Induction Slide-In Ranges?

10 years ago

We're thinking of buying our first induction range and have lots of criteria to meet (as, I guess, we all do). Seems like our choices might be down to two, and as often happens in my life, it's the old style vs. price situation.

The stylish choice would be to go with Dacor's Renaissance 30" induction range, probably with the epicure handle. The reason it's the "style" choice is that we would get one in cobalt blue. I've always wanted to have a cobalt blue "centerpiece of the kitchen" range, but never wanted to deal with the clean-up of a gas cooktop... seems like a whole lotta money would get me the best of both worlds! Just starting to research whether or not the Dacor cooktop has advantages and disadvantages, and I'm curious what others think of this range, or of a 30" Dacor induction cooktop more generally. I know this oven has no "warming drawer," but honestly I don't think that's a deal killer. One small quibble I have with this range is that the controls for the oven and the cooktop are on the front of the range. This means you have to bend down to operate either one. Do those of you who have a range with front controls have issues with that?

The budget choice has its risks, too. The one we like the best doesn't seem to be out in the marketplace quite yet: KitchenAid's 30" induction range. (I think in Canada it's being sold already, from what I'm seeing on the web, model #KSIB900ESS.) Since I can't see it in person, I'll have to triangulate from KitchenAid's electric model in terms of looks (which I like quite a bit), and its induction cooktop. It's likely a more budget-friendly choice, to the tune of $2,000 more in my pocket (though I can't quite tell yet what the final price will be). That's nothing to sneeze at, of course. But it will only come in stainless steel. Sigh. Just another appliance. And since KitchenAid's been trying to get this model to market for a year, it's a bit risky of us to assume it will arrive in time... Still, this one seems to have the look we're going for, plus the controls are on top. I'm not quite enamored of the other induction ranges I've seen. Electrolux has a strange shape to it on top, and Jenn-Air's handle is very industrial, too much for me.

Advise, away, folks: What do you think about these models, or am I missing some other stuff I should be looking for in an induction range -- should I be looking for another model entirely?

Featured Answer

Nancy Trainer
Original Author

8 years ago

You caught me, AMS. Those are, indeed, law books. Other than this photo shoot, they have never been in the vicinity of the kitchen, but the architect who helped us design the space likes the uniformity of the spines, since he feels that helps show off the actual design elements better. Don’t know that I agree (I like a more realistically styled space), but, hey, it was his photo shoot!

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Comments (11)

dan1888
10 years ago
If you could add the Bosch Benchmark to the list --stainless though.
Nancy Trainer
Original Author
10 years ago
For whatever reason, my husband thinks the Bosch touchpad looks very amateurish. So on looks, that one is getting "dinged." Also, may I ask: When an oven is "true European convection," does that mean it has no basic "bake" and/or "broil" setting?
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mandy_elaine
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
I have no opinion on the induction ranges but I wanted to jump in and clarify the True European Convection-that just means the oven has a third heating element. It still has bake and broil, convection should just be another cooking option. Good luck!
Nancy Trainer
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks, mhwhetsell! I appreciate understanding the terminology better. It helps to know that before you get in the showroom. So many options...
Karen
8 years ago
It's been a couple of years but I am in the market for an induction slide in range so wondering what induction range model you ended up purchasing and were you happy with it?
Sue 430
8 years ago
After reading a lot, I bought the Samsung chef collection induction slide in. So far I love it. A snap to clean, the oven can be divided so that you can cook at 2 different temps at the same time. I was thinking of going with the Bosch benchmark, but the Samsung had the same rating but more functionality, which is what decided me
Nancy Trainer
Original Author
8 years ago
In the end, we went with the Dacor. Ain't she a beauty?:
But seriously, I have no complaints. The cooking is incredibly responsive and the clean-up is just a dream. I do wish that the burners (hobs) were laid out a bit differently, so that we could more easily use larger pots and pans in conjunction with one another. If the hobs were staggered a bit, and the controls for the hobs didn't take up so much space, the cooktop could be used more efficiently. But I've managed to change up the way I structure my recipes so that in the end it works out.

Having read my original post, I notice I was worried about the placement of the controls for the oven... that has not been an issue in the least. The buttons for the oven are clearly marked and there's no bending down needed to find what you need.

One luxury feature on this range that I really enjoy are the easy-glide oven racks. Don't know that this feature would lead me to make a completely different choice, but I've never had them before and I'm loving them.

Hope that helps!
Toronto Veterinarian
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
It does look great! I'm glad you're happy with your choice.
Karen
8 years ago
Thank you all so much for your input! NTrainer - your blue Dacor IS indeed a beauty. I greatly appreciate all the detail. I too am torn between style and performance. I have been contemplating the Miele induction range but the price point is so high and I'm not convinced the function and quality are ~$3000 greater than the Dacor or $5000+ greater than the non-professional induction range models. On the other hand, it too is 'a beauty' and I love to cook, spend a lot of time in the kitchen etc. Thanks again for your replies.
AMS
8 years ago
Beautiful kitchen ntrainer! Side note: do I spy a bunch of law school text books on the shelf? Apologies if I'm mistaken, but they sure look like all the books I finally *just* got rid of, so they're top of mind for me :)