I have the 30" KA induction unit. It was not my first choice (wanted the GE Profile), but I was limited by the cut out in my granite and I also needed the beveled edge because I have a pop up downdraft. Now, that being said, I LOVE induction! I have only had the unit since Dec. so I can't speak to reliability. Best Features: What everyone talks about, speed and control. You truly can melt chocolate without a double boiler. It's a much better slow cooker than my new crock pot. I can get a pot boiling for pasta in no time. It's extremely easy to clean. I put down paper towels when I'm frying. Issues: I'm not crazy about the layout of the burners. The two 7" burners are together, front to back. If I have a flared frying pan on one, it's crowded to put a pot on the other 7". I can power boost only one burner at a time and if I'm using the 11" burner, I can't power any other. What I wish: I wish I had planned for induction 3 years ago when we built. I think I would have gotten a 36" with more versatile burners. I bought induction after using electric for years! I'd NEVER go back to electric. I even love the stainless steel cookware. It's so easy to clean. I hope this helps with your decision. Whistle

The high and low burners on those gas ranges are exactly what you need to look at for stir fry and soups. More heat good for stir fry. Low simmer good for well, simmering. Induction definitely uses more electricity than gas! But it may not use much more than your current electric, since it's an older model. (For those in cheap energy locales, in parts of CA, the price of electricity jumps dramatically once you pass a certain threshold.) If you use air conditioning much, induction might balance out--it'll heat up the kitchen much less. But it's impossible to know for sure. If there are only 2 of you, I'd recommend the DD. You'll rarely need to use the bottom one. Save water and electricity. And they are pleasant to use after the first few months during which you can't figure them out.

I ended up buying a Bosch Benchmark induction cooktop. I love having a great looking kitchen, but I love having a working family kitchen more. L.earning how to cook means how to wash, clean, be respectful of your tools, but not to the detriment of enjoying cooking for yourself, family and friends. Investigate the following: replacement cost for new glass top and then build that into your budget costs for every few years if the battle scars bug you that much. But worrying about scratches while trying to enjoy boys in the kitchen? Your tocque is on backwards ;-) Have a good time. They grow and are gone much too soon!

I don't have one myself but my friend had the freestanding induction range by KA. She bought it 2 1/2 years ago, so don't know if there have been changes since. If there haven't been, I would stay away from it. She had nothing but problems that no-one could ever resolve. It was the oven, not the cooktop. She bakes a lot and every month or two, in the middle of baking , it would quit working. The breaker switch hadn't gone but by flipping the breaker off and on would get it going again. She had repairmen out 3 times replacing expensive boards (under warranty). They also came out and did diagnostics but didn't seem to be enlightened. She documented everything very carefully and the store owner told her she wasn't the only one with these KA problems. Even if they are willing to replace boards and you can flip a switch and get it back working, you don't always notice it has quit and she was getting annoyed with having to always check her oven and worry about ruining something in it. She wanted them to take it away and replace with a different brand since in the end KA or Whirlpool who makes them admitted they had a problem and had not figured out how to resolve it yet. She went nearly a year before they finally agreed to let the appliance store give her money back towards the purchase of a different range. She got a Samsung instead and is very happy. Says she even thinks the quality is better than the KA. I don't want to bash KA if they have found the flaw and dealt with it, but I would check it out very carefully. I have a GE Profile slide in induction range for 2 years now and am very happy with it.