Hi. We installed a 36" 800 Bosch in November. The cost to upgrade our service from 40 to 50 amps was $450 - BUT that included the electrician putting in one new outlet in the kitchen plus installing a ceiling light fixture in the family room (both were run from existing outlets). His estimate for putting in the 50 amp line & breaker originally was $500, but it ended up to be less -- always a plus! We went for the 36" because we did just what others have suggested here: consider how we cook and what and how many burners we use frequently. We discovered that we often use three burners at a time (pasta boiling in one pot, sauce being prepared in another -- often a skillet -- and veggies cooking in a third). So we wanted some room to do that and the right sized burners to match the pans we use. Also, since we were going to use a downdraft (again) instead of a hood, we wanted at least one of the larger burners near the back. Additionally we liked that the Bosch had only one of the small 6.5" hobs -- some brands had two. That's a hob we knew we wouldn't use much. All in all, we have been very pleased with our choice. Oh, yes, we did have to cut back the cabinet sides a bit. BUT, since prior to this cooktop, we had a 36" Thermador radiant cooktop, the cabinet had already been cut. It's lasted for 14 years with no problem. We expect to get 14 yrs from this one!

I have the 300 model,not the 800, where all of the controls are on glass, not metal. They are not pressure pads - they are tough controls and a light touch should be all that is necessary. He is wrong.

I have a Bosch induction cooktop that I love. I don't personally have a need for the bridge element, but others do, of course -- I can't think of one time in the last 1-1/2 that I thought "gee, if only I could link these two burners". On the other hand, I use the individual hob timers daily, while others don't think that's worth paying for. Also, mine does have the upper and lower silver trim, which we like, but I think that's strictly an aesthetic decision -- we thought it tied in with the stainless oven, micro-drawer and sink nicely. I guess the point is, only you can decide which features you need and which look you like! Edited to add - there is a poster who is ranting about his or her Thermador Freedom induction in every thread on the subject. I have no doubt this person has had problems with their unit and with the company. But that's one person, and for every person who has posted a problem with Bosch, someone has posted problems with every other company, including Miele and Wolf. I have had zero problems with my Bosch cooktop, which is just as informative as the fact that the other person has had lot of problems with his/hers (i.e. NOT)

Here is a video. I just realized the sound reminds of being on an airplane. It doesn’t always run, and when it does, it’s not always for the entire time the oven is on. It must be triggered on to release steam. It usually shuts off less than 5min after the oven is turned off. I just shut the oven off and the fan shut down two minutes later. Not sure how loud it will sound in a phone. When I replay the video it sounds louder than the reality of it. We do have an echo in our kitchen. Our table is in the same space and the fan does not interrupt conversation, for example - which was my biggest concern when purchasing. We are a noisy family and often have music playing, etc… so like I said, it’s very personal. Hope my experience helps you! I really don’t like annoying noises - and for some reason this fan doesn’t bother me. My parents’ kitchen aid fan, on the other hand, makes my skin crawl 😂. For me it’s not about the volume, but about the particular sound the fan makes. Second video is me shutting it off and you’ll hear the fan also shuts off. Good luck!