Electric stoves can heat any material they come in contact with. What makes pots and pans best for an electric stove is what makes them good in general: all good quality cookware will work well on an electric stove.
But electric heat is not the same as gas heat, and its distinct properties mean some materials work better than others.
Here we look at all the best cookware for electric stoves, and what makes it great.
NOTE: This article is about electric stoves, NOT induction. If you're looking for information on induction cookware, see our Guide to the Best Induction Cookware. For an explanation of how induction is different than electric, see below.
Best Cookware for Electric Stoves at a Glance
These are our cookware picks for electric stoves based on quality, safety, heating performance, and design. You can read more about these terms below in the section on How to Choose Cookware for Electric Stoves.
Cookware: | What Makes It Great: |
|---|---|
Clad Stainless Steel (all pieces) See Demeyere Industry and Atlantis on Amazon | -Versatile -Durable -Safe and non-reactive -Good brands heat evenly and hold heat well -Best option for sets. |
Cast Iron and Carbon Steel Skillets See Lodge cast iron skillets on Amazon | -Hold heat well for searing (esp cast iron) -Durable -Most brands are affordable -Nonstick when seasoned. |
-Cast iron holds heat well for long, slow cooking -No need for seasoning -Protected from rusting -Durable -Available in many sizes and colors -Versatile: braise, bake, sear, simmer, and more. | |
Copper w/Stainless Cooking Surface | -Fast, responsive heating -Durable -Safe and non-reactive (steel cooking surface) -Beautiful -Good for sets and/or open stock. |
Types of Electric Stoves
Electric stoves work on a simple principle: a resistor converts electricity into heat. An electric hob can heat any material it comes in contact with.
Electric stoves can have an exposed coil or a smooth glass-ceramic top that has the coil beneath the surface. Performance-wise, there's no difference between the two, and you don't really need different cookware for them.
Smooth Top
Smooth tops are the most popular electric range. They're easier to keep clean than coils and they look sleek. They're also more expensive, and they heat slower because the coil is buried under the glass.
The glass ceramic top is fairly durable, but it can crack if you set something heavy on it too hard, and it can scratch if you drag cookware with a rough bottom across it--so you have to be careful with it.
Coil
Today, coil burners look a bit old-fashioned. But they work just like smooth tops and are cheaper. Because the coil is exposed, they heat faster. The coil get red when it's hot, which is a nice visual cue.
They're not as easy to keep clean as smooth tops, and they're not as pretty.
Do You Need Different Cookware for the Type of Electric Range You Have?
No, although smooth top stoves aren't as durable as coils. But if you're careful, all cookware is fine for use on both types of electric stove.
If this is true, then what is this article about? We want to dispel some widespread information that you have to buy certain types of cookware to use with an electric range: a lot of sites have lists of cookware brands for electric stoves, but they don't tell you why they've picked them.
A lot of sites also say about flat-bottomed cookware is crucial, but it really isn't--we discuss more about this below.
All good quality cookware is a good choice for electric stoves. It's just a matter of what you want and what you can afford.
Are Induction Cooktops Electric?
Induction cooktops are electric in the sense that they require electricity to operate, but they heat on a different principle than standard electric stoves.
Induction uses magnetism to create heat, so when you put a magnetic pot on an induction hob and switch it on, the pot completes a circuit that causes the induction coil to get hot. Since the pot actually becomes part of the induction coil, heat passes into it very rapidly. There is also very little heat loss to the ambient air because only the pot gets hot. This makes induction the most efficient type of cooking (about 90% efficient, compared to about 75% for electric and about 50% for gas).
So the main difference between induction and standard electric cooktops is that you need magnetic cookware for induction (steel, cast iron, and carbon steel are the most common types of induction cookware).
All cookware that works on an induction range will also work on an electric range.
To learn more, see our article on The Best Induction Cookware.
Pros and Cons of Electric Stoves (Vs Gas Stoves)
You may find some of these confusing. For example, how can electric hobs be more efficient, yet use more energy? Electric heat is more efficient in the sense that more heat goes into the pot rather than the ambient environment (about 75% efficient vs. about 50% efficient for gas). But because gas is cheaper in most parts of the country (USA) than electricity, gas stoves are cheaper to operate.
Gas stoves have been getting a bad rap in recent years for contributing to indoor air pollution. We're not sure how much of this is true, and if you run your hood and/or keep a window open, we doubt there's much to worry about. But if you're concerned about it, do more research.