For searching out info in the future, it might help to know that "induction tabletop units" are often referred to as "portable induction cookers" which sometimes is abbreviated as "PIC." Now, on your questions about pans, are you looking for a way to heat several pans together on a single induction burner? If so, the caterer's serving pan idea won't work any better than it would if you used it over a small gas burner. Induction heating is not passed by magnetic contact between pans over a PIC --- well, only on such an infinitesimally small scale as to be of no perceptible use in cooking :>). Basically, the strength of induction fields falls off so rapidly that it has no heating effect on pans more than a fraction of an inch above the burner surface. For the same reason, stacking pans won't work either. Further complicating things for you, your PIC may claim to be a 9-10" unit, but the actual induction field on them is only 3.5" to 6" (depending on brand.) Beyond that small field, you have to rely on your pan's mass and conductive abilities to spread and transmit the heat widely. A stainless steel caterer's serving pan is just too thin to function that way. IOW, it won't work like an induction adapter disk (which basically converts the induction heating into a radiant electric surface.) In theory, something thicker might work as an adapter, such as one of Chef King's rectangular, 14" x 23" carbon steel stovetop griddles (about $70 last time I checked). My experience with this kind of thing has been that these can heat other pans but so slowly that they work better on PICs as warming trays rather than for bringing other pots to heat. Frankly, it might be easier to heat up each pan separately on the PIC, then put on the caterer's pan with hot water, and use the PIC to heat the water that will keep the pans warm. If there is a second electrical circuit, you also might consider buying a second PIC. IIRC, there are some Duxtop units which have pretty good reviews and now are priced in the same neighborhood as the Chef King griddle that I mentioned above.

To Nanj: I literally took my "favorite-sized" pots to the store and put them on the cooktop to make sure I could easily fit, say ... three of them at one time and it was not a problem. There's a good amount of space bet. each burner and I DO use bigger pots, but seldom more than 2 at a time I'd say. Three would not be a prob. at all for me + a fourth little one, if nec. I COULDN'T have the 36" size unless I was willing to modify my existing granite counter. But, even if I could, the 30" was more than adequate for my needs and I've always used a 30" so I knew it should be fine. I've never had the need to use 5 burners at one time, but if I did: I have three add'l single burners in my pantry: a butane gas one that is fabulous, an old elec. coil one and an induction burner that I bought as a trial. 59Dodge: I so agree - the only time I would use the boost is to boil a large pot of water and can't imagine having to do that in three diff. pots. As stated, you CAN use the boost for two diff. pots at the same time. NO ONE would ever be just "cooking" on the boost level - it's on steroids! 3400 Watts is waaaaay more than anyone could possibly need or want. And it's so fast - it's ridiculous. To me, 3700 Watts is totally superfluous and redundant. 12 crumbles: read my response just above to Dodge RE: 3700 watts - I'm promising you, it's just not necessary. I would think the time difference might be LESS than 15-20 seconds. Re: the timers for the burners - I'm very attentive when I'm cooking and could easily visualize that I wouldn't use them. I don't want the burners going off without my realizing it and it would always be a guessing game as to the proper time to set it for. If I'm frying, I'm right there watching and turning, if I'm simmering a big pot of sauce, chili, whatever - on the induction it's not going to ever burn. Only for baking in an oven does one need a timer, IMO. And, FYI - this cooktop DOES have a minute timer that is easily set, just to let you know when "X" amount of minutes have expired. Also lets you know, after a pot has been removed, that that burner is still hot/warm to the touch as a reminder, until it cools down.

With conventional flat circular coil hobs, the heated zone is over the coil windings, and should be symmetrical about the coil center (it more or less has to be). The coil center should be aligned with the surface markings, but might not be and this can be checked by watching boiling water patterns. Correction requires cooktop disassembly and coil adjustment. Heating will be indirect above the very center of the coil due to fewer field lines there. The toroidal field above the coil will cause a ring shaped heating of the pan base extending from a bit away from the center to the edge of the coil, which may extend to the pan base edge, but might be smaller than the pan. If larger, then edge heating might reveal some added heating there as the farther radial field lines have to intersect the inductive material at the edge of the pan. Detection of the heating pattern somewhat depends on the pan base construction. Thin 400 series stainless steel without copper or aluminum layers will most easily reveal the field pattern; heavy layers will spread the heat and make the field structure difficult to deduce.

Wow oic57! That is a BEAUTIFUL griddle! I think I'm going to pick one up even before we do the kitchen renovation this fall. Thank you for providing the link!