Are you sure that Electrolux USA Service can manage their european makes (AEG and Zanussi) ?

for sure in CA : aeg.electrolux.ca , not sure in the US

Don't comment about cooking appliances, but as for washers and dishwashers until 10 years ago they were far better than Bosch/Siemens. Today is no more true, since 2007 build quality has dropped down

I think what that means is that the left, center, and right zones have separate controls/settings, but you can put the pot down anywhere in that zone. I supposes if you wanted to span zones you'd have to set the two to the same setting.

I'm not sure if any of these zone type cooktops are for sal in the US.

I'm looking for a simple answer from AEG regarding how much of the cooktop surface is capable of heating a pan. There is conflicting information out there.

I understand all about the 3 section markers and the 3 control settings. I'm not asking about that.

>Can I place a griddle over two sections ?

texaxkitchentoo in another thread (Electrolux induction) wrote that you can, provided all the sections are on the same circuit. AEG call this feature "Freezone", evidently other models aren't of "the same circuit" type. Obviously you have a "cold spot in the middle but also gas burners have a cold spot in their very centre

> how much of the cooktop's surface is capable of heating a pan? I understand that the pan must cover *****the section marker**** but can it be an 11" base diameter pan?

You have the answer (section marker). The "ring" part of the pan outside the marked zone won't heat by itself, but because of heat conduction from the part in touch whith the marked zone. 2.5*11=27.5 cm ----> 27.5-21=6.5 ---->6.5/2=3.25 : the "outside ring" of your pan is 3.25 cm thick, so there's no problem

"The pan must cover...." means "the pan has not to be smaller than the marked zone" not "whatever pan has to match the zone"

HTH

In the case of these MaxiSense units, each zone is separate. Placing a pan large enough to cover 2 zones is supposed to be enough to tell the electronics to activate both zones simultaneously. Also, the minimum pot size is around 4.75". The layout as descibed implies that the induction drivers are square, not round (or if round, packed tightly together). So if there is a 'gap' between hobs, it is small and within a pan's cabability to distribute heat.

But this is speculation since these aren't for sale yet in the US (not sure about CN).

Euroline in Canada sells them. I was going to order one last summer/fall, but had to put it off. Another poster, pauldavisseattle did order one for his place, I believe. As soon as I can move ahead, I plan to order from Euroline.

Appearently from what I read you can put a pan of any size on the cooktop as long as the pan touches one of the zone markers. So you can't exactly put it anywhere, you have to touch one of the + markers. Plus it only seems to be in 36" form right now.

Thanks - I have read all the brochures too but one thing on another website made me doubt the claims. I would love to talk to pauldavisseattle about his first hand experience - thanks for the lead I'll try to look him up.

Sometimes TheInductionSite gets it wrong.

What's funny is theInductionSite has more detail than the AEG site about this cooktop ... so while it may be wrong I don't have any other specs to refute them.

I've tried emailing AEG and they replied with the same statements from the brochure and when I followed up for more info they did not reply to repeated requests for information.

I can't believe how hard it is to get the technical info on these maxisense cooktops.

pf

Aeg maxisense is available in Germany in 24"- 576 x506mm 68000M-MN
In the UK in 28"- 710 x520mm 78031KFN
30" 780 x 520mm HK854400FB
and a 36" 3 area 910 x 410mm HK953400FB

Here is a link that might be useful: Aeg hobs including induction uk

I finally got a concrete answer from an AEG rep. The conclusion is that the Maxi-sense isn't really a zoneless cooktop at all in my opinion.

Here's a link to the pic of the cooktop I'm talking about:
http://www.aeg-electrolux.co.uk/node146.asp?ProdId=42149

The rep said there are three induction elements each with a 23 cm (9 inch) diameter. Each is separated from it's neighbor by 5 cm (2 inches).

To me this is absolutely contrary to what the brochures claim when they say "Maxi-sense range provides the largest usable Induction area on the market using Âflexible sections to create an all over cooking surface. Pans can be placed anywhere on the hob as long as the section marker is covered, eliminating the restriction of traditional specific zones. It does not matter how many pans you have or what size they are"

If that's not misleading I don't know what is. I hope no one buys one of these for the brochure hype because it seems to offer no more options than any other induction cooktop.

I think I will be going with the GE Profile 30" which has the big 11" element and a nice sleek design.

A rep may be a sales person without the technical knowledge of a tech. Aeg units are electrolux products. Check the commercial $19k units under the food services division. No circles. It would be worthwhile to follow this up with a tech person in a market where these zoneless units are sold. The closest is the UK not Canada.

well I would think if I ask a tech question of the rep that he would research it and get me the right answer. And FYI the so-called zoneless units are being sold in canada very soon.

dan1888 you may have to do a little web searching before posting about certainties... A millisecond search gives you aegcanada.com as the answer to "aeg canada"

I just typed aegcanada.com and it transferred me to http://www.euro-line-appliances.com/aeg-electrolux/ and at this moment the image on their home page is the unit in question.

In 2008 I saw it in Canada. The Euro-line company didn't have it yet; another importer did. I called around and asked the same question as above and got the same answer after a delay. I also felt the same reaction of mild disappointment. (!)

Now it looks like Euro-line has it. The image on their home page is the unit in question. When I click on the next link to get to cooking products, I see it there again. Anyone can call them and ask the same question all over again.

Ta da !

"it seems to offer no more options than any other induction cooktop."

As I read this, it allows you to bridge all the elements together if you desire. I would like to think that it links all the elements together to a single control but I can't prove that. Also it doesn't have the restriction as to pot size that all other induction cooktops have. (no more that 1" larger than the hob size.)

The only other induction top that allows bridging that I'm aware of is the LG.

When I started doing research on induction for my kitchen, bridging was a big deal to me becasue I have a griddle that I use a lot. I'm pretty sure it was determined that the LG bridge is really not a bridge element that connects the two hobbs, that is there is not an induction element running between them. BUT the configuration they have allows you to bridge elements without causing damage to the unit.

It appears that Fagor also offers the ability to "bridge" elements because they show it being done on one of their induction videos.

I am planning on buying Fagor's induction cooktop and I will send them an email to ask about this and report back.

weedmeister, no matter what you "would like to think" the facts obtained from the AEG rep clearly says that there is no "bridging" between elements since the induction elements are 9" in diameter and 2" separates each element.

numbersjunkie - i'm looking forward to your report on Fagor's cooktop. but don't get your hopes up because AEG also shows pictures of fish kettles spanning two zones.

Pfunkfunk,

For what this is worth to you: I own the zoneless three burner cooktop. And I've had it in use off and on for 6? months.

And, if I may repeat you, "no matter what you "would like to think" the facts obtained from the AEG rep is" and here I paraphrase "Crap".

The zoneless portion of the name comes from the fact that EACH of the three burners will cook with different pot sizes. Other burners have a size, say 8" and they are designed so you can only vary up or down about an inch. That's not so with this cooktop. It takes my little and big skillets without noticeable difference between them.

Secondly, I CAN and do, use a griddle on to bridge two elements on the cooktop. Weedmeister is correct that the ability to bridge two units is rare in cooktops and well worth paying for.

I wish you well with the GE 30".

When you span 2 or more elements, are they controlled from a single control or just like normal?

Weedmeister,

I want to say like normal! Lol. My husband is the one who is our official pancake maker so I'm not sure I've actually turned it on myself.

I think the problem with understanding the bridge element is that because you can just take a large griddle and place it across two electric coil burners most people think you can do the same with induction which is not true, unfortunately! The fact that I can place the griddle across them both so that a single pan or tray gets heat from both is the rare part. On many cooktops trying to get heat from two burners will blow a fuse? on the cooktop. So the induction makers will say that you can bridge two burners as a positive.

A "true" bridge (where the area between the two circles is also heating) is even rarer. THe LG Induction apparently has a true bridge unit that is all induction. The only ones I have seen with the true bridge unit are placed running basically front to back which I think is less than usefull. My bridge unit, of course, runs side to side and with only a few inches between zones I have never felt a lack there.

I LOVE my unit. In fact, I really love my unitS. I bought two of them and installed them in an L shape on an island. They are absolutely no holds barred rockin.

morgne, I wonder if you can please give an update on whether you are still loving the AEG maxi-sense induction zone-free units after all these years? We are considering the purchase, but having difficulty finding reviews! Thx

HK953400FB Zone-Free Induction Cooktop. 90cm/36â wide, black ceran top with beveled edges.