Smeg SA611XA-1

Please note this review has been "Archived'' - why, product review ?

Whilst researching the various brands of stovetops I found this site. I was planning on buying one as soon as I saved the money so was preparing my budget. As I have used ceramic cooktops since the 1980s and had no issues whatsoever I was looking at the Smeg SA 661x cooktop. The reviews below made me think twice about newer models but I decided to contact Smeg to ascertain their views on the appliances mentioned below.

The gentleman at Smeg listened carefully to my history and current concerns and advised me that the issues were the fault of people mistreating their appliances. He arranged for a service of my existing appliances and ascertained that the exiting cooktop was 100% but the oven required some repairs to resolve the issues.

During this process I heard only good things about the Smeg Customer Service. All service calls the dealers had attended turned out to be as a result of appliance abuse, not faults with the appliance manufacture.

I have now changed my gas to a Smeg SA 661x electric hob and it is fantastic. I purchased it at Harvey Norman. It is very quick, user-friendly and certainly a dream to keep clean. I will have many years of pleasurable cooking and know that if in the future I have any issues Smeg will be there for me.

Thank you, Mr C (this time I will not use his name) and staff, for your excellent customer service and for the great appliances.

You'd think if your doing touch controls, on red hot ceramic tops, (which itself is an oxymoron) you'd make them A: Visible. B: Sensitive to the touch.

This unit was installed in my parents new house as part of a kitchen pre order.

Down right dangerous , the icons are microscopic, you have to pound your bare fingers on these icons to get any control. Burns will be assured sooner or later.

A Bazaar piece of modern tech that will be removed and replaced asap.

It's either going in bin or ebay if I lose my morals.

We purchased our smeg ceramic cooktop in 2018. When using multiple hotplates the controls to change the temperature and to turn the hotplates off become too hot to touch and because you have to hold your finger on the control you end up burning the end of your fingers...very unimpressed as this product was not cheap and was highly recommended by the salesperson.

Recently moved into new house with smeg appliances...very unimpressed so far. Electric Ceramic hob marks from underneath, only been in a week and already the hob looks old and marked...the controls are frustrating, typical 21st century design where looks are more important than function...thinking of just lighting a fire in the back yard!

Fabulous cooktop, easy to clean and even heat distribution. We have been using the cooktop for 2 years and had it 'lock' on the 2 July. I spoke to Smeg at Virginia in Brisbane and they explained how to 'unlock' it. Many thanks to all at Virginia, particularly Peta. Also have a Smeg oven, after using their products I wouldn't wish to look elsewhere.

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Have been happily using this cooktop for the last year, however the last time I was cleaning it I knocked my pepper grinder onto it and it cracked right through! Am very disappointed as the ceramic top was pitched as being hard wearing and user friendly. Reading the other reviews, I’m wondering if it’s a case of inbuilt obsolescence. Or maybe it’s simply poor design. If this is the sacrifice we have to make for a good looking product, I’d rather go back to the 80’s when hotates were indestructible!

We had used the cooktop for 6months when it decided to crack the glass, we told LJH Greystanes that it had cracked and they blamed us for breaking it. Requested it to be replaced due to its electromagnetic design and never heard a thing from them this must have some bad glass quality. It chipped on the edge and then it went right across which had seemed strange for such a grand product. Never buy a Smeg as something will always go wrong with it. How can the glass crack so easily for such an expensive product. Faulty!

Bought in Feb 2017. Am looking at replacement already. I want heat the whole time not hit cool down heat again. It is ruining steak & stir fries.
Rand where i bought it (winning appliances ) no joy so ill go elsewhere. Btw love love my smeg pyro oven its fabulius.

I purchased this product with great assurances from the sales person. At Harvey Norman - additionally i purchased the protective coating recommended n\by the Harvey Norman Sales Lady called Ceraseal - apparently it is 'No 1 Recommended'' -Did all I had to do and was instructed. After the firt time I used it there was an ugly ring where the pot had been - Not to worry I thought it will easily come off so as advised by my HN Sales lady I use a little of the same product recommended - but to my surprise it was not easy to get that ring off it was damn hard - cleaned up resealed - same problem every time we cook - we have four ugly rings - fortunately I have the replacement guarantee but then I get the call from Smeg telling me that unless I am using some 'magic 'cleaning product they recommend they may consider that they are absolved from any issue - and they will send a guy round who if he successfully cleans it up will cost me a call out fee.

There are several issues - after a lifetime of cleaning stove tops never has this task demanded such effort and time or the scene after cooking looked so ugly - an embarrassment when guest are over who all look at it thinking what the? You cannot walk away from the kitchen and leave it its a mess.

Secondly if this 'Magic product is only the one recommended where is the information to the consumer about this - where is the advice from the retailer about this?

And what is the additonal cover from Harvey Norma really worth - We are taslking about the stove top that the sales lady told me Ï would buy that.

Do not buy this product and I advise at this point against Smeg products based on the initial contact trying to resolve things which has placed all responsibility back on my self who spalshed out dosh for something he thought might be half decent but is not.

I purchased a new apartment with the Smeg ceramic cooktop in it. It stains and scratches very easily. Its only 3 months old and I have stains I cannot remove.
The temperature also goes up then cuts out making it very frustrating to cook with. Also if you move the pot it seems to cut out too.

The plate simply turns itself off when it thinks it's overheating, which can be after 15 minutes, and far from having run at full capacity. Several times long before the meal was cooked. Anyone considering buying this should know very well how to improvise in the kitchen, cause the smeg will let you down!

My new ceramic smeg cooktop is a disaster. It shows up the marks of my saucepans and tonight I accidentally spilt sauce quickly wiped it off and it's left a terrible mark that we can't get off! I had on old smeg and never had a problem with keeping it clean. So much for new technology!

Had one for 4 months so far. The top stains with the heat etching the glass. Also we had the slightest bump to the side with a glass sauce bottle. The bottle survived but the glass top chipped and had a crack run along to the other edge. A disaster. May look good but they are very delicate.

bought this together with a smeg ranghood & mircowave for the wife when renovating the kitchen, we already had a smeg oven. was a little concern to buy this as it is touch screen operated with glass top and as an engineer i hate touchy stuff as i prefer solid handle etc and the glass top makes me nervious about durablility or maybe i'm just old school

Having said all that its been a yr + and with 2 kids worth of cooking just about every day its still working great. wife loves it and thats all it matters, we are moving house and i'll get it again
Wife sayes its easy to clean, no protruding bits of handle etc, looks great. touch button could be bigger but than i have sausage fingers. its far enought not to hit 2 buttons at once.you'll need to read the menu on using the buttons but after that its ok. kitchen guy who puts it in likes it as its slim and we could move up our under bench oven
Can get tight when using big pots and pans but she learn to manage it