I can't answer for you, but I have the Bosch 500 series at the top of my list. It has timers which will turn off the burners, which I already use on my portable for rice and idli. It has the interface where you select a burner, then directly the power level, rather than tapping +/- repeatedly to change the level. It is slight under $2000 right now on AJ Madison. The Thermador is very similar, but has an additional 13" ring on the center hob, and costs considerably more. My wife's coworker has one and likes it, and I've used one at a local appliance shop.

For either of these, you probably want the more recent version. The earlier Bosch used the +/- and maybe didn't have timers (if you care), and the Thermador touch interface supposedly improved for the latest revision. I still see a lot of older models advertised (mostly eBay).

Miele is also high on my list, since owners rave about it. It has the +/- adjustment method. It also has true timers, which I like. Price is out of your stated range, they don't get discounted, and I can't really justify paying $1000 more than the Bosch, which also has a bit more boost power available for the center hob.

If you don't care about timers or like a different layout, the Electrolux cooktops maybe can be found a bit cheaper. The GE is quite a bit cheaper, but recommends/requires more space underneath -- you can probably put pots under there, but not flammables or items that block ventilation.

I think everyone likes theirs, except my parents who I think have a GE. They accidentally lock themselves out and instead of reading the manual once, they flip the circuit breaker every time. (Don't get me started on their satellite TV usage.) Their main complaint is that the hobs aren't marked clearly enough for them.

I have (er...had) a Windcrest 36" unit. I think you could go 30 seconds without the burner turning off. And it didn't beep at you the whole time which was extremely nice (My previous one beeped angrily to keep you informed). No child lock. No timers. No frills. Big burner in the middle, mediums at the back. Lots of power. Used to be one of the super low underside clearance models but maybe they've all gone that way now.

If the burner turns off while hubby is swirling his crepes, even though he'll have to mash a few buttons on any cooktop, keep in mind the power will be there INSTANTLY and crepe making won't be slowed a bit.

I have the Bosch 800 series 36" induction cooktop. I can remove a pan from the cooktop for 90 seconds before I hear the warning beep.

I am able to use my large pans on the smaller rings and my smaller pans on the larger rings with no problems. When using the large pan on the smaller ring it may take a bit longer to heat up since the outside of the pan would not be within the magnetic field, but I doubt it would be noticeable.

There are a couple of reasons I can see for a child lock. One where you are actively cooking and tiny hands reach up and turn a hob on to a higher setting. The other would be when you spill on the area of the controls and you want to clean it up before it dries while still cooking. When this occurs I lock the controls, wipe the surface and have no issues with changes to the cooking temps.

On my Bosch, sharing only occurs when using the Boost feature. I only use boost when I want to boil water quickly. It is amazingly fast and the best way to make hot water for tea but is too hot for cooking food.

Good luck with your search!

1. pretty much all of them will wait for you if you remove the pan for a bit. How long it waits varies by manufacturer. I've seen as short as 30sec and as long as several minutes.
2. not much comment. Some are more sensitive about this than others. My Cooktek is an 8" unit, and I've put pans as small as 4" and as large as 12"+ and it doesn't care.
3. You're cooking something. Phone rings. You answer. Little fingers press 'Hi'. 30 sec later you have the smoke alarm going off.

The required clearances of the various models were important to me. GE was most restrictive, asking for 12" underneath (i.e.,no utensil drawer). Electrolux looked great, but wanted, I think, 7.5 or 9 inches on each side. It's not hard to check the spec drawings for the various models to see how much space you'll need. It may not matter to you, but it would be a bad surprise if it turned out that it did.

You have 3 minutes to get the pan back, at least with the 30" Elux Icon Induction cooktop.

I have done all kind of experimenting with pan sizes, small pans on the large burner (10 or 11 "'s), large pan on the smallest burner (5 to 6 "'s). In all cases, it just takes off and boils the water in my pan of choice, regardless or burner.

Of course if you are interest is "Setting a record" for fastest boiling time, I suspects that if you matched burner and pot size, that would be the fastest, but in any case regardless of how you do it, mismatching etc,
Induction, (at least the Elux) does away with the old
"Cliche"----"A Watched Pot Never Boils" (LOL)

We've had ours over a year now and continue to love it!!

I have put videos on Utube of a boiling and simmering contest between Mojavean with his Blue Star, and my Elux.

As a "Picture is worth a thousand words"-----whaddaya
thinks a video is worth????

Good luck with your pending choice!

Gary

Hey, if Mojavean is in fact up there in the high desert, isn't he at a disadvantage, atmospherically?

I haven't noticed any pan size issues with the Windcrest, and only a slight issue with a super tiny pan on my ~25 year old Kenmore. (On the big burner of the Kenmore, you'd have to get the small pot exactly in the middle to avoid angry beeps. You probably won't be getting one of those models though.)

I have the GE (though the 30inch not 36), and the KD did try to convince me to get a different one because of the clearance issue. But what we ended up doing (instead of a small utensil drawer and then two other drawers below that) was to have two deep pan drawers beneath the cook-top. That works great as the thing that is required with the GE is that there are not combustibles within 12" of the bottom of the cook-top. Since the drawers are only used for pots and pans, there is nothing combustible in them. (And nothing gets remotely hot, by the way.)

I like the configuration of the burners on the GE and it works well so far, though I can see the usefulness of the timers like the Bosch has in some situations. I was choosing between the Bosch (though the 300 series as I did not want the SS rim) and the GE, but the price difference was quite a bit at the time I bought.

I have the Miele 36" KM 5773 Induction Cooktop. The largest cooking ring, is in the rear...which I really like when I cook Pasta, long simmer sauces and other big items.

I have used very small pans in larger cook rings, and a few pots that were slightly larger than the largest rings...and No problems.

I totally love my Miele Induction Cooktop. That and my Miele SpeedOven have made my life and cooking so enjoyable and actually fun!!!

If you DO get timers, get timers like the Miele that will actually turn OFF the hob and not just tell YOU to turn it off. Then you can toss your rice cooker.

The Bosch timers turn OFF the hob just like the Miele does, at least that is my understanding. I think probably all of the cook-tops have timers that tell you the time is up.

4. power sharing. I don't think of it as a big deal. But you do need to be aware of its existence. It basically means that if you have two hobs on the same side (or controller) on high and set one to PowerBoost, the other will cut back (usually to %50 power).

To give you an idea about power, whenever I cook (fry or saute) something on my Cooktek, I normally never go over %50. That's %50 of 1800watts. I'll use %100 to heat something up quickly but I always cut it back. In fact I simmer spaghetti sauce at around %5-%10 with the lid on. That's 90-180 watts. Same for things like oatmeal or other hot cereals. Any higher and it will scorch.

WOW! Thanks for all that info. The child lock discussion makes me chuckle- it would be nice but not required for me, I guess. I can totally see a smoke alarm going off at my house! Also glad to know my hubby can swirl to his delight. :D

I can't look at these cooktops in person anywhere really, which makes it so hard to choose.

I eliminated the GE because of the depth- my shallow utensil drawer is going to be directly below the cooktop and I really need it there.

Ginny20, I have no walls for several feet on the sides, so clearance in that direction is not an issue for me. My cabinet man says I can have something up to 38", I believe.

Also with the GE, if I remember correctly, it has that raised painted dot surfacing I despise. It makes everything harder to clean. Do any other cooktops have that so I can avoid it???

I eliminated a Kenmore Elite because I'm tired of Sears not being too helpful for service and they are out of stock anyway.

Ugh, I forgot about the +/- adjustments! I don't think I would enjoy that very much. Does that start at 0 every time you turn on the burner, or does it at least recall the last setting? Speaking of settings, does anyone feel there are too few adjustments on a model they use?

Timers that shut the thing off would be awesome. I'm always having to get my husband to watch the stove when I know it only needs 3 more minutes- I have an 8 month old that doesn't enjoy dinner time. And sometimes he forgets 3 minutes later. :D Do any others besides Bosch and Miele shut off? Can you pick a time to shut off each element or does it only work for all the elements at once?

I'm now looking at the Electrolux Icon, Kitchen Aid, Fagor, Kuppersbusch, Windcrest, Bosch, and Miele. Any thoughts on these? I'm leaving a few higher priced ones in that so far appear to meet my criteria, in case I can get a deal on one.

I have a few comments (to keep it straight in my head) and questions about the...
Icon: no timer switching elements off, but has 3 elements over 8" in diameter. Does it have a speckle surface like GE? Also, all the large elements are in the front. How far is that from the edge of your countertop?

Kitchenaid: no timer switching elements off, anybody know how forgiving this is for pan size? It only has 2 over 8" wide.

Bosch: Has TRUE timers, looks nearly identical to the kitchenaid element placement and size but is forgiving on pan size. Will splattering spaghetti sauce make it shut off because of the spill detection? Or is that more for boil overs? I'm a messy stirrer sometimes. :D

Any brands not reliable? Thanks everyone!!!

Regarding the spill detection, splattering spaghetti will not turn off the unit on my Bosch. As you said it is for true boil overs. I am also able to wipe the cooktop clean with a wet sponge while the cooktop is running with no issues.

I have the 30" Bosch 500 series (smaller but similar features to the 36") with the direct power selection - (no +/-) and love it.

Texturing: It does have a subtle pinstripe texture which actually makes it easier to clean as the pattern doesn't streak quite as easily as a smooth surface. I can't speak for other models, but since induction doesn't bake on spills, texturing shouldn't be a problem with most units. I have yet to use anything more than a wet paper towel followed by a dry paper towel to clean my cooktop.

Auto-shut off: Like Boschboy I have had no problem with splattering. I did manage to boil over pasta and triggered the shut off. Once I cleaned up the spill, I turned the cooktop back on and went right back to cooking. I will warn you that I did wipe up some splatter while cooking and accidently swiped across the controls, prompting it to light up with E's (error?). I turned it off then back on again and was again right back in business.

Child locks: They really should change the name. If you don't "store" anything on the cooktop when it's off, there is probably no reason for it as even if a hob is accidently turned on without a pan on it, nothing will happen. With the Bosch it will turn back off after a few seconds. If you store something on top of your hob - like a tea kettle, you could have an issue. I remember someone posting a while ago that their cat walked across the cooktop and turned it on. I have never needed to use the lock while cleaning, but I think that's another use for it.

Good luck with your decision. There are nice units out there with a variety of different features. Doing your "homework" like this will help you find the one that works best for you.

When it comes to the surface, you have to have Something to tell you where the hob is located so you can center the pan. So all of them will have some design on the surface (with one expensive exception).

One of the beauties of induction is that the glass does not get hot. Anything that spills or splatters can be wiped up with a sponge, rag or paper towel. In fact, I routinely place a paper towel underneath my pan when frying bacon or hamburgers to catch spatters. The only way a spill can scorch onto the surface is if you purposely put the pan on top of it and let it scorch away underneath the pan. And that would be silly. :-)

The GE top is not textured as such and it is a breeze to clean. There IS a design to show where each burner is, but it is smooth, and I would think you need something to show where to place the pan. But, as you indicated the small utensil drawer is something you really want, it would seem that the GE is not an option for you anyway (since the bottom of the drawer would be, I assume, combustible). As for the +/-, no, it does not start at 0, at least on the GE. It starts at 5 (half power) and you go up or down from there. I do like the burner configuration on the GE, at least for my purposes, but there are certainly features on the Bosch that would be nice to have.

Ok, I think I want the real timers. I think I would use them a lot. I also want to avoid the +/- buttons. I think they would irritate me!

The Miele is a lot more expensive.

So that leaves the Bosch 500 or 800 series. They both have a metal bar at top and bottom- does anyone find those parts much more difficult to clean than if it was all smooth top?
The 500 doesn't claim to have the "keep warm" function that also supposedly melts chocolate. But yet the temperature controls are the same as the 800, which makes me think you could set a burner on level one and melt chocolate or keep warm. Anyone with a 500, does that work? This one is pretty important to me since we eat a lot of chocolate around here, and I also can never seem to get food done at the same time. I mean never! :D

The other advantages of the 800 then seems to be the metal bar has the controls in it (nice for looks, but is there a functional reason this is better?), and it has that Auto Chef function for frying. Is that for deep frying? Is there any use for that feature other than frying? Seems like I'd have to make an awful lot of perfect french fries to pay for the extra $400... What does Auto Chef really do? Thanks everyone, you guys are sooooo helpful!!

The Thermador (made by same corporation as the Bosch, and very similar) has the direct power selection, but also has the +/- at the ends of the power bar. So you can either go directly to some power level, or easily turn it up or down one level with a tap. Nice, but I still wouldn't pay nearly $1k more for the Thermador than the Bosch. Maybe a hundred or two.

Went to the appliance store today thinking I had decided on the Wolf 36". Salesman mentioned that kitchen aid is coming out with a new griddle feature next month that no one else has. I like the beveled edge that doesn't need a trim ring. The Miele they had in the store was pretty badly scratched- it had no pattern, just flat glass. I think the pattern would at least break up the appearance of scratches even if it doesn't prevent them.
Any have experience with the KA?

I use the AutoChef in the 800 series Bosch only for deep frying. Other than that I prefer to control the temps of what I am cooking. I went with the 800 series because I liked the way the buttons were integrated into the stainless trim. I have had no issues cleaning the trim either. I just use a 50/50 mix of water and white vinegar to clean both the cooktop and the trim.

Kitchenaid induction cooktops are made by Bosch. They are similar to each other as far as features and performance.

I had never heard that before about Kitchenaid cook-tops. If that is the case, do they have the true timers as well? Not that it matters for me, as I already have my cook-top which I am quite happy with. But for others, it might be useful information.

The Kitchenaid manual says that the large ring on the center burner (36") does not "boost." Also, it says you cannot select boost on a burner if another burner in the same zone is on. Not sure, but I'm pretty sure others allow the second burner in the zone to be on simultaneously, although maybe at reduced power. They don't seem to spec the power under boost either.

It's nice that there are more true timers than when I was looking.

Gaggenau has a neat knob.

I emailed Kitchenaid about "the new griddle feature." I wonder if it's like the LG. I'll let you know what I find out.

Does anyone use a very low setting to "keep warm" that doesn't have a keep warm setting? Thanks!

I found a 30" KA with griddle feature, linked below, but can't find it on the KA website. Is this what you're referring to?

Here is a link that might be useful: 30

To add -- I think the KICU509*** is the 30", the KICU569*** is the 36" model -- which looks to have two griddles?

I've linked to the manual below.

Here is a link that might be useful: KICU manual

The instructions about boost for this unit are pretty much the same for others. That is, only one hob on a side can be boosted at a time. Trying to do two results in the other one dropping out of boost.

There is only a single timer. Apparently it does not turn off the hob.

This unit does not have half-steps between levels. Others do (Miele and others).

If I read it right, the 36" KA will allow boost on all elements at the same time. So it must use a bit more power.

I can't imagine anyone wanting to do "boost" on all of the elements at the same time. My understanding of boost is that you only use it to bring something to boil fast. We just use it for boiling water for coffee or pasta. But perhaps on some cook-tops it is not as high a "high" and is used for other cooking.

Units that have power boosting list the hobs with two power levels. The smaller is the unboosted maximum, or Hi. The larger is the boosted maximum, or Pb.

This KA reminds me of the LG, which also has a bridge. I had decided on Miele over LG - I can't remember why, now, (probably burner sizes and placement) but this KA is worth looking at. Geez - it is ever safe to just make a decision and buy something?

I have the 36" Miele. You can keep the pan off the hob for 3 minutes before it turns itself off, and it doesn't beep but it does flash. I am also a messy stirrer and it doesn't turn it off, nor does a 'slight' boilover. I haven't had a major boilover yet--I've learned not to walk away from it if it's on high, because whatever is on the stove will boil quickly and then I just turn it down to simmer. What DOES turn it off immediately and makes it beep like mad is if you cover up the controls, be it with a towel or a pan. It does not mind being cleaned, though--a quick swipe is fine and does not cause beepage.

As to "keep warm", setting 2 or 3 will do that nicely, depending on how much food is in the pan you want to keep warm. 1 is not enough to keep a hot pan of something hot, but it will melt your chocolate nicely without a Bain Marie.

If you turn on your burner, it comes on at level 6. You can reset this if you wish to anything you want. The Miele is highly configurable--you can reset a lot of the factory settings to your liking, including how many levels there are, how loud the beeps are, etc.

As for Boost, there is power sharing. The two burners on the right are a pair, the two on the left are a pair, and the one in the middle is on it's own. You may use Boost on one in each pair, and in the middle...for a total of 3 burners at any given time.

I've had my Miele for about 8 months and love it.

Cj

I just got the Bosch 800 series 30". Am still getting used to it but LOVE how it works. It does turn off for small spill overs (splashing water from boiling potatoes shut it down last night, which confused us).
But induction is amazing. I love the boost. And I love the look. The 30" is plenty big for us due to the hob and front control panel arrangement.

I got the installation manual for the 30" with the bridge element from KA cust svc. It says that you need to put a 3/16" vent (it looks like you just cut a slit) in the cabinet right under the unit, the full length of the front of the unit. (I'm planning to put in a utensil drawer, so maybe that is enough of a vent.) So, has anyone had this requirement for their induction cooker, and how has it been? I'm really leaning toward this one, but that vent thing is interesting. Is that required for regular flat electric cooktops?

I was going to get the Miele but I just read an installation manual that said no drawer was allowed underneath. I hadn't seen that before. If you have a Miele, do you have a drawer under it?

I know in some threads people have said that they get no heat under their units. I wonder if a lot of these requirements are CYA, and not based on any particular science.

If I recall, the Gaggeneau requires a 1" deep by 20" long cutout at the back of the cabinet for ventilation. It sends its exhaust back this way.

The deal is that these things need good ventilation, some more than others (GE). Some have intake/exhaust at the surface (Electolux), others underneath. Some in the front, some in the back, some on the sides, some underneath. You can't block the flow with a drawer overstuffed with towels and potholders or the unit will overheat and shut off. But in general (GE not included), you can put a drawer underneath if you put non-combustable items in it (utensils or pots/pans).

You can with the GE as well -- it's just that there cannot be combustible items within 12" of the bottom. So you can't have a shallow utensil drawer below it (because presumably the bottom of the drawer itself would be combustible). But I have two deep drawers below my GE and only use the top one of the two for pots and pans (both of them actually). Works fine.

According to page 42 of the manual for the 36":

"The cooktop must only be installed
above an oven if it has a built-in cooling
fan."

They recommend not installing it with a drawer underneath, but if there is, it wants 4 1/2" from the top of the "protective base" to the top of the counter, to provide ventilation. I didn't install a drawer under mine, as I wanted two massive pot drawers underneath the unit and there wasn't room after that. :-)

Cj

Thanks everyone for all the info! I'm going to get the Bosch 500 series... :D Surely it melts chocolate. If not, back to the microwave for that because I can't afford the 800. :) Thanks again! Now if I can figure out what kind of ventilation system I can get for a custom hood where the guts cost under $800 I'll be good... off to research again!