Bosch 500 series.

From the post here in Garden Web, Most folks are happy with their induction units, (regardless of Brand).

I've had the Electrolux 30' for several years now and both the wife and I love it. It had different sized hobs, alto we have not found it "fussy" as far as matching pan/pot size to Hob. It is very quiet, and "I" at least do not have a pan that buzzes on it---most are Emerilware, but I think we have a Caphalon too and some fancy pan that came with the cooktop.

It is just a matter of what you like both form and function wise. You can see most of the units that are available on
"The Induction Site"---Click the link below to go there!

Good luck on your pending decision!

Gary

Here is a link that might be useful: Induction Cooktop available in N America

It was very important for me to get a small clearance underneath the unit so I could have safe room for a utensil drawer and two large pot draawers. There are old threads about clearance. Ge, a nice, well priced unit, in their specs wanted 12 inches of clearance space but some have used it without that amount, saying they will only put noncombustibles metal utensils, in the 12 inch space. But check out the varying requirements

Most of the units have comparable features except for turn off timers and real bridge arrangements. Most of us never had turn off cooktop timers so it's pretty nifty. But you could cook very well w/out timers.

I love my Bosch 500 but I think I'd have been happy with almost all brands. Especially now, that I've had one and a lhalf year honeymoom with induction, it's all easy and prior concerns turned out to be non issues.

How "up to date" is that "The Induction Site"? I was looking for a "last updated" date.. I like to stay on the bleeding edge when purchasing long term appliances.. i know that sounds like an oxymoron a tiny bit...

Noise resonance is a good factor to take into consideration.. I have All Clad pans for the most part. They seem to have a pretty strong magnetic characteristic..

We made a change in plans and now are considering just a single oven.. so a range w/ an induction top is now an "option" for us, as well.. but I still want a gas burner.. too bad they don't make any hybrid units for the US market place! at least not ones that have a big induction hob.

Keep the ideas rolling in! Thanks All!

hidlebrau:

There are several induction-gas hybrids available. American Range makes one. Check out their website.

If you have the counter space, though, you might be happier running a single hob gas drop-in unit alongside an induction rage. Or vice versa.

This post was edited by JWVideo on Wed, Dec 5, 12 at 22:16

"How "up to date" is that "The Induction Site"? I was looking for a "last updated" date.. I like to stay on the bleeding edge when purchasing long term appliances.. i know that sounds like an oxymoron a tiny bit..."

OK, I'm not sure how "Up to Date" the Induction site is, but here is a site that is reknown for
"Having the Latest and the Greatest".

Many times, as posters here in Garden web have mentioned,
AJMadison will have information about a new appliance, even before that appliance is on the manufacturer's website.

Click the "Helpful Link", below to go there.

Good luck, on your "Quest for the Best"!!

Gary

Here is a link that might be useful: AJMadison Induction Cooktops

You might query on the forum whether people regretted purchasing a hybrid once they adjusted to induction. That was the feedback my appliance guy said he received later from his hybrid purchasers. I have the Bosch 500 over a Bosch 500 oven. Here are some issues to consider:
1. I chose touch controls as wanted to avoid the hastle of cleaning around knobs, just one smooth surface.
2. Also, I did not want a stainless rim in order to give a more integrated look on the dark granite counter.
3. Another consideration is the size of the hobs. The Bosch 500 has 3 different size hobs on my cooktop. A stock pot size is in the middle.
4. I thought the lines on my induction glass would hide dust and fingerprints, but every spec shows. However, it only takes a few minutes to clean the surface.
5. My research revealed that the glass in all smooth cooktops is manufactured by only two companies. Look for a cooktop with glass by Schott Ceran as this surface is easiest to remove spills and burned food from the glass.

JWVideo,
I'd seen that American Range hybrid before. But as my requirements have changed over the days, that one may actually work. Looks like it is a gas oven. Is that as good or better than electric ovens? We have a gas oven range today, but as most wall ovens are electric, I sort of assumed that electric must be preferred by most. Not sure why though!

Having gone from two ovens to one on the wish list, the ranges are now back in the mix. I'll run this one by my wife. I sure hope I can find one in a local show room!

Any clue if the induction hobs are bridged on this American Range? The specs left that out. I want to be able to span a griddle across two.

I also worry about my homebrew pot. It claims I can put 16" diameter up front on the induction hob. Looks smaller than that! I need a new induction ready brew pot anyway.

Any other advice from anyone. I love this feedback.

You may have missed the Best Bang for the Buck back in October when Bosch had the $300 rebate on the Bosch 800 induction cooktop. I believe they had same rebate for the 500 series.

I initially wanted to buy the Miele or the Thermador. The Bosch 800 and the Thermador are nearly identical in every way since they are made by the same company and I had to cross the Miele off the list because it was too small for the opening. After much deliberation, I decided to go with the Bosch 800 because of the rebate. Couldn't justify spending $500 or $600 more for the Then they are identical. Well, they physical do look different, but that's it.

I think you just need to figure out what features you need and investigate which models have those features. Then you can make your decision. I went from a BlueStar gas drop in to the Bosch induction and haven't looked back. It was the best decision I've made in a while. I too was concerned I may want a gas hob, but I haven't missed it at all.

There are not many models that bridge over two elements, so if you must have that specific feature then your choices will be limited. However, you can place a griddle or grill over two elements like you do on any other cooktop. So if you do that now on a gas cooktop, you can still do this on induction.

I purchased my Bosch through AJMadison.

I have a Bosch 800 that I bought new, unopened at an outlet for less than a 500. I love it! When searching, I thought I really wanted a bridge, but didn't like the models that offered one. In reality, there are few times during the year when I would use it; we don't grill indoors and a griddle would be used mainly Christmas or for large batches of pancakes if the kids have sleepovers. I opted to pick up a cheap electric griddle that I can pull out when needed and store out of sight when not in use. Been using the 800 for a few months; loving it!

Wow.. $500 for the Bosch 800!? Where was that outlet and do they have any more?

stahlee said I can place a griddle over two elements on the Bosch.. sandra_zone6 hints that I cannot do that.. which is true? does a pot/griddle/whatever that spans two induction hobs on the Bosch work? Does it make funky noises or shake/rattle/roll?

Oh, and I've been looking for a place to even find a price on that http://www.americanrange.com/residential/36hybrid.html American Range Hybrid.. but I haven't found anything on the web w/ a price or even listing it that they were selling it.. One place popped up in google, and I "called for price" and they couldn't even look up that model number even though it was on their website.. then they hung up on me. hah.

Thanks!

Here is a link that might be useful: American Range 36

hildebrau: "I do have an interest in being able to bridge across two or more hobs.. I find that functionality can be scarce in the specs and certainly not in the general line item listing when comparing on sites like AJMadison, etc.."

Our LG (brand) LCE30845 (model) has a pair of 8" elements on the left that are designed to be bridged on demand, and, when bridged, activate an induction source for the hourglass shape between them. LG ships a stainless steel griddle with the unit that is just the size to cover the two elements completely. Other than that special feature, the LG is pretty much plain vanilla, does not have timed shut-off on its burners, and lacks other "oh wow" features, but there are two other features of the LG that may or may not be of interest to you.

First, our first induction cooktop was a Jenn-Air, which was notably shallow below the cooking surface, and allowed us to install the cooktop directly over a drawer where we keep spoons, spatulas, tops of pots, etc. That placement worked well, even though in the Jenn-Air, the cooling air vented into the cavity beneath the cooktop.

When we had to replace the Jenn-Air (it required a unique repair part, but Whirlpool had purchased Maytag/Jenn-Air in the meantime, and had completely orphaned all previous models, not even carrying a listing of the former Maytag parts), we found that most of the induction cooktops on the market extended deeper -- some much deeper -- below the surface than our Jenn-Air had, and to install them would have required us to give up our drawer. The LG, on the other hand, was much shallower than even our Jenn-Air had been, less than 2" thick, truly the Kate Moss of cooktops, and had no significant magnetic field below the electronics, so we could keep our under-cooktop utility drawer. (We also discovered that the required countertop cut-out for the LG was within 1/8" of the existing cut-out for the Jenn-Air, so we could just drop the LG in where the Jenn-Air had been, a serendipitous coincidence, as the cut-out dimensions for nominally 30" cooktops are notoriously not standardized.)

Second, and related to the first, the LG vents its cooling air above the countertop, through envelope-thickness slits in the stainless trim at the rear of the cooktop. Therefore, although we had never noted the drawer underneath the cooktop getting hot when we had the Jenn-Air, with the LG, the drawer never even gets detectably warmer than the air in the kitchen itself. The rear-venting could be a consideration, however, if you were thinking about butting the rear trim of the cooktop flush with a backsplash.

Here is a link that might be useful: LG element-bridging induction cooktop

"I have a Bosch 800 that I bought new, unopened at an outlet for less than a 500."

Note the "Lack of a $ sign" before the "500". I suspects what
sandra_zone6 meant was that she paid less for the Bosch 800 than she would have paid for a Bosch 500, sorry about that!!
So far She has not told us what she paid,
(Dollar wise) anyway.

Gary

hildebrau, I called Bosch before I bought my 800 series to make sure I could do that. I've done it several times and it works like you would expect it to.

The Maxisense AEG units bridge. Like the HK884400XG. They are on UK sites for less than $1k. CE certified for European power standards including 50-60hz and 220-240V, which matches US supply. Fedex is about $150.

Here is a link that might be useful: AEG induction

We have a GE Monogram 30" induction cooktop #ZHU30RBMBB which is installed over a GE Monogram Oven # ZET1SMSS. $3700 for both installed. Cost of Oven was between $2500-$3000. They were installed in 2008 and are both great. No problems with either in last 4 years. Both are actually made by Electrolux. One of our concerns was the compatibility / install space of the induction cooktop over the oven. Same brand did insure they could be installed together. There are likely more models to choose from today. Induction is great. Suggest Berndes cookware.

So glad this got bumped up. Herring maven, what wonderful information. I am struggling with the height issue just now.

I have the Kitchenaid 30" with bridge burner. I like the bridge burner for pan gravy. This unit is noisy. It clicks at the lower temps as the magnets cycle on and off, and it buzzes. It's a lovely unit, it has easy to use controls, timers, power boost. It's very thin, like the LG, so I have a drawer right under it. I don't know if I would have bought it if I'd heard it in action, though. Just a warning.

As original poster, I thought I'd mention I went with a. Bosch 800 series. Hasn't been installed yet, though. Hope we like it!

hildebrau, now that you have had the Bosch 800 induction for a few years, could you please update?

Don't have a ton of time.. but I have not had any regrets w/ the Bosch 800.. if I do a LONG homebrew session (90+ minutes of boost mode) it will turn off at some point and flash an E(rror) at me.. I just shut it off and restart and it purrs right along..

Brewing beer on these isn't ideal, honestly.. to get a good boil on a giant pot, I do need to use boost mode, and boost mode turns off every 10 minutes..

However, for every other purpose, it has worked beautifully!

p.s. I highly recommend getting a speed oven, also.. We went with the GE Advantium over the range version; but any will do...

Lisa, both mizlizzie and I have Bosch 30" induction cooktops that we're very happy with. I think features are the most important issue - not brand - to me the hob layout and type of interface are very important. Of specific importance to me is having direct-select power levels (just push one number, instead of having to go "tap-tap-tap" or some other method), and the individual hob timers (which I use all the time, for example for rice and oatmeal). Those may or may not matter to you, and there may be other features that matter to you and other buyers.

http://porterandcharles.ca/product/ci30-v/ might be perfect for you. www.eurohome-appliances.com sells them. They are the authorized servicer for Porter&Charles so they also sell uncrated appliances with a full warranty at reduced prices. Have a look.