There are three popular kinds of cooktops: electric, gas and induction. Here is some information on each type to help you decide which one you want.
Electric
Electric stoves come in flat tops and coiled eyes. They work on electricity, of course. Because they run on electricity, even heating of any pan is not possible as most modern pots and pans have grooves that make it impossible to heat evenly from anything electric. They also take longer to heat up and cool down, and sometimes can have no indication that it is hot, leading you or someone in your house to get burned. The flat top models are easy to clean up, however, the coiled eyes can be very difficult to clean. I would not recommend this type of cooktop.
Gas
Another type of cooktop uses gas. Here, you have an open flame. Many chefs prefer this type as the temperature control is very responsive, since the flame is easy to control. This also allows even heating of pots and pans. It also cools down very quickly lowering the heat in the kitchen. When buying a gas cooktop, you need to check it’s BTU rating. The higher the BTU, the more heat is distributed to the burner. They differ on each burner, so check each one. The burners should be capable of at least 15,000 BTUs. I also recommend this, just to have control on the heat.
Induction
Induction is a newer form of cooktops. Here, electromagnetic energy is used to transfer heat to the special magnetic cookware. This is very safe as you or any one in your home can not get burned as heat only moves to magnetic surfaces. This also allows for quick heating up. These cooktops are significantly costlier than the gas or electric ones and you would probably need to buy new cookware for it. If you’re ready to pay a lot of money, then this is a good choice.