Electrolux Induction - element size vs pot size!

2 months ago

Hello everyone!

I'm rather new to Houzz, but I've been reading the extensive discussions about ranges on here for the past couple weeks.

We're shopping for a 30" induction range, and have pretty much settled on the Electrolux (https://www.goemans.com/home/kitchen/cooking/range/induction/ECFI3068AS) due to ... well, reviews and price.

We flirted with the Bertazzoni, but were dissuaded by many reports of a loud fan and constant issues and... well, the search has been long and exhausting.

We're on the verge of buying - good price, reputable dealer - but I have one last fear: the element sizes. I have lots of existing pots and pans (some le crueset, some regular) which exceed the size of even the largest element on this Electolux (8 3/10") - all the elements seem very small.

Does anyone have experience with this or other induction elements and pots/pans which are larger than the burners?

This is currently keeping me up at night and ... I don't know what else to do! Any help out there?

Thank you! :)

Featured Answer

lharpie

2 months ago

I’d probably put day to day cooking needs over reliability which can be a crapshoot. they actually put GE profile near the top of the list here (seperate from cafe): https://blog.yaleappliance.com/most-reliable-induction-ranges

all clad works better/sticks less if you preheat well. we keep a stainless scrubber for them when needed though. and a nonstick pan too, but 95% of time choose the all clad.

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Comments (18)

kaseki
2 months ago
What happens is that the toroidal field that arises above the coil intercepts the pan base and induces currents in the pan base (assuming the base is inductive). The base material is also resistive, so heat is generated according to P = I^2 R integrated over the coil area. The result is that the part of the base over the coil is directly heated, while the outer and inner parts of the pan base are heated indirectly (by thermal conduction). An ideal pan for induction use attempts to provide both low thermal resistance across the base while achieving optimal electrical resistance and inductive susceptibility. This is why the inductive material is often sandwiched among other metals, such as aluminum or copper.

Some pan brand experimentation may be needed.

My 36-inch Frigidaire Gallery largest hob is 10 inches. You will be limited with a 30 inch range top in what sizes of induction coils can be used. On the other hand, I don't recall any historical 30-inch gas stoves with 10-inch gas burners.
lharpie
2 months ago
We chose our induction cooktop primarily based on hob size (miele 36” which had 2 9” and an 11”). the 9” work great for 12” all clad skillets and 11” for the 14” skillet. it looks like there are a number of 30” range options with an 11” hob - i would choose one of those. induction is great because it produces such even heat but it doesn’t spread out like gas heat does so if you want to cook with larger skillets i think you will be happier with a bigger hob.
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Let me try to put you mind at rest on cookware. On flaking of enamel from enameled cast-iron, you'll need to check on specific brands. I recall (but cannot find) a chowhound discussion of this last winter. The gist of it (IIRC) was that the less expensive brands were more likely to experience enamel flaking and the most typical offenders were Martha Stewart, Mario Batali and Rachel Ray brands. You will find some reports on Tramontina and Lodge pots, but most folks seem happy with them. The Tramontina 6 qt. dutch oven model was running about $50 at Wall Mart. The most recent Cook's Illustrated magazine (May-June 2013) says it performs nearly as well as brands costing five times as much (e.g., Le Creuset and Staub). There is also Lodge's own line of enameled cast iron dutch ovens which cost more than the Tramontina line but are still less than half the cost of Le Crueset and Staub. A friend of mine bought one of the "Kirkland" enameled dutch ovens from our local Costco for (I think) about $80 last winter. I do not know if that pan is made by Tramontina or Lodge, but it seems to be work very well and has not flaked on the interior. (She's using it on an old coil burner stove, btw.) So, plenty of alternatives to LC. On non-stick: the stuff is inert when it flakes. Internet research will turn up a lot of paranoid (and mostly fact-free) raving about non-stick just as there is with induction, itself. Did you know, for example, that induction cooks food in half the time of other stoves because it works like a microwave but does not contain the "low frequency radiation" which makes induction dangerous to your health, and that it may send current into your body if you use a metal spoon? That must be true because somebody posted this on the 'net! :>) To be sure, there are some real problems with NS coatings, even though poisonous/toxic flaking is not one of them. The actual problems with non-stick coatings are: (a) the chemicals used during the manufacturing process can be hazardous to the factory workers (e.g., toxic and/or carcinogenic). Those chemicals do not get passed on to the consumers who buy the finished products, but the potential risks for the workers may make your conscience uneasy about buying NS products. (b) getting a NS pan too hot (as in over 650F) will cause the coating to decompose and the resulting fumes reportedly can cause "flu-like" symptoms in people, Those fumes can be toxic to birds (but then, so can the fumes from a self-cleaning oven.. Considering that 650F is hotter than the melting point of lead, and that temps over 500F will generally degrade the slipperiness of teflon (i.e., diminish or ruin the non-stick-ability), and that that most of us would sear meat at around 450F (and wouldn't use non-stick pans for that purpose, anyway), and that most cooking oils have smoke points in the range of 350F to 400F, you can safely use NS by simply recognizing the limits and respecting them, if you like NS pans. The problem with NS on induction comes from failing to recognize how quickly induction brings a pan to heat. This will be especially problematic for those in the habit of cranking a burner to maximum, walking away for several minutes, then adding oil or whatever, and then reducing the heat. Do that with induction and you can have your empty NS pan at the melting point of lead before you know it. Heck, do that with a cast iron pan and the too-rapid rise in heat may crack the pan; there was a thread here discussing this point last summer. Get a cast iron pan to 600F and your are burning off the seasoning, as well. So, just set the NS pan to the temp you want to use, it will be at temp pdq, and you will be fine using it. As for stainless steel and ease of cleaning, that depends somewhat on the pan construction and on technique. Something thin and light is apt heat unevenly and burn food just as it would on any other stove. A more substantial pan will heat more evenly and be less likely to burn. The trick is usually said to be to get the pan hot, then add oil, and wait for ripples to appear (or wisps of vapor from the oil) before starting to cook. When you are done, you can put that SS pan in the dishwasher. For what is not cleaned it completely, a quick scrub with a sponge and some Barkeeper's Friend will easily and quickly polish it back up. Costco also has a number of decent induction capable cookware sets for less than $200. The selection seems to vary from season to seaon. Last year, I bought a 7 pot set of Circulon "Premier Professional" for $179. (2 sauce pans, a 6 quart stock pot, 3 fry pans (8" to 12") and a 3.5 qt. saute pan, plus lids.) They have anodized aluminum bodies with magnetic bases and non-stick interiors. The pans have worked very well for me on both induction and gas burners. I think there is a comparable "Kirkland" set on sale at Costco, now.) This post was edited by JWVideo on Sun, Jun 2, 13 at 14:50
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Laurel C
2 months ago
I had an older electrolux induction range and loved it, but I did definitely have hotter spots where the elements were. This was far more pronounced on carbon steel and cast iron than it was with a triply all clad pan. As long as you don't need very hot edges of your pans, you'll be fine. BUT, and I'm not sure if it was more a range issue or a pan issue, I had a couple of smaller pans that while magnetic and the correct size for the elements, were less effective on induction, and the range would make the worst noise when I used them on lower settings. It was like a high pitched rattle/vibration. One of them was an all clad saucier fwiw.
Emily and Chiara
Original Author
2 months ago
@lharpieWe currently do not have the choice of a larger hob, since we have only a 30" space. After all the review reading, we've landed on the Electrolux but then I noticed the size of the individual burners are exceptionally small. well, now that I look again, the Bertazzoni has similar sizes of elements. Also, I would absolutely LOVE the Miele. Total confidence in that brand, but not so much in my ability to pay for it :D so ... trying to do the best with what we have!

@kaseki you're basically saying that I should be fine with a slightly larger pot, but pre-heating the pot will probably be beneficial to allow the perimeter to heat up a bit as well? I suspect even then they'll never quite reach inner temperature... Also, do you like your Gallery? I was interested in the auto-detect feature for the elements - but looking at them now (30" model) they are similar in size to the Electrolux. I do like the layout of them more - the larger element being front right, which is my preferred location based on the layout of our kitchen. I don't love the look of the Gallery, but if it works... Have you had any problems? I read lots of reviews about the elements having major issues.

@Laurel C I have to replace some pans, and some of the ones we were looking at were carbon steel - but maybe I'll check out these tri-ply all clad style you mentioned... I think we'll replace the pans slowly and see what works best. I'm a bit sad, since my pans are currently wedding gifts and still in good condition! :(
lharpie
2 months ago
last modified: 2 months ago
Bosch benchmark? GE profile? i haven’t extensively looked and maybe there are reasons you aren’t considering these, but there are definitely 30” options with larger hobs. agree on pricing - miele was tolerable for the cooktop but the range pricing is crazy. we paired it with a whirlpool oven to save money as that met our needs. there were zero 36” range options when we did our kitchen though.

also, love, love, love all clad for skillets. we use the sauce pans too but doesn’t make as much difference there. my dad bought tramotina thinking it would be the same and ended up replacing the skillet with all clad (sauce pans were fine). we notice the burner size mostly for things like pancakes or tortillas - definitely a heat drop off at edge of hob even with all clad.
wdccruise
2 months ago
You may want to consider the LG Studio LSIS6338F ($3900*) which has a larger full-size induction element than the Electrolux ECFI3068AS ($5500*). The LG full-size element is also at the front instead of the back. The LG also has a keypad to set the oven temperature and a 2-year warranty. Electrolux has a 1-year warranty.

LG / Electrolux
- 11" (2400 watts unboosted) / 8-3/10" (2300 watts unboosted)
- 8" (2100) / 7-1/10" (1850)
- 6" (1300) / 7-1/10" (1850)
- 6" (1300) / 5-1/10" (1400)
*appliancesconnection.com
Laurel C
2 months ago
@Emily and Chiara please don't let me talk you out of carbon steel. I'm a cast iron devotee, but by far my favorite and most commonly used skillets are carbon steel. The only time I reach for SS is when I need the larger cooking area.

A couple of folks also recommended looking at other ranges. The Bosch Benchmark 30" range has an (albeit oddly placed dead center) extra large 11" element, and a 16x9" bridge burner that also functions as 2 separate 8x9" burners

https://media3.bosch-home.com/Documents/19837393_HIIP057U%20Spec%20Sheet.pdf
Emily and Chiara
Original Author
2 months ago
@lharpie Bosch is out because of a few things, but one of them (that I can remember) is the way the glass top is exposed at the edges - lots of reviews on that being very easily damaged and not covered under warranty. There were other reasons too... But this was high on the list for a while.

GE profile - I think this was just an overall quality issue. bad touchpad, bad service...

My wife was doing lots of the research as well so I can't remember why they got crossed off the list!

I think getting used to the all clads will be the biggest challenge. I've used them at my parent's place on their induction and everything stuck so they went back to non-stick. I guess it's a learning curve. It's interesting that you point out tortillas, since we've just started making our own!
kaseki
2 months ago
My Gallery is ca. 2015 and is a cooktop, not a range. Note that Frigidaire is an Electrolux brand. Back in 2009, the Kenmore, Frigidaire, and Electrolux were almost identical.

As far as I know, all induction hobs for all brands use an autodetect scheme to determine whether power is applied to the coils. Autodetect operates, I think, as a pulse circuit that changes its ring down (decay rate) depending whether the coil is or is not exposed to sufficient inductive material. A magnetic sensor could be used under the Ceran, but would have to withstand significantly high temperatures if a pan happened to be heated for some period without contents.
Laurel C
2 months ago
@Emily and Chiara re: all clad and sticking - just out of curiosity, were they actual all clad pans or were they another brand of "tri ply" style SS pans? I only as because before I bit the bullet and splurged on my all clad skillet, I bought a calphalon brand one (it was $35 less and I was in college). The calphalon SS skillet warped any time it got warm, and I'm not sure how, but the surface always stuck so much. I ended up returning the calphalon pan for the warping and got the all clad, and was pleasantly surprised to find that there was significantly less sticking with it.

But you'll still never get any real level of "nonstick" performance with SS anything. You need either a nonstick coating, or a polymerized oil seasoning like you'd develop with CI or CS.
Emily and Chiara
Original Author
2 months ago
@wdccruise

LG was one of the first ranges to get crossed off. The reviews seemed disastrous and the service even more so. Our current gas range is LG and it's been repaired twice in a year to the tune of 600$ and it's only a 2019 install. I'm hoping that the Electolux can at least stand up for longer without major repairs... I wasn't aware of the 2yr warranty however, that does say something!

@Laurel C

We're definitely going to be getting some carbon steel - I need a new wok and I need it to be manageable, so Ikea carbon steel here I come! So we'll probably have a mix, depending on what we need and what's on sale when we need it :D I do really like the Bosch, but it got nixed for a few reasons that outweighed the oversized elements! I hate the placement, but appreciate the size!! I regularly use a large sauté pan that will definitely not fit on this new Electolux... but since I have to replace it anyways... I guess I can rethink how I'll cook.

As for the SS pans, that's a good question. I'll check next time i speak with them. I'll keep an eye on the actual all clad vs the others. Looks like there's more research in my future! I'll also be using my le crueset more... although again, one of those is 12", so I have no idea how that will work on these teensy burners.

@kaseki Yes, Frigidaire is Electrolux and it's got the highest ratings of the lower tier of ranges out there, so we have definitely considered it. It's extremely ugly IMO, but I'm trying not to let that influence my decision as it's also $3000 less expensive. Is the Electrolux worth the extra $$$?

There are definitely things we like about the higher end brands like the SS racks that mean the actual sliding rack isn't scraping against the enamel causing flaking - I know that the glider racks also do the same thing and are available as accessories.. I do actually like the knob controls over the digital control...
Emily and Chiara
Original Author
2 months ago
Hello Everyone!

Thank you for all your ideas, suggestions, and info. I think ultimately I will still buy the Electrolux as looking into the other brands suggested (once again, just to make sure) I keep coming up with better reviews for the 'lux then the rest of them, burner size and all. I will just have to adjust my cooking style a bit to use smaller pans.
wdccruise
2 months ago
last modified: 2 months ago
"LG was one of the first ranges to get crossed off. The reviews seemed disastrous..."

Interesting. In CR's induction range owners' survey, LG (and Frigidaire) earned a 5/5 rating. LG gas ranges earned 4/5 but gas and induction ranges have nothing in common. Not many reviews of this range as it's pretty new; those at appliancesconnection.com are good. I have the CR top-rated LG LSE4617ST induction range which performs well and has been reliable - though I'm not a daily user.
Emily and Chiara thanked wdccruise
Emily and Chiara
Original Author
2 months ago
@wdccruise

It's so hard, since there are such terrible reviews on all the ranges... this one does look very nice... I'll investigate some more!
Emily and Chiara
Original Author
2 months ago
OK after a night of tossing and turning over the element sizes - i'm wondering if I should revisit the Blomberg (https://www.taappliance.com/collections/induction-ranges/products/blomberg-30-inch-slide-in-electric-induction-range-with-convection-technology-bir34452css).

Does anyone know much about it? I've ready what reviews are out there, and most are very positive, but there were a few related to servicing that scared us off initially, although we were reluctant to let it go since it has everything we want.
HU-16168550092
2 months ago
Prior to purchasing any of these, I would definitely make a few calls or stop by your LOCAL options for appliance service to ensure what your options for repair are depending on the brand. Induction tech is far more complex than old school electric radiant or coils. The appliance makers with the broadest network of parts supply and service at this pricepoint are Electrolux, Whirlpool, and GE. This would aldo include all of the brands each of these companies own. Both LG and Samsung have had a reputation for selling appliances in markets where no appliance techs/service exists along with poor access to replacement parts. LG has been noted by Yale Appliance in Boston to have improved some compared with Samsung but again, this has not been true everywhere nationally. If you should go with the Electrolux, you will, based on your research of complaints, have a theoretically better chance of getting a longer lifespan of use from that range; given how difficult it can be to repair the sensitive electronics that make the induction technology’s magic happen.
Emily and Chiara
Original Author
2 months ago
@HU-16168550092

you're definintely correct. We've tried to call repair places to get info on this , but lots of them refuse to speak with us without booking a 90$ service call, despite us not owning the stove yet. it's incredibly tedious! haha But the few we spoke with said Electrolux was OK, as was Bertazzoni and they warned us away from LG or Samsung or KitchenAid. Blomberg didn't come up in our questions so we'll have to start over from scratch there.

Electrolux Induction - element size vs pot size!

lharpie

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