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I am strongly considering an induction cooktop.
Is there one brand that is better than another? When I asked the salespeople, they said they were all the same but look for the characteristics that suit your needs e.g. where burners are situated, how many burners etc. When I look on line for reviews, I find complaints about power surges causing the cooktop to be totally dysfunctional and having to wait up to three days for the cooktop to start working again. Yikes!
I have a Wolf induction cooktop. It was installed in 2009, so the warranty ended in Spring of 2011. Two weeks ago I noticed a chip with cracks radiating around the area where the chip came from. A rep from Wolf told me that I might of put a pot on the burner nearest the chip that was bigger than the burner. I wish that I had known that this could be a possible problem. This limits the type of cooking that I can do. Last month I bought a big pot to make jams in that I will have to return now. I'm so disappointed with this cooktop. I wish I had gotten a gas cooktop now. Maybe I'm the exception to the rule, but I would check out all of the brands before I purchased one to see if this can happen to you. It's going to cost $600 just for replacement glass. I hope that it's a quick install!!
Chef_Olivia, sounds like you are a walking advertisement for this off-brand appliance. Most chefs do not go through "various cooking schools" and come out advertising a product. There are lots of fine ranges that are not the brands you mentioned and don't go by the term "commercial range." Good cooks and fine chefs may have a preference, but they can usually make foods dance on any fine appliance. Most prefer gas for cooktops.
A dual fuel range is expensive, and you get what you pay for. I have been in this business for many years and would not touch an off-brand appliance even if I personally loved it.
Please don't insult the person who asked the question. The question was about induction cooking. It has one big advantage. The cooktop does not get hot, and the pots do not get hot except by conduction from the food. For some people that is a bonus, especially if they have young children around. One negative is that induction involves magnets, and consequently cookware must have a magnetic field go through it. A good sales person should be able to explain it to you, and I'd go to more than one appliance store to get info.
HelenVT, I just reread you posting on the ceramic top. Have you replaced it yet?
While most of the electronics are warranteed for 2 years, most tops have a (secret) warranty for 5 years. Check with your reseller. It would mean you only have to pay for the labor to install it.
Marcia
Hi Cathy. I haven't replaced the glass yet because I'm afraid of breaking a new one if I got it installed. A repairman warned me that the crack would probably widen and spread. A year later and the crack hasn't increased in width or length. I going to keep the present cooktop until the crack expands and if it doesn't I'm $600 ahead of the game.
