I bought our range when we moved in because the existing (1960s electric) range was not working. So I couldn't do a cooktop and oven--which is a more expensive combination than just a range anyway. I opted for the stainless induction range. Even though I am not thrilled with the looks, I love the function so much I am keeping it in our remodel.

I really, really wish someone would start making a low to mid-price white induction range. Sigh. Maybe I'll win the lottery and buy that Viking or the upcoming bertazzoni which is supposedly going to be priced somewhere in in the $4-6k range.

Yeah, thought about the cooktop/wall oven combo, but it's expensive and, again, hard to find a cooktop that is not black except for the Thermador mirrored or the GE in gold. I have a problem with seeing a big black rectangle in the middle of a light countertop in my small kitchen.

I am also thinking that the benefits of induction would outweigh the appearance, but really hate to do it for the remodel.

The thing about induction cooktops is they just aren't that "visible". (I agree that a black dishwasher in an all-white kitchen, or a black rangetop, would be visually difficult, but the black rectangle that constitutes an induction cooktop will hardly be noticed). I've attached a [bad] picture of mine - black cooktop in a white countertop (admittedly, a modern aesthetic)

Thanks, sjhockeyfan. I thought that was a 2nd sink at first and was looking for the cooktop. Hmm, that may be a solution, depending on price.

Here's my black induction on light counters. It's pretty unobtrusive.

Thanks, Christina. Not such a shocking contrast as I thought it would be!

And about the pacemaker ...

http://www.pacemakerclub.com/public/jpage/1/p/story/a/storypage/sid/24643/content.do
As long as you don't do a faceplant onto the top of the cooktop
while it's turned on WITHOUT a pot over the active area, you should be
OK.

When the pot is on the heating area, the magnetic field
concentrates itself in the bottom of the pot. Has to in order to
generate the heat in the pot bottom. It's only when the device is
turned ON w/o a pot on it that the magnetic field occupies the air space
above the top. Even at that, you should be safe as long as you don't
lean over the top & get your PM close to the active area..

Safety
has nothing to do w/ TOUCHING the top. We are talking MAGNETIC fields,
NOT electric current conduction. Besides, the tops are usually made of
glass, a pretty darned good non-conduction insulator for electricity.

For all intents & purposes, your body has zero magnetic properties. It's just like air for magnetic fields.

And a more technical explanation here ...
http://europace.oxfordjournals.org/content/8/5/377

CONCLUSION: Patients are at risk if the implant is unipolar and left-sided, if they
stand as close as possible to the induction cooktop, and if the pot is
not concentric with the induction coil. Unipolar pacing systems can
sense interference generated by leakage currents if the patient touches
the pot for a long period of time.

So he can stand there and watch you cook. 35cm (about a foot) reduced their worst-case setup to safe levels. And electromagnetic fields decrease with the cube of the distance, so it's 3x weaker 2 feet away and 10x weaker 3 feet away

I wish they made a black induction range.

Thanks lazy gardens, I will forward this to my dad.

I wanted a white induction too (have white fridge, dishwasher and microwave)! Didn't like the Viking. Ended up partially remodeling the kitchen and going a totally different direction (navy Bluestar range with navy Bluestar wall oven). Cost a fortune and it's still not done!