Judy, it's not so much the higher wattage on the medium burners that you need as on the big one. You should be able to use a flat bottomed wok on that and get plenty of power. I understand shy, but they really are there to help you. The Miele showroom in Beverly Hills is an especially friendly space, and considering its location I have to think that that's corporate policy! Hm... above statement was made without thinking through your way of cooking. The wattage on the mediums is important if you have a really big pan that you're transferring from the wok into, so want to wok on one of the smaller burners. If you're not ready to cook something yourself in the showroom, ask for a personal demonstration. Even boiling water should give you a good idea about the heat and responsiveness. Could you work up the courage to make an appointment and go watch the salesman or chef use the unit? Or get a pushy friend to come along and speak for you? It's important for you to be happy with your choices, and one of the best ways to do that is to actually see the appliances in action. Re gas, yes, you can use the wok burner with a grill plate, but there are single sided ones that you can easily use on induction. Also, some of the double sided ones with shallower edges work okay as well, at least on some cooktops. I have always roasted eggplants and peppers on the gas flame to get them charred on the outside and not overcooked on the inside (a distinction which may just show up my lacks as a cook in not being able to do this in an oven). I have a little barbecue grate that's made for the purpose. It's a trick that's not for the faint of cleaning, however. Nolamom, the magnet test is a great way to assess whether the pots you have will work with induction, but if you're buying new it's probably worth your while to get pots that are known to work particularly well. Since I already have a lot of Le Creuset (works great with '60's coils, gas and induction all and I love the enamel), I don't know the specifics. Do a search here and you'll find recommendations. Some steel cookware has different amounts of steel in the sides of the pan and the bottom, so it cooks a little differently than one that's all the same. Some have more steel than others. Etc. Cast iron is pretty much cast iron, though weight and thickness will effect the way a particular pan works in comparison to another. Enamel shouldn't matter (it's an insulator but I haven't heard that it impedes magnetism). I have a little Turkish coffee pot which is stainless but doesn't attract a magnet at all. I can't remember if I tested it on Mr. Induction (all this stuff is packed for demo), but I'm pretty sure it won't work. :) Anyway, what I'm trying to say is if you're buying something new, make sure it will work well rather than just work.

Hi Carecooks, There's lots of ways to do this. I will suggest a couple, but you will need to experiment. Metal pans will be problematic for any mode that incorporates microwaves. They are not expressly forbidden, but I prefer never to use anything that might cause arcing inside the machine. I reserve the use of metal pans for convection baking or broiling only, no mixed mode that includes microwave. I think the first thing to try is combination bake. You will probably get all the browning you want just by using that. Don't worry about preheating, dress and spice your potatoes to your liking and arrange them in a single layer in a rectangular Pyrex baking dish with some olive oil or whatever you use. Set the oven to 375 or 400 degrees in combination bake mode. Put the potatoes in and start the oven and tell it to run for 15 to 20 minutes. But set a timer for 12 minutes (The timers run independently so you can set a memory jogger without impacting the oven cycle.) Check the potatoes at 12 minutes to see how they are doing. Note, we did not preheat. No need. Just toss 'em in and see how they do. At 12 minutes, either take them out if they are done or let them continue as long as necessary to cook. If you want more browning, switch to combination broil or micro broil to finish up. The upper heater will brown the potatoes as brown as you want, lickety-split. You don't need 425 in this oven. Trust me. It will blast those potatoes with the heat it produces. I recommend that you start out with 375 or 400 and observe. If you don't like the results with the combination modes, then next batch switch to just the convection mode and adjust your temps to get optimal cooking with just the browning you like. And remember, if you need more browning at the end, turn on the broiler for just a couple minutes and things will get brown in a big hurry. Use your cook's experience and your good sense until you get a feel for what the thing can do. And don't worry about not knowing it all! These things are a whole new way to cook and it takes time to get used to them. One thing is for sure. You will not be disappointed in the amount of time it takes to cook stuff.

The only thing I'd do differently is to leave them whole when you put them in the oven. I usually wait till they're nearly done, then cut them in half, mash them with a fork to soften them up (you could add butter then, too, but I don't), and then return them to the oven for the last 10 minutes or so. If you cut them in half before baking, they form a "skin" on the cut surface, and the firmer texture makes them more difficult to mash. Sue

I add sour cream (or drained kefir curd) and cream cheese to make freezer mashed potatoes. I think this mixture will last in the freezer longer and not be as "wet" after it is thawed. I normally use Yukon Gold potatoes, since that's what I grow. I'll use the larger potatoes for Twice Baked, and most of the rest of the crop gets used for Freezer Mashed Potatoes and boiled herbed potatoes, which I freeze and then pan fry. It's difficult to keep Yukon Gold potatoes for very long in storage after they are harvested, so I freeze the majority of my small crop. Our son gave us 40-pounds of blue potatoes from his garden and I've been converting them for the freezer, too. I've also been using them to make microwave potato chips ;-). Here's a bit of information about the 6 types of potatoes and how to use them, and why one variety will work better for some applications that other varieties. As plllog pointed out, it's also about what potato you use. http://www.all-about-potatoes.com/types-of-potatoes.html -Grainlady