There was an earlier discussion about Wolf 4-way bridging saying that it is not a true bridge, only 4 round elements linked together in this thread.

Extra power in boost mode for Miele will help you boil water faster which is handy even when cooking small amount of food.

Here's our all Miele kitchen if that helps. I've been very happy with all of them so far.

Relevant to minimum size:

http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2872304/questions-on-bosch-and-wolf-induction-min-pan-sizes

Relevant to bridging:

http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2246536/36-induction-cooktop-with-bridge

kas

On the Wolf - I can place my 4 1/2" butter warmer on any of the 5 hobs and it is recognized. The Bosch did not recognize it on the large hob. Miele was not available to test.

dbabrams is that a 30" convection oven with a combi steam above it? That is the configuration I am considering.

Eric, I was at a Miele showroom recently and they didn't have a 30 or a 36. So it is difficult to test. Is there a kitchen showroom near you, or a Ferguson's that might have one installed?

Thank you all for great info! Wolf's cold spots in the middle is a little bummer. I wouldn't expect this kind of design on 5 way bridge cooktop. The elements suppose to be made by French company Jaeger Hiflux. Their Crescendo model is quite different from what I have ever seen in induction cooktops. Check this out..

http://www.jaeger-sas.com/#!induction-en/cl7w

Anyway since Wolf has no flex in bridge mode then we might take another look into 36" GE Cafe model which was #3 on our list. It has only one no flex bridge mode, but it's much cheaper than Wolf or Miele. That model has many positive reviews including #1 on CR rating (99 out of 100). On both GE & Wolf we like simple, clean interface. GE is better with 17 vs 10 levels on Wolf.

On GE minus side is power sharing (not quite sure how much problem is that in real use) and only 1 year warranty vs 3 year on Wolf.

However much bigger problem on GE Cafe is SS color. My DH says that specific color is clashing with our choice of Silestone Kensho countertop (light gray). I don't see it as bad but we might loose it on that argument.

No question the decision between Miele vs Wolf vs GE Cafe is giving us more headaches than any other appliance.

to kimg1114

4 1/2" is exactly size of stovetop coffee pot we use almost every morning.

also your said "I do find the 4 way bridge fits my griddle much better than a dual bridge area". Would you please explain a little more? It's the size of the griddle you use or rather convenience of multiple choices of griddle placement?

BTW do you find Wolf's non-true bridge mode is posing any issues with griddle cooking?

Maybe we need to re-evaluate non-true bridge mode all together...

Yes, 30" CO under the combi steam.

Eric - my griddle cooking area is ~13X20. I felt the 4 way bridge provided better coverage. It is a steel griddle and conducts heat very well. I have only used it twice for pancakes so don't really have a lot of experience to share. It is something I would only use a few times a year. I still do bacon on my old non induction griddle outside using my side burners. Other than those two items - we don't use a griddle very frequently. The main reason I went with the Wolf was the pot recognition, the direct select of power levels (no tapping + or -), the 4 hobs that were all the same size, the frameless option (a few hundred less than the framed model you are considering), and the price (over Bosch). Once the full surface induction can support more than 4 pans and come way down in price - I would replace my current cooktop - I expect that to be several years down the road.

divotdiva2

Miele newest model is nowhere to be found in LA area, not even in their showroom in Beverly Hills. I called them last month..

Dealers in my area are not quite happy once I tell them Miele. I guess their strict price control is the reason. Same time Miele cooktop situation drives me a little crazy. I can't believe they expect anybody would buy 3k appliance w/o even seeing it. I don't get it...

BTW, I don't think Ferguson's carry Miele, at least in my area..

Eric I'm sorry you are correct, believe Fergusons stopped carrying Miele. maybe a Best Buy/Pacific Sales nearby? We have two here but only one has the Miele, so better to call before you drive to one. The model they have on display is the older one without bridge. I currently have a Kenmore Elite induction, have you also looked at those? Mine is about 10 years old I guess. No issues.

Dbabrams, thanks - your kitchen looks about the size of mine and I am torn between full size CO with CSO or CSO with a smaller 24" SO. I think the CO going to win but hard decision.

I went with the larger one for two reasons, for cooking during the holidays, especially a big turkey, and I was able to get a great deal on floor models and that's what they had.

also, we rarely use a microwave, so I kept one on a lower shelf out of the way for the rare occasion. The CSO is much better for reheating stuff, although it takes much longer, it doesn't dry out things.

yes I'm set on the CSO for sure. I don't cook huge things often but I can't wrap my head around putting a ham or roast inside the smaller oven with it nearly touching the sides. I guess I'm used to having "space" around my roasts. I don't bake as often as I used to either but not to say I wouldn't want to given the capability.

Eric, regarding scratching on the SS trim on the cooktops - mine (Kenmore) was scratch free for a very long time as I took care of it. But then I travel and DH left to his own devices slides pans around, so scratches occur. I'd say get the unit that provides the functions you want/need and worry less about the potential scratches, because they will eventually occur. Call it "patina" :-)