We recommend gas cooktops with an overall score of at least 80%.

This overall score is made up of cooking performance (60%) and ease of use (40%).

Cooking performance is calculated from the scores for white sauce (simmering on low heat), rice (turn-down from high heat to low), and stir-fry (high heat), weighted equally.

For ease of use we assess the stability of the trivets, layout of the burners, whether the pots fit comfortably and the stability of pan support. We also check how easy the controls are to use as well as ease of cleaning.

The rice test assesses the ability and speed of the medium burner to boil rice, maintain a desired level of heat at lowest-temperature setting, and the cooker's turn-down capacity.

Many cooktops score poorly in our rice cooking test, leaving the rice either mushy or stuck to the bottom of the pan. Rice sticking to the bottom of the pan is probably due to the factory simmer setting being too high. If you purchase a cooktop and experience this problem, it may be resolved with a service call to adjust the flame.

The white sauce test assesses the ability of the simmer burner at low temperatures for a prolonged time.

The stir-fry test assesses the wok burner's ability to deliver continuous high heat.

This is the manufacturer's recommended retail price. Prices are generally flexible, so shop around both online and in physical stores for options and sales.

The actual width (front) of the cooktop in cm. This may be rounded for convenience by manufacturers; for example a cooktop with an actual width of 58cm is typically referred to as a 60cm model. 

The depth (side, i.e. from front to back) of the cooktop, in cm.

The width (front), in cm, of the hole needed in the benchtop to install the cooktop.

The depth (side, i.e. from front edge to back) in cm of the hole needed in the benchtop to install the cooktop.

Gas consumption rating in megajoules.

The model has a claimed origin somewhere on it. This should be taken with a grain of salt, as it's rare that all the materials for a product come from the one country.

A flame failure device shuts off the gas automatically if the flame goes out, or reignites the flame automatically; otherwise gas can escape silently and invisibly, which can be very dangerous. Models made after 1 July 2017 must have this feature.