The short answer: the cooking surface on top of a stove is most commonly called the cooktop or stovetop in North America, the hob in the United Kingdom and much of Europe, and the range top when referring specifically to the cooking surface of a freestanding or slide-in range. All four terms describe the same thing — the flat area where you place pots and pans to cook — but each carries slightly different connotations about whether the surface is a standalone built-in unit or the top portion of a range with an oven below. The distinction matters when you are shopping, because searching for "cooktop" and searching for "range" will return very different products at very different prices. To explore the full variety of standalone cooking surfaces — gas, electric, and induction — browsing the cooktops collection shows what is available as an independent built-in unit separate from a range.
But the question "what is the top of a stove called?" usually leads to a deeper curiosity: what are all the parts called, and what do the different terms actually mean? This guide goes beyond the one-word answer to cover the full vocabulary of the cooking surface — the names for the heat-producing components (burners, elements, coils, induction zones), the support structures (grates, trivets, drip pans), the control systems (knobs, touch panels, electronic displays), and the surface materials (stainless steel, glass-ceramic, porcelain enamel). We also explain how terminology shifts between gas, electric, and induction — because a "burner" on a gas stove is a physically different object from a "burner" on an electric stove, even though both are casually called the same thing. For a technical comparison of electric heating element types, our electric stove burner guide covers coil, radiant, and induction in detail.
Three things worth knowing upfront. First, there is no single "correct" term — cooktop, stovetop, hob, and range top are all widely understood and used interchangeably in everyday conversation; the industry uses more precise definitions (covered below), but no one will misunderstand you regardless of which word you choose. Second, the term you use when shopping affects what you find: "cooktop" returns built-in units that install into a countertop cutout with no oven; "range" returns a combined cooktop-plus-oven appliance; "rangetop" returns a deeper, cabinet-mounted gas cooking surface with front controls. Third, international terminology differs significantly — if you are reading British, Australian, or European appliance content, "hob" is the standard word for what North Americans call a cooktop, and "cooker" is the standard word for what North Americans call a range or stove.
The Main Names for the Top of a Stove
Cooktop
In appliance industry terminology, a cooktop is a standalone cooking surface — gas, electric, or induction — that is built into a countertop cutout. It has no oven below; it is just the cooking surface, typically 2 to 4 inches deep, installed flush with or slightly above the counter. A cooktop is paired with a separate wall oven installed elsewhere in the kitchen. This is the most precise use of the term. However, in everyday conversation, "cooktop" is also used loosely to refer to the cooking surface on top of any stove, whether it is a standalone unit or part of a range. When you see "cooktop" on a product listing, it almost always means a standalone built-in unit without an oven.
Stovetop
"Stovetop" is the everyday, colloquial term for the cooking surface — literally the top of the stove. It is used in recipes ("heat olive oil in a pan on the stovetop"), in casual conversation ("I left a pot on the stovetop"), and in general descriptions of cooking. "Stovetop" does not distinguish between a built-in cooktop and the top of a range — it refers to whatever cooking surface you have, regardless of configuration. It is the most universally understood term in North American English and the one most people use in daily life.
Range Top / Rangetop
"Range top" has two meanings. In everyday use, it simply means the cooking surface on top of a range (a combined cooktop-and-oven appliance). In industry terminology, a "rangetop" (one word) is a specific product type: a gas cooking surface with a deeper body than a standard cooktop (typically 8 to 12 inches deep versus 2 to 4 inches for a cooktop), front-facing controls, and a design that sits on top of a base cabinet — like the cooktop portion of a range, but without the oven below. Rangetops are primarily gas, are designed for kitchens that want the professional look and feel of a range's cooking surface paired with a separate wall oven, and are more expensive than standard cooktops. If you see "rangetop" as a product category, it refers to this specific deeper-body format.
Hob
"Hob" is the standard term for a cooktop in British English, used throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and much of Europe. A "gas hob" is a gas cooktop. An "induction hob" is an induction cooktop. The term is not commonly used in North American English, but you will encounter it frequently in international appliance reviews, cooking content from British and European sources, and products from European manufacturers like Bosch, Miele, Neff, and Siemens, which use "hob" in their product names and descriptions. If you see "hob" in any cooking or appliance context, it means cooktop.
Parts of the Cooking Surface: What Each Component Is Called
On a Gas Cooktop
A gas cooktop has several named components. The burner (or gas burner) is the component that produces the flame — a circular metal assembly with ports around its perimeter through which gas flows and ignites. Each burner has a burner cap (the removable metal cap that sits on top of the burner head and distributes the flame evenly around the ring) and a burner head (the fixed base with gas ports). Below the burner sits a burner base or burner bowl, which is sometimes removable for cleaning. The igniter (or spark igniter) is a small ceramic-tipped electrode positioned next to each burner that produces a spark to light the gas when the control knob is turned. The grates (or burner grates) are the heavy metal supports — typically cast iron — that sit above the burners and hold the cookware. They can be continuous (one large grate spanning all burners, allowing pots to slide) or individual (one grate per burner). On older or budget stoves, drip pans (or drip bowls) sit beneath the burners to catch spills; on sealed-burner models, the surface itself catches spills. The control knobs (or valves) on the front or back of the cooktop regulate the gas flow to each burner.
On an Electric Cooktop
An electric cooktop uses different terminology depending on the element type. A coil element (or coil burner) is an exposed spiral of metal that heats up when electrified — commonly called a "burner" even though it produces no flame. A radiant element (or radiant heating element) is a coiled wire beneath a flat glass-ceramic surface that heats the glass, which in turn heats the cookware — the circular glow you see on a smooth-top stove is the radiant element. An induction element (or induction zone, induction coil) is a copper coil beneath a glass-ceramic surface that creates a magnetic field to heat ferromagnetic cookware directly. On smooth-top electric cooktops, the cooking zones are typically marked by printed circles on the glass surface — these are called heating zones or cooking zones. The glass-ceramic surface itself is often called by the brand name Schott Ceran (the most common manufacturer of glass-ceramic cooktop panels). On coil electric cooktops, drip pans (removable metal trays beneath each coil) catch spills, and the receptacle (or terminal block) is the electrical socket that each coil plugs into. For a detailed explanation of how these different elements work, our electric stove burner guide covers the technical specifics.
On All Cooktops
Regardless of fuel type, every cooktop has controls — either knobs (rotary dials, most common on gas), touch controls (capacitive touch panels on the glass surface, common on smooth-top electric and induction), or electronic displays (digital readouts showing temperature, power level, or timer). Many cooktops also include indicator lights (showing when a zone is active or the surface is still hot), a child lock (a control that disables the cooktop to prevent accidental activation), and on some models, a timer per zone.
Stove vs. Range vs. Cooktop: Clearing Up the Confusion
These three words are used interchangeably in everyday conversation, but in the appliance industry, they refer to different products.
A stove is the most general, colloquial term — it can mean any cooking appliance, from a wood-burning stove to a modern gas range. In casual use, "stove" and "range" are synonymous. Technically, "stove" originally referred to a heating appliance (for warmth, not cooking), but in modern American English, it overwhelmingly means the cooking appliance in the kitchen.
A range is a single appliance that combines a cooktop on top with an oven below. It comes in freestanding (finished sides, backguard, can stand alone), slide-in (no backguard, front controls, sits between cabinets), and drop-in (sits on a platform, rarest) formats. When someone says "I need a new stove," they usually mean a range.
A cooktop is just the cooking surface — no oven. It installs into a countertop cutout and is paired with a separate wall oven. A cooktop gives you more flexibility in kitchen layout (the oven can be mounted at eye level, freeing counter space) but requires two separate installations and two separate purchases.
For a detailed comparison of the range-versus-separates decision — including who benefits from each configuration — our gas stove top guide covers this alongside the technical evaluation of gas cooking surfaces.
Why Terminology Matters When Shopping
The words you use in a search bar determine what products you see. Searching "cooktop" at a retailer returns built-in cooking surfaces without ovens, typically $300 to $3,500. Searching "range" returns combined cooktop-plus-oven appliances, typically $400 to $10,000+. Searching "rangetop" returns the specialized deeper-body gas cooking surfaces, typically $2,000 to $6,000. Searching "hob" may return European-brand products or no results at all on North American retail sites. Using the right term saves time and ensures you are comparing products in the correct category. If you are unsure whether you need a cooktop (built-in, no oven) or a range (all-in-one with oven), the distinction above is the key decision point.
Ventilation: What Is the Thing Above the Stove Called?
While we are clarifying kitchen terminology: the appliance mounted above the cooktop or range is called a range hood (also called an exhaust hood, vent hood, or kitchen hood). Its job is to capture grease, steam, smoke, odors, and — on gas stoves — combustion byproducts (carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide) before they spread through the kitchen. A range hood can be ducted (venting outdoors through ductwork) or recirculating (filtering the air and recirculating it back into the kitchen). In some kitchens, an over-the-range microwave (OTR) serves as a combination microwave and ventilation unit, though it is less effective at grease and smoke capture than a dedicated range hood. In British English, the range hood is typically called an extractor fan, extractor hood, or cooker hood.
FAQ
What is the top of the stove called?
The cooking surface on top of a stove is called the cooktop, stovetop, range top, or hob, depending on region and context. In North America, "cooktop" and "stovetop" are the most common terms. In the UK and Europe, "hob" is standard. All terms refer to the surface where you place pots and pans to cook. In the appliance industry, "cooktop" specifically means a standalone built-in cooking surface with no oven, while "stovetop" and "range top" refer to the cooking surface on a range (combined cooktop and oven).
What is the difference between a cooktop and a stovetop?
In everyday conversation, the two terms are interchangeable. In industry terminology, a "cooktop" is a standalone built-in cooking surface (no oven below) that installs into a countertop cutout, while a "stovetop" is the cooking surface on top of a range (which includes an oven below). The cooking surface itself — burners, elements, grates — is functionally the same; the difference is whether it is a standalone unit or part of a larger appliance.
What is a hob?
A "hob" is the British English term for a cooktop — the cooking surface with burners or elements where you place pots and pans. A "gas hob" is a gas cooktop; an "induction hob" is an induction cooktop. The term is standard in the UK, Ireland, Australia, and much of Europe but uncommon in North American English. European appliance brands (Bosch, Miele, Siemens, Neff) use "hob" in their product names.
What are the parts of a gas stove top called?
The main parts of a gas stove top are: burners (the flame-producing assemblies), burner caps (removable metal caps on top of each burner), burner heads (fixed bases with gas ports), grates (heavy metal supports, usually cast iron, that hold cookware above the burners), igniters (spark electrodes that light the gas), drip pans or burner bowls (trays beneath the burners on some models), and control knobs (rotary dials that regulate gas flow). On sealed-burner models, a gasket between the burner and the cooktop surface prevents spills from entering the interior.
What is the thing above the stove called?
The appliance above the stove is called a range hood (also exhaust hood, vent hood, or kitchen hood). In British English, it is called an extractor fan or cooker hood. Its purpose is to capture and remove grease, steam, smoke, odors, and combustion byproducts from the cooking area. It can be ducted (venting outdoors) or recirculating (filtering and returning air to the kitchen).
