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Among serious cooks, the debate over the perfect cooktop is hot
stuff. David Rosengarten tests four of the best ranges on the
market today.  This, believe it or not, is a true story. Once
upon a time—not so long ago, really—people didn't care about
which cooktop they had in their kitchen. Not only didn't they
care about which range they used, it wasn't even a subject
deemed worthy of consideration.  For one thing, there was really
nothing to consider; 30 years ago, you moved into your house,
turned on your stove, and, well, that was that. And then there
was the fact that people simply didn't have conversations—much
less debates—about their household appliances. Oh sure, there
were some general kitchen decisions to be made—should the
freezer be on top of the fridge or to the side? Should the
refrigerator be avocado-green or sunset-red?—but aside from the
fundamental choice of "gas or electric," the cooktop range was
virtually an option-free zone.