Hob size is the area that actually contains magnets. It's usually indicated on the cooktop by a circle or rectangle. Depending on the brand, the pan can be somewhat smaller or larger than the actual hob. "Hob" in induction is the same thing as "burner" on a radiant electric range, only the hob doesn't heat up (except from referred heat), it makes the pan heat up.

A bridge is when you have two separate hobs that also have magnets in between, so you can use each one separately or you can press the bridge button and use the entire area, like for a griddle or roasting pan. My KA bridge area is oblong, and my friend's Samsung has a rectangular one. you don't necessarily need a bridge in order to straddle two hobs, but the heating will be more even.

Magnetic pans don't have to be heavy. My Tramontina tri ply clad (like fake all clad) is heavy, as is cast iron, but pans with just clad bottoms are much lighter. Your current pans may be ferromagnetic (see if a fridge magnet sticks to the bottom). But if they aren't, induction capable pans do not have to be very expensive. There are also induction capable non-stick pans. Carry a fridge magnet with you when you shop.

The technology is not that new. There are people on this forum who had induction 20 years ago. Have you seen all the threads about how wonderful induction is? If not, try a google search on "gardenweb induction" or "gardenweb induction vs gas." There are also lots of threads about induction cookware, some on the Cookware Forum. I've linked one fun thread below.

I suggested my friend get an induction range for her new house, and she's so glad she did. If you can afford it, go for it.

Here is a link that might be useful: You know you have induction when...

We went induction about a year ago and we LOVE it! The E-lux and GE were the best bets in the mid line range then, and I believe that is still true. We have the GE range. The hardest part is learning to have your prep done first. Everything else is great.

Definitely google for the threads here. I learned more here than anywhere else, and might not have felt comfortable otherwise.

what is hob size?

What Ginny said. Plus this.

Hob size matters in a couple of different ways. Induction hobs/burners have a minimum pan size -- below that size, and there is not enough magnetic mass for the burner to come on. (You can't cook a watch of a wedding ring or a dinner fork). Electrolux and GE list minimum pan sizes in their user manuals, but a general rule of thumb is that minimum pan size will be about 70% of the hob diameter. So, if for a small induction burner --- say a 6' diameter one --- you may be able to use a pan as small as 4.5" in diameter. If you love making coffee in one of those tiny Bialetti Moka pots, it will be too small to heat up. This will be a problem on many gas burners, as well. While you can use a low flame on teeny butter warmer to melt butter, you may or may not be able to heat it to a boil. If you don't care about Moka pots, then don't worrry. If you are passionate about some small pans, you might want to search of the long thread here last summer that explored using very small pans on induction burners.

Of course, the larger the diameter of the induction hob, the bigger the minimum required pan size. With your largest burner --- 11" diameter on the GE PHS925 slide in and 10" diameter on the Electrolux/Kenmore slide-ins --- you may not be able t use a pan smaller than than 7.5 inches in diameter. There is some variation in this because the sensors detect magnetic metal mass and a small pan -- say, a cast iron saucepan -- might have enough magnetic metal to be recognized by the sensors even though the pan diameter is smaller that the minimum size listed in the owner's manual.

The other way hob size matters is is with large pans. The general rule of thumb here is that the base of the pan can be up to 1" larger in diameter than the diamter of the hob when you are doing moderate to high heat and you need even heat. I put "base" in italics because you need to remember that rated pan diameter is rarely the size of the base that the induction burner "sees" and heats. For example, most 12" frying pans actually have magnetic bases that are around 9" in diameter. So, you can yse many 12" frying pans on very high heat on an 8" diameter induction burner. (Note that I said "many" and not "all." Some pans do a better job than others at evenly spreading heat. If you want to use one of those large, 14" diameter Cusinart "everyday" braiser pans, it will probably work just fine on the large burners on the Electrolux and GE slide-ins.

Canning kettles are a different story. While the base of a large water-bath canning kettle might be 14" in diameter, you are just boiling water and won't care if the heat is perfectly even across the base of the pot. (Well, at least I don't care.) Think of the decades of people using 8" diameter coil burners with huge canning kettles.

what is a bridge?

What Ginny said -- to which I would add that a birdged element allows you to use a single control for a large pan like big rectangular roasting pan or a rectangular pancake griddle. WHile there are several cooktops that have bridging, AFAIK, the only induction range available in the US with an actual bridge is Samsung's NE597NOPBSR. In Canada, it's the NE 599NOPBSR which also has Samsung's Flex-Duo oven function that allows you to insert a plate to divide the oven into two separately controllable chambers.

As Ginny said, numbers of induction ranges allow you to span two burners with a griddle buut you have to set each burner to the same temp setting. GE says you can do this with the two 8" burners on the left side of its slide-in.

what happens if a slide in cannot be flush mounted?

"Flush mounting" can mean two different things: flush mounting to the back wall or flush mounting to the countertops on either side.

Flush-mounting in back: Some slide-in ranges -- the GE induction slide-in being a notable example --- have a flat back place so you can push them flush against the back wall, the same as you would with a freestanding range. Others -- notable example being the Electrolux and the Kenmore branded version that Elux makes for Sears -- have bump-outs in the back. For those, you will need a piece of countertop across the back of the stove.

Flush mounting to the sides: you understand that the cooktop on slide-in stoves has a bit of an overhang to the either side (roughly 3/4") which is supposed to sit over the counter. By adjusting the stove's leveling feet, you may be able to get the overhangs down against the countertop on the sides, giving the more finished, built-in look. Or, you may find that: (a) your counters are much higher than standadard heights and you will need to put a sheet of plywood or other booster beneath your stove or (b) you counters are low, in which case you can put in spacer/trim board to fill the gap. (IIRC, there was a photo of the latter in fauguy's long running thread on the GE induction slide-in last winter.

Is the technology still too new or would it be smart to buy one now . . . the technology isn't where it will soon be or should be?

As Ginny said, induction has been around for years. My experience with induction goes back to the unit my aunt bought 30 years ago. Induction has been used a lot in Europe and Asia, and is not really the technology that is developing so much as the manufacturing capacity ramping up to make induction stoves more affordable..

What is on tap for development is so-called "zoneless" induction where you have areas where you can place a couple of pans without being tied to specific circles as on traditional hobs. That is still very expensive and only available in cooktops, not ranges.

,i>It appeals to me because of the efficiency, the cleaner feel vs. gas, the ease of cleaning the top, the quick boil, etc. it doesn't appeal because I'm worried that it is too bell and whistley to be reliable,

Well, the problem isn't so much the bells and whistles as the unknowns about how durable the proprietary circuit boards are over the long term My aunt's old induction range was still going strong 6 years ago when she and my uncle sold their house. There are 15 and 20 year old cars running around with circuit boards just fine and the engine compartment is at least as tough on boards as kitchen cooking would be. Thing is, the current generation of circuit boards haven't been around long enough to get a valid staitistical fix on actual longevity. They may be good ofr long time. They might be fragile. We just don't know yet. You can search here and on Chowhound and find numbers of reports of people with ranges and cooktops that died at two years and six years and numbers of reports of folks with cooktops that have gone seven years without a problem.

the need to buy all new pans (are magnetic pans more expensive and heavy? Not crazy about cast iron bc of the weight). Would love to hear any and all thoughts and recos.

Numbers of posts here, in kitchens, and in the cookware forums on affordable iduction ready cookware. Do a search. All the advice still holds. But, for one example, you can get a full set of Circulon Premier Professional induction-suitable pans at Costco for under $200. Magnetic induction bases with annodized aluminum bodies and non-stick interiors. Good for up to 450F in the oven. Considerably lighter than cast iron.

That's just one example of many. Lots of other similarly priced sets elsewhere. Do the search and you find many specific recommendations and evaluations of everything from crabon steel crepe pans to clad stainless steel..Also, try seraching on chowhound too as there have been numbers of discussions on the same subject there.

BTW, it is a good idea to download the user manuals for the stoves you are interested in. The manuals may clear up a lot of things for you.

This post was edited by JWVideo on Wed, Oct 2, 13 at 23:29

I'm in early stages of looking for a range/cooktop. There are few things that are disadvantages of induction that I perceive that may or may not be true:

1. I don't think its that easy to can on an induction. Standard canners won't work and I'm concerned about the amount of weight with two canners (if I can find them - I want the rack that holds jars, not just a big pot), plus sugar water on a glass top;

2. it's not ideal for wok cooking; and

3. while the technology has been around for 20 years it has not been widespread in the U.S. and I'm not sure how well the U.S. products are holding up. Gas is a simplier technology with a longer track record.

4. psychologically it's hard to chose induction since its such an unknown. I might get a plug-in induction cooktop since my current 1957 electric range top sucks and maybe it'd address this concern.

Not sure if any of these concerns matter but thought I'd share. I'd be interested in others opinions about these concerns.

Love my induction! I am not sure about 2 canners but I canned quite a few jams and sauces on my induction. I entered 2 in a jam contest this weekend - stay tuned. Proceeds go to my boston marathon charity - so wish me good luck!

I plan to try paella this weekend(or next)

It is great not roasting me while cooking :-)

Christy - what do you mean by not being able to can on induction? Are you talking about water bath canning or pressure canning? I agree that most pressure canners won't work because they're almost all aluminum which isn't ferromagnetic. But water bath canners work perfectly well. I have a 21 qt stainless canner which holds 8 or 9 qt jars (I don't recall exactly). I canned about 15 cases of fruit and jams last year. Induction will bring 21 qts to full rolling boil faster than any gas cooktop, and hold it at a steady temperature forever.

I have a flat-bottomed wok which I use on induction. It's far from ideal, but it does work. Because of the ultra high power induction puts out, you can sear, stir-fry or saute faster than gas. Even better, you can reduce the temperature instantly so your stir fries don't overcook.

I had no trouble switching from gas to induction. You only have to try it once to get it. It took me a while to appreciate all the other advantages, like the lack of flame which meant I stopped setting fire to oven mitts or hot pads. I never burn myself on hot grates. It's safe for children or careless adults because heat goes only into the pan. I love the timers. Our Thermador has 5 hobs, each with its own timer. When I want to simmer a stock or sauce, I set the timer so if I'm distracted, it won't burn dry. Because there's very little wasted heat, the kitchen doesn't become unbearably hot, and you don't have to have high power venting to dissipate excess heat. Clean up is a snap, and even if you have spills, the cool surface means that nothing burns.

We converted from gas to induction and have never regretted the change.

Cheryl

ChristyMcK:

Your concerns do matter and are factors to consider in choosing between stoves when you need to buy one. However, things may not be quite so clear cut as you may have suspected.

1. Canning:

If you want to try large kettles and water-bath canning on induction, there have been several discussions of this topic here and in the harvest forum on this subject as well as others across the web.

On some induction stoves and cooktops , but not others, there may be a concern with the weight of two large kettles filled to the brim with tomatoes or fruit that you ware cooking down. What I heard from a GE rep last year when I asked about canning on the freestanding GE induction range (PHB925) was that you want to keep the gross weight below 50 pounds. That is an awful lot of produce to cook down. I don't think I've come close to that when running two water bath canning kettles. Maybe you are planning on using bigger pots?

I have generic, no-name magnetic stainless steel 5 gallon kettles/stockpots that I use for canning and which have worked fine on induction ranges and cooktops . I've had my kettles for a couple of decades but I think you can still buy them from the likes of Walmart, K-Mart and restaurant supply houses. For water bath canning, I use generic racks that I bought at our local hardware store. (I think Ball makes them.)

Now, if you want a pressure canner , it is a different story. All the pressures canners that I have seen are aluminum, not magnetic metal. I think I saw a post here within the last year where somebody mentioned finding an induction capable pressure canner, but it was very expensive and hard to locate, and, IIRC, did not have much capacity.

Sugar water on an induction stove's glass cooktop is much less of a problem that it would be with a radiant glass cooktop. Induction cooktops tend to be a lot cooler than radiant ones, and tou could put parchment paper down (something I've done when making sugar syrups).

2, wok cooking

Obviously, a traditional round bottomed wok won't work on an induction cooktop or range. The carbon steel is fine for induction but the mass of the base is too small to work effectively with the induction fields. Many people are perfectly happy with flat bottomed woks, though. If you really want authentic wok cooking, get yourself a turkey fryer in the back yard or work with larger stainless pans on the induction. Or make yourself a tile lined enclosure with a commercial hood system and install a 50k btu burner in your kitchen.

But, if you are happy with using a traditional round bottomed wok on regular gas stoves, then gas will indeed better serve your needs. It is a matter of preference.

3. Durability/Longevity

As has been said before, there isn't uncertainty about the longevity and durability of induction. The uncertainty is about the durability and longevity of the proprietary electronic integrated circuit controller boards that come with many stoves these days. This is not a problem confined to induction stoves. It pretty much plagues every stove that uses the increasingly prevalent circuit boards for oven controllers. There is as much uncertainty for gas stoves as electric and dual fuel ones. In theory, these should be easy to fix, but they often are not so simple. Plus, when one board fails, it can cascade to other boards and the repair can be very expensive.

But, again, that's a problem for a lot of stoves today regardless of whether they are electric, induction, or gas burners. OFten, when we here at GW talk about gas stoves being simpler, and therefore more durable, we are usually talking about the pro-style stoves with minimal electronics or vintage appliances. Those are likely to be more durable and easier to fix, and that is a consideration in choosing a stove.

4. Hard to choose induction?

Not for me. I've been using it off and on for three decades. I have an abstract preference for it.

But, we can't buy an induction stove in the abstract, You have to buy actual stoves. When you start looking at actual stoves that fit your budget, and match your preferences for the way you cook, what you cook, what you cook with, and etc. , you realize that all of them represent trade-offs and compromises.

This may work out in ways that surprise you. Last year, when I had to buy a new stove, I was pretty sure I wanted an induction range. When I did a head-to-head comparison among the several stoves I was considering, I found that a particular all gas stove seemed to be slightly better for me than the induction ranges I was looking at. A slight shift in circumstances and I might well have gone with the induction range. There is an awful lot of YMMV to consider when you start thinking about how you might live with a range.

5. Plug-in induction cooktops for testing out induction

I've had a couple of the portable/plug-in induction units and can tell you that usng them may or may not be a helpful introduction to cooking on induction burners. A decade or so ago, I had the use of a Cooktek unit for a few months. I liked it a lot and was sorry to have to give it back. It's current price of $700, for a base model, single burner unit is steep enough that I haven't bought one for myself. However, a couple of Christmases ago, though, I received a Max Burton 6200, which is one of the units sometimes recommended for testing out induction. It has its uses, but it really has some big limitations and some irritations for me. So, I'll suggest some things for you to consider.

One thing it does very well is demonstrate the rapidity of heat adjustments. Have a pan on a rolling boil and turn it down and the water drops to a simmer in seconds.

But, being a plug in, it is relatively low powered and will not demonstrate the vaunted speed of induction cooking with larger quantities of things like 6 quarts of water for pasta. The plug in units only run at a max of 1800 watts which is the equivalent of the smallest induction burner on a stove top. (Think about putting a 6-quart pot on one of the small burners on your old electric stove.) When folks get excited about "speed-to-boil" with induction, they may be taking about putting that 6-quart pasta pot on burner that runs at 2500 watts and maybe boosts to 3600 or 3700 watts. So bear that in mind when testing out a countertop unit and you won't find induction immediately disappointing.

The Burton unit, like almost all countetop units, only has ten heat settings. The expensive Cooktek had something like 27 stepped settings. Some countertop units only have seven steps. The induction ranges I looked at (GE and Samsung) has 19 or 20 heat settings, but others have only nine or ten. For me, personally, ten steps is too few and too gross for my cooking. For example, with my pressure cooker, I can bring the cooker to the high pressure (15 psi) setting in short order, but the Burton's heat setting "1" is a little too low to hold the proper pressure and the "2" setting is a little too high What I need is a "1.5" setting. Without that interim setting I have to adjust the heat every few minutes. Also, the Burton does not go low enough to hold the "low" (7.5 psi) setting.

Of course, if your vintage 1957 electric range is one of those with the ten push-button heat settings (or one with a stepped dial) this won't seem that different.

I find the countertop/plug in induction units to be much noisier than ranges and cooktops. They make cycling and and pan noises (clickis, hums and whistles) as well as fan noise. (For fan noise, think of an old computer fan, which is pretty much what is going on with the portable units.)

I found both induction units and the stoves and cooktops very easy to clean. Much more so than coil-burner electrics and my former GE dual fuel stove.

The portable units also will give you a chance to experiment with touchpad burner controls and find out if you like working with them or not.

I find the portability is really handy at parties if I want to move some cooking out to a buffet area. For example, I used the Burton unit for a smorgasbord where I had a cast iron pan out for people to cook their own bif lindstrom (which you might think of is a kind of Swedish burger or Salisbury steak). Punch the on button, wait about 30 seconds or so for the pan to heat up, and away you go with cooking your own burger to taste. So, the thing does not go to waste when you get your new stove.

I've heard of numbers of people plonking a portable unit down on top of a cranky and ineffectual old stove and using the portable burner rather than their old coil or radiant burners. I think there were a couple of discussions of this in some threads in the cookware forum at Chowhound if you want to check that out further.

This post was edited by JWVideo on Fri, Oct 4, 13 at 22:02

This is probably a silly question, but when I looked at specs for the ge profile, I see that the width is 31 1/4 and depth is 28 7/8. I have a 30 inch opening now and an appliance installer said a 30 inch range would fit, but this concerns me. Also, will it stick out past the counter or does that include the door handle?
Thanks!

Not a silly question. The stuff can be confusing.

The width of the body of the GE Slide-in (PHS925) is actually the standard 29 7/8 so it slips into a standard stove cut-out with no problem.

The 31 1/4" dimension is for the ceramic glass cooktop. As with most lilde-ins, there is a slight overhang which extends above the counter top, kind of like the brim on a hat. It is easier to see in photos, so have a look at the photos in the thread that I've linked to below.

Pretty much everything will project a bit out past the counters. IIRC, the same thread has some discussions and pictures of of this aspect of the GE slide-in.

Here is a link that might be useful: long ge induction slide-in thread

Thanks for your replies, esp. JWVideo - that must have taken a lot of time! I appreciate the input. We are in the beginnings of thinking about remodeling our 1957 kitchen and the thing I look forward to the most is a really great stove and more counter space. We've moved a lot over the years which means I have plenty of experience with lots of different cheap rental stoves, both electric and gas. I don't have any experience with high end gas stoves (blue star, capital, wolf) or high quality induction which is what we'll probably go for.

I was mainly referring to water bath canning and having two water bath canners with 7 quart jars of fruit (peach/pears) plus a big thing of sugar water going simultanteously and the weight of that. I would like to try pressure canning but haven't yet and I've been canning >10 years so not sure if I'll get to that.

The reality is that we don't wok cook that much but that I'd like the flexibility. We didn't make pizza until we got a pizza stone and now we make it all the time! I tend to go through phases of exploring different methods of cooking and so like flexibility. I wok cooked more on gas stove rentals but I don't think the gas was really that powerful so stir-fries were often just okay. I have a flat bottom and rounded bottom wok pans so I should be sure to actually try them out on both types of stoves before making a decision.

I am a messy cook so from that standpoint induction does appeal. I didn't realize the specific issue related to the circuit breaker panels rather than the induction technology itself. This may end up being an advantage for a gas option such as capital or bluestar if they do not have these technologies.

I appreciated the details about the max burton single burner which is what I was thinking about getting and how it does and does not compare to full range tops and the click buttons. I hate having only 5 heat button options on my current stove. It is way too crude. Glad to hear there are some inductions wth more range options. One of my burners doesn't work either so I'm down to three so a supplemental burner would be nice right now. The 1957 is a 40" with a double-oven and the double-oven is probably the best oven I've used in last 20 years. It's too bad the range top sucks.

Anyway, thanks again for all the details - very appreciated. I know you are right that in the end there is no perfect one solution for everybody but that it depends on how you cook and your personal preferences.

Years ago there were some suggestions by some induction makers re very long sessions of induction cooktop canning using all burners might cause burner overtemp alarms and loss of time with a recommendation that two of four burners be alternated between idle and active on a four hour cycle. This would cut production in half and favor gas in cases of extreme days long canning using all burners.
Don't recall any real world examples of this problem ever showing up.

Based solely on our experience with our single burner electric induction burner during our reno, we were sold on induction. We are converting from gas, though we'll likely leave a gas hook-up in that spot just in case.

We went with Electrolux, the slide-in model. I haven't had the chance to use it yet, but enjoy stopping by the store to play with the easy glide oven shelves.

We like how fast things cook, but really? For me the deciding factor was cleanability. I just hate the upkeep and cleaning of typical range burners... We keep paper towels down on our single burner and just whip them off after cooking. Viola, it's done...

I am still torn between the Electrolux and the GE Profile. I would love to hear what you think of your Electro, Steph. I'm leaning GE but still haven't seen either in person. Hope to this weekend!

I've had the GE Profile slide in induction range for about 5 months now - I LOVE it - One thing to note about the GE - the oven is huge, and has a probe feature (Electrolux may have this too, don't know). I love using the probe - I've roasted leg of lamb, turkey, chickens - perfect every time.
There is also a slow cooker option in the oven which I haven't tried yet, but I'm betting it will be great as well.

As for the induction cooktop - I can't say enough about it - in a good way! Boiling water is lickety split, heat control is even, clean up is a breeze - etc. etc. So happy I went with induction vs. gas.

I am still torn between the Electrolux and the GE Profile. I would love to hear what you think of your Electro, Steph. I'm leaning GE but still haven't seen either in person. Hope to this weekend!

ChristyMcK :

>>>I didn't realize the specific issue related to the circuit breaker panels rather than the induction technology itself.Sorry for the confusion. I was talking about boards with "integrated-circuits" (i.e., microporocessors) not circuit breakers.

The concern is not with the circuit breakers for the electrical lines to the stove, It's with the stove electronics that provide and run the probe controlled baking, the digital displays and clocks, the Sabbath/Shabbat modes, the timers, the oven self-cleaning functions, the digital touchpads and etc.

I have had both and love both! That is why I plan to have both in my next kitchen if possible. I love being able to bang pots and pans around. I love not having to be careful to not break the induction glass top. I love the flame! Something primal maybe. But, I love the ease of cleaning and how fast water boils on induction. I find both methods equally responsive. However, I think gas makes a kitchen look .... like someone actually cooks there. So - a bit of self-centered show-off-ish side of me maybe prefers gas. But, no one said "wow" when they looked at my 36 inch induction cooktop that was top of the line and worked amazingly well, but there were ohhhs and ahhhs with my 8 burner gas set up. I don't smoke, but if I did - I would want gas just for the joy of lighting a cigarette :) We are looking at the new flex induction hobs and then 2 gas hobs and then a wok hob or griddle. This is just exploration and I have no idea how it will work together. It is more likely it will be a 4 burner gas and then a flex induction area. Hopefully - all under the same hood.

This post was edited by nightowlrn on Sat, Oct 5, 13 at 2:37

Well, I lived my whole life with cooking on gas! I tried electric, and burned everything!

For some reason, they are too lazy to bring a gas line up the county hill we now live on, so NO GAS! I thought, OK, propane! Nope! Against county code to bring propane inside.

So I opted for induction and couldn't be happier! It regulates just like gas, but much more efficiently!

I'm on Team Induction! Big time! Color me happy with induction!
Suzi

A huge YAY! I have had my GE for four months. Love the induction top, the slow cook feature in the oven, the warming drawer/keep warm oven/keep warm hob. The only thing I did not like was cooking pancakes/french toast. I used to have a stovetop griddle that spanned two gas burners and missed the convenience. So, I bought a Presto electric griddle for that purpose alone. Problem solved! Like most things in life, compromises are necessary. This one was easy. Oh, and with a new, all electric house, it was radiant glass top, induction, or old fashioned coil. The other choices are not in the same ballpark. Induction is the best.

We just bought an Electrolux induction free standing range, it's only been 2 weeks but I love it so far. It was a floor model (no dents) at Sears for 50% off because it's last year's model or so we were told. Almost all my pots work except for 2 frying pans which I will replace, and in the meantime I'm using my cast iron frying pan (just cooked huevos rancheros for breakfast). We were amazed to see how fast it responds to either lowering or rising the temp, how fast it heats up and how we can use a piece of craft paper underneath as I am a messy cook.

I do use sometimes a small moka pot, a Bialetti but I haven't tried it on the smaller burner. But I have an electric Bialetti moka pot, a Breville espresso maker and a Tassimo.

I have got to remember the craft/parchment paper trick once my induction cooktop is installed!

I LOVED my induction when I was messy cooking. You can cover the whole top with newspaper if you are planning on making a lot of tomato sauce or frying. And, I found a round silicon mat was useful for my peace of mind when I used heavy cast iron http://www.amazon.com/Bakers-Advantage-Silicone-Microwave-Round/dp/B00161613W

Thanks!

I need to add something to my post, I didn't realize that none of my Bialettis work with induction, I need to buy the Bialetti Venus moka pot for induction.
I'm also lemming the Electrolux E:motion wok with trivet :)

Well, yesterday we bought the Electrolux slide in. I had been leaning very heavily towards the GE but the salesperson really likes the Electro and shallow though it may be, I thought it was pretty darn good looking so went with it. However, I am now having a bit of buyer's remorse because i forgot, and he didn't mention, about the gap at the back. I have granite countertops and I guess I will have to have someone come and install a two-inch (or whatever it is) piece behind the range once it's installed? It sounds very expensive and I really wish I didn't have to do this. Does anyone have any other suggestions that may work instead? I wish I could buy a piece of stainless and install that -- has anyone had experience with this?

As for a hood, the sales guy insisted a 440 cfm under cabinet broan would be sufficient since I don't do any deep frying (though I do saute garlic and onions all the time). Since it was $300 less than then 600 cfm, I decided to believe him. Bad decision on my part? Would love to hear if you guys think I should exchange for a more powerful version -- I could upgrade fairly easily, I think. My duct does have one turn, so it will lose some power too, but it has a fairly short trip to the outside.

I also bought the Bosch 800 dlx dw. No remorse about this one and I think I got a decent price. It's the other two I'm worrying about. One final question: the appliance store will do install for extra $$ but the sales guy said I should be able to have an appliance installer do it much cheaper. Has that been everyone's experience? Would love to save if I can!

Thanks again for all your advice and insight.

I have the Broan that runs at 350 with a boost to 450.(Installed after inspection) I was avoiding the MUA issue. Our Broan only has one fan on the left side and my big pasta pot goes on the back right....
I plan to replace mine with a more powerful unit but will keep the old one in case we sell downstream (or maybe just get rid of it and put in a small one if we ever sell)
I have induction as well and found GW after I already ordered the hood.
If I did it over again - I would go with the baffle unit.

Clara, it would help to get responses to your questions, if. You used a separate thread for each issue. Good luck.

JWVideo said "The concern is not with the circuit breakers for the electrical lines to the stove, It's with the stove electronics that provide and run the probe controlled baking, the digital displays and clocks, the Sabbath/Shabbat modes, the timers, the oven self-cleaning functions, the digital touchpads and etc. "

Sorry about the confusion! This is what I meant. I would imagine Capital and Blue Star do not have these types of electronics. Anyway, great thread. -Christy

JWVideo said:

The Burton unit [Max Burton 6200], like almost all countetop units, only has ten heat settings. [...]. For me, personally, ten steps is too few and too gross for my cooking. For example, with my pressure cooker, I can bring the cooker to the high pressure (15 psi) setting in short order, but the Burton's heat setting "1" is a little too low to hold the proper pressure and the "2" setting is a little too high What I need is a "1.5" setting. Without that interim setting I have to adjust the heat every few minutes. Also, the Burton does not go low enough to hold the "low" (7.5 psi) setting.

I don't know if all Max Burton units are the same, and I can't remember now which model number I have, but if it's like mine, I just bring the pressure cooker (regular pressure cooker, not a pressure canner) up to temp/pressure on the high setting (power 10) and then switch it to temperature (250F seems to do the trick). For the low 7.5 psi setting you might be able to find some other hold temperature to make it work too, I haven't tried it.

Good luck,
-- Paulo.

I used the Cosi burner. It had a slow cook setting but a bit more costly than some.

Just tried Paulo's suggestion for using the "temp" settings on my Max Burton and, by golly, using the 250F setting did hold my pressure cooker at 15 psi. (Actually, a tiny skoonch above the second ring, but otherwise steady for five minutes.) It seemed like maybe the 210F "temp" setting might hold the 7.5 psi pressure, but haven't had time to test it for any length of time.

Anyhow, it seems that the MB's temp settings may give one the ability to make the equivalent of half step adjustments between the whole-numbered power settings.

Thanks, Paulo.

For clarabelled,

I think the Electrolux you bought offers .2 power increments in the low end of the heating range (between "Lo" and "2.8").

On hoods, that 440 cfm hood will work. A general rule of thumb for electric stoves is the minimum hood draw you want will be 100 CFM for every linear foot of cooking surface. For a 30" stove like your Elux slide-in, the minimum would be 250 CFM and you are above that.

Do have somebody check to be sure your won't need make-up air. Even a 440 CFM hood can backdraft a fireplace chimney or a gas water heater in a very tight house. (Don't be unduly alarmed, though. "Can" means it is possible, not that it necessarily will be happening.)

This post was edited by JWVideo on Sun, Oct 13, 13 at 18:03

What is the Cosi burner, may I ask?

Cosi is the brand name of my portable induction burner. I liked being able to set a temperature or a setting. I don't know if any of the regular induction cooktops or ranges offer this feature.

I think you are correct about there being no "temperature" option for induction cooktops and induction ranges. I know that none of the currently available ranges (that is, those available here in North America) offer this way of setting the burners. I've never seen it mentioned for any of the cooktop units discussed here nor seen it in any of the feature lists at vendor sites.

I got that, a2, just couldn't find an example. LOL.
Rummaging around for temp settings, found this.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cooktek