BTW, I want a built-in 2-burner, not a hot plate. I already have an electric hotplate that I usually keep beside my cooktop for use with the griddle and pans that aren't flat on bottom.

I've not tried spanning 2 burners on my induction cooktop, but I can boil water in 90 seconds or less and I can turn it down so low that I can melt chocolate without a double boiler. I have kept cream soups on the stove warm without even simmering.

Were you getting 2 burners of gas in addition to electric? If so, you would be better off getting induction rather than the electric. It's wonderful, for the reasons Annie gives, and it is very energy efficient. But if you have frequent outages and you really want gas, then get a couple of gas burners. When we have outages here (not very often), we either cook on the grill or go out to eat. It depends on where you are, I suppose; those solutions may not work for you. Many people on this site who had gas now love induction. the pans could be an issue for you. (I had to get all new pans.) If you want two types of cooktops, get induction and gas for best results.

My induction cooktop has a bridge burner that lets me span two burners. KA and LG both make them. But I recently read on the Appliances forum that GE says you can span two induction burners on theirs.

Check out the Appliances forum. They have a lot of info on induction.

Don't have my induction cooktop installed yet, but we wound up picking a Kenmore Elite and it has two burners that span so you can use a large griddle.

There are some induction cooktops that you can put a griddle on, you would need to provide more specific information about the model to answer that question.

Regarding induction overall, I made the switch from gas to an induction stovetop (GE profile 30") and I LOVE it and would never go back. I love the speed at which water boils (and at which I am ready to cook other dishes), how consistent the heat is, how easy it is to clean, and how much control I have over my cooking.

Thanks for all the information. After reading here, I surfed a bit more and found that the 1 and 2 burner induction cooktops aren't that great. So for now, I'll put in a 2 burner gas as I originally planned, and replace my smoothtop with an induction when it goes out.

Argh! Now dh doesn't want gas at all. He'd rather wait and put in an induction. The electrician has already come and gone, and it will take a long time to get him back if we need to rewire for it. Does induction take the same single 220 as an electric cooktop?

What I meant was, will an induction take more than the 220 we already have?

It may depend on a the cooktop - have a look at the specs for what model you are looking at.

I looked up my 30" KA. It took a 40 amp line. The 36" KA takes a 50 amp line, and it says 240V, but then in my product manual it says "This cooktop will also work with a 208V line where 240V installation is not available."

So I think that your 220 line should be OK, but what matters is that the line has the right amps. But I'm not an electrician.

Induction uses less electricity than a regular electric cooktop, so the line you have should be enough, right?

You lost me on the 40 amp line. I need to call the electrician anyway. Maybe he can just tell me over the phone. Dh might know, but I think you're right if induction uses less than a regular cooktop. Thanks!

Some actually need as much as a 60amp line.