Save up your pennies (dollars) for induction.

You would see a huge degrade in performance going from a wolf range to a regular electic range, coil or smooth top not to mention what a Pita it is to clean a smoothtop electric range or cooktop---been there, done that, never again!!!

With induction, it will boil water faster than the wolf did, is more controllable (temp changes are "almost instantaneous").
and induction will give you every conceivable definition of "Simmer" all the way down to below 120F.

Cleaning is a "non event", myself, I just remove the paper towels I cover the cooktop with, after the cooking is done.

You do have more choices if you go the cooktop/separate oven route, but there are induction ranges, and I think there will be more choices, in the not to distant future.

Good luck with your pending decisions!

Gary

Thanks for the info!

Which one do you have and what do you think of the looks?

I have a separate cooktop and a built in oven, I'm older so did not want to do a lotta stooping. Our oven is below counter but raised about 4-6 inches off the floor. The oven is an Electrolux Icon with 3 fully gliding out shelves and a huge window in the door, so looking into the oven does not require much stooping or getting something out of it either as the shelves come way out.

We have the Electrolux Icon cooktop too, We like the way it looks, but of course our kitchen design goals are/were probably pretty different from yours, as we had a range before and wanted "Separates" due to the reasons I gave above.

Currently available induction ranges are Electrolux, GE,
Frigidaire, Viking, Kenmore and of course your favourite, Wolf!

Have a look at them, hopefully one will meet the goals you have set for your kitchen!!

Gary

Induction isn't pricey if your comparison is a wolf range. However, unfortunately, at this point you're talking about a cooktop and separate oven. The only induction ranges sold in the US are 30" ones. If there were a 36" induction range I would have purchased one. They exist in europe, just not here.

However, I would never ever get a normal electric range, especially coming from gas. I would either go propane or get an induction cooktop if I were you.

May I ask why you're ruling out propane?

We wanted induction, but went ahead and had a propane tank installed, just to run our Wolf rangetop. If you're used to 6 or more big burners on a 36" or 48" range, you might want to double check your non-gas alternatives, including induction. We decided against it, because most of the cooktops had only 1 or 2 large burners, and we needed more for our crowd.

I fully agree that you wouldn't want to go from gas to non-induction electric. I used electric all my life, and would have a very hard time going back now.

For the looks, you can make a focal point cabinet that either looks like a range, or gives you a similar great contrast look to the rest of the cabinetry. I think some makers allow you to put a 36" induction cooktop over a 30" oven. It gets a bit tricky because the pieces have to line up and interlock for a nice installation and so they don't interfere with each other. You do generally have to have the same maker for both, and have the oven specifically marked as working with the cooktop (some makers have many styles some of which work and some which don't). You could make a statement piece with an induction cooktop, and still have wall ovens elsewhere, though, if what you want doesn't work out quite right.

Induction really is the way to go if you can't have gas. Even if you can have gas, but then it's a choice, and there are reasons some people prefer gas, even if it's just for having a nice looking range. I have both induction and (Wolf) gas and I mostly just use the induction. Check out the Appliances forum and look at the threads about using induction. There are a lot of converts.

Unfortunately, induction ranges are 30" and don't have the kind of look you want.

Well....there is the 30" Viking induction range. In researching, the reviews are poor but are mostly related to the pre 2010 version. According to Viking, they changed vendors for the induction burners, redesigned the oven and upped the amps from 40 to 60 (I don't know what the heck that means in IRL from a cooking perspective).

It is beautiful and comes in custom colors. It is still on my radar.

Too bad it's a Viking, which would scare me, cuz that looks amazing!

I remember falling in love with Britannia ranges back when I was starting my appliance search... So about 7 years ago. Why can't we get something like these in the US? They have internet sellers... ;-)

Here is a link that might be useful: Britannia Induction ranges. Siiiigh...

Or this....please Trevor - import this beauty!

I am so confused as to why the US and Canada do not have 36" induction ranges?!

Check with the manufacturer. Or the owners manual. If it has a CE 220-240V 50-60Hz certification it will work in the US. Individuals have asked for and received an OK from their insurer as long as an electrician does the nstallation. PricerunnerUK lists 76 induction cookers all 24" or 36"+. Induction cooktops number 300+. AEG(Electrolux) has zoneless units for about $1000 that only weigh 33lbs for shipping.

Here is a link that might be useful: AEG HK884400XG 80cm Maxisense induction cooktop

I LOVE my GE profile induction cooktop, no knobs to clean around no trim just black and shiny. Clean up is a breeze. My favorite thing to show friends when they come to see our house is how fast it can boil water. It is truly amazing. I will never have gas again. Last range was a GE cafe dual fuel looked beautiful but did not like the hassle to keep it clean. good luck with your decision, but I do think you would enjoy induction.

When I was looking for an induction range the salesperson (who seemed to know what she was talking about) said that induction ranges are a problem and that's why you don't see more of them. I can't remember the exact problem (it's been a couple months) but it was something about the electronics taking up more space, making the oven smaller, and the oven heat damaging the electronics. I have noticed that reviews for induction ranges seem to be much more negative than reviews for induction cooktops.

I have a Kenmore Elite Induction range that I purchased as a floor model from the Sears outlet for 50% off. I love my oven more than I could have ever imagined. I never want any other type of cooktop again!

Reading through again... As far as the 'look' you like, I, too, really loved the look of a hefty, focal point range, but knew I wanted separate double wall ovens, and at first, like I said, thought I was getting an induction cooktop. So, like Plllog suggested, I created a range or hearth area with the cabinets.

Here are the plan drawings for when I still thought I was getting induction:

This is why I LOVE this forum!!

Wow on those ranges (drool, drool).

I think induction cook tops are amazing - totally don't need to be sold on the functionality... just wish they would catch up a bit on the looks in this country!

I do like the ideas for making it a focal point though - love the idea of the bump out or the different colored cabinets around it.

Not sure why we're not keen on propane. Unfamiliarity perhaps? Our contractor didn't seem tremendously keen, and I guess we then need to build an area for the propane tank outside the house? Not sure how this works, but I'll look into it.

Thanks again folks, so useful!

I can't get gas either. We already have fuel oil for our furnace and I hated the thought of having to maintain another fuel source, so I went with induction (again, not installed yet, because mid-construction). I wanted a 36" range too. The appliance man I spoke with said that at one point manufacturers tried making an 36" induction range but the power required was too great for US electric supply. I asked why they didn't just make it so you could wire the cooktop separate from the ovens, but he said that would require major re-wiring that most folks remodeling wouldn't do, so there just doesn't seem to be much demand for that combination.

I surely would have gone for it. But I'm soon going to be a 36" induction cooktop/ double wall oven gal.

We had to put in a small concrete pad for our propane tank. It's on the backside of the house, nicely out of sight and out of our way. I suppose if it was more in view, we could've enclosed it a bit. I don't pay much attention to it except for getting it refilled every few years.

Every few YEARS??

Well that certainly doesn't sound bad! A tank lasts that long with daily cooking?

I think our tank is 120 gallons... We filled it when we moved in (end of Feb '08), and filled it again (maybe late 2010, so, at least past the 2 1/2 yrs mark), and it still is 60 to 70% full right now. We have an 8 burner stove for a family of 10 with at least some of the family home all day because of homeschooling, so it gets used plenty. Ours is a rangetop, though... Our wall ovens are electric, so I don't know how much more an AG range might use.

Propane tanks are only filled to 70% max. Daily household usage is minimal (vs using propane for the type of backup generator we have that uses a gallon per hour). You pay more for the gas due to low usage but it should not be prohibitive.

Alternately, induction cooktops that are highly regarded include Miele, Wolf and Bosch. Thermador has a very beautiful one. I was researching them for a possible retrofit.

The downside of induction, depending on the cooktop, is losing space below -- I have a high usage utensil drawer there. Also induction-friendly cookware is required. But those who have them seem to love them.

My girlfriend got an Electrolux induction range and loves it. You might take a look at that.

The induction site has the most technical info in one place.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Induction Site

We had to go with propane in our present house and I love it. Cooking during power outage it worth it.

Good point, Eandhl. Having the gas rangetop is the only thing that made our house barely habitable during a 5 day power outage in 20 degree temps in Fall 2010. Ever since, I've wanted to add a propane fireplace.

We bought an induction cooktop six years ago. It is a Sears Kenmore - so wonderful and efficient and it even beat my neighbor's Wolf range when we held a "boil off"! However, I would prefer a six burner for those big family or holiday dinners. I might think twice if I was cooking for a large family all the time.

Does any one have pics of induction cooktop with oven installed underneath? I really want a 36" and I am dead set on induction. I also don't like stacked ovens because I have trouble getting in and out of the top one. My plan is an oven under cooktop and an oven/microwave stack.

Rhome and rtwilliams - I really like your set ups.

I am having a tough time finding many/ any examples of inductiion cook tops being installed with any kinf of 'feature' - rare to see a bump out or anything.

It's kind of a shame that no one seems to make any kind of a feature of them, and as a result a lot of the kitchens I see with a flat cook top seem to be missing a focal point.

If anyone has examples of kitchens with induction / electric (because they look the same) cooktops, that still manage to have a focal point, I would just LOVE to see them to get some ideas.

Rhome and rtwilliams have already put us on a good track I think.

Thanks for all the opinions!

If you can work on that induction bumpout idea you'll have a multi-user work station.