Kitchens should always focus on functionality, but they also provide an opportunity for you to show off your design taste. If you love a contemporary, modern feel throughout your living, cooking, and dining space, you may gravitate toward appliances that blend with rest of your decor, along with futuristic refrigerator and dishwasher door panels that match cabinet fronts. But to create the ultimate sleek look in your kitchen and beyond, it's worth looking into invisible cooktops.
Making their way into the mainstream, this discreet version of an induction stove is integrated into specially-designed countertops. The burners are built-in, and you can't see them even when in use. The cooktop controls are either hidden away or managed from a smartphone.
Invisible cooktops create a magnetic field between the cookware and the hidden burners, heating only the space where the pots sit—not the entire countertop. Invisacook, an invisible cooktop manufacturer, installs a beeping sound to help you locate the burners and offers the option of adding a small etching to mark their location.
The obvious pro of opting for induction cooktop ranges, especially in smaller kitchens, is that they give you additional counter space (when not in use). By eliminating a bulky appliance built into a counter, there’s more room for preparing and serving food. Plus, no burners or grates means you can spend less time and effort on cleaning your stovetop.
Design wise, you have the freedom to transform your modernized island into an gathering spot from end to end: Surround the counter with chairs to create seating for large gatherings. And because these cooktops heat up and cool down so quickly (water takes 90 seconds to boil), transitioning from cooking to serving and entertaining takes just a few minutes.
These cooktops have some safety concerns to be aware of, especially for families with small children. It's important to monitor whether the burners are on or off, since there’s no visible sign of heat.
Invisible cooktops, not surprisingly, don't come cheap—they typically start at $3,000, with added costs for the countertop. They also require certain pots and pans that work with conventional induction stoves, so if you have aluminum or copper cookware, you’d need to invest in some new items.