Joyce: not all AlClad pans are induction capable. I think they have a list on their website. The magnet test will tell you for sure. I have some older 3-ply that are also slightly concave like yours. It is not a problem.

Note that the silicone pads may melt above 500F. It has been reported here by folks turning on the pan to 8 and leaving it for a few minutes. Turned the pad to ugly slag.

And paper burns above 450F (451F). But I use paper towels all the time. I'm just aware of how high and how long it can go until it might scorch. I have no problems cooking bacon/sausage at a setting of 4-5 with a paper towel to catch the splatters.

I have a De Dietrich cooktop (imported before induction was widely available in the US) and have used it for over 18 months. I wouldn't have anything else. I have timers for each burner and they are great as I no longer have to worry about forgetting to turn off the heat and subsequently burning the contents (potatoes and green beans, mostly).

I've made the carmelized sugar (used the Joy of Cooking recipe) with great results for a flan. The ease of cleanup is a huge plus, the control of the temperature another and safety another (the sleeve of my robe caught fire once when making breakfast on my previous gas cooktop). I put paper towels around the pan when frying something (none under as they have scorched).

My only complaint is that I have three scratches and have no idea how they got there. One isn't even in the "burner" area. I cooked on a regular electric smoothtop for seven years, back in the 90's, and never got a scratch. I'm just glad to see that I'm not the only one with scratches as DH thinks I did something very wrong. Guess it comes with the cooktop and they really aren't easily visible.

Thanks for your reply. I am not familiar with your brand. Timers for each burner sounds like a nice option that I haven't heard of before with other inductions. Sorry to hear about your scratches. Is it possible they got there during installation? Did you get it new? I don't know about you but I am loving how quickly it heats up food. Enjoy!

Miele cootops have timers for each burner and a regular count down timer.

I have the GE 30" and will never go back to gas. I cooked on my SIL's gas stove over spring break and ugh.

I've had mine installed for about a year now. No scratches, and looks like it did the day it was installed.

I don't bother with the newspapers or silicon mats because its just too easy to clean the cooktop. Also, with the paper there, I think it is hard to find the burner to set the pot down in the right spot. I guess you could cut the silicone into the right sized circles or something, but honestly its just not necessary.

There is a learning curve! Things can come to a boil really fast and I've had several messy spills to clean up. I don't walk away if I'm heating up milk!

I don't use my microwave as much anymore because the induction is just faster.

You can also turn something so low that it is like using a crockpot. I don't use the crockpot anymore either!

I have cooked on gas & had an electric cooktop. There's just NO comparison. I have to admit it's nice to have that comparison just to appreciate the induction more.
thanks for the feedback and keep on enjoying!!

I'm so excited about ordering my induction cooktop - going with Thermador with the downdraft.

As for cooking with paper near, my salesperson had an experience during a demonstration. She didn't realize that a small piece of paper towel was stuck to the bottom of the pan and started a fire while showing a customer! :)

To pass along some feedback, the salesperson didn't care for the GE in their store. She had complaints about the way you turn up the burner on the GE (she owns a Thermador and loves it). I did see that it looked to be a bit inconvenient. I had gone into the store wanting the Thermador so she didn't share just to convince me to buy a higher priced item.

Hey Alutz and thanks for your input. Congratulations on your Thermador. It's in the Bosch family as well. That was quit a surprise during the demo. I hope that didn't ignite some negative reactions :-). I know the GE has the highest power output at 3700 watts but I wanted to go with a company who had a long track record with induction. Let us know how much you love your induction when it's installed.

I like induction so much I have two induction cooktops. In a summer home I have a 5-burner Miele and at my "regular" house a 5-burner Diva De Provence. I like them both equally.Some may prefer the Miele because of the timers, but I never use them.

I have no problem walking away for awhile when I have my burners on simmer, or other low lever power setting.

When I had an Elan gas range top (that had a 18,300 BTU burner that I used for stir frying and for fast searing).
I had All-Clad pots and pans, but the skillets and frying pans all developed scorch marks and warping. When I bought the Diva induction unit I also purchased some Fissler (German made) cookware. The Fissler Ultimate Steelux pan set (with the best 11" non-stick pan I ever used, the best 11" fry pan for searing steaks I ever used, the best splatter guard that can even click into each fry pan-or not-and is bar far the best I ever used, plus a plastic spatula--which I rarely use). I had never heard of Fissler before, but I was so impressed by their quality and how well they worked with Induction I bought some more cookware. I bought their pressure cooker which I preffered over my Kuhn Rikon and also bought some of their PRO Collection pots. At one time Costco had the PRO selection on sale at a great price, hoowever I don't see that being offered anymore.

I certainly recommend the Ultimate Steeluxx frying set for anyone. It can usually be found at around $299 and is my favorite cooking item.

They also have a modern range of cookware called Intensa. I intend to buy a couple of pieces to see how they work out.

Greg

Thanks oskiebabu for your input. It's good to hear from another person who is enjoying their induction cooking. I am getting used to the different pots/pans brands and how to use them. Le Creuset is still my first choice. I love the new skillet for searing salmon or browning in general. I found a steamer/multi-function pot at WalMart by Tramontina that is suprisingly good. The Berndes and Chantal are good as well. I am looking forward to checking out your Ultimate Steeluxx. Happy cooking! Carol

I'm an ex chef and being using an induction cook top for more than 17 years now - they are the best!! I first learnt about them after visiting France in 1991.

Induction cook tops are perfect for cooking pasta, stir frys and very gentle egg based sauces. I have introduced many chefs to induction over the years and everyone of them has been sceptical until they try it, then they can't deny it is the best way to cook

The two leaders in this technology are Electrolux (inductions mostly produced in Germany) and ElcoBrandt (France) these two companies are pretty much the largest as well. Be wary of the cheaper versions creeping into the market as you will find they are not as reliable or powerful.

Good to hear from a professional chef! The professionals usually know far in advance of the consumers & this is sure true with induction. We consumers who are just learning about them are in love with them. It's true that once you have one there's no going back.
I am surprised to hear that Electrolux is considered to be an industry leader. If a company uses primarily European parts they should have good products.
Thanks Chef.

I have had a Viking 36" induction cooktop now for around 2.5 years. I continue to be a very very happy customer.

As others have mentioned, cleanup is a breeze, the kitchen does not heat up from residual heat from flames, it is extremely energy efficient, and it looks great.

The Viking works extremely well at any heat setting, I especially love the simmer settings.

The Viking also is made with each burner working independently from the others, so you never get sharing or loss of heat or power.

It is pricey, but then I spend a lot of time in the kitchen and I want appliances that not only work, but work well for a long period of time without needing constant maintenance or upkeep.

I think you will be extremely happy with induction cooking.

I put an induction cooktop into my new kitchen a year ago. I recently posted about my opinions of my appliances after living with them for a year. See below for a link to that thread.

I see no reason why I would ever go back to a gas cooktop -I love love love my GE Profile 36" induction!

Arguments against induction that I've seen on GardenWeb include:

1. You can't use a real wok because it's not flat on the bottom. Well, I have never owned a wok so that doesn't affect me. When I make stir-fry for dinner, I just use a big skillet.
2. You have to buy new pans. I didn't - my All Clad and Le Creuset pans worked on my induction cooktop.
3. You can't tell how hot you're cooking. I agree with that, if you cook based on what your flame is doing. If you cook based on what your food is doing, then it doesn't matter whether you are using induction or gas.
4. You can't blacken peppers. I've never needed to do that and if I did, I could do it in the oven.
5. If your electricity goes out frequently at your house, such as if you live in a rural area, you will not be able to cook. I agree with this argument. If I had unreliable electricity, I would have installed a gas cooktop.
6. There are too many heat settings and it's hard to figure out what setting to use. I disagree with this - it only took me a couple of times to figure out what my cooktop does when it's set on 6 or LO or HI. And it responds so quickly, you know right away if you are set too low or too high for what you want to do. For example, if you want to heat soup and you set it on 6 and it starts bubbling, you know it's too hot and you turn it down to 4 and it will immediately stop bubbling. It's great - you turn it on and it cooks, you turn it off and it stops cooking.
7. The flame is more dramatic. I agree - there is something really exciting about the big blue flame and the click click click sound as the burner ignites. I grew up associating that sound with my mom's delicious cooking. But I'm clumsy and I've almost set my sleeves and my hair on fire while cooking, so a gas flame is not in my best interest.

Good luck, I hope you find a cooktop you love as much as I love mine!

try_hard

Here is a link that might be useful: Try_Hard's appliances, one year later

I have been considering an Induction cooktop myself, and after reading what everyone has posted here, I believe I am going to get one. I have a couple questions though. I currently have gas which I can turn down to a 300 BTU simmer. How low do these Induction tops go? How do you convert watts to BTU's? Does the pan have to be centered on the heating circle while cooking? Would you move the pot slightly off the circle area to get a lower cooking temp?

The low temps are really low, I'm sure on all of them, not just my Electrolux Icon.You wont need to move the pots.
I think any of them can even melt chocolate without a double boiler.

Gary

There's a good explanation of converting induction BTU's to compare with gas on The Induction Site. They have a formula too. I can tell you that on my little portable unit I've simmered delicate sauces above the bottom setting and had them come out great, and I'm pretty sure that the low on the built-in is lower than the portable, just like the high is higher.

No to the last question. Induction isn't a heat source, and putting your pot askew could even cause the element to turn off. The heat happens inside your pot. The control happens inside your pot. If you're worried about the low temps on the cooktop you're looking at, find a showroom where the unit is installed and try it out.

Another question , if I may. According to the ex chef, the Electrolux and the Elco Brandt are the best units. I am sure CR's does not rate all these cooktops. How do you find out which ones are really good? Where did Mcdinbris get his information?

Hello renno, your question of "how low do these Induction tops go" is difficult to answer if you are comparing gas to induction. You have to compare apples to apples. Most induction cooktops have a "simmer" burner. You can melt chocolate without burning it. Ordinarily you'd have to use a double boiler. I want to steer you to www.theinductionsite.com It has a wealth of info for your research. In regards to the pan being "centered" on the hub, I would say that there is very slight leeway. If you get the pan off center an error message will occur with my Bosch. You won't need to lower the temp by doing this since they have a very low temp setting option.
As far as "best" units, I have found that the European brands and brands that primarily use European parts are the best. It was only 3-4 years ago that Diva was the only game in town. Now everyone is making them. I have to admit I am very partial to companies that have a long track record and not the new comers. I would not count on CR for reviews of all the brands since they are so new and they don't usually evaluate the high end appliances. I have talked to repair men and a long time friend who owns an appliance store.
I encourage you to go induction. The responsiveness still amazes me which is why most cookware has glass lids.
good luck.
Carol

CR rated the Electrolux #1, 97% out of 100---thats about the highest rating I have seen on any appliance. They can not rate the reliability of that cooktop however as it has not been out that long.
I have the Electrolux Icon 30" induction and love it.
Extremely fast to boil, great low temp control, easy to clean, and so far even runing 3 burners alto not on high, I have yet to hear the fan come on.
I went with Electrolux after looking at all of them that Pacific Sales had on display, after seeing it was the only one that had the controls divided off from the cooking surface. I had a disasterous experience with a ceramic cooktop where the controls were close to the pots and pans. (Not an Electrolux)----so that was priority #1 with me, I even had to redo the granite after my goofup with that first cooktop.

Gary

I'm considering purchasing either the Electrolux Icon full induction (4 induction burners) or the Electrolux hybrid (2 induction burners and 2 regular burners).
Any suggestions?
For those of you who have one of these, does the stainless steel trim on the cooktop scratch easily from your pans?

Dear annclark, as far as I am concerned you'll be wasting your money on a hybrid. Once you start using the induction you won't want anything to do with the old way. See theinductionsite.com. There are no pans that are that valuable that would warrant you keeping regular burners. Also, why Electrolux? Just curious.
I have a stainless steel trim and unless you drag your pots/pans across it, it's not going to scratch. You need to place your pots/pans on the hub. You do not ever want to drag them on the surface.

I don't understand why anyone would get a hybrid - unless of course it was half induction and half gas. I could see that might appeal to some people. Get all induction otherwise you will be cooking on just 2 induction burners and letting the electric burners sit , cold - silent - unused . You will love the easy cleanup, fast cooking times and quick temperature response.

I agree, a hybrid induction/electic is a waste of good space! Go ALL induction, you won't regret it!

Me three, on the Hybrid!!!
You will have the same old problem with food getting baked on, hard to clean, safety at my age; I don't wanna hafta keep track of what part of the stove gets super hot and what part doesn't. Also the full induction will be more effieient than the radiant heat burners.

Gary

Gary (dodge1959) you might be #4 :-)
Well annclark it looks like folks are piling on wholeheartedly for pure induction cooking. Do you have a showroom nearby where you could see one hands on?
good luck and keep in touch.
Carol

Wow, thank you all for your input. You've talked me into the full induction. We are remodeling our kitchen and are making the leap from a gas range to the induction cooktop. Had to talk hubby into it, but now he's ready to take the plunge.

Mississippiprose, you asked why an Electrolux? Consumer Reports (Aug. 2008 issue) gave the Electrolux Icon induction cooktop it's top rating among other inductions. My only concern is the stainless steel trim. Does food get caught underneath it? Also, does the trim scratch easily?

We also looked at the GE Profile induction. It doesn't have a trim, and I'm sure it's easier to clean. However, our local appliance dealer has a big rebate on Electrolux. If you purchase five Electro Icon appliances, there is a $750 rebate; four appliances for a $500 rebate.

When we built our house almost 22 years ago we had a Kenmore induction cook top put in. After 20 years in military base housing I was sick of cleaning stoves for inspection every time we moved (every 3 years) We also had a convection/microwave oven so no more stoves for me! I have LOVED it for all these years. I have had no problem with the induction cook top. It is an absolute pleasure to cook on.

We are going to do a remodel of our kitchen in a week or two and now my daughter wants a real stove put in. She wants an oven. Our old convection/microwave gave up on Christmas Eve so we bought a smaller microwave/convention oven. I have no idea which model stove to buy and I dread giving up my inductioon cook top. I guess we could put in just an oven under the cook top. I told her SHE will have to learn to clean the oven.

Dorothy

Kenmore has two induction ranges and GE has announced one to be available this summer.

Consumer Reports ratings...now there's a whole new ballgame. I personally have found that CR doesnot evaluate all brands. They review/evaluate more common household brands and not upper end. For years Diva was the only one around for induction. A few years ago just about everyone has jumped on the band wagon. My thoughts are that I would prefer a company who has dealt with inductions for sometime and has proven themselves versus a newer company with less experience. I do know that Electrolux is getting their parts from Germany. I would seriously do some research before committing. A very good source of info are the repair techs and sales people who have been in business a long time.
Stainless Steel Trim... not a problem. No food caught under it or scratched. As mentioned, no not drag pots/pans over it or it will scratch.
Good luck.
Carol

How long does it take to bring a teakettle to the boil on induction?

Depends on how much water you are trying to bring to boil. See www.theinductionsite.com

There was a post by a former chef, as I recall. He said two companies had the most experience with Induction. One was a French Company (probably Diva), I don't recall for sure, and the other was Electrolux, a Swedish company but doing the induction manufacturing in Germany.
I purposely chose a framed unit. It has not been hard to clean, either the glass or the stainless.
Wife just loves it, CR did do a review of most of the induction units, Wolf, Miele, Electrolux, You name it.
Of course, CR doesn't have any reliability data yet, as they are all so new, but I suspect most of them will prove to be very reliable.

Gary

I've had the Kenmore for 3.5 years. I never use silicon pads or paper towels under the pans, slide them around all the time, and have no scratches. I bought it for its responsiveness and its efficiency, but I love it for its easy clean up. I hope I never have to switch back.

A few days ago I emptied a pan and absentmindedly set it back on the induction zone without turning it off. A few minutes later the entire unit shut itself down when the pan overheated. The pan was saved with no damage. It's embarrassing to have a cooktop that's smarter than I am.

jxbrown -- I agree with the "embarrassing to have a cooktop smarter than I am" Love it!!!

peteyjd -- I takes my tea kettle just under 2 minutes to whistle...

annclark -- I have the 30" GE Profile without trim, it's a breeze to clean... And GE also has a REBATE program going right now, you can find the details on the GE website, just do a search for REBATE on their site. If you decide to consider GE, also look at the Advantium oven, I love mine. I combined it with a single wall oven. I was able to do away with a third unit this way(normally I would have done a double oven plus microwave). Good luck!

Demeyere manufactures an induction-capable 3L tea kettle. The price is quite reasonable, perhaps because it is aimed at commercial use.

Filled with about 2.5 quarts of water that is marginally below room temperature, and heated using the power-boost setting of my Kenmore's next to smallest hob, it takes 6 to 7 minutes for the water measured at the level of the spout base to reach 180F. Upon shutting off the power, mixing of the thermal gradient and absorption of the residual base heat causes the water temperature to climb to about 185F. If instead power is continuously supplied for 7 to 8 minutes, boiling will occur at least at the kettle base.

kas

Thanks all!

Just tested our new GE Monogram induction cooktop. The only pan I have that is compatible is an old wok with about a 4" diameter base that I filled with 3 cups of water and put on the 8" ring/hob/burner. No lid and the water was at a full boil in less than 30 seconds. Since I haven't cooked with gas since I was about 12 and the family pancake maker (about 50 years ago) I'm not sure if anyone else would be impressed by this but I sure was. I've spent the last 30 years cooking on awful coil or ceramic glass electric. My old memory says that the ancient gas stove I learned to cook on was very, very good (and I don't know if gas cooking can be improved since flame is flame despite modern bells and whistles of grates and styling) but I think this induction cooktop is going to beat my best memories.

I'm just wondering if your induction cooktops are as tempermental as mine. If you lift the pan, the thing shuts off and has to be turned off completely and turned back on. Don't put a hot lid on the cook top or the whole thing freezes up and must be shut down (every last burner) and turned back on. The list goes on and on... This is the 3rd induction cooktop I've used (European models) and they are all touchy. I have a love/hate relationship with them. So, is it the European version or are you careful cooks? Does no one else fight with their cooktops?

Hmmm, Darenka, that doesn't sound quite right. I have a GE cooktop that I put hot lids on, even hot things out of the oven and the elements still go on working. When I lift a pot an F starts to flash on, but as soon as I put the pot back down the F goes away and the heat level I was at resumes. The only thing I have trouble with is the timer, but that is an warranty issue at this point that I have to decide whether I want to make a call on or not. What kind of cook tops have you had that have given you such a headache?

Our electrolux Icon works the same as "Moose's" I think you have 3 minutes to put the pot back before it turns off the burner, and only that burner. Last nite wife cooked the sauce for tamale pie on induction cooktop, first She covered the cooktop with paper towels, so cleanup a "Breeze"---throw away the paper towels!

Gary

darenka, I have a Miele and the only time I've had any problems similar to those that you describe is when I've inadvertently put something down on top of the touch controls. That will cause a fault and shut off the cooktop after some warning beeps. The cooktop also beeps and flashes if I remove a pan from the burner, but the burner stays on for at least a minute.

Hey All, the great questions continue on induction cooktops. Yes, I have found the Bosche I have disciplines me when I take a pan off. It flashes to let you know to put the pan back on. I think if you leave if off longer than 2-3 minutes it turns off. The electronics are ticky and do not like laying a spoon or spatula on them. An "E" error code flashes to take it off. I don't mind since it's teaching me what it likes and doesn't like. I am on the learning curve & still just love this cooktop. Now I am on to remodel the kitchen around it.Thanks. Carol

I'm looking at getting the Electrolux hybrid. I do a significant amount of canning and have a large Presto aluminum canner. I use it on a regular glass top stove.

I'm not sure if I want to go this route as I can maybe 4 months of the year. My other solution was to get a coil hotplate to use for canning.

Are there any canners out here that have found a solution to canning with an induction cooktop? Doing it outside with a propane burner isn't an option when it's below zero outside.

Thanks
Cathy

Cathy (macybaby), I have found this forum with this topic for you. http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/harvest/msg1111511512200.html
My only concern with a hybrid is that your everyday cooking won't be up to par with the other induction hubs. If you don't mind that a hybrid might work for you. It also seems there is the factor that there just doesn't seem to be a readily available induction canner. See if this lint helps.
Carol

Macybaby
I have a plain range downstairs in our bar area downstairs which I use for canning. I like having it downstairs so that it doesn't heat up our main living area(we are a rancher with a walk out basement). The temperature is already heating up here and it is great having the induction cooktop as it greatly minimizes any added heat this time of year.

Macybaby
I have a plain range downstairs in our bar area downstairs which I use for canning. I like having it downstairs so that it doesn't heat up our main living area(we are a rancher with a walk out basement). The temperature is already heating up here and it is great having the induction cooktop as it greatly minimizes any added heat this time of year.

The current rigid, cruel induction is a Bosch, but I'm pretty sure the last one was a Siemens. I'm in Germany, so these are not the models intended for export. Retribution is swift, without mercy, or warning--well, you get warned but your margin of error is about 30 seconds. Tonight, 30-40 minutes after it's been turned off, I'm cleaning up and I get the bad, bad, "E". I was sure I could get that last spot before it threw a hissy fit. Nope, the entire cooktop locked (big red lock lights up just in case you are confused) and I know from previous experience that I must wait 5 minutes to unlock it. Not a disaster post dinner, but during cooking prep--I'm about to take a sledge hammer to the cantankerous wench. I'm glad to know that the export models will at least let you pick a lid up before you get punished.

darenka, you may not realize this but Siemens, Bosch, & Thermador are all in the same company. One thing I have learned and it helps prevent the lights coming on during clean up is to lock the cooktop by holding your finger on the on/off switch until it locks (flashing lock symbol) that way when wiping/cleaning it won't effect the cooktop. Hope this helps.
Carol

I have a Siemens 32" with 4 "burners" and love it. One zone is very large (12"?) with I think > 3kW in Power Booster mode (this compares to a 4.5kW gas burner). It's great, I'd never go back to gas or electric. Power change is as fast as gas, but there is no stains on cookware, no flames, intense (wasted) heat, no fire hazard, almost no remaining heat (cookware is hot, glass top only slightly). It's faster than gas & much faster than electric.
The one and only downside is need for appropriate cookware.

BTW: Bosh & Siemens appliances are brand names of BSH Hausgeraete; not sure if Siemens is available in US, but most models have equivalents (only slightly different design).