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  • Pros

  • Cons

  • Features

  • What we found

  • Should you buy it?

  • Pros
  • Cons
  • Features
  • What we found
  • Should you buy it?

We tried out all its features, checked high and low temperatures for each of its burners, simmered and seared, and timed how long it took to boil water. Then, we scored on a scale of 10 compared to the rest of the cooktops we've tested this year. Here’s what we found:

Pros

  • The right rear burner is a standout—It can sustain high and low temperatures and can boil six cups of water in just under four minutes. That's almost as fast as induction!
  • It's reasonably priced for a 36” radiant cooktop
  • Customers love it, as evidenced by rave reviews on Home Depot, Sears, and AJ Madison

Cons

  • While the knobs are laid out logically in the same pattern as the burners, we think they're too close together
  • It lacks more precise temperature measurements than a simple high/low scale
  • Like all radiant (also known as glass or smoothtop) cooktops, it's easy to scratch
Cooktop
Credit: Maytag

Features

  • Dual-Choice Elements— Two rear burners convert from 9” to 12”, and 6” to 10”
  • Warming Element—Center burner has melt setting for butter or chocolate
  • Warranty—1-year parts and labor warranty, plus a 10-year limited parts warranty on the elements and ceramic glass

What we found

TIME TO BOIL 48 OUNCES OF WATER As fast as about four minutes on the right rear outer burner. If you're using high heat for more than one item, overall, the burners took about nine minutes to boil on average. We'd only avoid the right front simmer burner. Overall, this Maytag achieved a boil score of 8.5/10.

MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE REACHED ON BURNER A cast iron pan reached a temperature of 820ºF on the right rear outer burner—so don't let cooking oils sit for too long or they'll singe. Other burners hovered between 554º-705º F. While we were concerned about excess heat, the Maytag scored 8/10 overall.

MINIMUM TEMPERATURE REACHED ON BURNER The MEC9536BS is awesome at simmering: We measured temperatures between 114ºF and 142ºF on Low, which is perfect for melting butter or warming soups. That's why this cooktop got a score of 9.5/10.

Range
Credit: Maytag

Should you buy it?

We love this Maytag cooktop. With sale prices around $800, we also think it's a smart investment for a remodel or replacement. If you can reconcile its cluttered knob arrangement, we think it's one of the best electric cooktops you can buy.

Meet the tester

Jessica Teich

Jessica Teich

Former Editor

@jessicarteich

Jessica covered lifestyle and beyond at Reviewed. Her work has appeared in publications including The New York Times and The Boston Globe.

See all of Jessica Teich's reviews

Checking our work.

Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.

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