chipping.

Are you a cook who likes to braise meat, melt butter or simmer sauces? Electric cooktops tend to heat up faster and cook better on low heat, for example the Whirlpool Gold^® Built-In Electric cooktop offers an AccuSimmer^® Plus element, which provides more cooking control.

Do you have a large family and wind up cooking a variety of dishes at once? Electric cooktops can provide more cooking flexibility by allowing you to make multiple dishes at the same time. Whether it is simmering, frying, searing or melting you can do it all on an electric cooktop.

Continuous Grates – If you decide to go with gas, look for continuous grates. Continuous grates allow you to slide those heavy pots and pans from one burner to another.  The cast-iron, matte-finish grates on the Whirlpool Gold^® Built-In Gas cooktop cover the whole cooking surface, giving you the flexibility to place pots and pans anywhere on the cooktop. The grates are also dishwasher safe making them very easy to clean.

Do you like to grill, but don't always want to venture outside? The new Whirlpool Gold^® Built-In Gas cooktop offers an oval shaped burner to make room for large grill pans.

Look for Sealed Burners. This will make clean-up on your gas cooktop easier by preventing food from dropping down into the burner. It will also create a more even, stable flame for efficient cooking.

Once you've decided on the right option for your kitchen, keeping these kitchen workhorses clean can also be a challenge. Although many cooktops offer dishwasher safe grills, scratch and fingerprint resistant finishes and spill-resistant burners, cooktops are dripped on and slopped over on a daily basis. Here are some helpful tips to keep your cooktop in top-top shape:

• To clean the control panel, spray a glass cleaner on a soft cloth or sponge – do not spray directly on the panel.
• To clean the control knobs, turn them to off and pull straight away from the control panel. Wash, rinse and dry thoroughly – do not soak the knobs or place them in a dishwasher.
• For stainless steel surfaces, if you don't have stainless steel cleaner and polish on hand, a simple liquid detergent or all-purpose cleaner will do the trick. Use a lint-free cloth to dry.
• Remember to clean food spills containing acids, such as vinegar and tomato, as soon as the cooktop is cool as these spills may affect the finish.
• Be sure to check your Use & Care guide for tips on how to best clean your particular cooktop. For example, you will need a cooktop polishing cream on ceramic glass cooktops to maintain the surface and help prevent scratches, pitting and abrasions.

About Whirlpool Brand

Whirlpool Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, with annual sales of approximately $18 billion in 2010, 71,000 employees, and 66 manufacturing and technology research centers around the world. Whirlpool brand recognizes that consumers lead busy, active lives and continues to create solutions that help consumers optimize productivity and efficiency in the home. In addition to designing appliance solutions based on consumer insight, Whirlpool brand is dedicated to creating ENERGY STAR^® qualified appliances like the new Duet^® washer which uses 82 percent less water and 86 percent less energy than a traditional top load washer manufactured before 2004. Whirlpool is one of Habitat for Humanity's largest corporate partners, donating a refrigerator and range to every new Habitat for Humanity home built in North America. For more information on Whirlpool brand please visit www.whirlpool.com or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/whirlpool. Additional information about the company can be found at www.whirlpoolcorp.com.

About the Whirlpool Institute of Kitchen Science

The Institute of Kitchen Science, an informational hub about everything kitchen, can provide you with simple tips, advice and best practices on how to keep your cooktop in tip-top shape, also available on Facebook and Twitter. To learn more about the brand please visit www.whirlpool.com.

About Whirlpool Corporation's 100th Anniversary

Founded on Nov. 11, 1911, Whirlpool Corporation has influenced home and family life during the last century. The company is driven by the belief that everyone needs a comfortable place to call home and has a 100 year history of creating better ways of cooking, cleaning, refrigerating and storing. Whirlpool Corporation is focused on improving lives one person, one family, one home, one community at a time.

SOURCE Whirlpool Corporation