Wow! Thank you a2gemini for such a thorough review. I have a few questions for clarification, if you don't mind.

When you say that it uses 4 magnetic zones per burner and that you can see a pattern of bubbles, does that mean that it doesn't cook as even as you thought that it would? Are there hot and cold spots?

When you say that it has never shut off a burner, does that mean that you can lift a pot off temporarily, such as to toss veges or an omelet, and it won't turn off and make you reenter the settings? Or are you seeing this as a negative?

I too looked at the Thermador induction cooktops. I didn't care for the zoneless model, you could only put 4 pots at a time on it and I need at least 5. It's also new technology and that always makes me a bit nervous to buy the first of any product. The 5 burner Thermador is nice, but I didn't like the hob arrangement, the two biggest burners are right next to each other and I would find that awkward. I liked the big center burner. I'm not sure how often in reality that I would actually use the auto-off timer, but it is a nice feature.

I did go to a Wolf demo in MA and didn't hear any buzzing when they boiled some water. I plan to go back with a selection of my own pans and see what happens. I plan on buying individual pans one at a time to see how they work instead of buying all of one line and then not liking them.

I emailed Thermador to set up a local demo, but they never responded.

Also, I just bought a portable induction burner, a Duxtop, to try out and see how I like induction in general. I know that it isn't really apples to apples, but I am getting a general idea. Plus it'll be nice to have around during the remodel.

I really, really like the Wolf 6 burner range top, you can put a pan anywhere on 5 of the burners as they are identical. But I'm slowly thinking that the induction might make more sense in the long run.

Thank you so much a2gemini for sharing your experience with your cooktop.

P.S. a2gemini, I love the pix that you attached to your post. Your cooktop, cabinets, hood and backsplash are beautiful together!

AJ - here are the answers for you.
Once the vessel is warmed up - it cooks evenly - by having 4 magnets instead of one - probably more evenly than with one. But you can have a panic attack when you first look at the bubbles...

Yes - I can lift the pan off - shake up the veggies, etc and put it back down without it shutting down and resetting the temp. I haven't timed or read in the book how long it will hold the setting. I see this as a positive - hope I put it in the right spot.

I bought a portable one to test also - I think mine was a Cosi - I used part of my Elux rebate to by it and 2 vessels.

Good idea on the pots - I have a variety of vessels from All Clad, CIA, Calphalon, Staub, LeCreseut, ScanPro, etc
None totally overlap in function except maybe an extra saute pan.

The Wolf folks came over to listen and watch my cooktop in action. They felt the buzzing was within normal limits and of course - my omelette came out perfectly for them...

Thanks for the compliment on my kitchen - I am loving having my new kitchen up and running :-)

Good luck on your decision - I am so glad you are trying it out first - I thought maybe the thermador folks have hearing problems and there is some buzzing - but they claim to have excellent hearing - I am more prone to be bothered by flickering lights and buzzing than some folks - so maybe it is just me.

Have fun!

Unfortunately, I have had my Wolf Induction cook top stove for 3 days and it went bad already, it gave me an error 47 and I believe it has to be replaced, this was a replacement, the 1st one lasted longer, 18 months.

Also, the noise that makes it is very annoying, I am not a very happy camper right now :(

mexilt, I just read your post here and I would like to know how things are going with your Wolf Induction situation now. I have their 36" sitting in a box waiting to be installed in my new kitchen so I am now concerned after reading your experience. I hope all is good for you now but would still like to hear from you.

I have had the new Wolf 36" cooktop now for almost 11 months. No issues and very much like the layout and how the interface works. I have been able to effectively use all 5 hobs at once with a variety of pan sizes. With any product - there will a few that fail early in their life cycle. That is why warranties are important. My Miele combi steam failed in the steam related cycles on the 5th use. After having all the steam related components replaced under warranty all is well. It is annoying but unfortunately a fact of life. Was your original cooktop the same model as your latest replacement? I don't recall when their new model was introduced.

First thing...I called the costumer service when my cooktop was still in warranty.

this is what Sub-zero claims:

• "Best in Class" Cooking Options
  With 5 elements and 5 bridging options, the 36" Wolf induction cooktop offers 10 different cooking configurations to accommodate the widest available variety of pan sizes and dish preparation. So you can use even hard-to-fit cookware like grills, griddles and fishpans – all at the same time!
• Cooktop Stays Cool
  With magnetic induction, the cooktop stays relatively cool, while the cookware heats up, fast and with perfectly distributed heat. Safer to operate, and easier to clean.

This is my story

My wolf looks fantastic but I had a terrible sad frustrating experience. I had 2 major problems:

1. its gets burning hot >> 145° F, on the left end side (I’m talking about around the burner to the edge of the glass incuding the frame).

2. No “middle range” temperature on 2 of the smaller burners ... it’s basically either simmering-warming or searing.

I called the assistance, they came out and they acknowledge one of the problems: I showed them with the thermometer the 145° on the frame so it was obvious.

The first technician that came out, after he called the technical support, he told me two things:

1. The stove didn’t have the middle range temperature because that’s how it’s designed (....seriously??? I paid all that money to have simmer or sear???)

2. We should have installed 6” further ( what?? 6” further back?? 6” ! I asked him if wolf would provide me a stool, in order to cook, because otherwise I wouldn’t be able to reach the pot.

A second technician came out and didn’t want to take ownership of the problem: he called the technical support (again) and they justify the missfunctioning saying that we install it to close to the edge of the countertop and I have proof that has being installed how it’s required.

we asked for the copy of a written report...all they sent was “checked, the cooktop gets to 145°F on the edge of the glass and frame, job completed.

So what? I really don’t understand what’s their philosophy in all this matter.

Bottom line....I would never buy it again.

If you are lucky you get a good product but if by chance you get one defected, you are dummed.

We have a wolf induction cooktop. It can be great to cook with but has one major problem - turning it on and off and adjusting the temperature settings. Such a basic task should be easy. That is, you turn the dial or switch and it comes on or off, and gets hotter or colder right? With the Wolf induction you turn it on by touching the top of the glass - no manual switch or dial - very sophisticated but highly undependable. If your finger is the least bit wet it will not come on. If you touch it at the wrong angle it won't come on. My wife tells me she has to use her left hand, index finger only - really? I gave up. Our unit is 4 years old and she has gotten used to dealing with its temperamental behavior. The frustrating thing for us is that it was very expensive so you don't expect to have a problem with turning it on and off! We have a compatible Wolf hood as well. The lights stopped working after a few years and it cost us $655 dollars to get the lights working because we had to replace the circuit board/motherboard. It was $505 for the circuit board and $155 for the service call. That's right you cannot just buy new light bulbs. I guess this is one way that Wolf makes money - they ream you for the parts needed to repair their appliances.

NEVER AGAIN will we buy a Wolf appliance. I do not care about snob appeal or brand name. I just want the appliance to be dependable, reliable and reasonable to repair. The Wolf induction cooktop as well as their hood is IMHO an example of a very sophisticated appliance that is highly impractical. Cooking should be fun and about the food and the appliance should be there to support your love of cooking. A simple cheap gas cooktop with four burners that always lights would be far superior to a brand name where the engineering and design has not caught up with the vision of induction. Stay away.

I have had the urge to post a review on the Wolf induction cooktop for a while. This is the second induction cooktop I have owned in additional to some induction hot plates. Wolf definitely delivers induction well in terms of the technology itself, however I have one MAJOR frustration ... controls and safety!

First, the lock feature automatically enables itself once you have turned the stove off for a while ... which seems “super safe” and maybe even handy, except that the touch responsiveness on the buttons is very difficult already, so if your finger is wet, cold, hot, or otherwise not meeting some very specific range of criteria, you cannot disable the lock in order to turn on the stove. Not helpful, given that induction is not really unsafe to begin with. One must have an induction ready pot/pan on the proper burner for it to work in the first place, so this extra feature is more annoying than safe and really has created larger hazards for me over time. Also, due to the poor responsive nature of the controls, if your pot over boils onto the controls, one or two of a few things may or may not happen: 1. your cooktop will begin beeping loudly 2. your cooktop may turn off completely 3. while trying to control the mess, all of your controls are rendered useless, thereby potentially creating new, larger problems. I think many of these features were created in order to avoid lawsuit, but lack the practicality necessary for actual use. My last induction cooktop was a mid-grade brand, nothing fancy, but I LOVED IT! So I assumed when I spent the money for a Wolf cooktop that I would be getting an upgrade ... bad assumption. I want my old one back. I hate that when I’m cold, my cooktop won’t unlock. Even under normal conditions the unlock button realistically takes up to 10+ seconds to unlock ... my pot filler can fill a pot in half that time, so this is problematic. The responsiveness of the controls is so poor that when cooking with precision, you may need to hit the control much sooner than expected for a quick temperature reduction, otherwise burning or overcooking will be instant due to the induction nature. I also think locking and unlocking should be a matter of choice (my last one offered locking, but didn’t force me to use it) ... my kids are old enough to use the kitchen appliances, so there is no need for such extreme safety measures, especially given the aforementioned natural safety measures of induction. Forcing me to toggle this poorly made touch screen is rough enough without the extra control that never works correctly. Also, I was unable to turn off my over-boiling pot just moments ago and instead was forced into making a much bigger mess as I scrambled to grab mits to remove the pot, since the controls are rendered useless until you clean them after water reaches them. The idea that this cooktop is more “safe” is absolute crap! This cooktop is the least safe induction unit I have used, despite the overboard “safety” features. Ridiculousness.

Also, the touch screen technology on this is horrible. Even without extreme safety efforts. I think cavemen had better touchscreen technology. I would rather push an actual button or turn a knob than have an unreliable touchscreen whilst I’m cooking. This has ruined my precise cooking on many an occasion. (despite knowing and trying to prepare for it)

I am in love with induction technology and will never go back to gas or traditional electric, but my next cooktop will not be wolf. pitiful. Crap in a box with a guarantee slapped on it, is still crap in a box!

If you had the chance to do it all again, knowing what you know, which induction cooktop would you go with? I'm about to pull the trigger on the Wolf 36" induction and am having a pause

I am still good with my Wolf. I like the layout and the price was very good at the time - 5 years ago. I have not had issues with the touch control. The only other one I might look at is the Miele, but the extra $1000 would likely keep me sticking with the wolf. Personally - I am waiting for the full surface Miele induction to make its way to the US. I might consider upgrading if the fit would work with my Current cutout In a few years.

I absolutely love my Wolf 36" cooktop and have had no problems for the 4 years I have had it. As far as the safety lock, your manual will tell you how to turn that feature off. The controls are sensitive to your touch but it didn't take me long to get use to the correct pressure needed. I tended to push too hard, like pushing a button, but the controls need a very light touch. It didn't take me long at all to get used to the feel. The above reviewer is correct that you need a "dry" finger on the controls for them to work best but I always have a drying towel tucked in my waist or very near by to quickly take care of this. Good luck with your purchase.

Have a new 36” in our new build and the first time I used it to fry to eggs, there were small white dots in the glass element and I have indiction pots? Anyone else have this issue and I did not shake frying pan back and forth?

Sharon, did you try using a cooktop cream? Occasionally my Wolf induction cooktop will get mysterious marks in the elements, probably transfered from the pan bottom. Cooktop cream (I use Weimann's) is the only product that removes them. I then clean the bottom of my pan with either Weimann's or Bar Keeper's Friend. Hope this works for you too.

HI AWM03. If you have the time, I see that others here have reported problems with the Wolf induction cook surface controls being finicky and not responding to cold or wet fingers. All of thte reviews that mention this are 3 or more years old. I'm looking at the 2023 version (36" induction range). Given your response says 21 days ago, do you by chance have the updated wolf induction? Would love to hear you likes and dislikes of it if so. Thanks in advance!

It is the newest model for 2023, but can get more info if needed

Hi rachaelandrewskane, my Wolf cooktop is from 2021, so no experience with the new digital display.

Sharon, you can also try cream of tartar and white vinegar. Make a paste and rub with a soft cloth. This will also remove baked on surface residue (the sort that builds up with continual heat on the cooktop, and hard water marks (from water that falls on the cooktop and dries.

I used induction for YEARS. And loved it. When we gutted the kitchen, this time everyone talked up GAS to me. And basically shamed me for not having ”professional” gas top. So I went with it. I hate it. Takes FOREVER to boil water. Takes FOREVER to cool down. And I can never get the gas low enough where I don’t burn things. Anyway, that’s MY personal opinion. If I could, I’d love to trade this 36” dual-fuel range in, for induction.

I love my induction and will never select gas.

We LOVE our Wolf induction 36” stove! You learn to be organized & ready to go when you turn the burner on. It cooks fast & is so easy to clean the cook top. We spray a little Dawn Powerwash on the dirty area & it wipes right off. On the other hand, when we use a Viking gas stove it takes a very long time to boil water, & it is difficult to control the heat so that food doesn’t catch down. I feel I have to watch over it constantly. And then, my dread of all dreads… cleaning those grates!