A cook-top, also known as a stovetop, is the surface used to cook food within a kitchen, usually on top of an oven. There are three types of cook-tops: gas, electric, and magnetic. The different types refer to where they get the heat to cook food. Gas stoves are the most traditional, but need to be hooked up to a gas line. Electric have become quite common, but can take a long time to start cooking. Magnetic is the least common and only works with metal pots and pans, though it can boil water in half the time of gas or electric.