Induction is a major difference in performance and lack of cleanup problems. Induction heats the pan not the glass surface.

Bosch or Miele are good.

I don't believe induction is going to fit my budget. My primary concern is scratching.

Generally speaking they use similar types of Corning or "Gorilla" Glass. Scratch resistant yes, but they will scratch over time. Induction less so, because of the reduced heat stress on the glass surface. You can get an induction for around $12-1500 today so only a few hundred more than an electric top.

Induction really is superior...it'd be worth the additional expense if you are redoing a kitchen

Cleanup for the electric requires Bon Ami and a 3M green non-scratching pad or for induction a paper towel.

I would only do induction.

I can get a 30" electric cooktop for around 500 USD. Induction at 1200-1500 is out of my budget. If money were no object, I'd love induction but it's not an option at this point.

Trust me when I say I'd rather do without something else than buy another electric cooktop. Have you checked the Sears Outlet? They even have a Whirlpool Gold induction for $665. right now. Sears Outlet

Lorraine,

As you suspect, the tops are all pretty much the same stuff. Induction ranges and cooktops use the same ceramic/glass tops that radiant electric models do. It is usually called "Schott glass" after the primary maker, Schott. It is also called "Ceram" or "Ceran" (the latter being Schott's tradename.)

It is all the same stuff. You can search on the names here and turn up a lot of threads that explain this. Here's an example: http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2279114/how-fragile-is-ceran. 

Whirlpool buys its tops from Schott just like everybody else does. Whirlpool's tops are no better and no worse than anybody else's tops as far as scratching goes. (The guts of the coils and etc. can be a different question.)

A big deal with induction is that you can throw paper or some other covering between the pan and and the cooking surface and avoid scratching when cooking with carbon steel and cast-iron pans. Slidng pans with rough, unfinished bases and/or very salty or sugary spills/boil overs are usually (but not always) what leads to complaints about scratching.

You can get a decent induction cooktop for less than $1200. How much less is a different question. And that is the rub, Even with Presidents' day sales, the price of a full size induction cooktop is still way over your $500 budget in the North American market. The only way around that is, as cpartist suggests, to go with "ding-n-bing" or "outlet" pricing. Lots to recommend for that approach but it is not for everybody.

The cheapest I'm seeing on the Sears outlet is $700. If I were just looking for a new cooktop, I'd just bite the bullet and buy it. However, this is a whole house remodel (foreclosure we've pretty much gutted) and while part of me says "Eh, what's 200 dollars in the grand scheme of things..." 200 extra here, 200 extra there adds up. I'm not giving up, I'll keep checking around. Appliances won't be needed for awhile yet since most of the house is down to the studs right now.

$200 spent on induction over regular electric is something you'll thank yourself for every day.

I have a Bosch glasstop range right now but will be putting an induction range in the house we are currently building. I have no complaints about the Bosch except that it is such a pain to clean the top. Barkeepers Friend, razor blades and lots and lots of elbow grease are required to keep it looking good.

I completely sympathize with how $200 here and $200 there quickly add up with projects like yours and mine. Like cpartist and sjhockeyfan325 have said, there are many benefits to justify the added expense of induction. For us in our warm So. CA climate not heating up the kitchen in summer is a big one. Obviously I can't wait for the ease of clean up!

As you evaluate the choices, I did want to add that induction requires compatible cookware ,. I am needing to buy new pots and pans that are "Induction Ready." If your current cookware attracts a magnet to its base you are set. Mine did not. I picked up a few items when Chef's went out of business and just got some Calphalon today at a discount home store. Cast iron works great but brings you back to the risk of scratching the cooktop.. Best of luck!

@lorraineg570: this is one of the few areas where it's worth spending the 200 extra. If you can't do it right away, better invest in one or two portable induction units (grand total price in the range of 100-120) than sinking 500 in a electric cooktop and spend the money on an induction cooktop later on (while reselling the portable ones). The difference between the two electric modes of heating is so great that IMHO you should do everything you can to avoid electric coils.

You can get induction-ready pans very inexpensively at IKEA.

Induction is more efficient by a long shot than regular electric. Money saved over time will make up some of that difference. And the difference in power responsiveness is night and day. Electric is the worst you can buy in this respect. Induction is the best. Even better than gas. I'd cook on two $100 110v portable induction hobs until I could get an induction unit rather than a free electric cooktop.

Everyone here seems set to have you go induction. If you can't afford one I would look for glass cooktops on ebay. Whirlpool sometimes offers large discounts on old models that only differ slightly from the latest. I wouldn't buy from private individuals there because you would probably lose the warrantee. On the other hand, if someone lists a top of the line model new for a low price I would check them out by rating and ask any questions needed to assure you it is working. If you're satisfied and a gambler (I am) I would go for it. I am going to check ebay now. Also there are many onlne venders that turn up when you google the model you want.

@nerdy: this is because the electric cooktop, either smooth glass or coils, is so inferior in all regards that it makes no sense to put one in a new kitchen. It's simply a bad choice all around if the OP is doing even moderate cooking.

I just went to ebay and must warn you that there are many units that are not full cooktops with control knobs. Many are replacement parts for ranges, not stand alone cooktops. The used units all had obvious surface blemishes. Some seem to be complete but are listed as replacement parts. That scares me. No listings by Whirlpool. One of the replacement units looks very good but I would need to contact the seller to see if it was complete.

>>>"Induction is more efficient by a long shot than regular electric. Money saved over time will make up some of that difference. And the difference in power responsiveness is night and day. "<<<

Well, this comment got me thinking.

I think you are absolutely right on the second point about power responsiveness. Maybe power and responsiveness?

But, efficiency and saving money --- well, that's pretty hard to measure and it may not be worth bothering about for many of us. It probably is not significant except for those of us who live in a very hot climate where the lack of waste heat from induction burners could mean a lighter load on the home A/C costs. Beyond that, though, when it comes to choosing between radiant and induction I don't think we can count on noticeable savings by choosing an induction cooktop over a radiant electric one.

My former employer, U.S. Dept. of Energy, used to estimate induction cooktops being about 10% more efficient than other electric burners. DOE (and most public utilities) figure that the use of "cooking appliances" makes up between 2% and 4% of a home's energy use.
That includes the stove top, the oven, the toaster, the mixer, the food
processor, the range hood, the microwave, etc. etc. (It does not (IIRC)
include fridge, freezers, dishwashers or hotwater heaters.) I haven't seen anything that breaks out a fraction of the 2% to 4% that would be attributable to stove-top usage. Whatever that fraction might be, we would only be talking about 10% of a fraction of 4% if the old DOE efficiency estimates hold up. That's maybe pennies per month if it is even measurable.

It also is worth noting that DOE has started to back off from the notion that induction is inherently much more efficient than other kinds of electric burners for end users like you and me. Last year, as part of its ongoing (and hitherto fruitless) attempts to develop Energy Star ratings for stoves, DOE published research findings that basic coil burners can be as efficient as induction and sometimes slightly more so in steady-state tasks where you have a good match between pan size and burner size. Steady state tasks being ones like bring a big pot of water to boil or maintaining a steady heat (simmer or boil) for an hour.

For anybody with a technical bent, here's a link to the DOE results published in the Federal Register last year: http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2014/11/f19/Conv_Cooking_Products_TP_SNOPR.pdf;

Also, some of the assumptions about induction being more efficient are assumptions that come from speed-to-boil timings where induction stoves are reportedly much quicker at the task than other electric stoves. Consider that induction stoves and cooktops often have big burners that can boost to 3500 watts and more. The big burners on many other electric cooktops and ranges top out at 2500 watts. If we were talking major horsepower differences in a zero-to-sixty drag race, would anybody be surprised when higher horsepower meant faster times? In the DOE tests, they used commercial coil burners with power ratings similar to the the induction burners, something we do not generally do in our homes.
Going back to possible A/C cost savings, I've seen anecdotal reports that those might be significant. I'm recalling, for example, Caroline1, a poster on chowhound, who reported summer savings of $20/month on her electric bill from reduced A/C usage in her Plano, Texas home after switching to mostly induction cooking. I haven't seen any systematic measurements of this subject, however.

We're talking about a $200 difference influencing the OP's choice between the two formats. The efficiency will not be a major consideration for most consumers because $200 wouldn't usually be as determinative as the performance variance.

Power depends on the unit. You can get a standard electric cooktop pretty hot...eventually. The responsiveness difference is the most significant. Side by side you'd notice that first.

Well, unless I'm able to find one at the Sears outlet or someplace similar we're actually talking double the price. The least expensive I've seen at the big box stores is around 1200.00. That's a pretty significant difference, especially when I also need to purchase an oven, microwave, dishwasher, etc. I realize that everyone thinks induction is the way to go for all the reasons stated. That being said, it's simply not an option for everyone financially.

I had to replace a drop in coil range this fall and the price difference for induction was $1000 and I knew that wasn't in my budget. I went with a standard drop in GE glass top range that still cost almost $1200. I cook every day and haven't found it to be to traumatizing to cook on or clean it. I haven't had to do anything more than clean it with a sponge and hot soapy water and then I do use the ceramabryte to polish it up. Nothing more!! It takes just a few minutes.

It's worth looking around as much as you need. Checking for demo/display units and even on CL and ebay. If it were me on a tight budget I would also consider getting a slide-in range so your oven budget is included. And the ultimate money saver...have a friend going to Britain or Germany bring a 30 lb. unit back on the plane as their extra allowed bag. It's about $150 to Fedex one from the UK. Look on PricerunnerUK for the hundreds of models and resulting much lower prices. 50/60 hertz doesn't matter for many. Your insurer may require a licensed electrician do the install.

This $1000 Ikea unit has a 5 year warranty. Ikea Nutid induction hob

$1000 is out of my price range for just a cooktop.

"Budget" and "good enough" are a pretty persuasive combination. Nuf said, I think.

What's your budget for a slide-in? Oven and cooktop in one. That's how you can save.

Buy used electric on Craigslist for now. And buy a portable induction unit to try it out. Using it is what will convince you one way or the other, and in the mean time, you have an extra burner. Keep saving here and there to make up the price difference in a year for whatever new choice you want to have at that time. Or you're happy with your Craigslist special and use the money for a weekend getaway from the remodeling.

Ok, enough is enough. my original post was asking about what type of electric cooktop (NON-induction) was best as far as durability. 99.9% of the posts here are "buy an induction". My response "I can't afford an induction." More posts- "Buy an induction." My response "I can't afford an induction." "

"Give up something else to get an induction"

"Buy a used induction."

"Use a portable induction until you can afford a real induction."

REALLY???? My original question had NOTHING to do with wanting an induction, it was about what type of cooktop was most durable. All I got (except for a few posts, and I thank those folks) were reasons why I should sell my soul if need be to get an induction cooktop. None of them even suggesting it due to the durability.

I'm remodeling an entire home, not just a kitchen. "Just spend the extra money, you'll be glad you did." is NOT an option and there are other things more important to me. I am not going to spend 20,000+ on a new kitchen and cook on portable induction because "it would be better than non-induction", or spend 20,000+ and put a used Craiglist cooktop in it just to have an induction range.

This was my first post here and honestly may be my last as only one or two folks here with ALL these responses actually attempted to answer my original question.

Apparently, I misunderstood what you meant by a "drop-in" range. These are what GE calls a "drop-in:" http://products.geappliances.com/appliance/gea-product-search?Ntt=drop+in+range&x=0&y=0     Do I gather you were looking at this GE "slide-in" induction range? http://products.geappliances.com/appliance/gea-specs/PHS920SFSS    That one certainly was at least $1k over your budget. Not to mention that you didn't like its looks.

But that kind of brings us back to Lorraine's original question: are some maker's Ceran tops more or less likely to scratch than others? I don't think so. Anybody know different?

Schott Ceran is the toughest out there. But it all scratches. Radiant does wear differently than induction.

The bigger issue is the burnt on effluvium, which can be virtually impossible to remove from standard radiant top cookers if well burnt. If there is sugar in the content, like candy making, it can etch the glass.

Induction glass, although the same physical material, doesn't reach the super high temperatures that radiant glass does, and that can cook the overflow to the surface. Now radiant transfer rom the pot itself can cook see overflow to the surface, but not at the same temps hat a red hot glass will do.

So.... even though the MATERIAL is the same on most electric (resistance coil and induction), the type of cooktop influences the overall WEAR and serviceability of the unit because of the differences in surface temp impacting the likelihood of scratches - since the coil based electric cooktop will have a much hotter surface than the induction, and therefore burn crud on easier / harder to clean, may scratch more if there is burned on surgery stuff, with a pan moving on it, etc.

I know this is not the answer the OP wants - but I wanted to thank you because I am putting induction in my new house and have been a little leery about the glass top scratching / keeping clean based on a (long) prior experience with a Ceran top - this explanation makes me feel slightly better / less nervous about keeping the cooktop clean.

lorraineg570-It seems to me that the glass cooktops are about the same in durability. I do not think one brand is more durable than another really. More than likely the decision will come down to your budget and preference. I currently have an Electrolux electric slide in range with a glass cooktop (which I am replacing with a gas BlueStar if the stars will align and it can ever be delivered/installed). I have used this range for about 8 years now and while I have not babied it I have also not been destructive. It has scratches and actually scratched the first month I had it. When I complained about the scratch I was told that it was something to expect and to just suck it up, ha ha! I use a ceran cleaner or a "no scratch" sponge most of the time and I am very careful with my cast iron and heavier pans. I have gotten a few small scratches since the first but not many. My copper pots have left marks but I have been able to clean those off easily. Good luck with your search, please don't get discouraged by the people who favor induction. They are mostly just trying to help but some people get so caught up in their own views that they don't see their advice doesn't fit your budget or isn't what you wanted in the least. I got a bit of that when I chose gas over induction too. Of course I have a large set of copper pots/pans so induction is not going to do me any good regardless of anyone's opinion but that didn't stop people from trying to sway me!

The tops are the same. You'll scratch them if you use a razor blade to repeatedly try and remove the baked on scum that is constantly formed. Use a 3M green no scratch cleaning pad and BonAmi powder cleanser. Induction needs soap and a paper towel because nothing is baked on.

Lorraine,

If you have not given up on this forum as a source of advice and are still reading, I have a thought that will probably not be applicable/useful to you, but on the off-chance that it is useful, I'll chime in.

You have said that 1) budget is very important, 2) the house is down to the studs, and 3) you are looking for a stand-alone cooktop and not a range in which oven and hobs are in one unit.

If you are replacing an existing cooktop, you are limited to models that fit your pre-existing cutout (there is no standard dimension). It sounds like that doesn't apply to you since you said you are down to the studs.

Being down to the studs implies that you will be installing new countertops. As you figure your budget, remember that if you use a standalone cooktop you must buy the counter and then pay to have the cutout made. We assessed this option and found that for the Caesarstone counter we plan to use we would spend over $600 in additional countertop work to have a cooktop + oven instead of a range. We opted to have a range for several reasons, and the budget was one of the big ones.

I'm guessing you've already thought about this additional cost of cooktops, but mention it in case you hadn't considered it.

Good luck, and please don't give up on these forums. I started planning our new kitchen as a naive remodeler and I've found great advice and help on these forums.

Amy

Lorraine, I do understand about budget. I am building a whole new house and if you think a reno eats up the budget with just one $200 item here and another $150 item there, try a whole house build. :) (It's a good thing we were sitting down with our glass of wine when we first got the pricing to build.)

Having said that, right now in my condo I have an electric cooktop. When deciding on my new build, I had the choice of bringing gas into the house, or going electric/induction. I chose induction. Yes it's a heck of a lot more than what I would spend on a gas cooktop, but it far outweighs the benefits of both gas and electric which is why so many are so passionate about the issue.

Best of luck and maybe as you get closer to having to purchase your appliances you'll find a $200-$300 savings somewhere else that will allow you to purchase an induction at one of the outlet stores.

If not, get an inexpensive electric that is rated well for now. The glass tops are all pretty much the same. Then when your finances recover from the reno in a few years, you'll be able to replace the electric with an induction if you decide that's what you want.

Thanks so much to all who responded to my last post. I do realize that induction would be the best choice for endurance as well as performance. If I run across one at an amazing price, that's what I'll get but I'm not holding my breath. To be honest, I care less about the responsiveness and performance aspect than I do about being able to keep it clean and attractive. I've cooked on electric at a vacation home and didn't have an issue with it. It's a shame there isn't a melt resistant material (soft like a silicone bake mat) that could be placed between the cooktop and pot to help preserve the cooktop. As far as the economics and it paying off over time, I'm almost 60 so doubting I'd live long enough to see that.

Amy, thanks for pointing that out, I honestly hadn't considered that. I'll check to see what the charge will be for the cutout tomorrow. I am also looking at freestanding models just for the matter of cost but the ones I like without the control panel on the back are pricey as well. I'd prefer separate but not if it's going to run an additional $600 on top of paying more for separate units.

cpartist, I have to say I've got sticker shock the whole way around...lol. If it were simply a matter of a couple hundred dollars, I'd go the induction route but mostly I'm seeing twice the cost, which I simply can't justify. We've been waiting a very long time to do this and what I get will be what I'll have to marry ('til death do us part) unfortunately.

Kathy, if you don't mind my asking, what did you end up with?

Dan1888, thanks. Yeah, that benefit of the induction appeals to me more than the other benefits. I like shiny (unscratched, unblemished) things....hehe.

mhwhetsell, Oh, I WANT an induction, I'm just very conscious of the financial situation and other things need to take priority. Would you mind my asking what brand/model you have now and if you're happy with it in other aspects?

Jannicone, have fun with your new induction!

Sophie, thanks for the detailed explanation. :)

jwvideo, thanks for being a voice of reason.

I was in Lowes today looking at Latitude cabinets and took a few minutes to check out the top material. There does appear to be some lower quality stuff that looks like it'll scratch very easily. Almost if you just look at it wrong. So if you do decide not to go induction you may want to get exact specs. I now think it will matter. China and all for lower priced stuff to make a price point. SCHOTT CERAN® is the real thing.

Dan1888, funny you should mention that. I'm putting latitude cabinets in my new kitchen. I'm just trying to nail down my colors. I want to do two tone but keep it light and airy. Looking at Beach for the light shade as the taupe graining in it matches my hardwood floors. Trying to decide on a medium tone for the other shade. Also trying to decide if two horizontal grain patterns are too much or if I should go with a gloss for one of them.

I'll be sure to check for Schott.

>>>"It's a shame there isn't a melt resistant material (soft like a silicone
bake mat) that could be placed between the cooktop and pot to help
preserve the cooktop."<<<

Well, yeah, there is. Not what you want to hear, but it only works with induction burners. Kaseki has written about that subject here for anybody interested. Here's a link to one of the threads for anybody interested in pursuing it further. http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2296410/kas-use-of-silpat-on-induction-cooktop

However, for the radiant cooktops you are interested in, it may help to remember that they are "radiant" electric. Putting a silicon mat or spacer over a radiant burner would be like putting a umbrella over a solar panel. Defeats the purpose, eh?

>>>" There is a "k" in the left back corner and I think that signifies Corning."<<<

Kind of rings a bell. I had forgotten this but if memory now serves, the "K" is the logo for a French company called "Eurokera" which I believe is a joint venture at least partly owned by Corning and St. Gobain Sekurit. What is coming back to me is that, about 10 or 15 years ago, EuroKera's white cooktops had a bunch of problems with scratching and marring. Not sure if they still make that style any more, and I don't recall seeing anything lately about Eurokera tops being any more scratch prone than Schott. When I tried a quick search, I found stuff posturing about the glass each makes for cellphone/smartphone screens, but nothing recent about stovetops.) Anybody know any more about those tops?

Lorraine, I guess I somewhat answered your question in previous post but I will expand here. I currently have an Electrolux electric slide in range with a glass cooktop (which I am replacing with a gas BlueStar if the stars will align and it can ever be delivered/installed). I have used this range for about 8 years now and while I have not babied it I have also not been destructive. It has scratches and actually scratched the first month I had it. When I complained about the scratch I was told that it was something to expect and to just suck it up, ha ha! I use a ceran cleaner or a "no scratch" sponge most of the time and I am very careful with my cast iron and heavier pans. I have gotten a few small scratches since the first but not many. My copper pots have left marks but I have been able to clean those off easily. I'm replacing for two reasons: 1. I really want gas, not induction. I couldn't afford to have the gas line run when I purchased this range so I went with the nicest electric range I could afford at the time and planned to replace with gas when the time came. 2. The oven died Christmas Day last year so the time had come! This range had to be repaired several times over the 8 years that we owned it but while it was working it was wonderful. I must have gotten a lemon because others have been very pleased with how theirs have held up.

So, the surface choices are versions of pyroceramic glass such as Schott Ceran(r) or historical porcelain-coated steel with exposed coils. The latter will always be lower cost to purchase, and lower cost to repair. (The massively increased component count with induction - a technology I use and love - reduces its reliability and hence has a hidden cost.)

I think it should be easy to keep exposed coil cooktops free of porcelain scratches based on my own experience; the coils are normally higher than the steel. Usually the porcelain surfaces are relatively easy to clean; the guts under the coils not so easy.

For protecting the Ceran used with induction, paper or pads cut from silicone sheet can be used as pan spacers. These not only avoid pan drag scratches, but keep the Ceran cooler and make it easier to remove spills, even under the pans.

Radiant heat surfaces could potentially be protected with pads cut from sheets of ceramic fiber, or certain gaphite fiber mateials (see mscdirect.com and find welding drop cloths) but these would only make sense to use where the pan diameter extended well beyond the radiant coil diameter so that there was no radiant energy blockage by the pads. Such pads might not welcome spills.

So like everything else, there is a trade between appearance (aesthetics), affordability (price), and performance (cleanability). Pick any two.

kas

It's really a *lot* more to get a cooktop and separate ovens - much more than the difference between your electric and induction! Not only is the cooktop + oven typically much more than a range - they really gouge you on the ovens, you have to pay for the square footage of countertop for the cooktop + cutout + cabs to hold the oven and under the cooktop. We did this because we really wanted a 36" induction cooktop (no ranges available in this size in the US sadly... oh to live in Europe??), but I'm pretty sure it added a lot of extra expense. I'm sure you would still come out ahead if you do the induction range vs a radiant electric cooktop/wall oven, although obviously the electric range will help you meet your budget the best. In other news I'm very happy with my Ceran cooktop - really no scratching issues so far despite using lots of cast iron directly on it. I've thought I have scratched it a couple of times (they *felt* like scratches to touch) but the ceramabryte rubbed them right out.

This is what I ended up with as my contractor was pushing me to make a decision. The cooktop was 548.xx so together I ended up paying at 1347.xx total after a 10% discount for opening a charge. Schott glass on the cooktop. They did have an apartment size induction for 600.xx. The freestanding range I liked was 1300.00 (no backsplash) so I'm happy with what I got. The oven/microwave combos started at 2200.00. Aside from the price, I'd rather have separate units so I don't need to replace both if one dies. Whirlpool doesn't make a "built-in" microwave and the trim kits look awful so the search continues for that. Did I mention that I despise shopping? Even for clothes, etc., I'm just not a shopper.....*sigh*.