I have stainless on the top and bottom, not the sides. I have no idea whether it helps protect the edges - none have chipped.

I do use non-stick. My favorite 3 pans are Zwilling ceramic, Kitchen Essentials hard anodized, and Lodge cast iron. Zwilling pan Kitchen Essentials Pan

Referencing ONLY my presently disabled 2007 Kenmore (Electrolux) cooktop, all of the power electronics below the hob coils is insulated by the same thickness blanket across the entire width and depth of the cooktop. The control electronics below the controls is not insulated. One could argue that so long as a straddling griddle did not overlap the control area, electronics below the straddle area would be protected at least as well as electronics below the hobs.

HOWEVER, what we don't know is whether on those power boards the more thermally sensitive parts were deliberately placed to not be below the hobs. Further, we can reasonably guess that the manufacturer didn't extensively (or at all, perhaps) test for part lifetime when straddling. I never tried straddling on the Kenmore. I think straddling where not approved is a potentially expensive bet where, if one loses, he may not know he has lost for some time.

kas

I called Bosch again - 2nd time today & got a diff. Cust. Svs. agent. She insisted that "Yes" - you CAN straddle, it won't be as efficient, etc., but it's perfectly safe as long as one doesn't "overheat" on full power, I guess. I asked her to verify with a Sup. and she returned and said it IS okay. But, now my DH is insisting I pay the add'l $500 and get the flexinduction anyway. I'd still be curious if others have straddled the elements successfully.

Thanks, SJ: I'm glad to see there's at least ONE induct. user using non-stick! Food for thought, Kas!

Most of the brands that allow straddling want you to use linked pairs. That is, if you have four elements, use your long griddle on a pair that have power sharing or similar, rather than the crosswise, unrelated pair. This helps with all the electronics stuff that Kas mentioned. Just don't use a double with a lip (i.e., not flat on the glass) . Heat can build up underneath and crack the glass, and it can be worse between the elements because there's such a heat difference.

The big question is do you need a long griddle? Would two griddle pans work, like one for sausage and one for eggs? I love my big round griddle for my 11" double ring burner. I also just put the roaster pan on that and have no problem reducing the gravy.

Without a bridge or Flex it is unlikely that straddling will be helpful. SS and iron do not spread the heat very well. It will be great under the burners but not much heat between the burners.

I grew up on Teflon but now try to avoid using. That being said - I do have 2 scanpan coated pans that work well on induction.

I have a large griddle that I have used to span two induction elements and it works, but poorly. Very uneven heating even when I allowed the cast iron about 10 -15 minutes to "even out". I bought an electric griddle that I use those 4 times a year like you need to. If I was putting in an induction cooktop the only ones I would consider are the Bosch flexinduction or full surface induction models even though its only a few times a year to me its worth the flexibility.

Mine is a GE Profile induction range. I don't have SS on the sides and in 2 years have never even had what I thought would be an incident to chip the edges. I usually only need to at Xmas, but I straddle my front and back medium size hobs with a large roasting pan to make gravy no problem, I haven't tried a griddle, but don't think it would have any problem doing it. As far as I know the glass cook top is the same as the ones used for the electric smooth top ones and they get very hot without breaking.

arlinek wrote: Thanks, SJ: I'm glad to see there's at least ONE induct. user using non-stick! Food for thought, Kas!

I'm not sure how I got into a non-stick comment; I don't recall ever discussing the subject here. I have both types of pans.

kas

I also have two skillets with the ceramic non-stick that I use many times a week.

I use the Ikea induction capable nonsticks a lot and they work very well.

When I was researching the SS trim vs no SS trim issue I did find some mention that the glass can get nicked. My SS trim now has some light scratches but it looks like all SS does after a few months of constant use so does not bother me at all. I think that the look of nicked glass would bother me a lot more.

> Seems the majority here all use S/S exclusively. I'd think it's a lot harder to clean w/o that surface. <

Actually the non-stick pans that work on induction are harder to find in my experience. I have bought them at Sears and Macy's - when I find a set of the Circulon Premier Pro or similar brand, I bought a couple. My DH tends to cook at too high a heat or use the wrong utensils and eventually the non-stick finish is ruined, so I have to replace. I really only use the non-stick for eggs or something I need to slide out of the pan. The rest of my pans are primarily All-Clad SS and they clean extremely well, even with stuck-on food. If something is stuck I just soak in the sink a little while and use a bit of Bon-Ami with a nylon scrubby. YMMV on cheaper pans. A quality SS pan should clean easily.

> CAN I typically straddle two elements the 4 times a year I need to use a pancake griddle or a longer roasting pan to make gravy?<

I never straddle mine, I just bought a cheap Cuisinart electric griddle/Panini grill at Costco and use when needed. But I think theoretically it could work, will the local store let you test it? When I need to make gravy out of my roasting pan, I usually just scrape as much of the "fond" out as possible and use a smaller pan on the stovetop.

> does having the typical two S/S sides for the trim on a cook top REALLY help protect edges from being chipped or the top broken? <

Mine is a Kenmore (rebadged) with S/S/ trim top and bottom. No chips after 7-8 years. I can see where if it was on an island or peninsula where it might get bumped by dishes or visitors, the trim would help protect it. I plan to replace with the renovation, with Miele which has S/S edge all the way around. DH likes it for protection.

As best I recall when it was opened, my 36-inch Kenmore ceram top was supported only at the edges, although it is possible that the hobs and material under them provide support of a sort when the assembly is "squished" together.

Otherwise, the ceram has to support pan weight over its surface from edges alone. I don't recall a weight limit in the user guide, and the ceram is pretty thick (and heavy). But heavy pots should probably be placed carefully to avoid adding hard placement force to their weight.

kas