All induction cooktops make more noise than their radiant counterparts. They use a lot of fans throughout the unit to cool off the magnetic coils and keep the electronics within from overheating. This is where the noise comes from. Some do a better job of concealing this noise than others. It will also depend on the cabinetry you have installed, and what is within those cabinets. I can tell you I have a working Wolf 36" induction cooktop in our showroom right now as well as a Viking, both are the most expensive units on the market. The Wolf is very quiet, in fact the most quiet induction top I've heard yet. The Viking, however, is extremely noisy. This is due to the type of fan they use and where they have placed it (right up front, close to the user).

I think people in general, no matter what brand they buy, are surprised at the sound induction cooktops make. But they all make a little bit of noise. Once you're cooking though, I doubt any of them would make enough noise to bother you. By then your food is making far more noise than your cooktop could ever make.

Hope that helps!

Anthony
Appliance Buyer's Guide

Anthony,

That is helpful. I have been concerned because of some posts here where people have reported unusually loud noise with the Wolf (all seem to be recent installs). It is my understanding that Wolf had to change a supplier for some part and I wondered if the new supplier's part was causing a problem. How old is the cooktop in your showroom? I am debating between Wolf and Miele; I need to use a downdraft and think it might be simpler to go with Wolf in that case (I also plan to get Wolf ovens in any event). Thanks for any help. My other possibility is doing Wolf gas (again with the downdraft). If you have any thoughts as a salesperson, that would be great.

I have a 30" Wolf Induction and I hate to say it does make a humming sound when you are using it. I was shocked to hear it since I had never read anything about it. I spoke to my kitchen designer who had not heard anything about a humming noise. He had been to a demonstration, which Wolf sponsors, but with the hood fan on and with the chef speaking there would be no way you would hear it. I love how it cooks and how easy it is to clean but the noise does bother me. Not sure if I would go back to gas or not but I think I would lean toward it.

I don't have a Wolf, but I suspect the humming sound may be vibration in the pan on the element being used.

If my guess is right, then changing the kind of pan you're using to something heavier may reduce this sound.

sand16,
How long have you had your induction cooktop? You are the first person I have seen who would go back to gas. I have been stuck with electric for 17 years after having only gas stoves, and was all set to go with gas until I learned about induction. Thanks for the insight.

@amg88

My induction in the showroom is about 8 months old. I've sold many of them, along with many Miele's as well. I don't get to sell many Vikings because they priced theirs a little too high. I haven't heard complaints from any of my customers yet, and my customers tend to call me first if they have issues. The type of pan you use will change the noise level as well due to the subtle vibration induction causes. I have used Viking cookware and Woll cookware in customer demos and the Viking is bit more noisy for some reason. I have no idea the science behind it. I almost always demo the units for people before they buy them too, so they are able to hear the noise and wont be surprised by it.

Many other showrooms don't have them live and instead just display them. This may be why a lot of people are surprised when they bring it home. I guess it just depends on how much something like that will bother you. They are all going to make some noise, and I know I've seen some comments on the Wolf on here, but people who spend 3k+ on a Wolf induction cooktop and don't know about the noise induction makes usually get more upset that someone who buys a GE. It's just the nature of the business.

As far as the newer ones creating more noise than the older ones, I haven't heard this as of yet, so I can't comment on it. It is certainly possible, but I have no direct experience with that issue.

Anthony
Appliance Buyer's Guide

Anthony,

Thanks so much for your very helpful information. Do you have a particular preference between the Miele and the Wolf induction or do customers seem happier with one? Is the noise level different in your experience between the two? Finally, have many of your customers used the Miele with a downdraft? Thanks again for your time. I don't think a little noise will bother me.

Regards,
amg

@amg88

I would say we sell about the same numbers of Wolf and Miele induction. The Miele is cheaper, around $800 dollars cheaper, which is a big gap. If the price gap wasn't so big, I would imagine we would sell more Wolf than Miele, American customer in general are still getting used to Miele and Wolf is a brand that is well marketed and well liked in the U.S. right now.

I know from experience though that both companies build truly solid products and both have pretty good records as far as customer service goes.

Noise level between the two is the same. Both make quite a bit of noise when in "high power" mode. This is all from the fans that need to spin up to max to keep the electronic boards cool when in this mode. Most customers use hoods, once in a while I will get a dedicated downdraft customer. More things to go wrong on the downdraft, but they are pretty. Hood just functions better, and Miele also has a beautiful line-up of hoods.

Anthony
Appliance Buyer's Guide

Thanks Anthony. I am really stuck with a downdraft because the cooktop is a retrofit into an existing island and there are serious construction/expense issues which basically make a hood impossible, much as I would like one. I am pleased that both cooktops seem to work well for your customers so hopefully either one will be a good choice. Do you think a downdraft would be better with the Wolf since Wolf makes downdrafts or no different from Miele with a downdraft? Also, where is your showroom located?

I have a Miele 36 inch induction cooktop, and have been using it for a few months now. The cookware absolutely makes a difference when it comes to noise level. I have some cheap Ronco cookware, with a disc on the bottom, and it makes a lot of noise. If you put your hand on the handle of the pot, you can feel it vibrating. I also have some new Tramontina triply, arrived last week, and it's nearly silent. No disk of metal on the bottom to vibrate. My cast iron is also quiet. I can still hear a faint hum if it's on "boost", but it's not annoying or bothersome to me, even when I'm using the cheap cookware. So far, I love cooking on the Miele. The ONLY thing that annoys me at all is the touch pad response--and I have a sneaking suspicion that it's more a user thing than the Miele, because my kids can do it without a problem. :-p Clean up is so easy, if it's greasy and cruddy, just wipe it down with a soapy dishtowel and follow with a microfiber polish--shiny and clean. I'm sure the Wolf would be equally easy, and it's a very nice unit. For my own use, I liked the burner configuration on the Miele--and I love the timers on the hobs as well.

Cj

I have had my Wolf induction for a year. Here is another observation regarding the induction versus gas.The house we are in has a very small kitchen and it does not heat up the kitchen. We have another property where we also have a small kitchen with a 24" Viking gas range. It really heats up the kitchen quickly. The noise you hear is annoying to me but I think I am quite sensitive to noise. If you plan on having and using a hood fan you will not hear it at all. Also, I have not heard the noise when I am using a cast iron pot. I only hear it when I am using an All Clad pan.

Downdrafts seem to be equal IMO, I would just go with whatever brand you end up buying for the induction cooktop. The only difference between the two brands is the Wolf burners have 4 smaller induction coils in a square config on each of their burners, instead of the usual one big coil in the center. What that does is evenly heat up the pan so you don't get a hot spot in the center, which can happen when you turn induction up to higher settings. It's also a prettier cooktop than the Miele and the controls are a bit easier to get used to. But are those features worth $800 more? That's for each person to decide.

My showroom is in Fort Lauderdale, FL. If you happen to live near there send me an email and we will hook up.

All the best,

Anthony
Appliance Buyer's Guide

Thanks to everyone for all the comments; they have been very helpful (and I certainly welcome any others to come). Anthony, unfortunately I am in Georgia. I hoped maybe you were in Atlanta as I am not too far from there. I appreciate the added info re the Wolf coils since I don't know much about the actual mechanics under the induction cooktops.