I would do an induction range over regular electric for sure, if it's affordable. I'm seeing price ranges from 1K to 3+K.

What is their budget? My "money is no object" suggestion would be an induction slide in. Electrolux, GE, or Bosch. Induction uses a glass top as well but since surface temperatures get nowhere near as high as radiant burners, cleanup is much easier. If induction is too expensive, I think a glass top slide in from any of those brands would be fine.

If the look wouldn't be objectionable I think coil tops are not a bad choice over smooth tops. I find they are more responsive, and the elements are much easier to replace should one die on you.

I had a radiant glass top before I got induction, it wasn't THAT bad. The key is to set the burner controls slightly BELOW high (NOT all the way up) to get the fastest heating for boiling water, etc and to not procrastinate on cleaning the surface. It needs to be cleaned as soon as it starts looking bad, and don't let anything bake on twice.

mweyandt, but which brand? model?

Is there a GW Darling these days?

"Is there a GW Darling these days? "

No.

Every stove model is a mix of design choices and engineering trade-offs. Different mixes appeal differently to different people, Induction slide-ins are no exception. There are basically four models of major brand slide-in induction ranges right now and all but one are $3200 or more.

* GE PHS920 -- currently the most steeply discounted model (under $2500). Burner layout with one larger (11") burner in front right and two matched 8" burners on the left. Second largest oven. Has a full-power, 2000 watt convection element in the oven for multi-rack convection. (Bosch also has this.) Both it and its predecessor (PHS925) are the subject of long and mostly positive threads. Ge induction ranges are gray with stainless fascia which some like better than the standard black with brushed metal fascia.

* Electrolux Wave-Touch Series EW30IS65JS most well established model, also the subject of some long running threads and mostly postive threads from owners. Smallest main oven but has a baking drawer (some find the drawer useful, others call it a warming drawer with delusions of grandeur). Four different size burners with high power 10" and 8" burners in front.

* Bosch Benchmark Induction Slide-In HIIP054U. Only been available for a couple of months. New design with stove-top touch pad burner controls. Unique burner layout (same as 30" induction cooktop) which some find think efficient and others do not like. Second smallest oven but also has a full power convection element. Only induction range in North America with individual times to run each burner. Three or four reports on it and some photos.

* Samsung NE58H9970WS -- (newest model and presently the most expensive at a current street price of $3300 to $3600. Biggest oven with the unique ability to partition into two individually controllable convection chambers. Seems to have the largest usable cooktop surface but the oven vents out the front of the stove. Only slide-in with rotary knobs for the top burners. Burner arrangement is a little different, but has twin 7" burners on the left and an 11" burner in the front right. So far, nobody here has actually seen one, let alone used it.

This post was edited by JWVideo on Tue, Aug 12, 14 at 17:03

Thanks JW, exactly what I needed.

So it doesn't sound like there is a "nightmare" out there that they should most certainly avoid.

Any info on the non-induction, smooth top ranges? Are they terrible? Just in case these people don't want to spend the $ for induction.

Thanks so much.

Did you read my post? I can see how you might have missed it since we posted at the same time last night.

This post was edited by hvtech42 on Tue, Aug 12, 14 at 8:36

hv, nope, somehow missed it. Thank you.

The friend I have who has the glass top and hates it, is the cleanest person I know, constantly cleaning up right away. (There are no water drops on her faucet ever) So perhaps it does have something to do with not being able to wipe up until it cools down.

Thanks again.

The raps on radiant smoothtops are these:

1. Cleaning -- as discussed above. The burner pans in coil burners can be a pain, as well.

2. Adjustability. You have to plan ahead and may have to move pots off (or partly off) of a burner to get rapid downward heat adjustment. (Some folks start another burner at the intended temp and then move the pot from the high-heat one to the lower one. Same techniques used with coil burners but my experience has been that coils seem to react a bit faster, as hvtech says.

3. Large pots can confuse the heat sensors on some smoothtops. Burners maintin heat levels by cylcing on and off. THe cycling is controlled by sensors under the glass top. Canning kettles, very large pressure canners, and very stock pots can reflect to the heat sensors that control burner cycling. The result will be that large stockpots and canning kettles may take a very long time to come to a boil or may not boil at all. Not true for all smoothtops,though, and some smoothtops come with larger "power boil" burners to address this issue.

The more I use smooth cooktops, the more I DISLIKE them. Radiant smooth cooktops are terrible for clean up. I want to cook not constantly clean and scrape them with a razor blade. I really like Induction but, not enough to get rid of some cookware I really like.

For those that have relatively recent induction ranges - can you post here what you have and what circuitbreaker it is running on? According to my math all those supersized elements often add up to rather exorbitant current draws. I live in a 1930s house with wiring that was updated 15 years ago, but still the range CB is "only" 50A. Not looking to spending $1k to run a 60A circuit if I buy a new range.

Plug in new range.
Use new range as anyone normally would.
If breaker does not trip find something else to worry about.

duplicate

This post was edited by laat2 on Sat, Dec 13, 14 at 23:27

Please stop bumping multiple threads with the same question. The new one you created was plenty. You are not reaching a wider audience by doing that. laat2's advice is spot on.