If she's used to the responsiveness of gas, she should be able to adapt to induction, particularly since she clearly hate the slow response of electric. As far as your other questions, someone else will have to answer them.

Glad to hear bout your Mom, mine is 86 and also sharp as a tack, if fact they just drove from Idaho, spent a week or so here, and drove back.
Induction should not be a problem, unless you are "Trying to impress" somebody by how fast they boil water, you just turn the controls somewhere around midway, it will still boil the water quickly but what is even better is it keeps boiling at a constant rate, instead of more and more, and hence it doesn't boil over. So she uses mid settings, forgets it for a sec?, no biggie, It just goes on boiling at a nice rate.
I think once she uses it a little, she will find it easier to use than her "old way", and cleaning up sure is easier!!

Gary

If her favorite pots don't work with induction, best to make sure that she's okay with changing them.

Another option would be to try out a single hob. If she is moving that slowly one hob may be all she needs.

It's great for older folks--no fires (thinking of my mom here--no offense to old people really)! The cooktops turn off if they get too hot. Some (I noticed it reading about the Bosch in particular but it can't be special) claim to turn off when they detect a spill/boilover.

Get the specifications for her current cooktop and go to theinductionsite.com--they list all the tops and their cutout sizes. If it's recent, you might be able to just plop in a Thermador induction cooktop. Also check the electric supply. The induction cooktops do require a dedicated circuit, and not a wimpy one.

But I think it's a great idea. Life is too short to cook on a cooktop you hate.

I should have mentioned this before. I don't think she will use the timers. My wife, alto considerable younger than my Mom, likes to follow the "Kiss" principle, when she cooks. Our old cooktop had built in timers for each burner--yep it would turn them off, but she never used them. The less buttons she had to poke to fix dinner, the better she liked it----Your Mom "Could be", the same---dont wanna turn the cooking into "Rocket Science" for her¿---Ya know what I mean, just set the controls for mid range, set and forget---EASY
The other thing I should have mentioned is safety!! The induction cooktop itself, does not get near as hot as a gas burner or a radiant electric one, so should be less of a chance of her getting a serious burn.

Gary

You have gotten some good responses to your question. I think your mom would do just fine with induction cooking. Most pots/pans have glass lids so she could see easily how the cooking is going. The responsiveness and finger touch controls she will definitely like. I am concerned about how she moves pots/pans on the cooktop. You cannot slide them on the glass or you WILL scratch the glass. Easier clean up and she's less likely to burn herself is an added plus. You will have to do some measuring on the 36" cutout and compare models and their sizes to see if they will work. Also consider clearance under the unit. I had to cut down a couple of drawers to allow for ventilation of the unit. Good luck. Carol

The other nice thing is that once you remove the pan the burner will shut itself off if you forget.

I'm not sure about this but, if she has a pacemaker or the potential for one,(rhythm problems), the magnet may interfere with its function. You would want to check.

I haven't had any scratches, and I slide the pots at times.

I definitly think you should consider a unit with knobs or slides vs touch pads just because it is a bit trickey to use them. If she is used to knobs already, she might do better with the same. I think thermador has sliders. I have a DIVA with touch pads and that is the only thing that I'm not crazy about. You can accidentally touch them and the setting will change. I like the clean look, but it does take some getting used to.

I slide my pots and pans too ... no scratches.

I agree with lucypwd that touch controls might be tricky for her and that knobs or sliders would be better. My touch controls don't change easily if you accidentally touch them, just the opposite. You have to place your finger flat on them, touching with just a fingertip doesn't work. They also don't respond well to wet fingers.

i think your mom would love you (not that she already doesn't) for such a thoughtful gift. and if she doesn't move fast enough to get back to the teapot throw in an insta-hot for her too. teapot? what's THAT? good luck!

My 85 year old mother occasionally visits me when I'm at a second home in Honolulu, where I too, couldn't have a gas cooktop (which I prefer). I put in a Wolf induction model. Once I explained it to Mom, who is also very sharp (she even Twitters!), she was off and running. No problems at all. She still prefers being able to see the size of a flame, but she says hasn't had trouble cooking with the Wolf induction.

The main reason I like the Wolf model is because of the temperature display. Instead of just showing a number, it utilizes a graphic display with little bars that illuminate in an arc pattern to show the temperature level selected. It's not as intuitive as looking at the size of a gas flame, but it's way easier to mentally process that visual cue, than to just look at a number display.

I would also advise skipping the timer feature. More trouble than it's worth. The simpler the better

My 83 year old MIL just left after a 2 week visit....after cooking on my induction, she's considering getting one for herself! She loved it's responsiveness and the fact that it is safer --- if she forgets and: 1.) leaves a towel or something near a burner, it won't catch fire 2.) it's really not that hot after the pan is removed, so less likely to burn yourself or melt something 3.) cools down VERY quickly for fast cleanup after cooking 4.) The teakettle is whistling in about the time it took her to gather up her cup, spoon, teabag, milk, etc.... So she hadn't even left the area to have to get back to it!

Go for it --- you'll make her a very happy senior!

The Wolf has a great textured surface so even if it does get scratched, it's not going to bother anyone. (I use cast iron carelessly on my ~25 year old induction top and it's not very scratched.)

It's also a little more traditional in its controls. And oddly overpriced... :)

In addition to shutting off automatically if a pan is removed (which is a great safety feature), you can also buy non-stick skillets from Demeyere that actually lose their magnetic ability at high temperatures, which keeps the pan itself from ever overheating (when it cools down, it regains its magnetic ability). Something else that might make Mom's life easier.

I think all induction cooktops will shut off if they get too hot though--it may be higher than the toxic point of non-stick coatings though!

Thank you everyone for your great advice. Also, I am intrigued by the Wolf, because of the controls mentioned by Fori and Wa8b. Mom also complains (but not so much) about her wall ovens having digital temp control--she misses the wall oven dial control (remember those, with temperatures on the dial, and you'd turn the dial so that the temperature you want is at the 12:00 position, and that number would be backlit? Sigh, seems so much easier than the ones now, but I digress.).

I am going to look at the Thermador induction too, under the assumption that the cutout will be the most compatible with her existing Thermador electric cooktop (but who knows these days..).

Now, I just have to convince Mom, since I think she'll be "scared" by the "new" technology of induction. I'll just use the points you guys have made. She will be much happier with the induction cooking once she gets used to it.

As sharp as your Mom sounds, I bet it will be a snap for her.While I don't recommend it for her, Turning the tea kettle up all the way, to boost or "High" You can indeed show her that a "Watched Pot, does boil"
I suspect even with my Icon set to half power, it would still beat my Gas DCS cooktop to a boil even with the gas cooktop set to Bonfire---it does have a big flame, but takes forever to boil water.

Induction is great for safety, but don't forget the weight of the pan issue. I have some early arthritis in my hands and wrists and I don't want to be hoisting heavy pans all the time. If your Mom cooks with lightweight aluminum pans like I do, she may not appreciate changing to heavier induction-worthy pans. On the other hand, if she's a "cast-iron skillet" cook, she may love induction.

We have real light pans for the induction, Chris. You do make a good point thou, our cast iron pans are out in the garage and will rarely be used. The "All Clad" layered (or whatever they call it) Stainless, copper and aluminum are lightweight and work great with Induction (if you buy the one that a magnet sticks too). We actually bought the Emeril set, which is a China built version of the "All Clad"
They are light, fast to heat, clean easy, and look great too.
Gary