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Need advise on replacing an electric cooktop

6 years ago

I have an old 30" electric cooktop in a Corian counter which is above a 30" under counter oven. I want to replace both units. The Corian counter can be cut to the larger size opening. However, there will not be enough allowance to meet the minimum requirements of the GE cooktop specs. There will only be 3/4" allowance to the side cabinets. GE wants 2" on the left side and 1-1/2" on the right side. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can have the new cooktop installed? One suggestion was eliminating the drawer on the left side and shortening the one on the right side. I don't have a huge kitchen, so that would not be the most efficient idea.

Featured Answer

dan1888

6 years ago

last modified: 6 years ago

Any magnetic pan will work. Costco has reasonable choices among many others. Search on the Appliance forum.

The GE is rated at 34.6 amps. Bosch 500 series induction is rated at 30 amps. . . .minimum 2" from rear wall and 2-1/4" from front counter edge for the cutout. Side clearance under counter is needed for ventilation only. A slot can be cut in the cabinet side if the cooktop has little or no clearance to the cabinet side.

Under guides the third is installation.page 6.

Try an induction cooktop at a showroom.

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Comments (9)

dan1888
6 years ago
Is this an induction cooktop? There are brands without the same requirements in induction electric versions. The performance difference over your Ceran unit is night and day. Plus no comparable cleanup. The surface doesn't get more than warm instead of 700*. You can wipe it clean with a paper towel. Nothing bakes on. Check the Appliance forum.
felicegruenhut
Original Author
6 years ago
It's a glass top electric cooktop. Induction would have required an electrician to pull more power to install it, so we decided to go with regular electric. It also requires new pots and pans for induction. Thanks anyway.
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You'll be SO SO sorry if you are any kind of a cook at all, and you go with a glass top. (non induction) THERE IS NO CONTROL! Everything gbsim said is 100% accurate! This is an example of how cooking works with a glasstop: You have the dial set to medium heat. It's taking forever to heat up and you don't seem to be getting enough heat, so you crank up the heat to medium high. You wait. It's still taking forever. You walk away to do something while you wait. Then you glance over and see your food scorching on the bottom. It is very difficult to pull a several course dinner together when you have no control over your heat source. Cooking methods such as even searing are nearly impossible on a glasstop. For instance, if you think you've got a little too much heat and turn it down a knotch, it might go completely off for a couple of minutes to cool down. It does not go gradually down like an electric coil...it just goes off. You can hear it buzzing on and off. I cooked Thanksgiving dinner at Mom's last year. Never again on that stove. It was pure torture for me, and it took me three times longer than it normally would have. I much prefer a camp fire! I almost forgot to mention another delightful characteristic about the glass cooktops....your pans will SLIDE all over. This can be a real pain. If the cooking aspects aren't enough to convince you, see what many people are saying about maintenance: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf130722.tip.html Comparing glass tops to electric coil: We bought an electric coil middle of the line Whirlpool (range) for our cabin a couple of years ago. It completely blows a glasstop out of the water. I replaced the drip pans under the burners with enamel coated ones and drips slide right off.... It's very easy to clean! The burners get super hot and it does a great job of cooking. They do NOT go off and on, but keep a steady stream of heat going according to where you turn the dial, UNLIKE glass tops.
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GE, GE Profile, Jenn-Air, KitchenAid and Whirlpool all make cooktops with integrated downdraft, and are priced from $529 - $1280.
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I guess because a) I want to keep the kitchen slick and simple - I do not use an oven at all and I do not want it there just to clutter up things and it not being used. I;ll probably stay here for another decade and even if I don't, dont really care about resale value of the property over a small thing like this b) I was planning to just cover up the whole bottom with a simple panel which hopefully wouldn't cost too much c) I don't wanna spend out of money pocket for a slide-in induction oven/range if I don;t use it. I just want the cooktop.
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Thanks for the replies, everyone. The wife read comments somewhere that people had problems with the connection on one of them, but I was never able to figure out what the actual problems were. I found an installation manual for the other cooktop I found that was compatible, and I didn't see anything that would lead me to believe it will be too complicated. I ordered that one and will get it in next week.
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javiwa
6 years ago
When we switched from electric coil to induction (Bosch), I was also concerned that we'd have to purchase new cookware. I used a magnet to quickly check my current stock of pots/pans, and was surprised and happy to find that most of my items could be used with induction. Plus, this gave me an opportunity to finally hand down my copper bottom Revere Ware to my kids! :)
felicegruenhut thanked javiwa
Buehl
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Have you looked at other brands than GE? They may have different specs.

Have you considered a range? I don't know if one would fit, but if it did, you would then have not only an oven & cooking surface, but an oven at a much more functional height.
Buehl
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Are these the specs you're asking about?

"2” min. Clearance
from cutout to
nearest vertical
wall or cabinet on
left side of the unit
below the 15” MIN.
clearance height."

-and-

"1 1/2” min. (30”) and
2” min. (36”) Clearance
from cutout to
nearest vertical
wall or cabinet on
right side of the unit
below the 15” MIN.
clearance height."

Are your upper cabinets (with light rail, if you have any) lower than 15" from the cooking surface? That's when the above specs apply. If you have more than 15" of clear backsplash height, then it does not apply.
felicegruenhut
Original Author
6 years ago
I am talking about the min. allowances under the countertop from the cutout to the side cabinet walls - 2" on the left and 1-1/2" on the right. I am going to look into the Bosch induction unit that was recommended above. That looks like it may work.
felicegruenhut
Original Author
6 years ago
I considered a range, but it would involve a lot more work to cut the countertop, cabinet and backsplash.
Buehl
6 years ago
Ah! I see what you mean.

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