I don't have induction, instead I have a BS, and the knobs was an issue for me as well. IIRC, Viking made an induction with front facing knobs that seemed pretty intuitive, I don't know if others did as well.

I'm in your situation - moved in Oct to house with electric range and need to have a gas line run. I don't hate the smooth top electric but I do love gas and really miss my Wolf gas cooktop. I've been researching induction and decided it's not for me - the lack of simple knobs was one of several factors. I'll probably use the electric I have until I'm ready to splurge on a gas line. Helpful to hear your perspective as everyone seems to love their induction.

Glad to see I have company. I thought that I was the only one! We use our gas grill a lot now, even in the dead of winter--after we are city folk, and cooking outdoor is still a novelty! So it is really mostly about breakfast. I burned the oatmeal a couple of weeks ago. Never did that on my Blue Star, despite all the power. Well, the one consolation is that we will be putting in an outdoor kitchen, so for four or five months of the year, I expect to use it to do almost all of my cooking out there.

But I really hate all the electronic gizmos. That could be subject of another rant. I hate the sound of the beeps. And sometimes, it doesn't take and I have to press again. With most of my appliance purchases,i try to get as many dials and knobs as possible. So the Blue Star wins the prize as being fully mechanical. Next up is the Miele speed oven--I chose the chef model rather than the master chef because it had two knobs which I can use to make a number of the required selections. Same for the Frigidaire Affinity washer and dryer, where there is a dial to select the cycles and options. Last is the Miele dishwasher--alas, fully electronic but at least my model came with a five-year warranty.

It is hard to believe that there are not more people out there who want the simplicity of knobs and mechanical buttons, which I bet correlates well with longevity. How I long for the good old days before we became a disposable culture.

Sorry for the rant.

The Miele Induction range actually has knobs. Viking also makes cooktops with knobs. One of the reasons I like Gaggenau ovens apart from the side opening door is the knobs for control. Miele does not have an oven anymore that uses knobs. My current Miele oven which is very old has knobs and I love it. I have a Miele induction cooktop and don't mind it without knobs at all. I also have a Miele wok burner that has a knob so I guess I can always use a knob if I want to on the gas wok burner. Many new knobs are not mechanical. Gaggenau also makes cooktops with knobs and their induction cooktop has a puck style knob if you want a cooktop.

Nycbluedevil,

Is it too late to return the Bosch range?

Good luck!

Yes it is too late. Oh well.

Sorry to hear that nycbluedevil!

Putting aside the knob issue, burning oatmeal (rice, whatever) is simply a matter of the learning curve. I have had a Bosch induction cooktop for 2+ years. I burned oatmeal the first couple of times too. Now I know which is the best pot to use, which burner to put it on and the right setting and time. I literally put it on and go back to bed. It goes off by itself and it's perfect every time. I honestly think you need to give it more time.

I had induction in 2010 for a year. I went from electric coil to that. LOVED it. I recall a big learning curve, but all was well after that. Perhaps you will learn to love it, but I do understand about missing gas.

re oatmeal -- Do you have a rice maker or electric pressure cookers? We do oatmeal in our rice cooker. For the rice cooker - we set it up the night before - oats, dried berries, nuts, water and set it to be ready when we wake up on cold mornings. We also have an electric pressure cooker that makes oatmeal as well.

That's another reason I decided induction isn't for me. I actually didn't want to go through the learning curve though I am dealing with that with the electric top - too often have it too hot and with electric it doesn't cool down quickly like gas or induction. I like that gas is a no brainer.

Well, on the issue of quick cool down, I personally think induction is the best choice. Change in temperature seems to be instantaneous.

In digital speak, knobs = a "rotary control interface." :>)

This is a personal preference that others share and have mentioned as I did in this thread from four years ago: http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2339367/does-anyone-here-who-went-induction-regret-your-choice

So, there is no need to apologize for your preferences much less fear the wrath of rabid induction fanboys. (Fortunately, this site is usually pretty civil and we don't have alot of flaming.)

>>>" It is hard to believe that there are not more people out there who want . . .knobs and mechanical buttons . . ."<<<

Well, there are enough of us that there are presently at least nine or ten knob-controlled induction range models currently on offer.

Besides the premium priced Mieles and Vikings that homepro listed, the next price tier down ($4k-$5k) has Dacor, Fisher & Paykel, and Bertazzoni. In the $2500 pricing tier you can find Samung's knob-controlled "Chef Collection" induction slide-in. Frigidaire makes a slide-in with knobs ($1500 to $1700, depending on where, when and from whom you buy it) and several knob-controlled freestanding models including three sold under Sears's Kenmore brand.

FWIW, nobody seems to make rotary knob controllers for ovens on induction ranges.

>>>"the simplicity of knobs and mechanical buttons, which I bet correlates
well with longevity. How I long for the good old days before we became a
disposable culture."<<<

You have a lot of company here on this point.

It represents one of the basic tradeoffs in choosing any stove these days. At least it is if your budget can accomodate premium priced pro-style gas ranges that dispense with digital whatevers. Unfortunately, pretty much everything else these days comes with at least digital oven controls. You want a "Sabbath/Shabat" mode or a self cleaning oven? Your stove will have microprocessor driven control boards for the oven.

This is the "digital trade-off" --- choosing between simple but very limited mechanical systems and feature rich electronic systems. For the extra "digital" capabilities, we get uncertainty about how many of whose boards are durable enough to last for the long haul and whether or not yours will be one of the long lived ones. Add to that the sheer expense of replacing the boards when they do fail.

Against this is the perceived simplicity and (hopefully) low costs of replacing parts in mechanical systems. (This is not a universal truth as some folks with older, supposedly "mechanical" VIking gas ranges and Italian imports have learned to their sorrow --- even OEM sourced parts may be discontinued or impossible to find, and may be very expensive and hard to install.)

Now, many electronics-based stoves may last for a good long time, but a goodly number will fail along the way. For everybody who,like my aunt who still has her 1980s-vintage Kenmore induction range, you can find other folks posting stories of woe about massive board failures on three and four year old induction ranges.

In this regard, I am thinking of Kaseki's recent post here where he suggested that we might want to think about induction stoves as rental goods. If the stove costs you $2k and lasts for five years, consider that you've been renting it for $400 per year. If it last ten years, then you've rented it for $200 per year.

You won't be thinking that way with, say, a mechnically driven BlueStar range.

Of course, none of this means your BlueStar will be hassle free. You may have different problems, particularly if there is some kind of manufacturing or design defect, judging by some of the postings I've seen here over the years.

There seems to be no getting way from choosing a stove being a choice of trade-offs.

>>>The "Burning Question<<<

It seems to me that there always will be something of a learning curve when getting a new stove.

Whether the learning curve is steep and long or easy and brief is as much a matter of personal background and training as it is the stoves. I'm not talking about personal defects, just personal differences and
preferences. That I -- who grew up cooking on electric stoves --- might
find induction super easy does not mean that there's anything wrong
with you because you find the adjustment harder than I did. For those used to gas stoves, it may seem easier ("more intuitive") to work with the visual cues from the flame spread on a gas burner. With electric stoves, you have to take sometimes subtler cues from what is going on in the pan. One person's "intuitive" system can easily be another person's steep learning curve.

All that being said, I personally have both a gas range and an induction cooktop. I strongly prefer making my morning oatmeal on the induction for exactly the same "fire and forget" capabilities explained by sjhockeyfan.

Speaking of learning curves, I've never burned anything on the induction cooktop. After I got my current gas range -- it is my first pro-style range --- there was a bit of learning curve over my previous stove, a dual fuel range. The new stove's bigger burners were just enough different from before that I had three instances when I burned things so badly that I needed oven cleaner and a steel scraper to clean the pots.

>>>"But I really hate all the electronic gizmos. That could be subject of
another rant. I hate the sound of the beeps. And sometimes, it doesn't
take and I have to press again."<<<

Again, you've got company. A lot of stoves these days come with digital whatevers that beep, ding, flash and otherwise. This is to the annoyance of some and to the pleasure of others. That brings me back to saying that every range will be a mix of
engineering compromises and design trade-offs. Getting some features may require putting up with unwanted aspects while dispensing with digital controllers may be a trade-off for giving up features like self-cleaning ovens.

For example, take the burner timers that I believe your Bosch range has (like those on sjhockeyfan's and my induction cooktops.) This kind of feature will appeal to many but be totally useless to others. There is more of it coming as indicated by GE's latest cooktops and the latest
iterations of the controllers for its induction ranges. They have bluetooth
and wi-fif connectivity to allow burner timer and temp control from smart phones.

That sort of thing can be a factor, maybe, in somebody choosing an induction stove over a pro-style gas range with minimal electronics. Or vice versa.

Digital burner control is
not easy to do with gas ranges, but it is possible. Remember last year's "Meld Project?" The folks were trying to manufacture and sell a Bluetooth-enabled digital-gas-knob controller. Basically, a wireless, pot-mounted temperature probe sent readings to a receiver in the burner knob which directed motors to rotate the knob to maintain a chosen temperature, all programmed and run from a smart phone app. With Kickstarter
funding and media and blog coverage, the developers and testers had a lot of fun but ran out of money
before products could be developed sufficiently for sale to customers.

Some of us seeing that will say, "I want that." Others of us will say "its one more &()##*^% layer of technology that will screw up and be either unrepairable or too expensive to replace, so I don't want to mess with it."

"But I really hate all the electronic gizmos. That could be subject of
another rant. I hate the sound of the beeps..."

OT --- I totally get that. The hubby recently bought a new car and practically every control is on a touch screen interface, even the seat heaters. There is a dearth of knobs and dials. It's a computer on wheels, that takes him places. Seems to be the wave of the future, whether it is appliances, cars, whatever.

For the OP - we have an induction cooktop which is different from a range. I'm not sure I would like the digital controls on a range, either, but with our cooktop the transition from knobs was very easy. We chose our cooktop based on 1.) the layout of the controls, 2.) location of largest hob, and have been very pleased with it.

I, too, hated the beeps on most induction ranges such as the Bosch! I felt punished by them every time I did anything on the range! Fortunately I tested it first in the showroom. The tones are the reason I didn't buy the Bosch.

I bought the Wolf induction range instead, which allows for the response tone volume to adjusted up or down. I have mine on the lowest, barely audible setting. It was only after hearing it first that I made the purchase! The downside is that the oven timer is also barely audible; but that is far better than the alternative!

But I want knobs for another reason; being in control of the cooktop! My touch controls are so sensitive to moisture that I frequently polish, rub (like Aladdin), coax, and try other fingers just to get it to come on. Any water on the controls will negate operation--and ellicit beeps! I wish there was an induction cooktop with controls in front like a range top, but it doesn't exist. Cooktops with knobs are usually lined up along the top right side instead of being down off the cooktop proper. Does anyone know if the portable knob versions by Gaggenau and Samsung address these issues?

Wolf induction touch controls are on the right side, exactly next to a small but important work counter, which results in constant interference if anything comes near it!

remodelingsmiths2 -- Bluestar has knobs, and Rachiele sinks sells one where the controls are remote. My thought is that remote controls would eliminate the water and spill issues. Not sure why this hasn't been done.

Looking for pros and cons on knobs vs buttons on induction slide in ranges. However, the comments here seem old because there is such a wide variety of ranges now with both knobs and buttons. I love my small unit that has buttons. Con about it that if you touch that area it changes the settings. (You can lock them.) Pro, cleaning is easy because it's all a flat surface.