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bethl316

36" Induction Cooktop that will accommodate small pots?

9 years ago

I'm looking to put in a 36" induction cooktop. I was going to get the Kitchenaid cooktop to match all my other kitchenaid appliances, but read reviews that the smallest burner is 7" and it won't accommodate smaller pots. This rules out a small sauce pan. I have a 4.5" sauce pan that I can't use on my old induction range, and I'm looking to pick a new cooktop that doesn't have this issue...but it isn't always clear in the descriptions or reviews what sizes are compatible.


If anyone is familiar with the 36" Samsung induction cooktop, I'd be interested to hear if this can accommodate small pots. Or other induction cooktops in the mid-price range that fits the bill?

Comments (5)

  • 9 years ago

    Most units will accommodate your pot. Under 4" is often a problem for the pot sensor, and if there's a ring inductor it might be too big to work well on tiny. Your pot is merely small, however. I have several that size and they work fine on the 7" rings on my Gaggenau.

    For other mid-range units, look at Electrolux, Bosch, and GE. Most name brand induction units are decent quality, so the main thing is to make sure the features suit you.

  • 9 years ago

    I have a 5-inch Revereware pan (very thin steel) that heats on my Frigidaire's 6- and two 7-inch hobs. I believe someone determined that the Wolf unit will work with a very small pan (smaller than 5-inch, but I don't recall the exact size).

    Generally, these cooktops use pulse ring-down tests to determine whether there is enough inductive material over the hob. So the minimum size depends on the hob design, the circuit design, and, to some degree, the pan's inductive material thickness and susceptibility. A store test is always a good idea.

  • 9 years ago

    I am the one that tested with small pot diameter and wolf passed on all hobs on my Sur La Table butter melter. The Bosch Benchmark (higher $$ than Wolf) passed on the smaller hobs but not the larger. I did not test on Bosch's other series but agree the best way to determine is to take your pot(s) to a showroom that has a working model and test them out.

  • 9 years ago

    My 3" pan works on even my largest Miele hob.

  • 8 years ago

    I went with the 36" frigidiare just for the smaller size pan option. Terrible mistake. It cracked a few months after use, cosmetic so its not covered under warranty. We have tried to replace the glass and the part is not available and may never be available according to Frigidaire.. so.. I will back to looking and will this time I will pay more and settle for less features ( such as pan size / bridge burner). I am more concerned this time around with a quality brand name vs the features and hope for a long lasting product this time around.