Because the knobs sit so high, the pots and pans naturally drag across them when performing basic cooking. The knob height is not as much the issue as is the material they are made of; painted plastic. When a pot or pan grazes the knobs, it pulls the silver paint right off the plastic knobs. This could easily be avoided with a different design such as different materials used on the knobs and/or lower profile knobs. End result is that once your knobs have been grazed, the paint will melt off and they will look like someone placed whiteout on top of them. I would look elsewhere if visual appearance is at the top of your list for a cook top.