If you are worried about Le Creuset on induction, do a search on "Le Creuset + induction" here and you will find several dozen recent discussions of using LeCeuset with induction. Maybe you read something a few years ago about about the weird problem that some of the Viking induction hotplate units had with Le Creuset cookware? Well, you are not looking at hotplates, so do not worry about that. Or maybe, you just need personal reassurance that the magnet test works and that Le Crueset works with induction stoves? Okay. It does. Folks in Europe have been using Le Creuset on induction for half a century. Consider yourself reassured. As for hoods and venting, there are two basic rules of thumb on capacity. For commercial-style and high-btu/premium priced gas stoves --- note that I aid "gas" stoves --- , the generic rule is 1 CFM of venting capacity for every 100 BTU/hr. of burner output. This rule assumes you will often be running 4 or more burners at or close to max power, which may well happen in busy restaurant kitchens but isn't so likely in home kitchens. For everything else, the rule of thumb is 100 CFM per linear foot of cooktop. (So, in theory, that is a 250 cfm hood for an average stove.) Again, for reassurance, you can search on those terms and pull up dozens of discussions that will confirm this for you. That said, the minumum adequate hood capaccity may not be satisfactory and a a greater capacity is usually desireable if you do much cooking on the stove top. A good name for searches for discussions of hood is "kaseki." Tons of helpful posts Again, however, you need to check your local codes and building inspectors. If your local code enforcers say you need a 900 CFM hood or an 18000 CFM hood with a commercial fire-supression make-up-air system for your stove, it does not matter what any of us say. Finding yourself subject to the whims of an unreasonable enforcer is is possible, but it is highly unlikely (unless what you really want is a full blown commercial restaurant stove.) So, you are worried that 600 CFM might not be enough for you? Do you have specialized needs -- are you planning to run four woks, all on the highest heat setting all at once? Or, maybe you plan on running four large cast-iron skillets searing many steaks on the highest heat all at once? Are you are looking to carbonize rather than caramelize on all four burners? Then you have specialized needs and a 600 CFM hood will not be adequate. Otherwise, a 600 CFM venting solution will be fine for an induction stove. What will likely prove more important to you is how you run the ducting from the hood/vent unit to the outside. Fewer bends mean better venting. More bends will diminish the capacity. Also, efficiency will affect how annoying the venting noise will be in the adjoining great room that you mentioned. One advantage of the hoods with greater capacity is that the greater capacity can translate to more venting at lower operating speeds which, in turn, may translate to lower noise levels. Another thing that may affect your choice of hood is how tight your house is sealed and what your local codes/regulators require for make-up air. Installing a very powerful hood in a very tight house can cause backdrafting of CO from the vents for water heaters, furnaces and such. In the US, numbers of local governments have adopted building codes that require make-up air systems when you install vent-hoods with capacities greater than 400 CFM. Check your codes. Folks here often use the abbreviation MUA for "make-up-air." There are numbers of posts here where folks have discussed using lower capacity hoods --- such as 400 CFM over-the-range microwaves-hood combo units -- with powerful ranges. Luv2Putt recently discussed this in several threads (he has a Viking 30" induction range) as has Nunyabiz (who is using an OTR with an NXR open-burner gas stove). Finally, downdraft venting is like the OTR solution: not ideal, but can be workable and may be better than nothing. I recall several recent discussions of downdrafts being workable for induction cooktops on islands in high-ceilinged rooms. Again, more searching will take you to discussion of the ramifications and workability. Also, search on the kitchen forum as well as I believe that there were some helpful discussions there. Maybe you've already tried some searches and did not find much? Sometimes, it just takes a few specific terms or names to help the search along. If you have not already done so, sSearch on names and topics listed above and you will find some useful discussions of the pro-and cons and adequacy of these solutions. Again, lots of discussions of these topics here, so the search engine can be your friend as long as you've got some terms to search on.

Great ideas, I'll go back and search plllog's posts on induction and Le Creuset. We've posted back and forth regarding induction a year or so ago, but not since I acquired my new cast iron enamel pots. In fact, plllog inspired my decision to make the investment in Le Creuset. And I'm pretty sure it was her enthusiasm for induction that prodded me into taking another look after initially rejecting it when the first induction cooktop I saw at EXPO looked clunky and hard to clean with too much trim on it. They are solving those issues quickly so I'm keeping a lookout for the best option now. My unit is Max Burton and I'll check for issues, may still have warranty left.

Thanks, deepwater. That was really interesting. I did e-mail Calphalon and they verified that the tri-ply they sell in the U.S. is not induction ready and said something like, "only our cast iron products will work on an induction cooktop." They said not one word about the product you linked. This is really too bad since I've really liked using my hard anodized pots and pans. They always look good and I'm not a pot scrubbing kind of person plus food cooks really well in them.

I've never had any rust on the rims of my Le Creuset french ovens. I use the bouillbaisse pots the most. In her book "All About Braising" Molly Stevens suggests putting a piece of overlapping parchment paper under the lid and pushed down close to the contents in the pot. I find that tip very useful in keeping the food moist and tender when braising for long periods in the oven. seagrass