Replacing Wolf 30” gas cooktop with induction

last year

Thinking of replacing our Wolf gas cooktop with induction. (Our kitchen was completely remodeled about 12 years ago.) Our Wolf has the knobs in the front, which means a drop-in induction unit would require patching the front of the cabinet and also dealing with adding a piece of countertop (soapstone) in the front. Not ideal! I found a unit that looks like it might help us avoid this since it has front knobs - Fulgor Milano 600 Series

Any experience with this brand and model? It doesnt look like it has all the features I might want, like bridging. Any other models that might be a good option to minimize the retrofit process?

Thanks for any advice!

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gardnr
Original Author

last year

last modified: last year

Just want to say that this is all so helpful to me. When we redid our kitchen 12 years ago, I relied very heavily on this site to help me with design and details….from finding my backsplash (my fav part of our kitchen!) to last minute panicked inquiries about the faucet placement on the sink. I still love my kitchen 12 years later and would change almost nothing, except for the induction cooking, which felt a bit risky to do back then. So thank you all and this community for being so generous with your time, knowledge and experience. Now let the advice continue 😁

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Comments (30)

BirchPoint
last year
No experience with that appliance, but I would go with it soley based on the fact that the space would not have to be patched! I, also, am a lover of induction.
M Miller
last year
last modified: last year
What you have is a rangetop, not a cooktop. I am saying this because the correct names avoid confusion. I searched a couple of appliances websites, and the only induction rangetop I could find was the Fulgor that you mentioned (perhaps @wdccruise who is an expert searcher of appliances on this forum could find more). Alternatively, If you made the changes your OP mentioned for a cooktop, I think it would be difficult and expensive. And matching a new piece of soapstone (you'd have to look for a remnant) and a new cabinet front to what is existing would also be a challenge. Consequently, it looks like the Fulgor is your best choice.

You may know this already, but you will need an electrician to run the wiring for the induction since you had a gas rangetop before.
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I did a search for this very topic, because we are now experiencing similar problems with out Wolf cooktop knobs. It seems that inside of the metal knob is a plastic sleeve that keeps coming off and the knobs crack and fail. Either, you can't turn off or turn on the burner. First, Wolf sent out a repairman who, after inspection, said "you have a broken knob". He didn't have a replacement knob, so another appt. was necessary. He came out and replaced the knob, and gave me an extra. After he left, we noticed that the knob didn't seat right. It was higher than the others. Upon inspection, we found that he had left the plastic sleeve from the broken on, and placed the knob on top of that. Called Wolf agin, who advised us to call him back to replace it correctly. Right! He didn't even know he put it on wrong, and we are supposed to trust him? Two months later, it breaks again. And another one. Third knob in less than 2 years. Wolf now says to call him back. Have him examine the unit and call them. I am hesitant to use the same repairman. Wolf assures me that they are highly rated and the only Wolf warranty approved place nearby in the entire So. Cal area. He comes back and blames us for not turning the knobs correctly! And no, he won't call Wolf, because "he knows what the problem is"! Now what??
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@Patricia Colwell Consulting You're right I should have posted some photos of the space. There isn't much wiggle room and behind the cooktop there's only about an inch or so which isn't enough room for a pop up vent. The end goal is to replace the cooktop with either induction or gas and do as minimal reworking of the cabinets and venting as possible. Unfortunately it's not as simple as just replacing one-for-one. I wish it was! And of course, our relator told us it was simple when we bought this house. The cabinets aren't what I would choose if I was designing the kitchen but it works for now until we can redo the entire thing years down the road. These photos make the room appear quite yellow but that's just the light balance. Everything is white. The floor is more of a neutral brown. The cooktop is at the far end adjacent to the double oven. Behind that wall is the washer/dryer. Currently the GE electric cooktop has a downdraft blower built into the cooktop itself. It works great but I can't stand cooking with electric especially after having gas in our old house.
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Aside from pacemakers, other medical devices like insulin pumps can be affected by induction hobs. https://jdrf.org.uk/news/induction-hob-magnetic-field-danger-insulin-pump/ “cpartist What if one of the cooks has a pacemaker or ICD? That's not a problem with the majority of today's pacemakers and in reality, when batteries are replaced nowadays they're replaced with ones that can even go through an MRI machine. Not an issue.” Where are you getting this information??? MRIs are an issue even with an MRI ready pacemaker. You are not just replacing batteries, but the whole pacing system called a generator. You will get newer technology but in order to utilize a MRI ready pacemaker you need the right leads(the wires that go to the heart from the pacemaker). Leads are not usually changed unless there is a specific reason to do that so not that many MRI ready pacemakers are in place. Some MRIs are done now on people with conventional pacemakers but it is still considered a contraindication most of the time especially if you are pacemaker dependent. As technology improves and more whole systems are placed the amount of MRI ready pacemakers will increase. This from Mayo Clinic discusses this issue and MRIs with a conventional pacemaker. https://www.mayoclinic.org/medical-professionals/cardiovascular-diseases/news/new-protocols-allow-for-mri-in-selected-pacemaker-patients/mac-20430571 The limitations from the article. “The first MRI-conditional pacemaker received FDA approval for use in the United States in February 2011. This first-generation device has important limitations: It requires a special lead system, so the generator cannot be simply replaced and connected to in situ intracardiac leads. Cardiac MRI is excluded because of potential overheating of the new lead system (second-generation devices currently available in Europe use a lead system that is compatible with cardiac MRI). Additionally, the first-generation devices are limited to 1.5-tesla scanners.” Back to induction hob safety, this is kind of a rehash of what I wrote above but not everyone reads the whole thread. There are more considerations than calling up the pacemaker company. I would also talk to the cardiologist/electrophysiologist that put it in. Consider what happens to the pacemaker if it is affected by an induction hob. Is the person dependent on the pacemaker? Do they have an underlying heart rate that is compatible with life if the pacemaker fails? “Safe” distance from the hob also can vary up to 24” away. As with most things, you would consider risk vs benefit for using induction but it is important to be informed. I would also talk to your primary health care provider to determine if you have any other ancillary devices that might be affected. For me, with many years in the medical field (critical care and surgery), I have found that things don’t always go the way they are supposed to. I probably have a skewed viewpoint because I see the worst things that can happen but my husband had a defective pacemaker. Something in the programming changed. It did not show up for a year. Was it damaged from exposure to some sort of magnetic field along the way? The manufacturer looked at it but did not come to any conclusions that they shared with us.
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gardnr
Original Author
last year
Thank you! We had an electric before the gas, so hopefully the wiring is still there after our kitchen remodel.
PRO
Sabrina Alfin Interiors
last year
Can you post a picture of your current set up so we can see the cabinet?
Helen
last year
You are between a rock and a hard place in terms of finding an induction range top.

When I remodeled I went with an induction - gas wasn't an option in my high rise and there were certain features that were very important to me in terms of function. I wanted bridging; I wanted hobs that could handle a variety of sizes and I also wanted the ability to go to a specific level without cycling up and down.

In an ideal world I would have sprung for the Gaggenau instead of the Bosch as the Gaggenau had the ability to use any portion of the top instead of specific hobs but I didn't want to spring for the $10,000 at that time.

Perhaps if you post your current set up some of the ingenious people will have a solution.
gardnr thanked Helen
gardnr
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
Also saw that Hestan just announced an induction rangetop (now that I am searching using the right words 😄). i am not familar with Heston either, but it looks beautiful! Happy for any thoughts on this too Heston Induction Rangetop
PRO
Sabrina Alfin Interiors
last year
Heston is a very good brand. Also VERY pricey. But if they're the only ones who make what you need, it still may be less expensive overall to buy that rather than having to have your cabinets and countertop redone.
gardnr thanked Sabrina Alfin Interiors
wdccruise
last year
last modified: last year
Induction range tops:
- Fulgor Milano(30" and 36")
- Hestan KRTI30 and KRTI36 (30" and 36"; knobless range tops; digital controls are on the cooking surface; expensive)
- Bertazzoni PROF365IRTXT and MAST365IRTXT (36" only)
gardnr thanked wdccruise
User
last year
Agree with Helen. If you post more details one of the pros may come up with an out of the box solution.
gardnr thanked User
gardnr
Original Author
last year
Here is my current set up. Thanks in advance for any creative ideas. The Hestan looks good online, and you can make the front a color which might be nice since I will lose my red knobs. I couldn’t get any pricing from the local distributor until Monday.
User
last year
By the way your kitchen is beautiful. Hopefully the pros can come up with some ideas.
gardnr thanked User
darbuka
last year
Are those soapstone counters? Gorgeous veining!
gardnr thanked darbuka
chispa
last year
I have a Hestan outdoor grill and separate outdoor gas double burners installed in January in our new build and have been very happy with the quality of the brand. Don't know anything about their indoor appliances!
gardnr thanked chispa
wdccruise
last year
last modified: last year
Wolf 30" (SRT 304) range top opening: 30" wide x 24" deep x 7-1/2" high; minimum 3/4" platform thickness

Hestan 30" (KRTI30BKRD with red front - $4959); 30" wide x 24-1/2" max. depth x 7-1/2" max. height; minimum 3/4" platform thickness; cutout for cables as specified

Fulgor Milano 30" range top (F6IRT304S1 - $3149): 30" wide x 24" to 25-5/8" depth x 7" height; hung on brackets or with cutout for cables as specified
gardnr
Original Author
last year
So helpful, thank you! So the hestan should work i think? Measurements seem to line up. Not sure if the 1/2” height difference on the Fulgor would be a problem.
Holger Bach
last year
wdccruise does Hestan make its own or they bought it from somebody?
thinkdesignlive
last year
Have your electrician verify if your breaker can handle the additional load that induction requires.
gardnr thanked thinkdesignlive
wdccruise
last year
"Not sure if the 1/2” height difference on the Fulgor would be a problem."

You could raise the platform by 1/2"

@Holger Bach: "does Hestan make its own or they bought it from somebody?"

Most Hestan appliances (e.g., refrigerators, dishwashers) appear to be re-badged (with jacked-up prices) appliances from an OEM. Its ranges and the Hestan KRTI30 appear to be unique to it. I will guess that this cooktop is manufactured by Fulgor Milano for Hestan, though.

Before buying a Hestan appliance, one should always check for the identical appliance manufactured by an OEM. For example, the Fulgor Milano F7IT30S1 ($1750) and Hestan KIC30BK ($3240) appear to be identical.
gardnr thanked wdccruise
User
last year
Wow, interesting information regarding rebranding, wdccruise. Thanks. Do you think they make any changes beyond cosmetic?
wdccruise
last year
@User: "Do you think they make any changes beyond cosmetic?"

Based on the spec sheets I've checked, nope. Another example:
- Hestan KDW24 ($2700)
- Smeg STU8623X ($1400)
gardnr thanked wdccruise
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
last year
last modified: last year
IMO a step down but I really love cooking with gas. I have had 3 of my clients go back to gas . My suggestion is go to a good appliance store that does demos on weekends and test an induction cook top. 2 things to consider first does your ccokware work with induction and for sure check out the electrical needs usually the old electric stoves needed 30 amps but induction needs 40 .I have approx. 6K worth of Italian cookware bought in Italy it is not induction compatible so I will never go induction. Just make sure this is the right choice for how you cook for sure.
gardnr thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
cpartist
last year
Well Patricia, you have had 3 clients go back to gas. I'm guessing that the majority who switch like me, prefer induction and will never willlingly go back.

And if you give a darn about our earth, induction is cleaner.
wdccruise
last year
last modified: last year
@thinkdesignlive: " Have your electrician verify if your breaker can handle the additional load that induction requires."

You don't need an electrician. Just check the amperage numbers printed on the circuit breaker pair that controls the 240 volt range circuit.
gardnr thanked wdccruise
thinkdesignlive
last year
wdccruise - wish I had your brain - "I" would certainly need an electrician:)
gardnr thanked thinkdesignlive
mcarroll16
last year
I would definitely go with one of the available rangetops, even if you can't get bridging. Aside from the difficulty patching up counters and cabinets for a cooktop, induction cooktops lose a lot of valuable space to the surface controls. I find that annoying on my 36" cooktop. I would really hate it on a 30" cooktop.

I've got a Wolf induction cooktop, which lacks true bridging. I use a carbon steel griddle and preheat it slowly. The middle doesn't get quite as warm as the two ends, but it gets close enough for most purposes.
gardnr thanked mcarroll16
shead
last year
I had a 36” gas rangetop in our old house and a Wolf 36” induction cooktop now. Like mcarroll16 says, true bridging isn’t exactly as I thought/hoped but it works well enough for what I need. We use our Blackstone if we need a larger griddle space. I also have a countertop griddle that I use for large batches of pancakes. I would never willingly go back to gas. I much prefer the ease of use and especially cleanup. It’s safer for kids to cook on as well.

I chose Wolf because of price point and because the large hob was over to the right side instead of the middle. The only things I would really change about it is the bridging issue, which only affects me 1-2 times a month, and I wish each hob had a timer, like I believe the Bosch do.
gardnr thanked shead
mcarroll16
last year
@shead me too! The large burner on the right instead of center was huge part of my decision. Miele now uses a similar layout, but it looks like their unit might have true bridging.

It looks like all of the 36" rangetops have the large central burner layout. I don't like that layout, but on a 36" cooktop, it's workable. I would go with one of those rangetops over patching or replacing countertops.
gardnr thanked mcarroll16
gardnr
Original Author
5 months ago
Still considering our options for a 30” induction rangetop. Given the growing popularity of induction, I am hoping there may be some new options soon. i just saw that Viking has one. not sure if it is a new product or I just missed it until now. Any recent experience with performance and reliability of Viking induction tops? Also, any other recent experiences or new options for 30” induction rangetop (not cooktop). hope the pull the trigger on this early next year! thanks!
wdccruise
5 months ago
last modified: 5 months ago
There appear to be only three 30" induction rangetops:
- Fulgor Milano F6IRT304S1 ($3150)
- Viking VIRT5304BSS ($4400)
- Hestan KRTI30BK ($4700)
None appears to be particularly compelling. For example, their largest induction element is 9". The CR top-rated 30" Bosch NIT8060UC ($2350) cooktop has an 11" induction element.

Replacing Wolf 30” gas cooktop with induction

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