Someone mentioned on another thread that all induction cooktops are designed to go off automatically after a certain amount of time with no activity (it was a discussion about leaving stock on simmer all day while you're out of the house). So, that may be a "feature" of all three units. Is that what you were referring to?

what seems complicated about the Bosch controls? They're the same as mine (a 2-year old 500 series). You press "on", select the hob, and press the power level you want. Not complicated.

Thanks for the reply. Yes that situation about leaving any thing on a simmer for a long period of time and then the cooktop shutting off is what im referring too. Have you had any situations where this has happened to you with your bosch?

About the controls on the bosch im probably making a bigger deal out of it then i should ,they seem fine. I guess the other 2 cooktops ,the wolf and the GE, seems a little more user friendly to someone that say for example has no idea how to use one of these new induction cooktops. Like for example my wife that would be using it sometimes and other people that would randomly use it.

When it comes down to it though i didnt see that shut off feature in any of the GE or Wolf manuals. I guess that would be my biggest concern with bosch. If its something like shuts off after 8 hours or something then no big deal, but if it shuts off after say 2 hours I could see that being annoying.

I was asking the same thing the other day except without GE in the mix. I went ahead and ordered the Bosch from Build.com (along with the Bosch 800 CD fridge, MW drawer and DW). Keep in mind you can get 2% back through Ebates and Bosch has a $200 rebate on induction cooktops (that CAN be combined with the 10% off rebate) through 10/31.

Thanks for tip erica. Thats a promotion that is very hard to pass up. I just bought a house and the kitchen needs a complete renovation. Im not going to do it this year so wasnt really looking at other appliances other than the cooktop. (Ive got a old electric one now that is the devil.) I know i want a bosch dishwasher so maybe ill have to find something else to get to use the 10% off. Thanks again

Honestly, last weekend was the very first time I used it on slow simmer for a long unattended period. I don't know how long it was, but definitely more than 2 hours. According to the manual, the length of time it will remain on depends at the temperature it is set at.

Ok so it seems like its something i shouldn't be worried about. I take it it didnt shut off on you then?

At max heat, Bosch will shut off after 1 hour. At min heat, it will shut off after 10 hours. Between those levels it will vary accordingly.

I don't think the auto-shutoff is an induction cooktop thing, I think it's a Bosch thing. Bosch's radiant cooktops do it as well, but I haven't heard of other induction brands doing it.

It will only shut off if the controls have not been touched for that amount of time. As long as you come by every once and a while (which presumably you'd be doing to check on your cooking anyway) you can touch the control to let it know you're still there and it won't shut off.

When comparing induction cooktops, check the number of different settings. More is better, gives you fine grained control of the heat. I think Wolf only has around 10. IMO that is low. I believe Bosch has more. Not sure about GE. They came out with their current line of induction cooktops pretty recently.

I think all the major brands have autoshutoff. You just have to wiggle the controls every few hours, like plus one, then back to your setting, to reset the autoshutoff clock. That the Bosch will let you have 10 hours at minimum is a newer feature, which I'm sure is for things like simmering stock.

Agreed about the number of power settings. 17 is the standard. (1-9 with half stops between) Some have more. Less, and you'll be fiddling with the controls a lot because the right temperature is in between.

The Bosch does have 17 settings, and I use all of them.

I think Wolf is worth it for its flexibility with the bridge. If you are planning to use a rectangle griddle pan or grill pan, briding function is a neat feature for that.

Auto shut off is a standard feature for European brands induction cooktop. I think majority of the tops that I look during my search recently all have auto shut off which will having vary time depending on heat setting.

I think all the major brands have auto shutoff.

My Electrolux does not say anything about auto shutoff in the manual. However, I can't confirm either way, since I've never run it long enough unattended to be sure.

Does the Wolf have a real bridge or is it just a shortcut to control 2 burners together? I would check on that. I know people have been disappointed in the past when buying a cooktop with a "bridge" and then finding a big cold spot in the center of the griddle.

Perhaps it is a standard feature for newer models nowadays. For example:

Electrolux EHI965BA in details, it lists safety cut off as "Features of cooktop".

How old is your model, hvtech?

And you are right about bridging with circular elements, should check on that. Squarish elements work great for bridging, but I have no idea if Wolf use square elements or circular elements.

Their 36" model can do 4 elements bridging too as well as two front to back and two left to right. Pretty cool feature from the specs.

The wolfs bridge feature isnt really a true bridge it only links the 4 burners together. Its innovative in the fact that the burners are set up in a square shape so you can link the burners either horizontally or vertically.

Not sure what auto shutoff is, still researching my own induction cooktop, but wanted to relate an incident. We are using a one burner induction cooktop to see how we like it, mostly using it to boil water. Came home from work early one afternoon and walked in to the sound of the kettle whistling. The cooktop was on, but only level 5, the default. All we can figure is that DH left the kettle on the cooktop instead of moving to the stove, and a cat turned it on. Scary to think if I had come home late, no idea what would have happened.

"chrismossotti

The wolfs bridge feature isnt really a true bridge it only links the 4 burners together. Its innovative in the fact that the burners are set up in a square shape so you can link the burners either horizontally or vertically."

That's too bad. I believe all of the recent crop of bridging units I see in Australia use squarish element set up and there is no hole within the bridge area.

Yea I had to explain that to the sales people when I went and looked at the wolf. They didnt even know.

The bosch has the 2 7" burners on the left side. I dont think its any different than just setting those 2 burners to the same temp and putting a griddle on that. Correct me if im wrong though.

Chanop, I got my Electrolux last year. I do know the Electrolux products sold in North America have almost nothing to do with the ones in the rest of the world. The current Electrolux cooktops on their US website don't say anything about an auto-shutoff, either in the features list or the downloadable manuals.

Thank hvtech for the info.

Hvtech,

I have to go back to the induction site and see if I can find the article or statement that all units have this shut off. I remember reading it some years back. I wonder why manufacturers don't state it in their manuals. Miele has this same thing. I think you can override it on the Mieles by setting a timer on the hob being used. I am not sure since I have never tried it. I use a pressure cooker when I make broth so I am done in less than one hour. Also, I would not need the burner at 3700watts for one hour. The pressure cooker comes to pressure in about 10mins and then it is turned to a simmer.

Good luck!

Okay, one of the major brands doesn't. ;) Have autoshutoff.

Most do have a lockout feature (including Electrolux), which prevents cats from turning them on. The best bet with the portable is to unplug it when not in use.

Agreed, I certainly would not be bothered if my cooktop had this feature. As you can see, I haven't even tried using it long enough that I would notice!

As I recall, but can't point to, someone wrote recently in another thread that each of the new style Wolf induction cooktop hobs has four mini coil elements, revealed by four boiling locations in a pan bottom when boiling just begins. If true, then that configuration when used for horizontal bridging of two hobs would tend to fill in the heating zone better than would two of the usual single circular hob coils. I would want to check that out if I were considering a Wolf. One could use a wide shallow rectangular pan partly filled with water and see what happens.

kas

I do think i saw that somewhere. It sounds like a great idea. You would think these appliance brands would do a better job explaining to buyers the features of their products. Especially when one is spending top dollar.

ilaine,

Your cat story is exactly why I want an induction stove. Regular electric or gas will keep going - even to the point of MELTING the pan/kettle. Had that happen once.

The induction feature will turn off the burner when the kettle runs dry -- because it would be too hot. For me it is peace of mind that I (or hubby) won't burn down the house.

(I once came home from work and he had left the ceramic stovetop on all day without a pan on it...if it were induction, no problem!)

Good point loonlake. And frankly if you're getting around retirement age, I think it's the only way to go. Hopefully we will all keep our wits about us as we age, but unfortunately there's no guarantee. My brilliant mother, who also loved to cook developed parkinsons. First her body went, and then her mind.

I knew she could no longer cook when she sent me home with her famous stuffed cabbage. I took it out the next day, put it in the microwave for 2 minutes, and then we tried eating it. However it had been so burnt by my Mom cooking it on her cooktop obviously too long, it was inedible.

I don't know if you've finalized your decision but I wanted to contribute my info about the GE Cafe and answer any questions anyone has. I've had the 36" induction cooktop for two months now and am very pleased. I looked at all of those mentioned but couldn't find any of them operational locally.

The GE controls are separate, meaning you control each hob directly instead of selecting one first like the Bosch appeared to work. Each control has 19 settings and works either by sliding the control or tapping the +/- buttons. The highest setting is the rapid boil (boost mode in some brands) and boils extremely fast. The sync burners are just that, sync and not bridged. They do work well, and the griddle included with the cooktop is nice. It cooks fairly evenly given that the center of the griddle is not actually heated. Preheating it is key though. Most of my cookware is cast iron and Tramontina stainless. I hear a faint buzzing on the stainless when I start it on the highest setting. It only lasts a very short time, and I don't hear it if the hood is on low. I love the color. It sits directly across from my sink, and I chose a Blanco sink in cinder to coordinate. All other appliances are Bosch stainless and everything looks great together.

This is my first full size induction cooktop. I used a small countertop version during the remodel. Induction is FAST. I've burned a lot of dishes getting used to it. That's a user error, and has nothing to do with the quality of the appliance. I'm amazed at the speed and responsiveness. Good luck on your decision and please let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks seb for the great review. I couldn't find any info on these anywhere. They do look really nice. I was only set on the bosch because of the package deal they had going on. I knew i wanted a dishwasher, and the induction cooktops get good reviews. So i was thinking about pulling the trigger on the 800 series double oven and my third appliance but the mixed reviews are scaring me. Ive got until 10/31 to make up my mind.

The GE would be nice because i have a small appliance shop in my area that sells GE and i know them personally so service wouldn't be a headache.

Thanks for the review it was very helpful.

Glad to help. I took a chance on the GE because I couldn't find a single review when I ordered it. I didn't get the rebate by adding it to my Bosch package, but figured I'd just use the Bosch rebate on a griddle pan (included with the GE) so I broke even!

I forgot to mention that the controls on the GE are very user friendly for my parents and grandparents, who frequently cook with me for large family meals. My 89 year old grandmother has used knobs with gas and electric all her life and easily maneuvers the controls because they relate well to individual "knob controls". I like that they require no more explanation than "tap the control just like you'd turn a knob" and people get it. That was an important consideration to me with friends and family helping out in the kitchen often.

Thats a good way of looking at it seb with the whole griddle thing. So you said your happy with how the griddle performs? Also did you need 50amp service for the GE or 40amp? Cant seem to find the info on that

I do like the griddle. I've never used a stainless griddle before, only an electric griddle, and the responsiveness of the induction makes the griddle easy to use. I don't recall the Bosch 800 having sync burners so a griddle will require controlling the burners separately or you'll have to jump up to the benchmark flexinduction. The GE 36" cooktop requires a 50amp. I'm not sure where the info is located, but it is likely in one of the downloads on the website. I had the electrical requirements and the cutout dimensions prior to the cooktop arrival, so I know it's available somewhere! I can look it up in my paperwork if you need the info.

The Bosch flexinduction has rectangular inductors so 'bridging' is easy. There was a picture on here some time ago. On the 36", there are 4 inductors on the right, 4 on the left and one large round one in the middle. You select whether you want the 4 inductors to be either 2x2 or all 4 for a griddle or long pan. And I think you can select just one for a small pan. (don't ask me how small)

After your review of the GE seb ive almost completely changed my mind and want to go with that. I always liked the way it looked over the Bosch. That flagstone grey color is really unique. The controls seem really user friendly also. I didn't know it needed a 50 amp service though. I called and asked my local GE dealer and they said 40 amp. It was a women on the phone though that definitely didn't seem to know or understand what I was talking about when I asked her. Ill have to call tomorrow and talk to one of the installers just to be sure. I have 40 amp service right now.

I also kind of feel like I wouldn't be happen with the Bosch ovens. That touch control that many people complain about seems like a pain. The Electrolux seems like a better option. Even tho Bosch had the package deal going on. I feel like I could get the GE cooktop, Electrolux oven, and Bosch DW around the same price by hunting for a good deal on the ovens through Ebay or Sears Outlet.

Ilaine, Loonlakelaborcamp, and Plllog

I thought you'd enjoy hearing that not only does our cat walk on the electric controls of our range and turn on the ovens, but she can also turn off the child lock by standing on the right spot for 5 seconds. She’ll even turn the oven off when in use. So, now we just keep a big rubber pad over the controls! The moral of the story is even those locks aren't cat proof.

I think auto shut off refers to when you take a pot of the burner the hob will automatically shut off in a few minutes, no? That's if you don't shut off the hob when you are finished cooking. That's what happens with my Bosch 500 when I forget to shut it off when I am through cooking and take the pan off the hob. You all think it is re a ten hour cooking marathon?

That's a separate feature westsider. Auto shutoff for referred to easier is when a pan is on the hob. A hob will turn itself off after certain amount of time depending on the power output level. Most hobs would turn themselves off when you pull the pan away from the surface.

So you are saying that the auto shutoff of which you and the others on this thread are talking about is the feature whereby a hob with a pot on it and the heat turned on will shut itself off after a prescribed period of time at a specific heat level? And it does so when it reaches, say,ten hours? Or eleven?

And you dismiss my definition where the hob shuts off simply because it is empty of a pot? You donot consider my scenario as a or the true definitation of auto shutoff? I look forward to simple answers.

For your scenario, there is no load on a circuit because the pan is not there, hence it is different to a scenario when the hob shut down the circuit with load on after a period of time.

What you describe is usually called pan detection feature: no pan, no power.

So you are saying that the auto shutoff of which you and the others on this thread are talking about is the feature whereby a hob with a pot on it and the heat turned on will shut itself off after a prescribed period of time at a specific heat level? And it does so when it reaches, say,ten hours? Or eleven?

Yes, we are saying that. Because we downloaded and read the manual for the Bosch induction cooktop, and that's what it said.

And you dismiss my definition where the hob shuts off simply because it is empty of a pot? You donot consider my scenario as a or the true definitation of auto shutoff? I look forward to simple answers.

Nobody is dismissing your definition. As Chanop said, you are correct as well. When you pull the pan off the burner, it will shut off. This is true of all induction cooktops. However, some induction cooktops will automatically shut off after a certain amount of time with a burner on, and a pan present, without anybody touching the controls.

This is not voodoo. None of us are guessing or speculating about how the auto shut off works. All of this information is laid out clear as day in the manual, freely available online.

building, that is a very funny story. I was surprised my cat walked on the little cooktop, with the kettle on it, there wasn't much room, and it's maybe 3-4 inches higher than the countertop, but that's cats for you. Who knows what they are up to when we're not home. They aren't supposed to be on the counters, and they know that.

Ilaine,

Ha, mine likes to sit on the induction cooktop after we've used it because it's warm!!!! I could never switch to gas or electric now :)

Do inductions immediately turn-off when you remove the pan, or do some have a time delay? I regularly pick up pans to flip things and would hate to have to turn the unit back on every time I did this? Thanks.

Mine (Miele) stops working as soon as you lift the pan, but it doesn't turn off, it will start as soon as you put the pan down again.

My Bosch 800 has a time delay before it actually turns off. I think it's approximately 60 seconds, but I've never timed it. Last night, I was able to drain potatoes, refill the pot, and return the potatoes to the pot with the new water without the hob shutting down.

Yes, me too what alerievay said. You can flip and it will resume cooking without a tap. I can take the pot to the sink, add water and resume without a tap.

I just ended up ordering the GE cafe induction 36". Should be installing it wednesday. I will be updating with a review on the unit.

The bosch was a close 2nd just came down to looks for me and I liked the GE better. The bosch had more options like timers that shut off the hobs, but I hardly ever use timers when i cook so it wasnt important to me.

Thanks for all the help making the decision. Will update soon

There are at least two reasons that I can think of for the cooktop to be designed to sense lack of a sufficient pan "reluctance" and cut power to a hob. (It may keep testing the hob for a period of time before shutting down the hob entirely.)

a) The hazard that a steel utensil would be put on the hob, rapidly overheat, and burn someone or even damage the Ceram.

b) The change in power transfer within the tuned circuitry which, depending of circuit design (that I haven't researched) might stress it thermally or in some other way. Normally, the power is transferred from the Litz wire flat-wound coils to the pan acting as the other side of a transformer with a resistance across it. When no pan is present, the configuration has the character of an open circuited transformer, normally not an issue in most electronics, but might be in this application. I would expect a voltage rise across the coil and hence across the resonant circuit that at some power level might degrade the lifetime of the power semiconductors used.

kas

Chris, so glad you made your decision. Hope the installation goes smoothly tomorrow. Please update and let us know what you think of it!