My sister has the Kenmore slide-in induction range which she bought in January 2010 and absolutely LOVES it. We are iced tea drinkers and she loves to brag about how the water comes to a boil by the time she gets the Splenda and tea bags ready! The induction cooktops are a dream to clean. Once you adjust to the quickness of pan-preheating, it is like cooking on gas. Many, many posts on induction so do a search and read lots of opinions.

I have the Kenmore induction slide-in purchased in Oct 2009. I love it! The burner layout is fabulous -- I can have my 12" and 10" skillet side by side right in the front. Boils water super fast and very responsive when heat is turned down.

I bake all the time and the oven is spot on.

I have only used the warmer drawer a couple times -- I actually forget I have it!

Does anyone know if this model (4501) is made by Electrolux like the old one (4500)? It looks quite similar.

It is made by Electrolux.

--Lily

(disclaimer: I work for Sears.)

Did I just violate TOS for mentioning the name of where I work? I figured it was better to disclose that so you know if I might be unintentionally biased or have access to information. But I just read that I'm not supposed to mention my business. What is the proper protocol?

It's okay I think, Lily. Sears isn't really YOUR business. You just work there. I don't think it profits YOU if Sears sells an extra appliance, right? :) And it's good to know. We discuss Sears a lot here and having your input as a Sears employee might be helpful. So disclaimer away.

At least that's what *I* think. Now tell Sears to go fix their crummy web site!

Ha! If they actually listened to me we wouldn't have such a crummy website. It vexes us peons daily. So I guess you just proved your point. Thanks

Lily (who still works at Sears)

Well, Lily (worked at Sears), TILLLLLLLL
They see her post here bout their Web-site (LOL).

We have several salemen on this site, some who have come
"Out of the closet"-----so to speak,
and a few that are still "Incognito"!!!

Welcome aboard GW, we look forward to "Your Inside Knowledge",
concerning Sears.

Gary

Whoops!

Well, I'm sure her REAL name isn't "Lily" and she just came this way through the gardening forums. She's a big _Hemerocallis_ fan ya know. Also roses. :)

Thank you all so much for your help!! I am the worst about buyer's remorse!! I went on Sear's Chat to ask a question about the burner/hob sizes and the representative stated that there were two 6" and two 7". I was devastated! However, finally tonight I located the User Manual for the 4501 and found out that there is a 10", 8" 7" and 6". WHEW! I am glad to know that a 12" skillet will work on the 10". Thank you all so much!!

Now that I know it's by the same manufacturer as ours I can tell you that we love it and it hasn't given us a bit of grief.

The only negative, which has been noted before, is that the oven takes a long time to get to the right temperature. We suppose that's because the heating element is hidden under the oven floor. But so far as we can tell the oven thermometer is very accurate.

We haven't had need to use the warming drawer.

janythd, you are correct, you can put a 12" pan on a 10" hob because the heat in the pan will travel to the outer edges. But you will want to pay enough attention get in the habit of centering it well or you may end up with hot spots.

Lennym, generally speaking, most new ovens take a while to preheat regardless of the model. I'm told it is to protect the lining of the oven from heat shock, since it is made of different substance from oder model ranges. That's what "they" say. Also, the heater being under the oven cavity tends to soften the heat a bit so that the entire oven gets hot more evenly and you have less intense heat coming from the bottom. The result being that your cornbread muffins have a nice muffin top without as much darkening of the muffin stems. Again, that's what "they" say.

--Lily (still works at Sears, and loves the flowers lots)

I've decided on an induction range, but am debating between the Kenmore 4501, which appears to be a new model, and the Electrolux EW30IS65JS. The Electrolux just came out with a $400 rebate, so the pricing isn't much of a factor between the two anymore. Recommendations?

The Kenmore goes on sale often I think--Sears is always pushing those things. :) I bet you can still get a better price on the Kenmore.

But...no offense to Kenmore owners, the Elux is just much prettier!

"Pretty" is very important in an appliance. And also in the eye of the beholder.

Generally I have had very good customer satisfaction out of the Kenmore.

However I haven't sold an Electrolux so I haven't any comparison stories to offer.

In my humble opinion, the two *should* be similar quality-wise. If I had to choose between the two at the same price, I would base my choice on how it would "feel" to use and on which one I think is prettier.

--Lily (who works at Sears)

UPDATE: Well I had already ordered the Kenmore 4501 but waiting for it to be delivered until August when the house was closer to completion. HOWEVER - I cancelled my order today all together - everything that I had ordered from Sears. I needed a installation guide for the 4501 so that the cabinets could be built to match the appliance and after talking with multiple Sears reps on the phone and the manager at the local store where I purchased the item - no one could provide the information that I needed. I checked Manage My Life as well and no luck. For every other brand of appliance I could find the info on the web with a click of the button. After spending hours trying to find the info and getting the run around - I figured this was a glimpse of the poor customer service that I would have if something ever went wrong with any of my appliances through Sears. So....now I am sort of back to square one. I am so sad because I LOVED the look of the Kenmore but I need piece of mind for the future as well. I went to my local store and now deciding between the GE Freestanding Induction Range and the Electrolux Slide In - any thoughts on these two??

I was at Sears today and took a look at the Kenmore freestanding induction. Up close, it had a lot of black plastic and didn't have the impressive "pretty" look of the Electrolux. Plus, the Electrolux has an attractive blue exterior and glide-out oven racks. I read in the most recent Consumer Reports that the GE freestanding induction is the most highly rated. I would personally go with that as I like GE appliances, but I need a slide-in and GE doesn't make one (at this time, anyway). So, I'm back to the slide-in Electrolux that's got a $400 rebate going on thru July 4th weekend. If you can handle installation yourself, check out the online sites. You'll save on taxes and delivery, but all they'll do is bring the box to your front door.