Briefly, because I am running out of time this morning: I have a 36-inch Gallery, and it is still running (within its 5 year extended warranty period). My 36 was $1300 a few years ago. Electrolux may have found economies of scale to get the price down. Rather than compare hob sizes, it may be helpful to compare hob power levels when you do your trade-off among units.

However, the other major trade is cut-out size, and that needs to be listed in your matrix also, along with your present cut-out size. You may be able to expand your granite cut-out (a possibly messy task), but shrinking is pretty much limited to having a frame built to adapt one size cooktop to the existing hole. Either will add cost.

There are more choices, Wolf, MIele, Electrolux, Monogram, Dacor, Thor , Thermador. Look up Yale appliance and go to their blogs on Induction. Very thorough and informative.

I installed the Bosch Benchmark in my recent remodel. I opted for it because of the flexible hobs as well as the ability to access temperature controls without cycling through.

I also was quite sure of the quality of the Bosch product. I am not sure what "new" in 2018 means as mine was purchased early in 2018 means but I stopped researching appliances after I made my decision in March 2018.

There are quite a lot of options available but the prices do escalate. If money were no object I would have opted for the Thermador which has no "hobs" so you can place your pans anywhere on the surface but it was $10,000 - so I opted for the Benchmark which is more of a Lexus :--).

Due to how the kitchen is setup, we can't expand for a 36" and I'm okay with that. Extra space is nice, but I don't think there has been a single time where I've been so frustrated with 30" that I would even have considered cutting granite for a larger hole.

These newer units all have very similar power - that is why I didn't list them.

Shown in Normal/Boosted format

Fridgedaire - 1800/2800, 2500/3800, 1800/2600, 1450/2000

GE Profile - (non-boosted not shown) 3700, 2500, 2500, 1800

GE Cafe - Same as Profile

Bosch 800 - 1400/2200, 1400/2200, 2200/3700, 2600/3700

Bosch Benchmark - 2200/3600, 2200/3600, 2600/3700, 1400/2200 and the flexzone if using the whole zone is 3300/3600

Check out Bertazzoni. They have a 30" induction cooktop.

@waverly6

I looked on that blog. Most of the information is generic. They have Bosch as their most reliable for 2019 induction cooktops, but they lack a lot of the mainstream brands (like GE / Fridgeaire) and they have a very small sample size. They brag about having 35000 service calls as their sample, but that is across all appliances and all brands. So if you look at the sample size for Bosch in 2019, it is like 40 units. 40 units is not statistically relevant unfortunately.

Also, they rated a Samsung unit 4.5/5 stars that is very poorly rated pretty much universally by users. I think their ratings are purely based on a spec sheet and they have no actually use time on any of the units.

@moosemac

I wasn't aware of this brand. I looked up their cooktop (P304IAE) and it looks really good. Has the flexzone, good sizes of the elements, good power to those elements, don't have to use +/- buttons. Appears to be a good price.

How does this brand compare (in general) to other brands? Lower end? Mid?

I have the Bosch 800 (although mine is the 36") and I absolutely love it. Very easy and intuitive after the first day and no scrolling to find the right setting. 17 heat settings plus boost and the best is the individual timers on each hob so if you're making something like rice, you set the timer and when it's done, the hob shuts off.

I don't know where you've been looking as when I went to buy 2 years ago, i found lots of reviews.

@cpartist

I think there is a lack of reviews due to these being new models for 2019? I'm not sure, but when I search the two models (NIT8069UC and NITP069UC) there aren't many reviews.

Is that the model you have?

Do you miss not having a bridge feature? It would be nice to have the ability to use a griddle, but it looks like the Benchmark has poorer reviews than the 800. Not sure if it is worth the extra $650.

Actually after looking at all the poor reviews for the Bosch Benchmark, it appears there was an issue with the control boards in model NITP068UC. The company discontinued the model and replaced it with the NITP069UC and hopefully resolved those issues.

Consumer Reports has reviews of 30" induction cooktops including reliability data. Browse here and click 'Become a member' ($10/month digital). Be sure to select "30-inch induction cooktops" in the left-hand menu after logging in. Little relationship between performance and price!

@wdccruise

Don't mean to sound harsh, but that sounds like an advertisement for Consumer Reports. I'm pretty sure the general consensus is that Consumer Reports sold out a long time ago and their "reviews" and data are heavily biased.

Try looking at Consumersearch.com also, they combine reviews and site sources for them. I too, am looking at the current 30 inch models to replace our 14 year old induction. Haven't made up my mind yet. One caveat I found was story from local store about induction model with knobs....owner's daughter kept spilling things on cooktop which would leak down and wipe out control board. Happened four times already. That put me off the knobs versus touch control.

It is not an "advertisement" as I have no interests in the organization and was just describing how to find the reviews. General consensus? Whose? Sold out? To whom? Biased? How? I don't care if you use its data; stick to anecdotal information if you prefer.

@wdccruise

I'm more interested with people who have actually used the equipment. Unfortunately (especially for appliances), test sites like Consumer Reports don't really hold up as they aren't installing a bunch of cooktops and using them. They are looking at spec sheets and basing their information on that.

That is one of the reasons they give the Samsung cooktops such high marks. On paper, they should be great. But if you actually read reviews from people who have used them, they are wrought with issues.

@seabiscuit68 " "test sites like Consumer Reports don't really hold up as they aren't installing a bunch of cooktops and using them. They are looking at spec sheets and basing their information on that."

This is incorrect. CR purchases and tests each appliance following a consistent test procedure. Reliability projections are based upon subscriber survey data. Why are you writing about an organization whose operations you clearly know nothing about?

@wdccruise

Agreed. I'll stop writing about it and we can stop talking about it. Win win. Hopefully the rest of the conversation can be focused on the cooktop advice topic and we don't continue to veer away on tangents about reliability of pay to view websites.

I have had the 36” Wolf frameless for 4 1/2 years. Love it. Not as feature rich as others but at the time it was about $500 less than the Bosch Benchmark and $1000+ less than the Miele. I have my eye on upgrading to a zoneless Miele when it comes to the states. There have not really been a lot of new features in induction cooktops since I bought mine in 2015. Bridged units were being introduced at the time. Thermador has introduced a unit with 3 cooking zones and also their 36” zoneless that can handle 5 pans (it was only 4 in their initial unit). I suggest trying out some live units with your pans to see how you like the user interface and hob layout. I found the wolf to have the best pot recognition - their large hob could handle my smallest pot. It sounds from reading reviews and this forum some units are pickier than others as far as what size pan you can use on certain hobs - something to test out. You will be very pleased with the upgrade from your standard electric. The responsiveness is awesome and cleaning is a breeze. Enjoy!

FWIW, the reliability data at CR is based on surveys completed by CR members. Reliability is often more important to me, as it can contradict a review or opinion by CR of any given product . How many members answer those surveys is unknown, but that is always the case, anywhere.

4 years using my Frigidaire Gallery induction convection range, love it! Frankly, it was the only one I could afford, but not sorry I took a chance. It is such a dream to keep this clean. Not a chef, just simple home cooking. The GE with the bridge was a lot more $$$ for that one extra feature. This may not be useful to you...but I do use a long griddle for pancakes. It’s not perfect, but I keep the cooked pancakes on the back of the griddle over the small burner on low, keeps them warm while I finish the rest.

@beadsnsew

I'm certainly surprised at all the great reviews on that Frigidaire Gallery at that price. $800 is significantly cheaper than the Cafe and the Bosch Benchmark. I don't see a huge difference between them either...a few bonus features, but it seems like most induction is at its core the same with variations in zones / sizes / power, but really not huge differences like I would expect.

That being said, the Flexzone on the Bosch Benchmark looks pretty nice (it has four coils within the zone vs. a normal bridge that has 2) and would be able to handle 2 - 9" pans in that zone. So that one has the best flexibility...

Surprising that not a single company stands behind their product with more than a 1 year warranty.

My comment on cut-out size was NOT intended to promote a 36-inch cooktop, but rather alert the OP to the fact that these devices have different cut-out sizes, even though they all are nominally 30-inch units!

I have had both the Bosch 800 (36”) and GE Cafe (30”) and can recommend both. In my current house we removed the gas cooktop and replaced it with the Cafe. Both worked wonderfully and were very easy to change and adjust temps.

I had a GE Profile 36" induction cooktop in my former kitchen. I never used the bridge element, and I cook a lot. Think about how often you'd need to use one. I was very pleased with my GE induction cooktop over all, the one exception was it needed backlight controls as it was hard to see. My next one will be a GE or a Bosch.

I have the Wolf 36" and love it, though it is a little more expensive than than the Bosch benchmark. With the 4 hob bridge function, you could have 2 hobs > 11". Not sure if you could use the all bridge function for multiple pans?? Maybe one of the more technically savvy people on the board could chime in. Also, Wolf has a two year full warranty, plus they add an extra year if you use a Wolf certified installer. And if you need any help or have a problem, Wolf customer service is fabulous.

BTW, I had to have a small alteration made to my granite recently, found a talented granite repair person who did a beautiful job so it was no big deal.

@seabiscuit 68

Oops--just remembered you are looking at 30" units. Not sure if the 2 hob bridge would be sufficient for your use on the Wolf 30".

Commented last month about Consumersearch.com. Apparently, about the same time, they changed their format and don't give the detailed information they used to. Sorry!

mrichter54 above raised a point that might be worth addressing further. There should be no electro-magnetic reason for not using an inductive-capable griddle across two hobs with the following caveats:

• For even temperatures, a griddle with a copper or aluminum layer in the base will be needed. Cast iron has lower thermal conductivity than may be desired.
• The griddle should not overlap any areas that are used for controls or the electronics supporting the controls.
• The griddle should be placed on silicone or similar pads to keep the Ceran cooler and make up for the likely lack of perfect flatness of the griddle base over the cooktop surface (so the griddle doesn't rattle). (Cooler Ceran is to avoid heating electronics that might not be adequately insulated between hobs. I recall that my now-replaced Kenmore cooktop -- Electrolux clone similar to the Frigidaire Gallery -- had insulation across the entire area of the hobs.)
• The two hobs used should have similar power levels, or at least power levels that can be equalized, and should be mostly covered by the griddle.

Notwithstanding the above, a portable electric griddle should be a lot easier to deal with for pancakes. Many will have temperature controlled surfaces. For hamburgers, one would want the electric griddle under the hood, so in that case an induction griddle might be easier.

I've been using a 36" wide Miele induction cooktop for the past two years and I absolutely love it. They make 30" wide options as well. I have zero complaints about it, and I can't ever imagine going back to gas. So easy to clean, fast response, super even heat, love love love it.