Glass cooktops look sleek, seamless and modern in your kitchen—when they’re brand-new and scratch-free. Even though glass stove tops are technically made from a fusion of glass and ceramic—and are therefore stronger than “regular” glass—they’re still susceptible to scrapes and scratches, which are not only a bummer to look at but can also collect grease and food particles so it becomes hard to get your surface truly clean.
Luckily, adopting a few good cooking and cleaning habits can help prevent scratches. Here’s what to do—and what to stop doing immediately!
Dos and Don’ts Cheat Sheet
Cookware
What to do: Clean the bottoms of pots and pans
What not to do: Drag pots and pans across the glass surface
Cleaning
What to do: Use a glass cooktop–specific product
What not to do: Use abrasive scrubbers or sponges
Spills and spatters
What to do: Wipe the surface before cooking
What not to do: Leave spilled food to harden
Cookware: How to Choose It and How to Use It.
You may be accustomed to selecting pots and pans mostly for their interior cooking surfaces, but for use on a glass cooktop, you should consider their undersides, too: They should be as smooth and pit-free as possible to keep them from scratching the glass when you set them down. Stainless steel is a good choice, as are many enameled and ceramic-bottom pans.
Also be sure to keep the bottoms meticulously clean. Food on the base of a pot tends to get baked on, and you might overlook it when you wash up. But if your pan has residue on its base, it will be much easier for it to scratch and damage the glass surface of the stove.
Also get into the habit of lifting cookware rather than sliding it across the surface, which can leave scratches no matter how smooth and debris-free the bottoms are. That applies not just to moving them from burner to burner; you should also lift them entirely off the glass when you’re shaking them to mix ingredients in the pan.
What about cast iron? Many cooks are devoted to it, and if you’re one of those, by all means keep using it. But because they’re so heavy, sliding cast-iron pots and pans instead of picking them up can leave deep gouges in a glass cooktop. Also be careful to gently lower heavy cookware onto the stove; letting it drop down hard can scuff or even crack the glass.
Cleaning: What to Use and What to Avoid.
If you’re new to glass cooktops, it would be natural to assume that what you need to clean it is glass cleaner. But that’s actually a bad idea. Glass cleaners can contain harsh chemicals that could eventually weaken the surface and make it more prone to scratching (not to mention, potentially leave permanent streaks or cloudy areas).
Instead, use a glass cooktop–specific cleaner like Weiman Cook Top Cream 3-in-1 (Clean + Shine + Protect), a holder of the Good Housekeeping Seal. It’s formulated (and thoroughly tested by the surface experts at Weiman) to remove spills and splatters but still wipe off easily with no residue. Cook Top Cream 3-in-1 is gentle on glass with its pH-neutral formula but cuts through grease and even burnt-on food, so your stovetop comes out mess-free but also scratch-free.
Also avoid abrasive scrubber sponges—or worse, steel wool—which can cause permanent scratches even if you use a light touch. You can use a soft cloth, but an even better tool is Weiman Cook Top Scrubbing Pads, specifically designed for glass cooking surfaces. You can rinse the pads with soap and water and reuse them—they were developed specifically to never scratch even with multiple applications. (Of course, like any cleaning pad, they will eventually break down and need to be replaced.)
Weiman also makes a “quick-clean” option for everyday messes that comes in a convenient spray bottle: The easy-to-use Cook Top 3-in-1 Clean + Shine + Protect de-greases your glass cooktop and leaves it streak-free.
Spills and Spatters: Wipe Up Before and After You Cook.
Of course you plan to clean up the boiled-over pasta water or the splash of sauce that escaped your pan. Just try not to wait too long. Once food has time to solidify and stick, you’ll have to work harder to scrape it off, which makes it more likely that you’ll accidentally scratch the glass.
If you do end up with a hardened glob that won’t budge, use a scraper designed for ceramic-glass cooktops (remember: do not use steel wool or heavy-duty scrub sponges). Gently work your way under the mess, so you’re lifting it off the delicate surface instead of scrubbing roughly over and over it. Weiman’s Cooktop Care Kit includes a razor scraper, plus Weiman Cook Top Heavy Duty Cleaner & Polish, Weiman Scrubbing Pads, and a scrubbing pad handle.
Along with post-dinner cleanup, you’ll want to do a little bit of pre-cook prep, as well. Believe it or not, particles as small as grains of salt, ground peppercorns, or even crispy bread crumbs can cause tiny scratches if you grind them against a glass cooktop, so you don’t want to place cookware on top of them. If you got a little too enthusiastic when you seasoned your steak, gently use a cloth to sweep away stray sprinkles before you put down the pot for the potatoes. That way, your stove will not only help you cook a delicious dinner but will also survive the process scratch-free.
