The induction ranges by Whirlpool (and its sub-brands, KitchenAid and Maytag) have odd burner layouts and the ovens have only the much-complained about "AquaLift" steaming function for self cleaning ovens. Only the dual-oven Whirlpool induction range also has traditional oven self-cleaning, but it also has the burners arranged and linked with a unique front and back zones with the smallest burners in front. There have been a few comments about unpleasant noise. For me, the knock on the WP made ranges is that they only have nine steps for burner heat settings which many find insufficient for lower heat cooking.

Slide-in induction ranges are all well above the budget you've established. (FWIW, $2k was also my max stove budget when I was shopping a couple of years ago.)

There are probably 6 other freestanding induction ranges for you to look at and which likely would preferrable. Be aware that there will be the possibility of some substantial Fourth of July discounts for the next couple of weeks.

Samsung's NE597NOPBSR (usually around $1900 but often sells for less and was down below $1400 for Memorial Day sales) and NE595NOPBSR (usually offered at around $1600 but sometimes often discounted a lot) They have differing burner layouts and convection oven functions. The "597" has dual left hand burners (not clear if they are 7" or 8" diameter hobs) that can be linked to run in a bridged mode for roasting pans, pancake griddles, etc. Also has a warming drawer. The 595 has four differing size burners, plain convection fan, a storage drawer, and less brushed metal fascia. Consumer Reports's testing rates it pretty high. Haven't seen any reviews of the 595 here or at chowhound, but there have been a couple of discussions about the "597." (Canada has the "599NOPBSR" which is similar to the "597" but has the flex-oven that allows you to insert a panel and convert the large oven into two separately controlled chambers.)

Firigidaire/Electrolux has three free-standing induction range models. Two of them are the Frigidaire Gallery Series FGIF3061NF and the essentially similar Kenmore version. These are the least expensive models currently available, with prices varying between $1200 and $1500 or so, depending on sales and whims. Sometimes the Samsung "595" turns up a little less expensive than them, though. (Note that there a couple of other Kenmore induction ranges which have been sold for a while and are Electrolux clones and priced at about $2500 for the freestanding and $3100 for the slide in -- the Frigidaire clone model with rotary knob controls has only been out since last fall and is half as expensive. The freestanding Frigidaire/kenmore model has rotary knobs for burner controls (though still with digital stepping) which some prefer to the touchpad burner settings used by most induction ranges. They also have smaller burners than most -- one 10" (I think), one 7", one 6" and one 5" (which is great if you like cooking with small pans.)

When thinking about pan sizes for induction, remember that the important measurement is the base of the pan, not the rated maximum diameter across the top. So, a 12" fry pan will typically have a 9" base. There is a recent, long running thread that discusses pan sizes with induction where Seattlelandlord and some others reported being able to use 12" skillets without problems on the 7" burners of the Frigidaire and Electrolux induction ranges. (My experience has been with other induction ranges and cooktops where using pans much larger than the burner's nominal size may result in an outer ring being a little less hot than the rest of the pan base. The extent of this varies, however with both the range and the cookware.) Try searching for that thread if you have not already seen it.

The third sub $2k Frigidaire/E'lux range is the Electrolux IQ-Touch Series EI30IF40LS which generally lists for around $1900 to $2k but sometimes can be discounted a bit. (Check those holiday sales prices!) It has bridgeable left burners similar to set-up on the Samsung "597" plus a bal-bearing/gliding oven rack and a warming drawer. I think, it may have more steps in the lower ranges of the burners which may a convenience. Controls are all touchpad (which some may think of as more upscale.) Searching on "gardenweb + seattlelandlord" might find the recent threads here that discuss this range.

Finally, there is the GE PHB920 which is a redesigned and improved version of the previous GE PHB925 freestanding model. It usually list for around $2100 but often seems to be sold aropund $1900 and has been as low as $1700 during holdiay sales. It has a similar burner layout to the "925" (both slide-in and freestandeing) and there are lots of long posts about the previous models which will stiull be applicable. The two 8" diameter left burners can be used with large griddles and large pans, but there is no linking of the burners to a single control as with the Samsung and E-Lux). Consumer Reports just tested this model and rates it with a bit lower than the Samsung 595 and Frigidaire Gallery induction ranges. Cosmetically, it is gray and stainless which some people prefer to the more usual black-and-brushed metal look of the other freestanding induction ranges. Also, the oven has a full-size third oven element for convection baking which some have reported to be an enhancement over the usual convection oven features in the other stoves. Lots of postings here about the GE models and almost all very positive, which might or might not overcome your aversion things GE.

This post was edited by JWVideo on Sat, Jun 28, 14 at 12:11

JWWVideo, wow!! This is all SUPER helpful! I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to write. It sounds as if appliances might be a passion for you? :-) It does sound as if the Frigidaire, Electrolux or GE could be good options for us. (My husband thinks the Samsung looks too modern to blend with the other appliances.) A few quick follow-up questions:

1) If we can get the GE slide-in for $2500 on sale (and stretch our budget), would you recommend splurging for that?

2) Any feedback on reliability of E'lux vs. GE vs. Frigidaire?

3) Finally, any sense of which brand might blend well with the Whirlpool and Kitchen Aid styling of our other appliances? I know this is more of a design question, but I thought I would ask since you seem so knowledgeable. :-)

I am going to check with my husband on pan width, etc. It is hard to actually see these models in-person since so few stores carry them on the floor. For that reason and more, I am incredibly appreciative of the input!

All best,

Sara

I can't comment on model vs model stuff, but I will say that I love my GE range. If you know anyone at all that works for any division of GE, have them invite you to the online friends and family store. I found pricing there to be generally the best, though good holiday sales are almost on par.

With the new model out, you may still be able to find the previous model on clearance places, I know I say a few here and there when looking for a friend just a few months back.

Whichever model you end up with, I'm sure you will LOVE induction! I just don't have any experience with any other model to share.

Appliances aren't so much a passion as an accidental expertise gained fom a kitchen remodel a couple of years ago. In consequence, I've been "consulting" for friends, one of whom almost bought the GE PHB920 over Memorial Day. However, she dropped that plan when I realized that the only problem with her old stove --- a vintage 1959, classic pushbutton GE coil burner she got from her mother --- was merely that the oven needed a new lower oven heating element. So, I gotta do something with what I've learned. :>)

Long term reliability of induction ranges is a bit hard to predict since most of the models have not been around very long. According to Consumer Reports' annual membership surveys, GE branded electric ranges are the least likely to have problems i(about 5%) n the first five years of ownership with Whirlpool (and its Maytag brand), Kenmore and Frigidaire running a little less (around 8%). The electric stove brands to avoid at this point seem to be LG, KitchenAid and Jenn Air (the later two being Whirlpool brands; go figure.) Those are rates for all models of electric ranges, though, so I don't know how well those rates translate to induction stoves.

As for matching finishes, that's not something I actually care about, so I'm the wrong person to ask for that kind of advice. Try posting the question in the Kitchens frum where the design mavens hang out.

Williamsem and JWWVideo, this is more incredibly helpful info! It sounds as if GE might be a good way for us to go, but I will also check out Frigidaire and Electrolux. (We had a Frigidaire induction cooktop at our old house; we like it, although the buttons and burners were not intuitive.) I wish there were more places to see these ranges in-person! Ah well....:-)

A friend of ours works for GE, so I have emailed him to see about the Friends and Family store. Fingers crossed!

I welcome any additional input too.

Many thanks again!

Sara

>>> 1) If we can get the GE slide-in for $2500 on sale (and stretch our budget), would you recommend splurging for that? Well, every range represents a mix of design choices and engineering trade-offs and the mix you like might be different than mine. Also, if you splurge on the range, do you have to give up something else in the kitchen?

Other than budgetary considerations, I certainly know of no reason to avoid the GE induction slide-in. That friends and family discount might make a slide-in lot less of a splurge over your planned $2k budget.

While I personally prefer having range controls down front (as on a slide-in), not everybody cares and some want them as far away as possible from the reach of little ones. You can't lockout the controls when the wee ones are underfoot at dinnertime, so some prefer the backsplash controls.

A related consideration for having the controls down front is that the cooling fans for the electronics are a bit closer and reportedly run longer than the ones in the freestanding induction ranges, at least when the oven has also been used.. Most people aren't bothered by the cooling fans but it is your sensitivities that matter here, not theirs'. (Of course, if you have a range hood, you probably won't notice this aspect at all.)

There may be some additional costs to getting a slide-in. When placed against a wall, you need a non-flammable backsplash on the wall. If going into an existing space for a slide-in, some have a counter filler strip behind the range. Some slide-ins, the GE in particular, are designed to go flush against the wall. Alterations, if any, should be figured into the cost.

Consider that a slide-in looks more spacious than a freestanding range's cooking surface but actually it is a couple inches tighter (front to back) than on the freestanding range. That may or may not matter to to you depending on how many big pans you use at one time. A couple of recent discussions of this here and at Chowhound.com's "cookware" forum may give a better of idea of the things to think about on this aspect.
Here are links to check out if you have not already done so.

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/appl/msg051130558617.html

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/appl/msg051130558617.html

Of course, you might get around this problem -- if it even is a problem for you --- by getting a $100 portable countertop induction burner to pull out for those occasions when you run out of room for bigger pans on the cooking surface.

Finally, the tops of the slide-ins have a lip on each sides to overhang gaps between the stove and the countertops. The GE slide-in lips may be higher than your countertops so you would want to think about trim pieces to fill the space between counter and lip if your counter isn't high enough. (There are discussions of pictures of how to handles this in the GE induction slide-in thread from a couple of years ago.)

This post was edited by JWVideo on Wed, Jun 25, 14 at 22:19

I went with the freestanding GE PHB920 and about a month later i am almost completely happy. Sometimes I miss knobs but I didn't care for the burner layout on the Frigidaire/Kenmore.

I was actually able to see both the slide in and freestanding versions and although I liked the look of the slide in, it was just too cramped for my cooking style.

I have only stir fried once, but I was not disappointed. I bought a "light weight" cast iron wok at Costco a few months ago in preparation for the switch to induction. On the big burner at high power it gets very hot very fast. I was a little surprised at how hot the sides of the wok got. The flat bottom of the wok is 6" across.

JWWVideo and jebrooks, this is more terrific info! I can't get over how helpful this thread has been to my husband and me. I can now see that the cooking space on the slide-in might be an issue, even if we like the way the range looks: function is really more important, right? :-) I am going to try to find a place that displays the range, but that seems to be near impossible. JWWVideo, those tips on installation were also super helpful. We are going to look over those links in depth. Lots of decisions! (I am also waiting to hear back from our friend who works at GE so that I can take a look at the Friends and Family options...)

I might be back in touch with more questions...but hopefully not! ;-)

Many, many thanks again!

Sara

I bought a Kenmore induction slide-in more than 4 years ago and I could not be more happy with it.

To me -- burner layout was the most important consideration and the model I got was perfect (large burners in the front, which is what I use most).

In my opinion, the more you pay, the more bells and whistles you are going to get that you don't need and won't use.

FWIW, my sister got that Whirlpool double-oven about 6-8 months ago, and she loves it beyond words. It does make a tad more noise than my Elux top, but she says she no longer hears it. And it is quite faint, really, to be honest. She loves the double ovens and says she couldn't live without them. Bear in mind she and her entire family cook constantly -- you can't enter the house without finding someone at the stove -- and she was switching from a godawful KA slide-in. She wanted induction so desperately that the Whirlpool was a good design and budget compromise, and she has not regretted it.

Good luck.

Again, these tips are so helpful! MizLizzie, I am glad that your sister has had a good experience with the Whirlpool range! That one has great features, but I am worried about the number of bad reviews I have seen.

Yesterday we were able to travel to some stores that have more induction ranges in stock. We were not able to see the GE ones, but we saw two Electrolux ones that I liked; the slide in was great since it has a small second oven on the bottom that can be used for cookie trays, crisped veggies, etc. I really liked that since I do a lot of small scale cooking in our oven and frequently even just use our toaster oven (which isn't as large as I would like.) However, the price on the Elecrolux slide in is high; the cheapest I have found is $2700. I also liked the free-standing Electrolux for its burner flexibility. The Bosch looked very nice, but I can't imagine buying that slide in for $3200: no discounts available yet, and it doesn't really offer any extra features that would be useful to us like the Electrolux does.

I would love to see the GE ranges in-person, but I have tried all of the area stores I can think of. The associate at Yale Appliance (near us in Boston) said that Kitchen Aid is addressing their oven issues by switching to a new source for their parts. He thinks this range (free-standing) might be a good option for us if we can wait a bit longer. (We don't need the range until September.) However, I am wary about Kitchen Aid ranges.

SO, that is the update. Again, this thread has been super helpful. Thank you, thank you again!

Now I am off to post about large capacity, free-standing fridges! ;-)

Sara

Hi Sara, I too am very interested in the GE slide-in induction range and was very frustrated as well in not being able to see it "in the flesh". I went to the GE website and went down the list of all of the places to buy and called each one until I found a store that had it on the floor.(I probably called 20 places). I was uncomfortable ordering anything sight unseen but I have to say it looked exactly like the photos others have posted with the range installed in their kitchen. I don't really feel that I learned much. The electric/non-induction model looked identical so if you're able to find one of those you're in luck.....