The Drop-in Cooktop, also known as the “built-in” cooktop, features all the same functions of a traditional cooking range except the oven. Like any other cooking appliance, there’s a ton of cooktop options on the market. Some of the most popular types of cooktops include: Coil cooktops, induction cooktops, electric cooktops, and gas cooktops. Also, sizes will vary based on use case. But when it comes to drop-in cooktops for your kitchen, there are two common sizes: the 30-inch kitchen cooktop and the 36-inch kitchen cooktop.

Now that we’ve established a few basics of the cooktop category, let’s get to the point. We’re here to help you make the best purchasing decision possible for your next professional-grade drop-in cooktop at an affordable price. Keep reading.

Key Distinctive Features

Before we begin, it’s important to note the key distinctive features of the drop-in cooktop appliance. Firstly, it drops into a pre-cut section on top of a countertop. Secondly, the controls are placed on the top side of the appliance. Moreover, they lay flat alongside your burners. Here are the benefits of this design choice:

1. Safety: The knobs are placed above the countertop away from the reach of small children.
2. Custom Space: You have complete freedom to place what you want underneath the drop-in cooktop. The most common solutions are kitchen cabinets or a built-in oven. The kitchen cabinets are a popular kitchen design choice. This solution is often supplemented with the likes of a dual built-in oven on an adjacent wall – a luxurious kitchen aesthetic with equal functionality.

For more on the cooktop, check out our helpful blog on the Rangetop vs. Cooktop.

Determine Your Cooktop Size

As stated above, the two most common drop-in cooktop sizes are the 30-inch or the 36-inch. These are the standard dimensions. Most home builders use these dimensions to cut out kitchen countertops. To determine which cooktop size you need to purchase, simply measure your pre-cut countertop.

30-Inch Cooktop vs. 36-Inch Cooktop

The best drop-in gas cooktops in the professional-grade market are built by THOR Kitchen. You have two gas-powered options to choose from. The THOR Kitchen 30 Inch Professional Drop-In Gas Cooktop with Four Burners in Stainless steel or the THOR Kitchen 36 Inch Professional Drop-In Gas Cooktop with Six Burners in Stainless Steel. Both options include:

1. Four or Six Sealed Burners, Depending on Model Size: Includes 1 or 2 high-intensity 18,000 BTU power burners that produce fast, intense heat and contain spills to make cleaning quick and easy.
2. Professional Illuminated Knobs: Constructed with metal and illuminate a striking blue when in operation.
3. Stainless Steel Cooktop: A sleek, modern design to any kitchen; designed with a single piece of stainless steel to withstand spills and grease for easy cleaning.
4. Continuous Cast Iron Grates: Heavy-duty, edge-to-edge, porcelain-coated cast-iron grates allow for easy movement of pans between burners.
5. Automatic Electric Ignition: Eliminates the need to light the burners and saves money by using less gas than a standing pilot range.
6. Liquid Propane Option: Liquid propane convertible with a liquid propane conversion kit.
7. Wok Ring: Features a wok ring that provides extra stability for cooking with round-bottom woks.

Lightning Never Strikes the Same Place Twice…

Find your local THOR Kitchen dealer and visit them today.

Like a bolt of lightning, our beautiful craftsmanship and thoughtful design functions are going to stop you in your tracks. But the real shocker comes with the second strike; we mean the price tag.

Compare our prices with other professional kitchen appliance brands. No other brand of gas-powered professional cooktops can pack such thunderous power at such an affordable price.

They say lightning never strikes in the same place twice. Well, that’s true when you’re out there still cooking like a mere mortal. It’s time to #CookLikeaGod.