I don't know if it's regional either, but we had one (I'm really sorry but DH used it.) However, it didn't come in the emails we receive...it was in a flyer that was enclosed in our newspaper; a paper coupon you cut out. May be a long shot, but I wonder if the HF stores have a stack of newspaper sale flyers in the front of the store. You could call the HF store in Macon to see if they have the flyers with the coupon in the store for folks to use. I hope you can find one!

I've had an induction cooktop for about 7 years now, and they are incredibly safe to use. But not fool proof. And, in my opinion, not for a 94 year old who's been cooking with gas their entire life. Using induction requires some technological savvy, and it's been my experience that most elderly people over 90 do not adapt well to new technological devices. Your mother might be the exception, however. An induction stove might be perfect if your mother was not doing ANY cooking herself, and a caretaker was doing the meal preparation. Simply never show your mom how it works, and she wouldn't be able to figure it out and create any stove-related problems. Or install an electric switch that could turn on or turn off the "juice" to the stove. Once meal time is over, turn the entire unit off at the power source. No problems. That's the scenario we envisioned when we were contemplating building a "granny flat" on our property for my 92 year old mother. However, if your mom is used to cooking with gas and insists on doing her own cooking, then you might have better luck getting a newer, safer gas appliance. A 70s era stove could be repaired, but there's no guarantee it wouldn't continue to have problems. You might have better luck asking your question at Garden Web's Appliance Forum. The link is below. The forum is full of people dealing with all sorts of kitchen appliances. Just explain your situation and state right up front that your mom prefers gas. Also, it definitely is possible to burn yourself and burn food on an induction cooktop. The area around the "burner" stays relatively cool to the touch. But once you remove a hot pan, the residual heat on the "burner" remains. That's why all induction units have a "HOT" warning light that stays on until the "burner" is actually cooled down. If you walk away while something is cooking on a high setting, it will burn just as quickly as on a gas or regular electric stove. If you turn on a "burner" without a pan, it will automatically shut off. But if you've cooked something and forget to remove a pan, it will still keep on cooking just like with gas or regular electric stoves. However, many induction units come with timers that actually shut off the "burner" after the time is reached. But that's an option not every induction unit has. All that to say, induction is great, and I would never want to go back to gas or regular electric. But it has its limitations too. And it definitely takes some getting used to. That's why I don't think most most elderly people could adapt easily to its use. Good luck with this problem. Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Web's Appliance Forum

Do you have a preference on open-burners vs. closed? I would need open, which would leave only Bluestar as my only option (of those 4 listed). Have you been to any stores to physically touch any of those brands? I haven't touch Dacor nor Capital. For me, Bluestar feels more like a work-horse, like my big Weber grill so I don't have to baby it. The Thermador feels "pretty" so I would have to take care of it (higher maintenance). I feel like the Bluestar is an outlier, compared to the other 3. I'm biased. I would get the Bluestar over the other 3. No help w/ hood; I'm still dealing w/ that right now. I'm also Asian and garlic/oil, fish, etc a lot, so I am looking for high CFM. Dealing w/ my copper hood shell issue; but also torn between affordable Proline (w/ not great customer service) vs. a name brand one for more $$$. good luck. Amanda (note: I bought a 36" Miele induction cooktop, after all the research on gas rangetops.)

I just went through a search to replace our W&D. My husband is out of the counry on business so we haven't purchased it yet but we have decided on the SQ 542 and the 4GL (#?) dryer. Our W&D are in the basement so I don't care if it looks old fashioned although our current dryer is probably 36+ years old and came with the house so it might look more modern than that. I decided on SQ due to their build and reputation for reliability. As I read more about some of the other brands, there seemed to be more issues and repairs for the other brands that were earlier than expected and more expensive due to the electronics. Hopefully there is someone that has GE that can tell you their experience.