Are you looking for a cooktop or a range? In any case, just get an induction cooktop or range. You may or may not have to replace some of your cookware, but there are so many induction-friendly cookware choices on the market now that it won't be difficult or expensive. What your post is saying is "I hate my cooktop, and there is a solution in the induction cooktop, but I am going to resist that solution and just spend time complaining that there are no solutions".

Looks like the SensiTemp/UL858 requirement applies to coil electric ranges only, so you should be able to get a smooth top one and avoid that issue. My parents have a builder-standard GE smooth top electric range (about 8 years old), and I've cooked on it a few times without issue.

Induction really is the way to go here, though. How much of your current cookware is not magnetic? If it's just a few pieces that you aren't willing to replace, you could get an induction converter disc (tons on Amazon). Also, manufacturers often have promos to get a set of cookware for free after rebate with the purchase of an induction range, so this may be a non-issue. Having had electric coil, electric smooth top, induction, and gas in various places I've lived, I would choose induction every time. The monetary sacrifice for new cookware is worth it.

Induction will be the best choice. Not the antique technology that’s being deliberately phased out.

You don't want an induction range. Per CR, GE-brand ranges are the most reliable. The GE JB735SPSS smoothtop/radiant range did well in tests, owners really like it (92% recommend at Home Depot and 93% at Lowes) and it's only $818. Maybe it would be a good, low-risk choice.

Induction is great. We've had our Wolf since 2017. Also check out Bluestar which has knobs. CR is not reliable for ratings except on lowest common denominator stuff.

She wrote specifically said she did not want induction.

@Jerry Jorgenson: "CR is not reliable for ratings except on lowest common denominator stuff."

So CR's tests of Monogram, Miele, Viking, Thermador, Bosch Benchmark, and Dacor appliances are not reliable while its test of other brand appliances are reliable? Please provide evidence to support this statement.

Thank you one and all for the feedback. We need a range and not just a cooktop. I researched induction things a couple of years ago and the reviews complained of THOSE things pulsing off and on giving you erratic performance at low settings - also, weird buzzing and icky touchpad controls - plus worrying about things having to be perfectly centered to cook correctly. We felt so burned with the Samsung ($1500 down the drain) that it's given me the willies about all "over-engineered" type things. Besides the cycling burners that kept you from ever getting a rolling boil, any drop of water near the controls (which were on top) turned the thing off; it had a magnetic knob that worked poorly, fell on the floor once, broke, and had to replaced to the tune of $100+ bucks. You could "turn the dial" with your finger also, but it was spectacularly inefficient, necessitating scraping your finger to the point of skin damage over and over in a circle to get the desired setting. I just couldn't face making the same expensive mistake again with a smooth top on a range. I just didn't know if these overkill "safety" things were universal the way they appear to be with the old coil types. It's interesting that so many of you like the induction technology, though - maybe I should revisit it and see if the complaints are the same - things do evolve. Actually, I'd thought about getting a SEPARATE induction burner just to boil things quickly. I will check out everything everyone suggested. We were so disappointed with Consumer Reports, whom we've supported for years - I wonder if any of those engineers, or whoever reviews things, actually..........cooks??

reigncrow -- That may be true with the lower priced ones, but I can get a rolling boil just fine. Also the cookware matters. Thick bottoms heat more evenly (I use Fissler). Never had an issue with weird buzzing. The touchpad controls aren't my favourite, but there are now ones, such as Bluestar, that have knobs (not available in 2017). Still, the touchpad controls have worked okay for the time I've had the Wolf and I cook a lot.

We love our Wolf induction. I don’t know what you are cookware you have but if a magnet sticks to the bottom it works with induction. We have All Clad. No buzzing, no smell, no problems. Better than gas and we previously thought gas was the best and only option. Will never go back. I can cook and leave a bottle of olive oil right on the cooktop. Only the pot heats up. It is so easy to clean. Really, the best of all options.

PS: rolling boil in seconds. It has a Boost option.

I will sure check it out. We have every type cookware known to man, so we have SOME things that would work. This is for a condo that could blow away at any moment, so price might become an issue.....!

Electrolux makes a reliable induction range I am told by multiple Houzzers who are in the "business."

And IKEA makes excellent induction compatible cookware.

Good luck with your kitchen!

CORRECTION, Frigidaire is the brand I should have referred to here, not its parent company, Electrolux. Apologies for the confusion. Thanks to wdccruise for pointing out the error.

"Electrolux makes a reliable induction range"

Electrolux does not sell induction ranges in the US. The corporation's Frigidaire brand does.

I have a Frigidaire Gallery slide-in induction range, and it's been great. Super fast boil with powerboost, infrequent clicking, cooks well. I like the control panel. There is a "lip" between the front burners and the panel, so there are no drips. Stuff can spatter out of pans (if I don't turn the heat down fast enough), but it doesn't affect the controls. Easy clean-up too.

Thank you, wdccruise. I appreciate the correction. I think of those two brands interchangeably, which would not be helpful for our OP.

All I said, I meant it about Frigidaire (parent company Electrolux.)

Electrolux used to make a very good induction range, but I haven't gone looking for it in a while.

@reigncrow, I have a family member with a Bosch induction cooktop and she is very happy with it. I believe they also make a slide in version. We are in a condo in Florida.

I will sure check out the Frigidaire and Bosch options. This is indeed for a FL condo (a small, very dated place). We’re just so spoiled having the Bluestar at our “real” house because it’s such a beast - not for the faint of heart but WONDERFUL. It was the desperation replacement for the failed Samsung. I just didn’t realize how emasculated these cooktops and ovens were getting In terms of “firepower“.

The induction Frigidaire FGIH3047VF slide-in ($1799) and Frigidaire GCRI3058AF ($1169) freestanding ranges are identical except for the position of the control panel and price.

Will check them out - interesting there's such a price discrepancy........

One of the models sighted is freestanding and the other is a slide in. Slide in's are typically more expensive. Power consumption and performance appear to be identical. I prefer the location of the controls on a slide in, however some kitchens will not look good with a slide in depending on how the area where the appliance must go was designed. That said if it works for you, then that is all that matters. If all you need is a free standing, then the cheaper of the two is essentially the same appliance.

A bit better slide-in induction range often recommended here is a Bosch 800. Link. 17 power levels where others have 10. Because induction doesn't heat the glass surface nothing gets 'baked' on. Cleanup is quick wipe.

That Bosch 800 sells for $3400 while the Frigidaire FGIH3047VF sells for $1800. It also has annoying cooktop controls: the user must select a burner and then select the temperature as the range has only one temperature slider. Installation requires great care as the glass cooktop rests on the adjacent countertops and can crack if not installed at the correct height or the countertops are not precisely level, leaving a gap.

Explanation of all these nuances is exactly why this site is so useful, and I heartily thank you all. If we hadn’t gotten so, uh, burned (if only...) with the Samsung, i wouldn’t be so skittish about technology I hadn’t had a chance to test-drive first. It’s such a paradigm shift to go from gas to induction, and it’s a lot to spend to discover the technology doesn’t work for you. I never would have imagined that something like the Samsung could be so terrible - really, a situation where something absolutely doesn’t work for the purpose for which it was sold. What I would need to be sure of, before buying a “regular” smooth top, is whether it cycles off and on - that’s why God gave us high-to-low controls, as far as I’m concerned. At least induction ones don’t do THAT, I guess. I really don’t love the description of those controls, I must say - or trickiness of installation.

Installation was easy, though I didn't do it myself as it was part of the 2017 remodel. They just cut out the space in the countertop, plugged it into a 50 amp circuit, and that was it.

You really should not focus on the one product that let you down. My first induction unit was a Samsung free standing unit. Worked fine for about a year, then began having sporadic issues. I actually traded it away for some fence work. I did not give up on the technology though. My newest home boasts a 36" Frigidaire professional cooktop. (Only one with knobs that I liked). This unit has been trouble free for over 3 years so far. If it breaks, I will replace with another induction unit. I have zero interest in gas or radiant electric. Once you use it, I am willing to wager you won't want to go back either. IMO Samsung is trash and would not wish it on my worst enemy, they should stick to phones and televisions. That said don't judge every manufacturers products based on a bad experience from Samsung. There are many good quality products out there. It is also my opinion that appliance are built to be disposable. It is highly unlikely you will get 20 years plus service out of any modern appliance. Pick something you like, purchase the warranty if that gives you better piece of mind and enjoy.

Regular radiant/glass or coil cooktops cycle on/off to maintain an average heat around the setting point.

I haven't had good luck with the Samsung and LG products I've purchased--but in fairness the products worked better than their service.

FWIW, I can keep beets at a rolling boil for a long time, and stock simmering for a couple of hours with no issue.

If something can be kept at a constant rolling boil, that's all I ask. That, and being able to reduce something quickly at a high heat. Yes, interesting about the lack of service - I've heard and read that so much.. It's so sad that we're now almost exclusively in thrall to a very few huge, remote corporations whom we clearly need more than they need US. And the problem gets worse by the day. We thought our DOMESTIC corporations were bad, hahaha........

reigncrow -- That's one of the reasons I went with Bluestar and Wolf. Both domestic.

Get a single burner induction cooktop. They sell good ones for less than $100. You can test it out and see if it's something you like. In my experience, the only cookware that doesn't work is my nonstick stuff. Everything else works. Easy to test - just get a magnet. If it sticks - it works with induction.

Having cooked on an electric smoothtop, I will say I would NEVER choose it.

I have a gas range but got an induction hob so I could have an extra burner. I have used it handful of times (rice, melting chocolate, and boiling pasta). Because it's a hob and not a full blown cooktop, it did cycle at a low simmer (I hear cooktops don't do this), but my rice still turned out fine, I melted chocolate without a double boiler, and it came to a full boil very quickly (much faster than my high BTU burner). I haven't tried any precision cooking on it - I hear there's a learning curve on that - but if I had to choose electric I'd never hesitate to get induction. I would consider it if I ever need to replace my current range.

Those stand-alone, portable units operate on 120v and don't have as much power output as a 240v range or cooktop. Maybe 240v commercial-style units are available but would require the requisite power source.

That's a great idea, y'all, and I considered it. If nothing else, it would be a great way to test drive the technology for someone who's never used it. I've indeed heard that the 120v ones aren't as powerful, but I figure if it's even HALF great, it goes without saying the full-power ones would be wonderful - for a later application. At home we're used to having six burners, but at this condo, with an electric range, we'll of course only have 4 (or 5, but with those tiny 3 in the back). Therefore, having an extra burner for a multitude of purposes would be a huge help, and especially one that you could "put away" if you didn't need it.

Forgot to say that we would not have the requisite power source for a 240v in the proper location, so would HAVE to be a 120v.

Jerry, we've had Bluestar and Wolf and they're both great. The current Bluestar gas cooktop, that we killed ourselves getting propane to the house for, is wonderful.

We have a Wolf induction and purchased a standalone induction burner for our RV. The standalone has hot/cold spots and is no where near as good as the full size installed version. I would hate to see anyone turned off induction by a standalone version. If you try it out keep this in mind. :)

Well, that's very interesting also. I remember reading reviews of those things a long time ago, but of course remember nothing about it now - haven't revisited it in a while. I find it extremely interesting that so many people who've responded on this thread are such enthusiastic advocates of the "full-power" (for lack of a better term) induction technology. I'll sure be revisiting THAT. And I WILL take a look at the stand-alone things - read reviews and such - to see if any one stands out as particularly great.

reigncrow -- The stand alone item that might be interesting is this one because it doesn't require cutouts, and the controls are separate from the unit (avoids the issue with spills). I've never had the opportunity to use one. Rachiele siteHouzz discussion

That is truly the most exotic thing I've seen yet, and I've seen a few! I had no idea anything like that was on the market, and I sure don't remember seeing one in an appliance store. Of course there's not much to "see," I guess. I would sure worry that heavy cookware would damage the stone surface - in other words, you'd wind up with a countertop area seemingly inexplicably scratched up in one place. Still, it's a fascinating concept and I'll look into it - thanks!