SCHOTT CERAN glass-ceramic cooktop

What it is

CERAN is a glass-ceramic material made by SCHOTT, the specialty glass company in Mainz, for use as cooking surfaces. It reached the market in 1971. Cooktop manufacturers use CERAN panels for radiant, halogen, induction and gas-on-glass hobs. SCHOTT AG is wholly owned by the Carl Zeiss Foundation.

How it works

Glass-ceramics start as glass and are then given a controlled heat treatment that grows tiny crystals inside the material. This turns them into a substance that combines the smooth surface of glass with the strength and heat resistance of ceramics. Crucially, CERAN expands hardly at all when heated, so it can withstand rapid changes in temperature, for example when a hot zone meets a cold pan, without cracking. Heat is transmitted efficiently to the pan, while the panel itself stays robust.

Why it stands out

The material made the smooth, easy-to-clean cooktop possible and changed the design of the modern kitchen. Its development relied on several people at SCHOTT, including the scientist Jürgen Petzoldt, who worked on the basic material, sales expert Arno Roth, who brought the idea back from the United States, and engineer Herwig Scheidler, who developed the application. According to SCHOTT, more than 180 million cooktops with CERAN panels had been sold by 2021. The same family of low-expansion materials is used for telescope mirror substrates.

Where you meet it

You probably cook on CERAN or a similar glass-ceramic panel every day. The material is fitted to hobs from many appliance brands in homes, rental flats and professional kitchens worldwide.