Which Electrolux Induction Cooktop?

13 years ago

Oh, my head is spinning but boy do I appreciate all the information shared on GW! We're dragging a fantastic old Florida house into the 21st century with a new kitchen, electrical, etc. I think I have most appliances chosen for our kitchen remodel but I have a couple questions:

1. I hear all the rave GW reviews on the Electrolux induction cooktops, but I don't know if people have the ICON ($2,200 on AJ Madison) or the "regular" Elux EW36IC60L ($1,800 w stainless trim). Is the ICON worth $400 more? We're going with a 36". The wave-touch seems more underpowered than the EW36IC60L. It's hard to tell the differences.

We are going with a single Elux wall oven but are pairing it with a GE Advantium instead of a Elux speed oven because we're choosing white appliances (we're going for a bright, beachy look and I'm sick of stainless).

So by going with the Elux cooktop we'll have more of a theme going, although I'm not sure how it matters for resale if you have appliances from one maker.

We had planned on going with the 36" Wind Crest which has a great price at Direct Buy but I think it's overkill, meaning I don't need so much power.

It seems like there are many good induction cooktops out there (Elux, Jenn Air, Bosch in the mid range) and all have nice but slightly different features, many of which I probably won't use! An appliance salesman talked about the number of magnets that each hob uses (better brands have 4 or 5?) but I can't find this info anywhere to compare.

2. I saw a scratch and dent 36" induction from Jenn Air on Sear's Outlet for $1,050 which might be too hard to pass by. Thoughts? Is there any underneath clearance differences that might make me choose one instead of the other?

In the rest of the kitchen, we're going with a panel ready Liebherr French Door fridge, and probably a Miele DW (I've always had and liked Bosch but I'm intrigued by Miele's cutlery trays). A super quiet DW is crucial for me, as the kitchen is open to the LR.

Any guidance is much appreciated! I've read GW threads for hours, and I feel like at some point I just have to pick something and move on!

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Comments (6)

herring_maven
13 years ago
A very important differentiation is the minimum required clearance space beneath the cooking surface. There are some cooktops that require three feet of clearance under the countertiop -- three feet of wasted space. There are others (the LG is a good example) that require a bit more than two inches of clearance beneath the cooktop. You can put drawers or storage area in the saved space.

Check installation dimensions.
Noctua
13 years ago
I was interested in the Kitchen aid and was put off it from the forums. It has issues with pan detection and can be very noisy, people with issues are being told by kitchenaid that it is working properly and don't let the door hit you on the way out. This is the model with the dual bridge elements. After seeing the video/reading the comments i would be wary of any of their models.

Jenn-air is made by and very similar to if not the exact same as the kitchen aid.

As to the advantium i have read here that the 240v models are much better and less prone to break downs, but the 120v has a feature its big brother doesn't have, browning or something...i forget. The 120 used to be larger inside but both are the same or very near internally now.

The electrolux i have not looked in to much, but i was told that electrolux is the major player in the commercial induction.

I understand how you miss white. The thing i am least looking forward to is a non-magnetic fridge, i do not need a monolith to the cooling gods in my kitchen i need a altar to the greatness that is my children. I may go black for that piece.

Here is a link that might be useful: Induction site
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kaseki
13 years ago
herring-maven: Are you sure that that requirement was for empty space, or just no combustibles? In any case, the distance from the bottom of any induction cooktop to the floor will be less than three feet, and even less to a cabinet base, so such a rule would be impractical for residential kitchens.

The buyer should go on-line to the manufacturers' web sites and download the installation instructions to determine compatibility with the kitchen plan, or to adapt the kitchen plan to the cooktop.

To minimize combustibles below my induction cooktop, while providing plenty of air for cooling, I used wire racks that are filled with pots and pans.

Note that there are two issues that manufacturers are trying to accommodate. The first is cooling and the second is UL/CSA approval.

Cooling requires vents or a significant volume of air to work with. UL approval includes assumptions about how the guts may slag and melt through the housing or overheat the housing. These assumptions establish what may seem to be unusual requirements on combustibility distances under the cooktop.

kas
emmielasie
Original Author
13 years ago
Thank you so much for all the input! I will double check the installation requirements for cabinet clearances.

I know the Jenn-Air is very similar to the KA but i read on a thread somewhere that the Jenn-Air has better components, thus the higher price and hopefully less issue with noise like the KA.

I'd still love any Elux owners to chime in on if they have the ICON vs. the wave model induction cooktop and if there's much of a difference.

We are planning on the 240 V Advantium.

I hear Miele is unveiling new appliances this week and one local salesman told me he suspects they'll add a new line of ovens in white. I think there are even photos. I don't want a Miele oven, but I do wish more brands would offer sleek white appliances, not just ones that look like their cheapest offering!
emmielasie
Original Author
13 years ago
And BTW I do realize that Whirlpool has the White Ice line, but an appliance repair guy was so against Whirlpool products that I'm scared off...
a2gemini
13 years ago
My wolf requires 6 inches of space from top of countertop to combustibles. I would have done my drawers differently if I had realized this.
My second drawer would have become a tall drawer with a 2 drawer facade so I could better utilize the space.
Be sure to look at the specs on the cooktop to see your options. I felt that the KD should have known this or guided me to look it up.