Electric cooktops are safe with careful and thoughtful use. Some models have heating lamp signals, a safety feature that tells which burner is in use, and residual heat indicators that show whether a burner is still hot from recent use.
As with all types of cooktops, it is important not to touch any hot components like burners and coils when in use.
Other types of cooktops provide more safety features than electric cooktops.
Induction and ceramic cooktops come with extra features such as pan detection and overheat protection. These features only turn on the cooktop as it detects cookware on the surface, thus preventing burn, overheating and fire. They also have other safety features such as system lock and safety switch off, hot surface and residual heat indicators, child safety lock and electronic timer.
Modern gas cooktops also feature a safety device in the form of an in-built flame failure system, which automatically shuts down the gas supply when a pot boils over and puts off the flame.