I've had an induction cooktop for almost four years. I love, love, love it. I wouldn't cook on anything else. Had a gas one before. Induction is instant (like gas) and twice as efficient as gas. And, a cinch to keep clean. Nothing burns on it. Plus, it's easier to control the heat on it than any gas or electric cooktop. I can melt chocolate on it. Don't need a double boiler. The heat can be so low (not possible with gas or electric) that eggs don't curdle in a custard sauce. Mine also has individual timers on each "burner" (it's a European brand). No more burned vegetables or overcooked asparagus. I just set the timer and go on to prepping or cooking something else. And, it makes perfect boiled eggs. Heat up the eggs in water to boiling on No. 11 heat, turn down to No. 4, set the timer for 4 minutes and voila! perfect medium boiled eggs. But the ease in cleaning makes getting it a no-brainer, that is, if you don't like taking apart an electric coil or gas range to clean it. In a few years I predict induction will be the major source of cooking. Prices are already coming down to compare to some higher-priced gas cooktops. Once you cook on one, you'll never look back.

It is such a relief to finally get through all the info and get decisions made, isn't it? I want to second what hvtech said and invite you to post back after you've used the range. Your post led me to some additional reflections. First, can you ask the sales rep if the Samsung Chef Slide-In has only ten power settings for each burner (as the manual indicates) or if it has half-step settings between the numbers as the other Samsung induction ranges do? This is really an appliance-geek question. As you have been happily using the Duxtop portable with its ten power settings -- those induction portables are surprisingly capable, aren't they? --- you likely will find the Samsung very satisfactory if it does turn out to have only 10 power steps as the manual indicates. Some of us think we need or want half-step settings for controlling lower heat cooking and pressure cookers, and so are interested in this question if you can find out for us. Second, I'm puzzled by the salesman's denigration of US made appliances. Sounds like he is painting with the proverbial too-broad brush. My experience is that many of the US-made appliances are high quality, well constructed units. I'm thinking in particular of the GE induction ranges, freestanding and slide-ins. One doesn't have to run down North American made products to choose a Samsung that seems to be a superior product for you. The sales-hyperbole and the comment about surge-protected electronics would make me want to read any fine print documents the store gives you and be sure that all promises are in writing, particularly when it comes to service, support and extended warranties. Third, speaking of extended warranties, I'm one of those who usually shrugs-off the sales pitch for extended warranties. However, with your concerns about the quality of your local power service, it might well be worth looking into extended warranties and maybe doing some comparison shopping on plans. Finally, a combi-steam over is indeed a different kind of kitchen tool. It is not a question of whether you need it, but whether you want it. Combi-steam ovens can do things that regular ovens cannot (and vice versa, of course.) Can you test out a few things on your neighbor's oven? An alternative possibility for you, living in the hot Florida climate, might be a countertop unit like the Cusinart CSO-300 countertop combi-steam/toaster oven. About 10% of the cost of the built-in units, and maybe less need to fire up the Samsung's larger ovens during the hotter times of the year. Just a thought.

actually Claire, I'm going to disagree with LindaC. If you simmer it in broth for a while before going further with it, I think it would be fine. I'd simmer it in some beef broth/stock, fresh garlic and a bit of onion, check after 30-40 minutes, and see how it feels in your mouth. If it feels like it's breaking down start going on with the stroganoff, if not give it some more simmer time. I like to make my stroganoff, off the cuff anyway, and actually start it like I do smothered chops. Browned meat, simmered covered in broth for a while, then removed, make a milk gravy then add the chops (meat) back, cover and simmer until I'm done with the sides..sometimes I have 2 hours, so times I have 40 minutes. Either way it works.

It's very lean, and thus easy to dry out when cooking. I like to use it for making jerky. If you’re trying to go low-carb, you need some snacks that are low-carb, tasty and satisfying. Beef jerky meets those criteria, but buying $4 bags of jerky will bankrupt you. If you have a dehydrator, you can make large quantities of jerky far more economically than buying it. If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can get cooling racks that fit a half-sheet pan, or vertical racks on which you hang the seasoned raw beef strips, which you then place in the oven at its lowest setting for several hours. (You’re drying this, not cooking it.) --Here's a basic recipe for beef jerky that I worked up and find to be quite tasty: Guinness Beef Jerky Marinade (This amount of marinade is sufficient for about 5 to 6 pounds of beef, which I find fill my Nesco dehydrator's eight trays fairly full) 5 to 6 lbs lean beef, sliced thinly--see Note 1 2 bottles (12-14 oz each) Guinness Stout 2 tablespoons kosher salt OR 3 to 4 tablespoons soy sauce--"see Note 2 2 tablespoons garlic powder 2-4 tablespoons hot stuff --see Note 3 optional: liquid smoke, 1 to 2 tbsp In a large bowl pour stout and add salt, whisking to dissolve salt and decarbonate the stout. Add the garlic powder and hot stuff and mix well. Put the beef strips in the marinade by handfuls, swirling around to make sure all surfaces have come in contact with the marinade. Place the beef in a nonreactive container (a stainless stockpot works fine), pour the remaining marinade over the beef, mix well and refrigerate for at least an hour (more is better--overnight is fine). If you have time, mix up the beef strips every so often in the marinade. Place the strips flat on the trays and dry to your desired amount of dryness. I prefer crisp to leathery, but do it however you want. Note 1: Before slicing the beef, trim all extra fat off the surface of the meat. I like to use round roast because it's very lean; whenever possible, slice the strips across the grain. Slicing it with the grain results in a stringy final product. Eye of round costs a little more, but is very lean and also is very easy to slice across the grain, and that yields a less stringy product. Don't use a fatty cut of meat because it won't dry as thoroughly and won't have the storage properties of a leaner cut. (The fat can turn rancid.) Note 2: I have found mushroom flavored soy sauce at an Asian market. It works great in this recipe. Note 3: For the hot stuff, cayenne works well; you have to judge for yourself how hot your particular cayenne pepper is. (Mass market cayenne from brands like McCormick is relatively mild; powdered chili peppers from a Mexican or Indian market will be much hotter.) If you’re unsure, go easy with the hot stuff. You can always sprinkle a little more hot stuff on the finished product if you wish. I have used chipotle powder with good results; 4 tablespoons in this recipe makes a quite hot product, and 2 tbsp makes a pleasantly zingy one. If you want something quite mild, use sweet Hungarian paprika which would make a product not at all hot but would still have a very good flavor. You can also use smoked Spanish paprika (‘pimenton’) which comes in three degrees of hotness (sweet, bittersweet & hot). If you use that, though, or chipotle powder, don’t use any additional smoke flavor. --Don't use a hot sauce that's vinegar based (like Tabasco or Sriracha)--the vinegar taste will be concentrated in the finished product. The finished product can be stored in plastic ziplock bags in the freezer, and can be moved to the fridge when you open one. I find that a quart ziplock bag holds one Nesco tray's worth of dried jerky. Note that this recipe does not contain any curing agents like nitrates or nitrites, so I can't vouch for what would happen if you left this jerky at room temperature for several days. Storing it this way, though, I've never had any of it go bad. That's partly because it tastes so good, a bag never lasts that long once I open one.