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Durability/Reliability of Induction Ranges?

15 years ago

I'm very interested in induction ranges but had ruled these out as options because with all the electronic components I'm concerned they may not be a durable or reliable as a simpler gas range. Any thoughts?

Comments (21)

  • 15 years ago

    My Electrolux slide-in induction range is still going strong, after nearly a month! Very pleased, so far...

  • 15 years ago

    Induction ranges are ideal if the choice involves electric ranges only and kitchen comfort in hot climates. At the moment choice is limited and they are relatively expensive. The variety of gas ranges is a plus for those have that option.

    Induction will increase in choice and popularity as mass production lowers costs. I just couldn't wait.

  • 15 years ago

    I have bad luck with stoves so I bit the bullet and bought the extended warranty on my induction range (negotiated a better price though).

    Anyhow, almost one year and no service yet on this range.

    My mother has a simple Kenmore gas stove and has had to have it serviced twice in three years -- ignition and now the the oven -- there are plenty of electronics on gas stoves now a days so they are more prone to problems.

  • 15 years ago

    We've had a Samsung induction since beginning of May. DH wanted to buy the extended warranty, but the owner's manual has 5 year parts on the cooktop, which I think is actually pretty good. I am a little concerned that should it need repair, can we get quality service.

    We got a floor model plus extra clearance, so the price for us was the same as a convection range.

  • 15 years ago

    I recently bought an E'lux induction range. Service tech is coming next week to fix the touch pad which doesn't work right and the oven whose temps are off by ~35 degrees.

    Also have to disagree that induction is cooler, at least not with this range. There is a fan that exhausts hot area constantly into the kitchen to keep the electronics cooled down, from the time either the cooktop or oven is turned on until they are completely cool.

  • 15 years ago

    Warmfridge, I'm curious; can you say more (either now or after the service call) about your range's issues?

    For example, how long have you had this range, and when did its problems appear? Did the issues develop at the same time, like after some event (e.g., a self-cleaning cycle, etc.), or did they occur separately? Were there any indications that trouble was brewing with either or both of these issues? I'll also be curious about how well they are able to service these problems, after they show up.

  • 15 years ago

    I have A GE Monogram induction cooktop installed over a GE Monogram oven in 2008. No problems of any kind. Love them both and recommend them both. I believe these GE appliances may be made by Electrolux. Following are the appliances

    â¢Cooktop - 30â Electric Induction Cooktop - GE Monogram - 30â Induction Cooktop - Black - Model ZHU30RBMBB
    â¢Note - GE Profile - 30â Induction Cooktop (is the same cooktop with different cosmetics)- Model PHP900DMBB
    â¢Oven - 30â wall oven installed under induction cooktop
    â¢GE Monogram 30â Built-in Convection Single Wall Oven
    â¢Stainless - Model ZET1SMSS
    â¢Vent hood insert for wood range hood - Prestige - Pro-style Power Pack Hood Insert with Internal Blower System
    â¢Prestige Power Pack - Model UIB28S1

    We happened to talk with Donald Silvers who wrote the book "Kitchen Design with Cooking in Mind" when planning our kitchen remodeling and he recommended induction (not any particular brand)when we told him that gas was not available.

    We did buy some new cookware - Berndes Tricion - which works great on induction

  • 15 years ago

    My kitchen remodel was finished 2 weeks ago. The problems have existed since I first used the range.

    The touchpad works fine for the oven side...the controls can be activated with a light tap. On the cooktop side, I have to push down so hard on the touchpad to activate the controls, using 2 fingers, that my fingers are sore and I'm afraid of breaking the glass.

    The oven thermostat doesn't seem to work at all. Using convection bake, the oven temp (measured with 2 different oven thermometers) is 40-50 degrees less than the set temperature. Using normal bake, the oven temp is 10-15 degrees less than the set temp when the bell dings indicating the oven is done preheating. At ten minutes later, the oven is 25 degrees over the set temp, and after an additional 5 minutes, it's 35 degrees over the set temp. By then the food is overcooked to burned, and I have to turn the oven off. It seems like the thermostat can't identify when the right temp is reached and just continues to heat the oven.

    Neither the cooktop or oven are usable like this. Wondering if I got a $3000 lemon. Fortunately I still have my old electric range but I don't think it will fit in the space for this slide-in without replacing my brand new granite. :-(

  • 15 years ago

    Warmfridge, I'm sorry to hear about your problems with this induction range. Mine (same model) was installed less than a month ago.

    At first, it seemed difficult to turn my cooktop hobs on. I've learned to just rest my finger on the ON / OFF letters (above the circles, for each hob), with very little pressure. [That seems to work fine, for me -- much better than when I tried pressing down hard -- and I haven't had trouble changing temperature settings.] Hope this helps, if you haven't tried it.

    My oven is not erratic, like yours; that's definitely a problem. I'm sorry, and hope the E'lux service techs are on top of things, for you. Please let us know how it goes.

  • 15 years ago

    I've had the GE induction range for 2 months now and after an initial problem cured by resetting the circuit breaker, I couldn't be happier. Went to this from the top of the line Bosch electric model which gave me nothing but problems. I purchased the GE from a dealer that carries all top of the line: Wolf, Miele, Viking, Electrolux, Bosch, etc. because I was interested in the Electrolux or the Viking. The associate recommended the GE over the others which was interesting to me since it was the least expensive of the three. It cooks beautifully and clean up is no different than cleaning a countertop. Gas is not an option for me due to the architecture of our home and I preferred a freestanding model although I was willing to do some modifications for the Electrolux slide-in. Being in Florida, I'm also very happy that the kitchen stays so much cooler.

  • 15 years ago

    jpreisman......You said you replaced your Bosch 'electric model' with the GE. Was it just a regular electric....or was the Bosch also an induction? Just wondering because we've picked out the Bosch induction as our final choice. We like the GE, but the clearance requirements under it didn't work for our small kitchen, though we tried. :-) Thanks!

  • 10 years ago

    I bought my Electrolux Induction range on May 21, 2010. Circuit board blew March 8, 2016. $1005 to get it fixed. Was told by service provider that manufacturers say appliances last only 5 to 6 years now due to electronics. Will probably forgo repairs and just buy a run of the mill range. Loved my Electrolux Induction but can't afford $3600 every six years. So sad.

  • 10 years ago

    My Kenmore induction slide-in is 5 years, 5 months old. The first one I got was replaced almost immediately; it was throwing fault codes that would only go away by flipping the breaker. I think that unit had been dropped because the warmer drawer was actually bent.


    My salesman at Sears replaced it immediately with a new stove and I bought the 3 year warranty. The ONLY thing I used the warranty for was a noisy convection fan. The stovetop has performed flawlessly all this time.

    Very, very happy with this purchase and paid less than $2,000.00

  • 10 years ago

    Glad I got a relatively inexpensive one - $1800 - in case it doesn't last.

  • 10 years ago

    My five-year-old Samsung induction range was wonderful .... until about a month ago. The largest -- and most used -- hob works only sporadically. No rhyme or reason. This was about a week after I had to repair a control board in the matching fridge for $700. Appliance repairman said one in four appliances in the landfill is less than five years old.


  • 10 years ago

    I have had a Windcrest 30" induction cooktop for nearly 10 years. It is still going strong and has never required service. The surface looks near new.

  • 10 years ago

    Unfortunately, we hanging out here at the Garden Web / Houzz do not get any valid statistics about actual failure rates. There are failures, and correction is expensive -- nearly as expensive as replacement -- at least in my experience with Kenmore and Frigidaire, both by Electrolux. My Kenmore failed after 7 years, but other owners incensed by early failures past the one-year warranty have lodged many complaints where product forums exist, such as at Amazon.

    My view is that for induction cooktops and ranges, the modest cost of a warranty extension (a bet with an insurance company) is worth the price, at least for Electrolux sourced induction cooktops that I have owned and do own. The initial warranty is usually only one year, so spreading the replacement cost, or the cost of one or two $600 electronic boards plus labor, out to past five years is worth the $200 that the warranty extension costs.

    With the warranty extension, then one might consider a failure prone induction unit to be leased at a tenth the lease rate for a nice automobile, and any induction unit lifetime past the 5-year point is free mileage.

    (I haven't determined whether warranty extensions can be extended further, thereby effectively dropping the yearly lease rate.)

    kas

  • 9 years ago

    Much like one of the reviewers above. I purchased a home in 2016 that came with an electrolux induction top that was installed around 2010/2011. It started flashing fault codes and I was told it would be $1250 to repair it. Not sure if the technology was new around that time or if Electrolux is a subpar brand. Considering going back to an conventional GE radiant electric range.

  • 9 years ago

    For myself, I can't imagine a radiant electric cooktop having any advantage over an induction cooktop other than lower cost (countertop surface alteration, where applicable, could count as a cost). If this is an Electrolux countertop induction unit and not a range, Frigidaire (and I expect Kenmore) can be used in the same cutout.

    My experience is with Electrolux clones, so I have more awareness of their failures that have been reported. I cannot say whether they are typical or atypical. The guts of my previous Kenmore revealed reasonable design practices and parts quality. Mine lasted 7 years performing what is a rather stressful task for household electronics.

    The issue is really with the repair process and its associated costs. The replacement boards seem to be priced for significant profit, rather than for good PR. The parts access is not simple, and it costs quite a lot of time to tear the unit down to the boards, replace them, and then reassemble. Then one can test to see if the repair worked. Hence my view expressed in an earlier message about accepting insurance and treating the units as disposable rental objects.

    kas

  • 9 years ago

    Monogram induction cooktop update - We have a Monogram induction cooktop made by Electrolux at a vacation condo since 2008. Perhaps we were lucky, but we have had zero problems with the Monogram induction cooktop. This unit is used from May to Oct plus Thanksgiving and Christmas. I cook more than most. The unit does get significant use, most breakfasts, some lunch, most dinners. When we purchased the Monogram, the GE Profile had identical specs, but the external cosmetics were different. We have a Jenn-Air radiant cooktop in our home, but I love the induction cooktop.

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