The grates on this Samsung cooktop make you feel like you are on the line in a restaurant, which is exactly how I want to feel cooking at home. The middle burner, especially, has some juice, getting you from zero to boil much quicker than standard burners (though watch at mid-range heat when it goes from dual burners to one).

I mostly cook on the bottom left mid-range burner, smoothly toggling the light-up knobs from simmer to high. So far, I've seared, fried, stir-fried, braised, and boiled. I've cooked pots and pots of rice. I've used the griddle plate to toast tortillas. All of these activities have been a pleasure.

Cleaning is a cinch with the sturdy grates removed. Be careful, though: you can easily scratch the black stainless surface (like I did) with the standard yellow/green sponge/scouring pad combo.

Handsome on my countertop, this cooktop will be the central tool of my family's meals for years to come.