Electrolux EW36GC55GS 36-Inch Gas Cooktop Review

Design & Usability

One look and all resistance crumbles

The Electrolux EW36GC55GS' design aesthetic is appealing and transitional. It features all of the usual "pro" flourishes one tends to find in contemporary gas cooktops, like heavy cast iron grates, sturdy burner knobs, and a brushed stainless steel surface, but with a lighter touch than higher-end offerings from companies like Viking and Wolf.

Electrolux has fit the EW36GC55GS with a number of useful features. The control knobs are removable—but not dishwasher safe—for easy cleaning, while the surface's Deep-Well design prevents spills from spreading beyond the cooktop. The dishwasher safe grates are also completely level, providing a uniform surface for moving heavy pots around with ease.

{{ gallery "gallery" }}

Performance

And everything was going so well...

The Min-2-Max burner was clearly the standout when it came to boiling performance. This dual-flamed wonder brought our 48 oz pot of water to boil in only five minutes. The remaining burners, while nowhere near as powerful, were adequate, achieving the same task in just under 12 minutes. So while this cooktop should prove sufficient for occasional pasta nights, those who need to boil multiple dishes concurrently should probably hold off.

While the obvious benefit of a gas cooktop is the ability to adjust temperatures on the fly, those temps rarely climb into the stratospheres achieved in electric and induction cooking. The EW36GC55GS' front left burner only managed a maximum of 387°F, while the remaining burners averaged 379°F. Not great—but you’ll still be able to handle most dishes. Just make sure you give a pan a long time to heat up before searing steak. Fortunately, the low temperatures were slightly more impressive, with a minimum of 92°F from the Min-2-Max burner. That's extremely useful for delicate tasks, like melting butter and maintaining a good simmer.

Before You Buy

You could do worse, but you could also do better.

While we're often quick to extol the virtues of induction cooking, for many, gas is still the preferred option. Often, gas lacks the high heat transfer and fast boiling speeds of other cooking options. However, there's an almost primal quality to cooking with gas that even the fastest, coolest, and sleekest glass-surfaced cooktops cannot replicate. Maybe it’s the crack of the ignitor, the tactile feedback, or even the visible flames, but a good gas cooktop can turn preparing food into an adventure.

Therefore, the EW36GC55GS offers only slight disappointment. After all, the appliance looks great—Electrolux has pretty much nailed the transitional aesthetic—and we suspect most users will overlook some performance shortcomings.