Induction is not more efficient than gas! Most of the power in this country comes from coal used to heat water which produces steam used to drive a turbine and using this system only gives you 35% thermodynamic efficiency. So what if an induction cooktop can turn electricity into heat at 90% efficiency? The electricity to produce the heat was generated at 35% efficiency so the induction cooktop is 35% efficient when you open your eyes and consider the whole energy cycle. Sorry to get on the soap box over this but I hear people talk about induction efficiency without really understanding the whole situation. I try to stamp out the induction efficiency myth whenever I see it. That said, my reason for going gas is versatility (can't roast a pepper on an induction stove or cook without a generator when the power goes out). I like to use any pot I want. I like the visceral experience of gas, the theater and romance of the flame. My house looks historic so I wanted a gas rangetop (Bluestar) since iron, gas and flame are more historic than nouveau induction and it's sleek euro manifestations. I like my pans to stay in place on the burner without a non-skid pad. I like stick shift in a car and unix flavored operating systems on a computer and center stick control in a plane (yokes are tacky). I like to feel engaged in whatever I'm doing. I don't want something to be too automatic or easy because then it becomes boring. I'm sure I'll think of more reasons but that's where I'm coming from.

Hi Emily - No experience here with conversions - factory or field - but just want to throw out there that if BTUs are a factor in your decision making I recommend you check spec sheets to see the loss, if any, for your particular choices. And by that I mean model, not just brand. Even within a model I recall looking at a Viking cooktop a while back whose BTU drops varied between something like 0% and 20% depending on the particular burner.

A lot of induction cooktops have "child locks" which make it nigh on impossible for kitties to turn them on. Robin, the nightmare is trying to get it "right" because it's a decision that affects so much of your life, and has so many financial ramifications, and it's a pretty permanent decision. In the end, though, most of these things look okay and operate fine, and there will be a new model with a new feature next year to tantalize you with what you don't have, but you'll learn to ignore it because your new kitchen and appliances will be so nice, whatever you choose. More reasons to love induction? Deciding at the last minute that a little cheese will enhance a dish, and, of course, dribbling on the cooktop? No melted and burnt on goo!!! Oh, and feeling fussy because of the heat? Yes, you can make pasta at midday and not suffer for the decision. But it does make me lazy. It's so easy to clean up that I tend to make a bigger mess -- though, actually, I think it's that it's so easy to use and clean up that I'm more likely to cook something than just pull out the yoghurt. Eleena, I mentioned my models up topic. It's 15" Wolf gas and 24" self-imported Gaggenau induction. I was in love with the controller. :) The Induction Site has a Kuppersbusch 24" with stainless rim and four elements. My kind of one big and two smaller 24" unit was available from quite a few makers last year. There seems to be low demand in the United States, however. I think Ikea may have one here. For Miele, Gaggenau, and other brands, you might have to bring in your own. I was warned that insurance might not like a non-UL certified appliance (the makers have to pay for a certificate for every model so limit the ones they bother bringing in). Since the European standards are every bit as good, my insurance company didn't care as long as it was installed by a professional, and gave me a letter for my file that says so. I also talked to the local Gaggenau repair guy, who thought it would work fine, though the timers wouldn't be accurate because of the difference in the electric cycles. He said to make a conversion table. Turns out the unit was made for 50 or 60. I haven't done rigorous tests yet, but it seems okay. Close enough anyway. The Gaggenau repair guy had gone over the wiring with my electrician, but it turns out that he was talking German wiring, and I had to buy the unit from England, which has different wiring. The members of the Electrical Forum were wonderfully helpful with that and were able to provide sufficient information to get it installed correctly.

Hi there. I'm one of the ones that "try_hard" was probably talking about up there; talking my head off about how much I love induction - especially my Viking. I do have the hybrid, because I was chicken. Plus, the price was better than full induction on the Viking. I chose Viking because of all the talk here about power sharing, and I also wanted the knobs. Others have mentioned the humming noise. The Viking's isn't bad at all. It's actually pretty welcoming since I can tell when the burner is on/off without looking. I did see a demo, but I didn't do it and it wasn't for me (at least not until I bought it). I was in the appliance store so much that I may as well have been getting a paycheck. I would lean over and watch other customers as they came in and wanted a demo or learned about induction. My model was on live display. I knew so much about the store and the sales staff that I would bet who would buy and who wouldn't. I'll never feel the same way walking into a store again, for fear someone was doing the same thing to me - LOL!!. One thing - I raved so much about much I loved my induction cooktop, the sales staff started using my comments in their pitch. Not sure if you have made a decision or not, but whichever you choose, I think you will love it. As far as cookware, I've heard so many here say, the cheaper the better, as long as it is stainless. I found out that the every-day, middle-of-the-road Cook's Essentials from QVC work (didn't think they would). They look pretty good too, and have non-stick inside. I have a few Emerilware and love it. I'll probably get one or two All-Clad, or another higher level. The one thing I'm looking for is something that is easier to clean inside. hmmm, we'll see on that one. You can check with your brand's website and see who has a live one set up. I did that when I first started looking. Best Wished to you, and happy cooking!! gng