Right now the Bosch 800 cooktop I purchased (holding off on delivery) has 5 burners and is 36".

I don't really have a specific Wolf rangetop that I'm considering but if I had to choose I would say: Wolf SRT366 36" Gas with 6 Sealed Burners. Looks like it is about $3,600.

ETA: I would need it to have an LP conversion.

That's a nice cooktop. I have the Wolf 5 burner and the prices was comprable to Thermador and Bosch.

Those front knobs make me nervous with little kids.

I have 3 kids (9, 8 and 3) and I don't see them touching the knobs. I just like the way the knobs look on the front! And I feel like I'm being silly to consider spending that much to get that look.

The real question "I" would have if it were me is IF I can afford it.. not whether I wanted to.. whether I could.. would I regret NOT getting it?

What is it about that model you like that the other does not offer?

For me, and I have not started the house yet (don't get me started on that one.. lol).. but when I get to order my stove, I wanted one I feel will make me feel like, when I get up in the mornings, was something I would just really look forward to cooking on. I know me.. I can afford it.. barely.. lol.. and I would always go "if I had just done it..."

So.. yea, it is worth every single penny.

When you are waiting for it to go in and the installers to get the hell out of the way so you can get to cooking vs, getting it installed so you just have the ability to cook... the difference is there.

All perfectly right Plllog. My range choices were very different, yours do not seem to be that different to "us". If you just have to have to have to have it.. then 3k may be worth it. But, in the end it all comes down to which is worth more or less and which can you live with or without, but without regrets.

Russ

How far along are you on your cabinets? You have to consider that the Wolf cooktop is going to alter your design.

If you can truly afford the Wolf, then go for the Wolf if it's what will truly make you happy.

However, if as someone alluded to, it will take away from something else, then no, it's not worth it.

Personally, if it were a choice of say doing something wonderful with my kids or getting the Wolf, I'd go with the kids.

In fact when my kids were little, we did just that. I lived with a kitchen that was right out of the 70's with cabinets from the early 60's (this was in the mid 90's) and just basic new appliances, but when we got a few extra dollars one year, we decided that it was more important to take our then 4 year old and 8 year old to Disneyworld for a vacation. My kids are now 27 and 23 and they still remember the great time we had, and I for one don't regret for a second that I never got a new kitchen in that house.

Now that the kids are out on their own, I have time and money to create my dream kitchen. :) If I had the money for both back then, I would have definitely done both, but we didn't.

I agree with Russ's last comment. You say you love the look of the Wolf range top. What is $3000.00 more to a project that is already running 6 figures? I would get the Wolf range top. Especially if you plan on staying at this home which I assume you are because of the money you are spending to remodel. You may regret it later. If you think that will happen, go for the Wolf range top.

Get the rangetop. Keep in mind that a cooktop needs a specific cut-out in your countertop. If you need to replace that cooktop some years from now, it is unlikely you will be able to find a cooktop that fits that exact cut-out. A rangetop on the other hand, like the Wolf you linked, is just dropped down into the 36" opening between the cabinets, so no specific cut-out is needed. No problems with replacing it with another 36" rangetop of any brand in the future. For that reason, I would choose the rangetop.

In addition, I much prefer a rangetop's knob placement along the front. For the person worrying about the kids - teach your kids not to fool with the knobs. Note that a cooktop's knobs top-surface location means that the cook's hands must go close to the hot splattering pots and pans every time she wants to adjust the flame. To me, that is a risk I don't want to deal with, and is another reason to prefer a rangetop.

I think it is helpful to see pics.

The Bosch 800 series 36" cooktop:

The Wolf 36" rangetop:

Instead of the wolf - how about a less expensive, same dimension range top that you can swap out later? I agree to the differences between controls on top vs. controls on the face. Game changer. Also, you will save 3 sf of counter top material cost if that helps with the decision.

Don't forget the exhaust hood. I didn't see an exhaust hood mentioned in your list of appliances in your OP.

I have a 36" Kitchen Aid range top that cost around $2200 and I am very happy with it. The reviews are good as well.

Thank you everyone for your comments. I am leaning towards the Wolf (but maybe the one with the 4 burners and griddle - we cook on our electric plug in griddle quite a bit for breakfast). Everytime I turn around there is another cost added to this project that was "just a little" more than I was expecting, which I'm sure you can all relate to.

I just feel that I will regret not getting exactly what I wanted when it's all said and done.. and with floors and kitchen being right at 6 figures, what is another $3K, right? :)

Friedajune - you mentioned range hood... I planned to order a 600CFM Vent-A-Hood insert and blower but I guess if I do the range I then need a minimum of 900CFM? I looked at Florida building codes and it appears you can have under 800CFM with no other direct venting appliance in the air conditioned space (no clue what appliances they refer to) without having makeup air. If I'm not pulling permits for the kitchen and I don't intend to sell the house anytime soon (my youngest is 3 and our plan would be to be in this home until all kids are out of the house), would I be okay without makeup air? Can I open our triple sliders by the kitchen? I've tried to really understand the makeup air issue, but it's still something I'm not 100% on.

Also - where would I find the best price on a Wolf rangetop to be delivered to Florida? It seems as though many online dealers aren't able to ship out of their area.

I'm confused by make up air, too. I don't understand what the tipping point is regarding when you need to worry about it.

Anyway, after 3 years, with as much as I cook, I think we'll be OK.

I don't have a flame thrower cooktop nor a vent hood that can suck white off of rice ;-)

If it is about getting "the look" then you are the only one who can decide that. Wolf has pretty fixed pricing unless you can find a floor model which might be a possibility because they recently raised the BTUs. One of the best things about the pro style range tops is the increased space front to back.

If you were looking for cooking capabilities, I would consider some other brands as well. Consider capped vs uncapped burners, open vs sealed burner trays, BTUs high and low and shape of burners.

Erica - really think about the griddle. That was the turning point for me,. When you talk about all the things you can cook, anyone can have burners.. but not having to get out, clean, put away, take counter space... etc for a griddle.. opens up the possibilities.

GL and get a picture of it for us when you get whatever you get!:)

Russ

Erica L - regarding your question about the best price for a Wolf rangetop: Wolf/Subzero sells its appliances under "UMRP" (Unilateral Manufacturer's Retail Price). That means that they do not allow their retailers to discount below Wolf/Subzero's dictated price. The only way you will get a price that is different from one seller to another is if the Wolf appliance is a floor sample or used. Or, if you bundle it as part of an entire Wolf/Subzero package, but then you are paying way more in total than the appliance choices you listed in your OP.

Because there is no discount pricing available for Wolf/Subzero, people sometimes get non-cash discounts from their Wolf retailer in the form of free delivery and installation, or extended warranty, or a disposal thrown in which is worth a few hundred.

If you want to buy your Wolf appliance online rather than at your local Wolf retailer, you should phone the online seller - often the website says they cannot sell beyond a certain region, but if you phone them, they can take your order over the phone and ship it to you. Given that the price on the Wolf appliance will be no different than your local retailer, other than sales tax, I am not sure it's worth foregoing the local customer service to buy it online.

I'm sorry, but did you answer the question about whether your kitchen design is locked in at this point? Are the cabinets made/being made?

My cooktop's counter space was designed specifically for the dimensions of the Wolf, and it allowed me to have 2 real drawers right under (followed by 2 deep pot drawers) the cooktop.

My cooktop section would have had to be redone if I made the change you're considering.

I wonder if you can change since you mentioned that your kitchen design is done.

That might be another expense to keep in mind.

You guys are awesome! I truly appreciate your help. I have decided that the Wolf with griddle is the way to go (Russ you made excellent points about the griddle!).

I'm the type of person to get the best deal I can on things I purchase, but would like to buy local if the prices are about the same. Saving 7% sales tax would be enticing though if I ordered online.

Thank you guys again... I'll be sure to post pictures once this kitchen is done (anticipated start date of first of January).

My kitchen design is done (that was another nightware and I'm still trying to figure out who is making the cabinets - http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/3427747/terminating-contract-what-would-be-fair-refund-of-deposit), but at this point changing the 36" cooktop to a 36" range doesn't seem like it would be too much hassle. I currently have what looks like a drawer with 2 more drawers under my cooktop. My thought is they would basically take out the top looking drawer?

You should contact your designer or cabinet company to discuss the changes in dimension and weight and gas connection.

http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2551822/drawers-under-range-top-cabinet-guy-says-no

I am definitely not an expert at all, and I might have this wrong. I am just mentioning it so you can check. But I thought that I had read that converting from gas to lp has a negative effect on performance.

This line to a fine cooking article mentions lp conversion lowering btus.

If looks is the important criteria, then that doesn't matter. But I just wanted to flag the possible issue so you can research it if it is important to you.

If performance is your highest priority, I suggest looking into induction. Very responsive, very easy to clean.

Congrats on your decision.

I don't know Florida policy, but here you definitely need permits if you're doing any kind of plumbing (including gas) and electrical work. If you aren't moving anything--sink in same place, cooktop on same gas outlet, you might not need permits. If you're supposed to have permits, get them. Really. If you don't have required permits and you have issues with your contractors, you really limit your recourse.

Re hoods and make-up air, the point is not to suck out all the air in the kitchen. Get the required MUA. That's more important than the looks of the cooking equipment. In Florida, you might want to have that make-up air air conditioned. Talk to your HVAC guy. It might be simple. If you don't need it conditioned, it might just need a vent somewhere.

I think what they mean by other direct venting appliance is something like a gas dryer, furnace or fireplace. The vent hood can pull the air away, preventing the other gas appliance from venting properly up its own flue, and bring carbon monoxide--odorless poison--into your house rather than away from it. It's serious stuff. Don't try to cheat.

Congratulations on getting just want you want!! That is great!! Please post photos when it is complete.

pillog, FL requires pulling permits.

You need to understand the makeup air requirements if you have high CFM exhaust fan. If you mess with that you can end up sucking carbon monoxide into your home from furnace, etc. and that is very dangerous. We ended up not getting a high CFM fan because of the make up air requirements. In ten years I never missed having one because the fan noise drives me nuts and I use it as little as possible.

You need MUA. Anything over 400 CFM is safer with a source for exhaust air replacement. An open window won't do it. You will also need to change your cabinet design. A cooktop takes a different cabinet than a range top. In addition, the utilities may need different locations.

You are required to pull permits as well. Not pulling permits, well, some neighbors live to turn you in and some jurisdictions ride around looking for work trucks in order to stop work and issue fines. Not getting a permit should never ever be an option for a remodel with your scope.

Let me throw out another question here... some addressed that LP doesn't perform as well so would I just be better doing induction? In order to have gas we need to have a tank installed and line run to kitchen (would be doing our pool spa at the same time since it's currently not heated)... so is it really worth all of that for the look of a rangetop and griddle? We do cook a lot at home but nothing too fancy right now (3 young kids and sports don't allow for that!):

Scenarios (and approx prices factoring in applicable rebates):

• Install propane tank (which we would do anyways at some point for pool) and run lines, fill, etc: $1000
• Bosch 800 gas cooktop: $800
• Wolf rangetop: $4000
• Additional cost of hood to 900CFM with Wolf: $400
• Induction cooktops: $1,500-$1,800 (Bosch or Electrolux)
• New pots/pans: $300 (no clue on cost of these!)

Again, those are personal choices. Let me throw this out... here is what I am installing:

Culinarian Stove (48in) $8000

Underground 500 gallon propane tank - $4000 (with fill)

54" Range hood - $2000 (and that is a good but low cost one)

Now, the total of the upgrades we added to the house we are doing that do NOT include the kitchen: maybe $10000

The total of the upgrades going into the house that are directly tied to the kitchen: $45000

It is worth what you feel it is worth. Yes, you are right, if all you want is the look.. maybe not worth it for some.. but a lot of people want the looks and that is okay too. Me, I want the function and so that is where we spent the money.. the function.

Wow... that's going to be one nice kitchen (and house) you have been built! I do want function, but we aren't chefs (my husband my consider himself a Green Egg expert, but that's another story). The appliances in the house now were there when we bought the house 2 years ago and they are crappy, so anything will be an upgrade to us... sigh... decisions... I see another post coming now that I'm second guessing my appliance choices!

I love induction. It is so responsive, heats water to a boil with amazing speed, is the easiest cooking surface ever to clean and doesn't heat up my kitchen. Plus it has some safety advantages, which are nice for me with two kids in the house. For me, these functional advantages far outweigh any form considerations. (Did I mention how easy it is to clean? I'm grateful every single time I clean it that I'm not dealing with a gas range anymore.)

The looks thing is subjective anyway. If you want a substantial looking range top, gas is it. But if you appreciate a sleek cooktop that integrates well into the countertop, induction can do that.

There are a few specific tasks that gas is better for (canning, charring red peppers). Also gas can sometimes be used even if the power is out (not a common occurrence for me and we live in a temperate climate and have a gas grill).

So for some people there are specific functional advantages to gas. And some people prefer the look of gas enough that they don't care about whether the function is better.

I actually paid paid more for induction. I had to upgrade the electrical line to the range and the range I chose was more expensive than the gas range I was considering. I did have to buy new pans (if a magnet sticks to yours, they should work on an induction cooktop). It was worth every extra penny to me and I don't regret it for a minute. But that's me. Maybe you would look at the induction cooktop and think, it's just not what I wanted.

Thanks crl_. Would you mind sharing which brand induction cooktop you have?

Ease of cleaning is definitely high on my priority list... as it is most days I don't sit down at night till after 10.. anything that makes my life easier is better!

I do like clean/sleek lines... but it was something about that Wolf rangetop that just made me want it... maybe it's a status thing (silly!)... maybe because so many Houzz pictures I look at have it...

Heh.. my wife calls it a kitchen with bedrooms for me to rest in when not cooking... but, seriously, the house was pretty much "perfect" the way it was designed. We had to make very few adjustments to the rest of the house. We are adding transom windows above the bedroom doors, nicer fixtures, etc.. but we offset that with taking out things like carpet etc... I hate carpet ;)

Then.. I hate breakfast nooks, so we expanded the kitchen into that area and then pushed the back wall out 5 ft in the kitchen and all that was like 20k. The kitchen is where life happens, imo....so we focused there.

So, again.. I totally get what you are saying. I have spent a couple years on planning this house and we hope to start building in the next month as soon as they free up workers to start ours, so all these questions you are asking, we have all asked and the problem you face, same as us, is this - What makes you happy and is it worth that?

That is the brunt of what you face. Do you have the funds to afford what will make you so happy you can't wait to get it done to use it?

Folks can't wait to get a home built or a remodel done...that is normal.. but the difference so many of us face is "to what extent?" Are you excited? Or... are you so excited because you got exactly what you wanted? I know for a fact that getting a kitchen I can cook in will make me so happy I cannot wait to wake up in the mornings. The thought of it got me cutting up all sorts of vegetables in my OLD house that I was able to make omlets for breakfast for 3 days after I decided to get the stove I wanted. I mean.. I was MO-ti-va-ted as hell to cook again.. heh...because I made the plunge to say "I am not going to skimp this time. This is my 4th home and by God I am going to make it right." and that was liberating.

Don't think about the $3000, if you can truly afford it.. think about it this way. You will be in that house at least 10 years. Divide that $3000 over ten years and is that worth the cost of being happy that you want to clean it and get up and cook on it.. ? heh

I know a lot of folks will have more "sensible" ideas about it... but a forever house needs to be one you want to use and live in forever. Never ever skimp on forever, if you can really afford it. Cost is always a smart thing to consider. Once you know you can afford it, get what makes you smile when you think about it ;)

one last thing.. LP btu loss is not "that" huge an issue... remember, 350 degrees is still 350 degrees and a good stove can compensate. If people could not cook on LP gas, we would see a LOT less of these stoves out there. So, induction is super nice.. probably awesome.. but don't get scared off from propane. I cannot see myself cooking on anything but gas.. it is just me. I asked around about it and losing a little btu.. hell, I am gaining a major stove that can cook 23k btu... more than any gas stove I ever used before... so am I losing anything? not really because the net gains FAR exceeds what may be "lost" with the upgrade to a real stove.

Well Russ, we can afford the extra for the Wolf, but this project to remodel our kitchen and replace downstairs flooring that I (naively) thought would cost $60K is now tipping over $100K. It's was hard enough to justify going past $80K (in my mind) to now keep adding to my cost is tough... especially when there are other rooms in our house I want to redo!

We are cooking on an old GE electric cooktop now... we don't know what "good" is! So between gas and induction, both are a significant upgrade. Both will allow us to cook better than we are now (although time limits us on how much we really get to cook!).

I just wish I wasn't all about appearance and getting caught up in the look of all the Houzz pictures...

oh no.. don't worry about what other kitchens look like. Let me tell ya what.. there are kitchens on here that you thought were before a remodel and were after and yet they each have the flare and charm the person that made them loves.

If you tried to design a kitchen that everyone on here would die for, you'd never have enough money.. lol. I know when I was asking about mine.. people were like "oh lord! don't do the barrier island!" and I was like, "uuhh.. that would be another 10k easy to add more room to the kitchen to move this and that and.. " wait a second...

Look at each item and does it meet your needs, wants, and budget. Do YOU love it, or are you settling for it?

I would love love love wood floors. Can't afford it. I would never ever be able to talk my wife into the stove I want, but I CAN add flooring in a few years myself if need be.

I am not wealthy by any means, but it is easier to factor in the kitchen I want at the start.

Don't you worry about what folks say on here. They have awesome ideas and great advice, but everyone here will oohh and ahhh at your kitchen no matter what you do because you will love it. I have yet to see anyone make a reveal on here that people did not fall over and compliment because, they too recognize that SOMEone, just like you, spent a lot of time trying to do everything everyone thought would be perfect and what they thought too.

Do you like cooking with gas? If so... you will love any of the gas models you have been looking at and, based on the same thing I have.. an electric coil stove.. heh.. the LP loss will seem laughable.

Do you want convection? Do you know how to use it and have the pots to use it? If so.. then by all means, consider that. If it is new and you have zero idea what it entails, then don't be afraid to stick to what you know and like.

Pick the direction your heart tells you, look at the pros and cons and tell the difference between a con that is real yo you and a one that makes no sense.. like the electric coil vs lp gas loss of a powerhouse stove. That is a really good point if you are going from a 10k dollar Nat Gas stove to a $10k dollar LP stove... but a $500 coil electric to a $4000 LP wolf is not a loss in any shape form or fashion you will ever worry about :P

Does not mean to discount convection, but you can't get lost in for forest for the trees here. You know what you need to do to make a choice.. you know what you can afford, so move in that direction and choose a smile or a bigger smile and let's see a reveal;)

Russ

I have a frigidaire induction range. It's far from top of the line, but I have been super happy with how well it works. When we remodeled, we kept our relatively new appliances (we ended up right at 100k between the kitchen and the bathroom and the. . . .). Our house was built in 1926 and has a lot of original features. I got a lot of feedback in the kitchens forum to go for a vintage range. But there was no way I was giving up my induction to go back to gas, most especially because of the ease of cleaning.

I think the truth is either way you are going to have an awesome new kitchen with an awesome new cooktop. You can't lose.

Agreed!

My 2¢ to add to what Russ, crl_ and others said above.

Bosch or Electrolux Induction versus a propane Wolf rangetop cooktop for a family in Florida with three youngish children?

Practical aspects that, for me, would favor a Bosch or Elux induction model: (a) it puts a whole lot less waste heat into the kitchen. About 2/3 of the heat from a gas burner goes around the pot into the room; induction puts most of the energy into the pot. Depending on your heat tolerance, that can be a much bigger deal in hot and steamy Florida than in Montana or coastal Washington.; (b) quick and very easy to clean the induction top; (c) no knobs in front to be bumped or to worry about kids to fiddling with; (d) burner timers (on the Bosch) can be a meal saver in times of distraction in your busy lives; (e) the 36" Bosch can use 40 amp circuit (a standard that won't require an upgrade) although the Elux needs a 50 amp circuit which your kitchen might or might not have already; (f) less to worry about when kids start learning to cook; (g) if you need some new cookware, you can get very functional induction-suitable sets (including non-stick) for less than $200 at places like Costco; (g) tasks like boiling pasta water can be about 25% or more speedier on induction; (h) you can defer the cost of the propane work until you get around to doing your pool heater.

Practical aspects that could favor the Wolf gas rangetop for me would be: (a) is your electrical service problematic? (some posters from Florida have reported their particular neighborhoods are prone to power interruptions, outages, surges and brownouts, etc.); (b) how do you deal with risk? There is some uncertainty about the potential problem rates and repairability of induction units over the long term (have a look at Kaseki's recent discussion of this towards the end of this long thread http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2279178/induction-cooktop-reviews?n=26 ); (c) you really want a stovetop griddle. You can bridge burners with the induction cooktops but the griddle will be hotter directly over the burners unless you go up a model level to the Bosch Benchmark induction cooktop with its semi-zoneless bridging flex zone; (d) you regularly cook with larger diameter pots where even heating is needed all across the base (where the induction cooktop's smaller back burners will create more heat directly above them and make you depend on a pan's material to spread the heat wider. This could be a big deal for sautes and stir fries if you do much of that in 12" inch (or larger) skillets on back burners. It will be mostly unimportant for simmering-type tasks and cooking with not-so-large pans.

Something to research for the built-in griddle on the Wolf: it is only 12 inches wide. That might or might not be wide enough for what you want to do. Also, check into the ease of cleaning. How long does it take to preheat? What do users report for evenness of heating. It can be hard to beat the ease of cleaning, rapid preheat, quick adjustability and eveness of heating with the big, nonstick, aluminium, electric countertop griddles like the Broilking even though you do have to find a place to put those portable units when you are not using them.

One other consideration to emphasize: as others have said above, it is your kitchen. To the extent that looks matter, that is your prerogative and is a valid consideration in making your choices. Much like buying a car, only you can know whether appearance factors are worth it to you in your kitchen.

Considerations on the Range Hood:

You mentioned looking at a 900 CFM Vent-a-Hood. Is that a 900 CFM "equivalent" or the actual CFM rating? Vent-a-Hood markets a "magic lung" design which is supposed to enable them to have lower cfm blowers move air like other brands' higher-capacity blowers. Some vendors may be using the "equivalent" rating rather than the actual CFM.

More important than raw CFM is capture area and design. A canopy that is both a bit wider than the cooktop and deep (front to back) will do a better job than a sleek flat-bottomed unit with a higher CFM rating. A recommendation often made here in past threads about hoods over 36" cooktops and rangetops is having a canopy 42" wide and 24" or 27" deep. That, of course, is the ideal and may or may not be possible with your kitchen design.

Make-up Air (MUA) is both a matter of regulatory law and the laws of physics. Even if you get a hood model with CFM below the regulatory threshold for your locality's code enforceers, your house might still be tight enough to need MUA. As others have said above, don't overlook this design issue.

You may be oversizing your hood but that can have a benefit: it will probably be quieter and more efficient at lower speeds. A 900 CFM at low speed may be moving as much air as a 600 CFM hood at medium speed, and be doing it more quietly.

Ovens

Haven't seen much comment on your Bosch-model ovens, yet. There have been a lot of good reviews and comments here about Electrolux models. You also might try searching on chowhound and egullett if you have not already done so.

CD Fridge: Bosch fridges used to get a lot of knocks before they started subcontracting the fridges from Whirlpool. So bad reviews from more than a couple of years ago are probably not about the current models. If you aren't finding much reviewing of the the Bosch CD models, try researching CD models under the Whirlpool Gold and Kitchenaid brands

Dishwasher:

There used to be Bosch 800 and 800-plus models with the plus models built in German factories. IIRC, the 800-plus models are now 800DLX and are built alongside the other Bosch DWs in the BSH plant in North Carolina. I think there are something like 11 models in the 800 series now. Some of the differences are exterior design -- where the controls are placed, whether they take a cabinet panel --- but there seem to be some differences in interior layouts. Some folks like the interior layouts and some do not. I'd suggest finding some floor models and take some dishware and flatware to see see how well the designs work for you. You might find you prefer one model over another.

It's been mentioned but I'll repeat it. The difference in performance between a natural gas burner and propane is small and usually not noticeable. You should be able to get specs from the Wolf dealer on what the BTUs for each type are for comparison. I suspect they are no more than 5% different, if that much. (Propane stoves have larger gas jets to make up for the difference in BTUs.)

PS: if your house uses a heat pump, consider looking into using that to heat your pool rather than, or along with, propane.

I was about to pull the trigger on a Viking range, then I tried a friends induction cook top. I went induction and saved myself thousands...

I've noticed that most people with induction say they will never go back to gas......

At one point, I was considering the Viking Induction range......until I received a quote that it cost $7500.00. I obviously didn't want it that much. That helped me decide very quick to go to with the Wolf range.

Please temper what folks say about induction with what you know, like, try. Yes, I have seen induction and yes it is pretty darn cool.. but 1 - if you do not have the pots that will work with it, that is a cost as well. and 2 - If you have not tried it, you need to do so before switching. and lastly... if you end up not liking it as much, it is more expensive then, for sure:P

I have used it and while I find it fun as heck.. I prefer GAS.

Not because that is what I cook a lot of.. lol..

I prefer gas because that is how I like to cook. There are, I am sure, just as many out there that would go either way.

Induction is awesome.. and it may be the way to go, but you really need to access whether you are set up for it or not and whether YOU like it or not. Heck, same can be said for gas! lol

Russ

Just saw this and didn't read second half but one major point may have been missed. If you are still planning sealed burners, then LP Might be a serious issue. I know nothing of adjustments that might be available on higher end units. I have a kitchenaid unit with LP and getting appropriate adjustment for LP was/is almost impossible because it is solely based on the size of the center gas jet hole. Surprisingly, not all sizes are made. A fancy plumber may carry a set of micro drill bits to redrill the fittings, but it is a hit and miss issue. Perhaps extra adjustments are provided in each burner gas line to control this problem. Ask Wolf!

Erica, I second induction. We remodeled just to GET induction, and OMG, so worth every dime -- and there were a lot of dimes, sadly. But the Bosch cooktop was not expensive, looks so sleek, and cleans with three swipes. Every day I use it and clean up I thank the heavens we switched. I do believe, honestly, it is "the look" of the future for kitchens. It has just been slow to catch on in the U.S. for reasons I cannot comprehend. Induction is especially nice if you have kids. So safe, and so energy efficient. And you will definitely not need makeup air to vent induction. Our appliance dealer recommended the cheapest Vent-A-Hood, since we were pairing with induction. I will never go back to gas, especially not LP. Do read the many, many raves and factoids here before finalizing your choice. Good luck!

I disagree with the statement that you will definitely not need makeup air. If you plan on serious cooking, you still need sufficient ventilation to clear the effluent, regardless of the heat source. If your house is tight, has other gas appliances, or your area has building codes requiring MUA, this is dangerous advice.

As I understand it, the OP is not on a residential gas line, so I would not imagine she will have any gas appliances? There are generally very firm codes for computing the MUA need -- perhaps some of the experts here can advise further.

MizLizzie - Typicaly when local code requires MUA, the requirement is for when there is an exhaust fan with greater than 300 cfms. The determinant of whether you will need more than 300 cfms is somewhat how powerful your cooktop is, but even more, it is what you and your family cook regularly. If you are, for example, a vegetarian family and doing little frying, you can get away with 300 cfms. If on the other hand you are a family that frequently fries bacon, fish, hamburgers, uses a lot of aromatic spices, and/or stir fries, you will need more like 900 cfms. None of this differs if you are cooking these things with gas or induction. You need the appropriate exhaust to pull out cooking odors, smoke and grease from your home, induction or not.

If you need high cfms to exhaust the type of cooking you do, and have a tight house, you must have MUA, regardless whether local code requires it or not, and regardless if your cooking source is induction. Many people opt for 300 cfms exhaust to avoid having to deal with MUA, but they will not have the sufficient exhaust power for frying fish, bacon and the like.