I have a Wolf gas range, but if I were going with induction, I would get a zoneless model similar to this Thermadore Freedom cooktop.

nidnay, I looked at those, but they appeared to have more issues with pot sizes and how many pots could be used than the other kinds.

Jerry Jorgenson, I eliminated the Thermador for the same reasons. Not as reliable, and as I recall, max 4 pots on a 36" cooktop.

I’m not necessarily pushing the Thermador. Just wanted to show an option for zoneless. I haven’t done much reasearch on them because I have a gas range and am not in the market for an induction....BUT....I love the idea of zoneless....I’m all for the latest technology! I agree that 4 pots is limiting and I’m not informed enough to know if they make a zoneless that accepts 6 pots/pans or what’s out there for induction. I do love some of the features the Thermador has and if it were me, I would search for a positively reviewed appliance with a ton of features.

It's 99 degrees here today and I cooked my eggs just fine (and comfortably) on my gas stove.

FYI - Cooktops rated in Consumer Reports, April, 2018.

Bada, my brother-in-law has a subscription and I’ll try to check it out.

When I lived in CT, we lost power all the time, and I was happy with gas, but I did not have central air so I used the outdoor grill to cook most things all summer. If it were mid December now I’d probably be buying gas.

One of the appliance guys asked me if my range and oven were on the same circuit. I don’t know if they are. The oven has been sitting on the kitchen floor unused for, gosh, two years? I haven’t turned it on in that time. With the “range” breaker tripped it does not turn on. If 50A is for one circuit running two appliances, I may have no choice but to reconsider gas.

I don't know how anyone can be comfortable in 99 degrees, cooking or not. It's 100 outside right now and I'm hiding inside with the a/c on. The bbq is waiting til later.... right now it's salad time!

eam44, if you are not using your oven, I shouldn't think you would have to worry about sharing power? I was concerned about my power (I live in an old house), but my electrician said that it's not an issue unless you have every hob at max power at the same time. Don't know if he was right, but it makes some sense and that kind of cooking is not gonna happen at my house.

Sherri, I am sure you are right, I be even read rebiews of this cooktop being used in a home with 40 A for the cooktop, but I know two things: 1.) if I have appliances that work by Thanksgiving, I will use them this way on major holidays, everything at once (probably on simmer though), and 2.) I don’t think I want to re-wire the house.

FWIW, at least in California, each appliance is required to be on its own breaker.

Ask me how I know LOL. I am the proud owner of a new electrical panel and new wiring going everywhere as my old wires were not up to Code either as they were the original aluminum wires. That was an unexpected $6100 cost although I am not sure if I would have had some of that rewiring expense even without a new panel.

Not as expensive as the $15,000 my friend had to pay the City of Los Angeles for her remodel because evidently the new wiring couldn't be connected to the utility line on the street. She said she can tell when it's done because she can see the trench to the street dug so it's pretty common here whenever there is a remodel to an original older home.

An electric cooktop (induction or otherwise) and separate electric wall oven cannot (safely) be on a shared circuit, if they'd operate that way at all.

Induction cooktops typically need a 50a circuit. A wall oven needs 20a to 40a depending whether it's single or double, with or without convection.

The goofy electrician that wired the house my parents built in 1964 had the electric dryer and water heater on a shared circuit. What happens when washing clothes? Dryer and water heater are both active, duhhh. The circuit breaker tripped every time until it was rewired properly.

My designer checked my electrical panel and found 5 open circuits, was very happy. I guess that’s why.

Not that I want to be the voice of doom but when the electrician did the initial run through I also had what appeared to be open breaker circuits on my panel box but for whatever reason I needed a new panel box. It could possibly be that I was also adding a washer and dryer to my unit which needed additional appliance level breakers and I there weren't enough of those.

Each 240v circuit typically requires two "slots" in the panel.

"max 4 pots on a 36" cooktop."

That's 4 pots OF ANY SIZE AND SHAPE that fits on the surface together. And you can put them anywhere. I believe there are some that do 5.

The Bosch Flexinduction can bridge a rectangular pan. It's induction drivers are rectangular, not round. Normally, one uses 2 at a time, but they can be bridged into 3 or 4.

eam44: if you add your email in your profile I could send you a private message about the Consumer Reports I mentioned. Or send me one with your email address (click on my name, you'll see the "Message" icon) .

I’m not positive they are both on the same circuit, I guess I just don’t know. And I don’t know whether I can figure it out without calling in my electrician. But I guess it’s important enough, to call him so I can figure out what I’m doing. The box says “range” but I can’t find anything labeled oven. There are several slots labeled “kitchen” though. Oh grumble grumble grumble

Thanks bada my email is set up so you should be able to message me, but I’m not finding the message icon for you for some reason. I’ll figure it out tomorrow.

Fixed mine...Edit Profile > "Advanced" settings (at bottom) had to change it so "anyone can email me" (not just "people who follow me")

eam44 we have the miele 36" induction and love it. would never go back to gas or electric coil ( shudder).... have had our for about 5 years and its been flawless, (knock on wood).

for the that price i would jump on it... we paid close to $3 g's for ours. Bonus, you get the warranty.. no brainer in my book :)

OT - Eam, I LOVE that sofa! This is turning into a couple of expensive months for you, but wow - great choices and terrific new functionality. I am avidly following this thread (and casting sideways glances over at the gas beast we have). I'd say at least 4x a year, I spend 2 solid hours cleaning everything. How lovely to no longer have to.

sprt thanks for the input. The appliance store was closed today but I will call them in the morning. I wish I had a firm yes or no regarding my wiring. I have a multimeter somewhere but you know... maybe I’ll find it tomorrow.

OB2B I’m glad you like it. I value your aesthetic. These months have indeed been pricey but in a way it’s inspiration to get moving again. It’s complicated living my life around my appliance deficiencies and my furniture woes. I want things simpler again. I love your gas beast, btw, and if the electric doesn’t pan out, I’ll go that way myself. I know my options, the Miele is my first choice. Wish me luck with the wiring!

Good Luck with the wiring issue... hoping it get resolved to your satisfaction :)

the 30" Bosch 800 is 30 amps. There may be 40 amps on some models but there is at least one model with a 30 amp need. Check the specs on particular models. Check Abt or AJMadison.com. I love my Bosch induction installed in 2011. I also bought Bosch induction for our Arizona house. Get the Miele which is often around $1000 more than similar Bosch. Both Bosch and Miele have shut off timers. My Bosches have 17 different heat levels-- one, one and one half, two, two and one half, etc. I have had gas and induction and I love induction. On the appliances forum there are lots of old discussions about why one prefers induction.

Thanks westsider. I’m looking for a 36” and I’m waiting for my electrician to return from vacation. Hopefully I’ll hear from him Monday. I would definitely consider the Bosch if there were one on sale. I know they make great products, and their flex induction is super cool. I just want an answer to my electrical issue, and to buy that top before someone else does. Fingers crossed.

Ok well, my electrician finally came today. He cannot figure out what feeds what, but the 50A breaker that was tripped doesn’t feed the cooktop or oven, OR ELSE it does and somehow I fried the breaker box. He’s coming back tomorrow. Suddenly the cooktop isn’t the main thing anymore. Re-wiring the box may be my Christmas present this year....

I replaced the entire electrical panel a few years ago when installing an electric car. Because the original was Federal Pacific--known for not tripping on overloads--it needed to be replaced anyway. Adding a second electric car, Bluestar oven, and Wolf induction cooktop was then no big deal.

Jerry, I may have no choice. At first the original box looked fine. The electrician found a short circuit and disconnected the 50A circuit that was feeding both the cooktop and oven, and I was going to go with a gas cooktop. Then upon closer inspection while he was tightening screws/connections in the box he realized one connection was very loose and the wire had been getting scorched. He has come up with a stopgap option, but I think it’s time to replace the electrical panel ($2500). I didn’t even ask about the additional cost of upgrading to 100A service.

I’m beginning to remember why I stopped working on the house.

Maybe I can sell it and buy a condo in a retirement community as this is making me old before my time.

For me, upgrading the service from 100 to 200 amps didn't cost a whole lot extra. I ended up paying about $3,500, but there was an additional 100 amp subpanel, several new circuits, and metal conduit. Around here, buying a condo in a retirement community only works if you are independently wealthy or are willing to use up everything you've saved..

You don't want to mess around with electricity. As I posted, I needed a new electrical panel and also new wiring to replace the original aluminum wires.

My friends who have remodeled older homes say it's a given that the electricity and wiring needs to be upgraded. It's not just that it's not up to Code but that it is also a potential hazard.

Thank you both. The house is a lot older than I, as is it’s original fuse box - I have fuses in one box, breakers in another. It’s time. I just really wanted to avoid having to do this. If I get a new electrical box, and it looks like that’s the only reasonable thing to do, I’m just not going to be able to cook for a few months till I can afford a cooktop. I’m used to cooking daily. But I’ll adapt.

Its just disappointing...

I commiserate as the expense of the new wiring wasn’t expected and not a fun expense.

in the meantime, why don’t you get an induction hob. They are relatively inexpensive. You can also get an electric grill pan as those are very cheap and maybe an electric skillet.

Do you have a working oven? My oven broke and since I knew I was remodeling I didn’t want to get a new stove. I bought a Cuisinadt counter convection oven. It was about $100 and really I almost don’t need a larger oven for almost all i do.

Thanks Helen - I never thought of that. A single hob might not be bad, and at least I could have eggs for breakfast again. I own a Cuisinart convection toaster oven and I love it, but I’ve never tried it for anything other than reheating. I guess I should think about the short term as more manageable.

I use the oven for fish and chicken. It actually works quite well. I’ve even made small batches of cookies and it bakes a standard frozen pizza. Only thing is that I can’t make larger quantities but I’ve even done a turkey breast in there.

Helen, cooking things like poultry and fish, how do you clean the inside of the oven, or does it need it? I’ve always been afraid of cooking anything that might spatter in my old counter top oven for fear of spatters.

How does one tell off hand what the electrical service is? My condo was built in 1992 and the orignal owner was an engineer. It seems to me I remember it being said that he had an upgraded electrical panel put in, but this conversation makes me nervous.

Janet, I agree with you about splatters in a countertop oven being hard to manage, but since this is an extraordinary circumstance I figure it’s best to make the best use of the device and then try to clean it as best you can or get a new one when the kitchen is back up and running.

What a difference a day makes. The wire in question that was spoiling my plans was the ground return wire. There was enough slack for the electrician to cut the burn and replace the wire in its original position. So in a way, the $2500 crisis is averted. He still has to deal with the short circuit in the junction box, and there is no room for expansion until I replace the electrical panel, so I’m going to look at gas cooktops. It will cost in the neighborhood of $350 to extend my gas service to the kitchen. I’m feeling dizzied by the good news, and by the changes. I’ll keep you posted.

Thanks for hanging in there with me. It makes me feel less alone.

Janet. There should be a breaker for the panel (sometimes it is on the panel and sometimes it is separate). The size of that breaker is the size of the service. Here's one that has the breaker in the panel.

Great news, eam!

Thanks Rita. Now I can spend the money on a cooktop instead of in the basement. Now I feel like my exhaust fan isn’t good enough for gas, but I just have to find the right cooktop/rangetop that’s geared more toward simmer than sear.

I am relieved about the money, a little bummed that I won’t be doing induction, but I’m going to be able to have a functioning kitchen, maybe even by the end of the summer. A gas cooktop needs about 15 A so the 50 A can be split 30 for the oven, 15 for the cooktop.

The electrician said I could still consider a 30A oven and a 50A cooktop on a 50A circuit. If I try to use everything on hi at once the breaker will trip, but that’s not how I want to do things, if you know what I mean. I’d always be worrying about using both appliances at the same time.

Well, at least until I upgrade the panel at some point. I don’t know. Maybe it’s OK to buy the induction top (if it’s still there) and just not use it at the same time as the ovens, until I actually upgrade the panel. I’ll think about that tomorrow.

Zalco, we do what we have to do! But I am wondering what other’s experience has been. Maybe it’s not a problem.

Jerry, I looked and did not find anything like the breaker you show in the vacinity of the electric box. Curious...

That might not have been code at the time. Or if you have a 100 amp or lower panel, then there won't be one.

Eam44. You might find that the ventilating hood and make up air will cost just as much as an electrical panel.

I won’t worry about it at this point!

Yeah, I’m not getting MUA, and I’m keeping the vent hood I have that moves 420 cfm I think, can’t 100% remember. If I do go with gas I have to choose cooktops that will work in my constraints.

The thing about the electrical panel is that I want to upgrade it, I just don’t want to go into debt in order to do it now. I have another $750 repair ahead of me. The electrician has to come back and move and re-wire a junction box that had the short circuit that started all of this. He has to split a 50 A wire, send part of it to the cooktop (15 A if I go with gas) then part to the ovens (30 A). That’s just to make the cooking appliances work.

eam44, I'm feeling bummed for you as well! I know how much I love my induction cooktop..... it really was the best "surprise" in my kitchen reno. Have you thought about buying the Miele and a portable induction cooktop and then saving for the panel change (which I think you said has to be done anyway, and the price of it isn't going to change.) You won't have a full kitchen as quick, but it might be a way to get your induction. And sometimes the long term compromise isn't worth the short term convenience. Just a thought.