I have had Wolf and Miele induction cooktops over the years and both work fine. I have never had the slightest issue with either, so cannot comment about the relative customer service levels.

For my upcoming new house, I am going back to Miele, for one reason. It has the feature whereby you can set a timer for each burner, which causes the burner to turn off at the end of the timed period. The Wolf only has a 'kitchen timer' which beeps at the end of the time, but does nothing.

I missed the 'turn-off' feature with my current Wolf induction!

I can only speak to the Miele. No issues and agree with the timer. It's one of my favorite features.

I haven't heard a lot of dings against any of the major appliance store brands. While it's less than ten years of big market penetration in the US, induction cooktops have been here for at least 30 years. It's a mature technology that has been very popular in Asia and Europe where the may be plenty of atomic electricity, but not gas. Before there was more available here, a lot of Appliances Forum members self imported, or did so through a store, to get New Zealand units. Some of those did have some failures after 5-7 years. I haven't heard of other units failing that often.

I have no info on Samsung, though doubtless they'll have a large market share in Asia. BlueStar is new. There's no reason to assume that they'd be more trouble prone, though if there's a significant price difference, the cheaper one might use cheaper parts and wiring so may not be as durable. I just don't think there are going to be a lot of people with service stories on induction tops.

As has been suggested by the others, choose the features you like best.

I got a Miele induction range, it was DOA, my dealer has its own tech, and Miele told him to order 5 parts to fix it, basically one controller for each burner, and a main controller that controls all 4 controllers. I had to make a few phone calls, but Miele will swap it out with another brand new unit this Wednesday.

Thank you, great feedback! I'm going to nix the Wolf and look more closely at Samsung and BlueStar (I really like the knob idea) to see what their features are all about. Miele just seems solid since they've been doing this for so long.

I've been looking as well primarily at Miele- so I think this is a great thread! I haven't really seen much on BlueStar but I will look a bit more :) Thanks for everyone's feedback.

Bluestar's induction cooktop just came out, so you won't see any reviews for a bit. Based on my Bluestar wall oven, I wouldn't hesitate to purchase one (if I hadn't just finished my kitchen remodel earlier this year).

Samsung has positive reviews out, and I really like its features, but my husband is skeptical of this unit. That would be my first choice if I can get him on board. I think my second choice will be the BlueStar over the Miele - after reading its owner's manual, it seems pretty straight forward and hits all of the main features that I'd like to have. I'm drawn to it for the knobs :) As with all of my kitchen decisions, I'm overthinking this choice to death. Again. I like the Miele features, too, and I think it's the strongest contender for reliability given its company history with induction, but it just doesn't appeal to me as much as the other two.

I don't blame him. My experience with Korean brand products has not been wonderful. They are okay if you replace every two years, but don't expect more.

We had a Samsung fridge in our last house - never had any issues over the 8 years that we had it so maybe that's why I feel ok going with the brand?

I bought a set of Samsung washer and dryer about 5yrs ago, 3yr in, the washer broke, it won't spin anymore, it was the drum support spider that self disintegrated. if you google 'Samsung washer spider' you will find a lot of people had the same problem. So I think planned obsolescence is part of Samsung's game, longevity is not in their vocabulary, otherwise, who else is gonna buy the million and million of appliances and TVs they pump out every year? I will never buy another Samsung product if I can help it.

Ha, ok, point taken! Perhaps I should focus on BlueStar and Miele then instead :)

Some things that might or might not matter to you in deciding between the Blue Star and Miele induction cooktops are:

IIRC, the trade-off for having knob controls on the Blue Star is that it offers only 9 power settings (and boost) for the burners where the Miele offers finer control with 17 settings and boosts.

As has been mentioned above, the Miele offers timer control of burners. The Blue Star does not.

I've heard that before (about the nine positions). Wolf has eleven positions and I use about five of them plus the boost setting to boil water quickly. I'm not convinced that having more positions makes any practical difference. Wolf doesn't have a timed shut off either, but there's never been a time when I wished for that feature. My thought is that walking away when there is something cooking on the cooktop doesn't qualify for inclusion in a best practices list.

As I mentioned above, the timer function is one of my favourite features! Using the timer doesn't mean that you walk away, okay, I suppose you might, but how many people stand and watch the rice pot for 20 minutes without doing anything else? I love that I can use if for my morning oatmeal, or boiled eggs, or steaming veggies, or for my pressure cooker. It's so easy to see at a glance how much time is remaining on each burner and not having to worry about overcooking because I get busy with something else. Do I need it? No, but it does make my life easier and my dinners better. :)

Jerry, that you are not convinced is fine. Some of us, like me and like sherri, find more granular power settings and time controls to be useful and important conveniences. If somebody would find those things useful, then those are factors to weigh in deciding between cooktops. If not, then you disregard them as factors.

Or, maybe you were asking for me to describe how I find "more positions" and timers "make any practical difference" in my cooking?

Here's one example where these things might not matter in your cooking but does matter in mine: pressure cooking (which Sherri also mentioned.) . Say, I'm using a spring-valve pressure cooker to make stock. The recipe is simple: bring the pressure cooker to pressure, dial back the heat to hold the specific pressure (usually 15 psi over atmospheric) with very little fluid loss, and hold that steady for a defined period of time. (If you want to see a technical explanation of why I might want to do this, this blog might be helpful: http://www.cookingissues.com/index.html%3Fp=2561.html ).

Now, I have pressure cooked stock this way on vintage GE push-button 10-setting electric coil cooktops, I have done this on cheap portable induction cookers. I have done it on gas stoves. I have done it on my induction cooktop with granular power settings and a timer. On the coil burner and the cheap portable, I had to pretty much constantly watch the pressure gauge, every few minutes switching between power settings 1 and 2 or 2 and 3 as the pressure climbed or fell. I find that an annoyance. A gas burner and my induction cooktop both let me adjust the power/heat so I do not have to constantly fiddle. The induction cooktop timer turns off the pressure at the right time so it doesn't go too long if I were to get distracted by a phone call or guests in the kitchen or whatever.

Does this qualify as a something that maybe makes a practical difference to me but maybe is unimportant to you?

Sounds good to me.

I am also wanting a induction cooktop with knobs - the only ones I can find are the Viking, Betrazzoni, Frigidaire professional and Bluestar - I love the look of the Viking as it is a grey color and better for my classic kitchen - Betrazzoni has a very little service options so I've ruled that out. The Frigidaire model looks nice, but I wanted a higher grade appliance - I am therefore between the Viking and the Bluestar - any thoughts.

FWIW, I would go with Bluestar. I'm really liking their electric wall oven. Viking seems to have a lot of complaints on this forum. I haven't used either company's induction cooktop. Sometimes Bluestar has shows where you can see them in action and perhaps try them.

Anyone out there with a Bluestar induction top? Reviews? I have had my heart set on a Bluestar gas range, but my husband wants me to consider induction. I am resistant because I've always cooked with gas.

I purchased a Wolf Induction just prior to the Bluestar being announced. I really like the way the induction cooktop works, but next time I'll be getting the Bluestar because it has knobs. That's the one issue with the Wolf. Touch controls aren't friendly to me because if my hands are wet or something is spilled over the controls, it takes up to a couple of minutes to get everything working again. Touch controls would be okay if they were remote from the cooktop.

That's a great point. As of now, it seems only BlueStar, Viking, Betrazzoni, and Frigidaire have an induction cooktop with knobs. I have heard numerous people comment on how wet hands make the controls difficult to operate. I had never realized that and simply wanted the knobs for looks and ease of use. I find the touch screens too much like a phone and fussier to operate. Let's hope more manufacturers start to make them with knobs. I have about 6 months until I need to get my cooktop. As of now, I think I'll go Viking (with an extended warranty) because I like the gray color and the overall looks. If Bluestar wasn't black, I would seriously consider that one.

There certainly are a lot of compliments about the Miele induction cooktops. We are planning a kitchen remodel and have been seriously looking at the Bosch 36” induction cooktops. Is there a problem with Bosch induction that we don’t know about? Do induction cooktops need special support when installed into granite or quartz countertops? Thanks for your advice!

Induction cooktops are not particularly heavy, so I don't see why they would need special support. The only requirement is that parts of them need to be a certain distance away from anything flammable. On mine it's the back section, so there is a stainless steel bar that supports the back of the cooktop.

ms_boof, if you Google Bosch induction cooktops on GardenWeb you should find plenty of very positive reviews. I can think of several users who are very happy with their Bosch cooktops/ranges.

Jerry, if you see this, there is a thread where the poster is looking for feedback on the Blue Star oven. I directed her to a thread where you discuss yours- but in case you want to say a few words about your oven and the lovely things you produce in it, here is the thread https://www.houzz.com/discussions/last-minute-oven-decision-need-help-dsvw-vd~5528721

Bosch/Miele both get very good reviews. I suggest you check out live models and see what layouts and user interface/controls your prefer. I personally didn’t care for bosch’s user interface and on the benchmark model the bridge is the default mode.

We loved our Bosch induction cooktop and had no problems in over 10 years of use. Remodeled and switched to all GE appliances. Big mistake. The GE induction cooktop didn’t last 2 years. I’m looking for a new cooktop now. None of the Bosch fit my current cutout, and I really didn’t want to have my counters cut again. Can only find GE and Samsung that fit my current cutout. Will now checkout Bluestar and Miele because of this thread.

Does anyone have any current experience with the Blue Star? I'm looking for a 36 inch induction with knobs. It's that or the Viking. If I have to get one without knobs, I'll go with the Wolf, but I really want the knobs.

My BlueStar wall oven has been great. Use it multiple times per week.

Well, I've finally signed the contract and my reno should begin in April. With Covid and appliances being so hard to get, I am thinking of ordering them once the permit has been issued. Does anyone have any recent experience positive or negative on the Blue Star induction cooktop? I think that's the way I'm going to go. I really wish someone made an induction range top so I wouldn't need to seam my counters, but the only one I found was Fulgor Milano, and I don't think I want to go down that road. HELP!!!

I'm in the same boat, doing a complete kitchen reconstruction after water damage destroyed our circa 2004 kitchen. With construction starting in April, I want the appliance order in ASAP due to delivery lags.

I called the service number below to confirm service availability. Though I was on hold a while, the human that answered was polite and helpful and assured me they could service the unit even though I live on an island, accessible by ferry from Seattle, or 90 miles by road if you drive around to a bridge. I wasn't able to get much scoop about the unit, but I'm still scouring the internet. I too could not find any other company that makes an induction range top.

For all of North America: online at http://www.thevettagroup.com/servicerequest.a5w

In the United States by email at fulgor@adcoservice.com or by toll free number at 1-855-4-fulgor (1-855-438-5467)

@HU-23522711481 - I'm not sure I trust that. I also spoke to a sales rep and he seemed kind of slick and asked what other appliances I was getting. I told him Wolf double ovens and a Sub Zero refrigerator. He tried to steer me to the Hestan brand which he also reps. I'm bummed that there is no other induction range top available, but no one around me even carries the product to look at so I'm going with the Blue Star that I can see and that I have a store to call for service.

I stumbled upon this old thread to find reviews on Blue Star induction cooktops. My two cents:

LG washer and dryer - zero issues for the 6+ years we’ve had it. (Sorry I‘m not going along with bashing brands by ethnicity??)

Miele induction, on the other hand - showing error function three years in (past the warranty). Miele authorized repairman created a larger problem (this was already 5 years ago, and I can’t recall exactly what)—But I was able to argue it with Miele who discounted a replacement by 50%. Thing is, the new one heats unevenly in the top right quadrant. I’ve left reviews to this effect elsewhere. But Miele induction having a control panel issue is supported by reviews on Amazon. I know this is already an old post, so just for the record. I also find it distasteful to make sweeping judgments on an entire country‘s products. It def hurts the credibility of the reviewer.

Does anyone have any information on the Blue Star induction. I need to place my order soon.

Anyone use the Samsung? Has an attachable magnetic knob or you can you touch controls. Best of both worlds? Seen some negative reviews …

@dt516 - I didn't like the looks of the Samsung and they have vitually no service (and I'm just outside NYC). I've pulled the plug and ordered the Fulgor Milano RANGETOP. It's gorgeous and will give me knobs and the professional look I want in my new kitchen. As a bonus, I don't need to seam my counters.

I am REALLY curious how that turns out. I know nothing about that brand but have likewise seen that it is the only induction rangetop. I am wondering if it breaks though can it be replaced by a gas rangetop (same size) in the even fulgor Milano discontinues the device.

So, time to chime in here. I went with the Blue Star 36" induction cook top 2 years ago. Looks great, LOVED the knobs, worked fantastic... for about 18 months. I'll note that unlike their other products it only has a 1 year warranty. First, the two rightmost burners started indicating they were overheating when the central burner was in use (and the rightmost were not). I reset the system at the breaker per the manual and it rand great for three weeks with a hitch, then the central and right top burner cut out entirely. Three days later they came back, but wouldn't heat above level 7 (out of 10). I had (or so I thought) the good sense to get an extended warranty, but after getting a service guy out here the warranty company informs me it will cost more to fix than I paid in the first place, so they're going to cash me out.

Blue Star may be good in other areas (no experience here), but based on my experience with this one, I don't think they have enough time making this product to reach their usual degree of reliability.

Addendum: looks like Blue Star (when I bought it) had a narrower cut out (18") than anything currently on the market, including their own product. At least it looks like they're learning from past mistakes...

@Damien Falato - I'm so sorry to hear that. I was going to get the BlueStar. Instead, I have purchased a Fulgor Milano Range Top. It's not installed yet but I will report back when it is. I figured I'd take a chance because it was a range top and I wouldn't have to seam my stone.

Had a lot of trouble with miele induction. terrible customer service.

@Design Girl Have you had your Fulgor Milano installed yet? I am currently looking at that one.

@anh0371 - It is not installed yet. The kitchen has been taken out, but no cabinet, counters or appliances as of yet. Hopefully in the next 3 - 4 weeks. The FM is the ONLY range top induction made and it is gorgeous. From what I understand, the same company that makes the Thermador and Bosch induction, does the guts for the FM.

@Design Girl how has the Fulgor Milano turned out for you?

@Scott Everett - I have had it almost 2 years now and use it daily. It has worked flawlessly, is solid and well built and is a breeze to clean. I really like the knobs as they are so much easier to use than a touch screen and they are very responsive.