I have had my Miele induction cooktop for 10 years and LOVE it! It looks almost the same as the day I put it in. My friend has a Wolf induction and feels the same. Everything about it is superior to cooking with gas- lows are lower, highs are higher, energy efficient, no throw off heat, perfectly even heat, super easy clean-up, etc. The only down sides I see - certain pans don't work, you can't use during a power outage, and you lose the "soulfulness" of cooking with a flame. Just do your homework and make sure you go with a brand that uses quality components . Good luck with your decision :-)

"I assume you don't have a microwave for the same reason? Are you ok when on the computer or in front of a TV?"

Using a hair dryer, electric razor, or even a vacuum cleaner emits more EMF that most computer monitors.....and about the same as an induction cooktop. (Vacuum cleaner depending on distance from the motor.)

@MinnesotaMary - I'm going to do a deeper dive and see if the cast iron will not work, and why they don't recommend them. It seems odd to me that all other induction cooktops seem to allow them - I don't know why this one doesn't RECOMMEND. It seems most of the glass tops are made of the same material. I really want the knobs. I know I'd get used to the touch controls, but I also want the knobs for the more classic less sleek look they provide.

Thank you Toronto Vet for clarifying my point. :D We're on the same page.

Design girl:

Knobs

Some of us (me included), prefer the ergonomics of rotary digital interfaces (a/k/a knobs) over touchpads. It's just a matter of personal preference about design tradeoffs, not right vs. wrong or inherently superior vs inherently inferior.

As I said above, there are tradeoffs in every design, even when it comes to knob controls. For example, the Viking and GE Cafe ranges have their knobs with seemingly infinite settings as opposed to 10 to 12 discrete steps on, say, the Miele and LG induction ranges The trade off is the distinct stepping comes with digital read-outs. Discreet steps and the read out make it easy to click to the same exact heat level whenever you want. The Viking and Cafe ranges do not have burner level read-outs. So you guess heat settings by approximate knob position which is less exact. Some will find the precision important to their cooking where others may prefer more variable but less precise controls.

Cast iron

The glasstops are indeed pretty much all the same Ceran product made by Schott or a competitor. (Some cheap portable induction cooktops use ordinary tempered glass, but those aren't what you are considering.) The few induction stove and cooktop makers who ban cast iron are doing so because the writers of the user guide either believe nonsense about induction or/and worry about irrational warranty claims (e.g., "OMG, my stove is defective because the induction/smoothtop broke when my 7 quart dutch fell off the top shelf onto it but nothing ever broke when I did that to my old gas stove's grates.")

My story on this is from several years ago when a friend of mine was considering a Viking induction range. This was mainly because the Viking had knobs and because you could get the stoves in bright colors. Anyway, when she read the user guide's ban on cast iron, she asked me to call tech support for her. The Viking rep (apparently reading from a script) told me that (a) cast iron gets so much hotter on induction than steel and holds that heat so long that that it could melt onto and damage the Ceran surface (ROFL) and (b) even if it did not melt, retained heat from the cast iron pan would damage the electronics when the stove was turned off. That was enough to persuade my friend stay away from the brand.

Oh, FWIW, on the subject of "if cast iron will not work," a decade or so ago, Viking sold rebranded portable induction cooktops that were the only known instance of an induction appliance that shut down whenever used with enameled cast iron pans (notably Le Creuset). Viking quickly dropped that rebranded product but one wonders if the experience may have poisoned the opinions of the writers of their user guides for other induction products.

"... the Viking and GE Cafe ranges have their knobs with seemingly infinite settings as opposed to 10 to 12 discrete steps ,,,"

I would expect all induction ranges to be digitally-controlled regardless of whether the user interface is a rotary knob or a touch panel. A rotary knob likely also has discrete steps on the control signal into the computer board, it's just not obvious if there's no numeric readout.

@jwvideo - Thanks for that input. I couldn't imagine that cast iron won't work. In actuality, the user guide says "Using cast iron cookware on the glass cooktop is not recommended. Cast iron retains heat and may result in cooktop damage". I get the one off warranty claims when someone has an accident and drops a dutch oven on the glass. Too bad - you'll have to buy another one. I'm also not in the habit of setting something on high heat (especially cast iron) and leaving it for a prolonged period of time. More like, making sauce and simmering it for a few hours, or browning something in a dutch oven and then transferring it to the oven to finish. However, when those Le Creuset's come out of the oven, I often place them on my cooktop and serve. Just did this last week with a pot roast that had been in the oven for 5 hours and then needed a quick reduce on my 25 year old GE ceramic electric cooktop. No problems with the glass or electronics. I've got a salesman reaching out to the rep regarding this. What would you do? This looks like a perfect option for me. Knobs, nice looking, rangetop so no seams in my stone. It's not cheap at $3500, but does meet all my requirements. This is so exhausting.

Dadoes --- Exactly.

That's why I referred to knob controls as "rotary digital interfaces."

I did not mean to imply that the GE Cafe and Viking had analog controls when I pointed out that the makers had skipped digital readouts for the burner settings.

Design Girl:

I frequently pull pans from the oven to my induction cooktop. Never had a problem. IIRC, Schott Ceran/glass is rated for temperatures up to 750°F/400°C. I would not worry about/avoid doing that unless I had a stove or cooktop with touch controls integrated into the induction surface as is the case with some units.

As for Fulgor-Milano and "what would you do?" Me, personally? Despite the high style and the good fit for your kitchen plans, I'd be reluctant because of what I don't know about the company. Getting the Fulgor rangetop strikes me as more like buying a high-style high-tech Italian electric car than buying high-style Italian clothing or shoes. When something goes wrong with the clothing or shoes, you have other clothes and shoes so you are not stranded.

We're also talking about a little-known brand competing against well established brands in a very low-volume market for luxury appliances and selling a technically complex product which might or might not be well supported for the warranty period, let alone beyond it. Of course, the shoe analogy is awkward, but you know what I'm getting at.

Other flags of concern for me would be that, near as I can tell, Fulgor was acquired as a brand a decade or so ago by an Italian-based global marketing company. Not sure how much of the current product is still the old-fashioned company's work much less where it is made now. Also, Fulgor's relatively new North American operations are managed by another entity (might or might not be related) called "The Vetta Group" which also handles marketing of Fhibia refrigerators. I believe the warranty service and support is contracted out to Adco but don't know how well Adco is supported by the Fulgor factories.

Others may have more information and/or reassurance and hopefully we'll hear from them. If not, you might get more and better responses if you break your question out into a separate thread and maybe mention the region or city where you live. Maybe there is good support where you live?

"Using a hair dryer, electric razor, or even a vacuum cleaner emits more EMF that most computer monitors"

What does that have to do with anything? We know so little about electromagnetic hypersensitivity syndrome (EHS) that pointing out other sources of Electromagnetic fields means little. Here is what we know...(1) the symptoms are real, and (2) there is a strong correlation between the symptoms and EMF.

It has only even become accepted as real in the last 5 years and there is still a lot of pre 2015 information out there that calls its existence into question. We are still not 100% sure it isn't a nocebo effect, but that really doesn't matter. Even if it is the nocebo effect the symptoms are real.

I am in the camp of preferring gas ranges. There are things I can do on gas that I can't on induction. For example, tilting a pan to cook off a sauce in one side while the other side gets gets lower heat. Before anyone asks, I do a lot of sauces. So yes, it bugs me.

I know this is snobbish, but I feel... if you are a decent cook an induction range will make you a good cook. If you are a great cook an induction range will make you a good cook.

I am probably a good enough cook that I am bothered by the limits of induction but also I am saved by induction often enough that I should appreciate it more. I believe it is significantly harder to screw up on an induction and most people will benefit from this.

There are exceptions to how I feel. The Breville Polyscience The Control Freak is an amazing piece of equipment and if you want spend a fortune buying one or two it can make the worst cook look like a brilliant chef. The thing will sous vide and even Thomas Keller uses it...

"What does that have to do with anything?"

Just pointing out that there are very common things in our homes that also emit EMF radiation. I don't doubt the symptoms are real and that some people are more sensitive to others -- I was just adding on to the comment that those with that type of sensitivity also have other things in their house that they must also avoid. In other words, induction stoves are not the only source of EMFs in our homes, so avoiding one will not allow one to avoid being around EMF at similar levels.

@jwvideo - I get everything you are saying. My main concern is support/service in the area. It seems from other threads that talk about the Sophia Gas/Duel fuel range, that the support is great in Canada. I'm going to be researching this to see if I'm willing to take the leap. I just wish I had more choices. Viking (bad reviews/service), Blue Star (who knows about service), and Fulgor Milano - an actual induction rangetop - but I get it - it's not a pair of shoes.

Just pointing out that there are very common things in our homes that also emit EMF radiation.

My point about our understanding so little about this is that we have no idea why some people are affected by certain fields and not other fields. However, I think it is a bit rigged to compare VLF and ELF electromagnetic fields to an appliance designed to produce significantly higher electromagnetic fields.

----

Moreover, why does it matter? If you cook on an induction range and you feel ill, stop cooking on it. We don't really need to have a discussion on why. If you are worried that you might get ill, then try cooking on one of the countertop induction plates first, they are less than $100 and will tell you if you are sensitive.

"If you cook on an induction range and you feel ill, stop cooking on it. We don't really need to have a discussion on why."

I agree, and I'd rather the EMF issue was not brought up.

My mom has an induction cooktop, and it's over 26 years old. I'm sure of it because I remember going over to tell her we were expecting our first child /her kitchen was in a big remodeling mess.

Yes, it has some scratches, but no worse than my flat-top electric. I agree that any kitchen product that's USED regularly will show wear.

Do I love-love-love it? No, I've used it plenty, and I'm kinda ambivalent on it, but she LOVES it.

Design Girl
Another option for a 30/36 inch induction range with knobs are those by Fisher Paykel. I have one on order, and can’t wait to try it!

@chinacatpeekin - Thanks, but I'm looking for a cooktop or rangetop, not a range. I have double wall ovens.

What you are feeling under high voltage lines is most likely piloerection, your hairs standing up.

This is a well-known phenomenon, written about, and not mysterious at all caused by the basic physics and physiology of the effect of the electric field on your body hair.

The electric field polarizes your hair, and since they carry the same charge they repel each other, causing the hair to rise.

This has been written about here-

"Proceedings of the 2005 IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology 27th Annual Conference, Shanghai, China, September 1-4, 2005", p. 4266. "Analysis of Body Hair Movement in ELF Electric Field Exposure", H. O. Shimizu, K. Shimizu.

It is similar to how the Van de Graaf generator makes one's hair stand up, if you have ever seen that at a science museum or at a school.

"I know this is snobbish, but I feel... if you are a decent cook an induction range will make you a good cook. If you are a great cook an induction range will make you a good cook."

I can't agree with this. I've had enough meals by good and great chefs prepared in very sob-optimal conditions to know that the tools make little difference. An induction range will limit some of what you can do but a good chef will work around these and still produce great meals.

I think where the tools make the greatest difference is for those of us who are mediocre cooks because they simplify things for us and help to make difficult things easier.

While EMF is certainly a problem for many people, that may not always be what causes the headaches people get from induction. Very often pans vibrate against the surface and the sound from this can cause headaches. This is similar to people getting headaches from the ballasts in florescent lights though different sound wave characteristics so different people affected based on their sensitivities.

There are several uni's doing research on all of these (and LED flicker and color quality) to try to get a better handle on what bits of technology impact people in what ways. It will be interesting to see what they come up with.

I can't agree with this. I've had enough meals by good and great chefs prepared in very sob-optimal conditions to know that the tools make little difference.

Well, it was hyperbole...

I also didn't say anything about chefs. We are having a discussion on cooking technique, not flavor profiles. An induction range isn't going to make you a good chef, if you don't understand food chemistry and flavor profiles. However, it will add to or detract from your technical skills (a.k.a cooking ability).

There are many tough tasks that an induction range makes easier. However, if you don't struggle with those tasks, then the advantages offered by an induction range are seriously diminished and the limitations become more pronounced.

For example, induction often eliminates the need for a double boiler and I have even done a Bearnaise and a Hollandaise (semi-successfully) directly on an induction, but I don't struggle with either of those sauces anyway. So my cooking isn't improved by that, meanwhile pan zoning, which I use a lot, is gone.

"the advantages offered by an induction range are seriously diminished"

I guess that depends on what advantages are important to you. For me, the primary advantage is to have good control over my cooking temperature without having fire in my kitchen, and to equally enjoy that control in places where a gas stove is not permitted. So, for me, a good cook, its advantages are not diminished, since the advantages that are important to me are not because it boils water fast or because I don't need a double boiler.

Fire outdoors: good. Fire indoors: bad. ;)

I guess that depends on what advantages are important to you.

Yes, but I was discussing my cooking on induction... Not other reasons to choose induction.

The reason I chose induction is specifically because I didn't want any combustion in my house. That is a great reason to choose induction but that is beside the point. I have induction. I would choose induction again. I don't like it. Which was the question asked.

I am not a big fan of chocolate either... Maybe what I really need is a list of other products that have similar molecular structures to see if I also dislike those, or maybe a few studies to show me that I really like chocolate I just don't think I do...

I have a gas Wolf that came with my vacation house and a Thermador freedom induction that I installed in my main residence. I would choose induction hands down over the two. Induction cooking is so accurate. I really struggle with the gas burner accuracy. Boiling water is so darn quick with induction and it is so easy to dial in a precise cooking level. Also I can place my pans anywhere on cooktop and even move them while cooking without missing a beat. Not too mention cooktop stays cool, avoiding burns and baked on spills. If my pans spill over, a quick swipe with a rag and good as new. I am on my 5th year and no scratches or issues. My favorite go too stir fry and sautéing pans are non stick Analon and ScanPan brands.

OK guys - time to putdown the pitchforks.

Thank you all for all the wonderful discussion! Seems like almost all people who have them love them..do you think you can sear on them or not so much?

Induction not for me, do not like. For the several reasons already mentioned in this thread.

It may depend on the type of cooktop you get. I use mine to sear with a grill pan when it’s too chilly outside to grill. I use the highest “boost” setting to warm up a dry pan. If you use oil, apply it to the meat, not the pan (to avoid smoking) and drop it in once pan is to temp. Super even heat. I often get hotspots with my gas stove , but not with my induction. Make sure you are using an induction friendly high heat pan.

@bry911 what is pan zoning?

Electrical engineer here (and mostly definitely NOT a physician). We have induction and love it. I like it because of the efficiency. The pot or pan completes the magnetic circuit and the pan gets hot because of the resistance (reluctance for the nitpickers) of the metal in the pan itself. So the heat is produced right where it is needed. Traditional electric and gas have a heat source that is external to the pan and that energy must be transferred to the pan to heat it up. This results in a decent % loss of energy to ambient air which heats up the kitchen (and you) as you cook.

I'm not here to tell you what you feel when you turn on an induction stove or walk under power lines. What I will say is that every wire in the walls of your home produce magnetic fields. Take your right hand and point out your thumb. Your thumb is the wire and direction of current flow. Your four fingers curl around the wire and that is what the magnetic field looks like.

You walk through magnetic fields everywhere you go. Office buildings. Your home. Walks through the neighborhood over buried lines. Under power lines, etc. I have a lot of sympathy for someone who has a physiological reaction to B fields. Every day must be a living hell.

Almost forgot. Our planet. Enveloped in a huge magnetic field. Without it we'd all be dead crispy critters. So that's another factor to consider.

My brother has an induction cooktop that I really hate. It's a 5+ year old Siemens/Bosch model. The touch interface is super annoying when cooking food that needs precise temperature control. I recently had the chance to try it extensively, and I always find myself furiously stabbing at the controls trying to make adjustments that inevitably take way too long. And while it has 17 or 18 power levels, that still doesn't feel sufficiently fine grained.

Nonetheless, for his upcoming kitchen remodel, I am recommending he get another induction range. Overall, induction has a lot going for it and the lack of a good user interface isn't an intrinsic problem with the heating technology as such. There certainly are manufacturers that make ranges with knobs. In my brother's case, it's likely going to be a LaCanche, as that range overall is a great fit for him.

There is one remaining issue though, that would keep me (but not my brother) from buying induction. I have now had the chance to use a wok on his current induction top. And despite trying to give it the benefit of the doubt, I have come to the conclusion that flat-bottom woks simply don't work. The heat distribution is all wrong, and the wok spetula can't follow the shape of the wok.

While it certainly is nice that the induction top has plenty of power, I either burn food in the wok or sauté instead of stir fry; often I do both at the same time. A round-bottom wok handles very differently and has a much saner heat distribution with the hot spot in the center. As a result, I much prefer my Bluestar gas range for wok cooking. It's effortless with a good burner and a good wok.

Supposedly, there now are special induction burners compatible with round-bottom woks. But I don't have any first-hand experience, yet. So, maybe, that would change my opinion. I am also a little concerned that some of these burners are only compatible with one manufacturer-provided wok. That could be rather limiting.

Until these things have been sorted out, if you need wok cooking, stick with gas. For everything else, induction is a serious contender.

I've only been in this house for three years, so no idea if my personal induction range will last eight years. I believe my brother had his house in the 90s for close to, if not more, than that many years, and his old-style induction didn't fail. A lot will depend on the brand you choose, of course.

On mine - no scratches yet, and I do use cast iron skillets on occasion. Then again I'm always trying to be careful.

About the only disadvantages I can see - so far: Can't do true wok cooking, and can't roast and blacken peppers on the non-existent gas grill parts. (Hey, that's what outdoor grills are for...)

Now reading the other comments here.

I see the poster before me also brings up the wok issue. And I should have mentioned the power outage issue - on most propane / gas cooktops you can still cook even if electricity takes a vacation. (But again, I do have an outdoor grill). I'm still plotting my whole-house generator (which I want for reasons entirely separated from cooking) and my wood burning stove (which my insurance company doesn't want me to install).

I simply feel that induction is overall safer if you forget to turn the heat off. I've done that once or twice here - the induction will shut itself off. It is easy to clean. No worries about lighting candles at the adjacent dining area table, should there be any sort of small leak.

And, I'm not concerned about magnetic field issues. Okay, I'm not going to lay down my credit card on the range - but I wouldn't do that anyway! The card has indeed sometimes been in my pocket while cooking, and my hips come to counter height - it still works. Obviously not enough magnetism to worry over.

PS, my unit has knobs. Well, a combination of knobs and more electronic finger-push buttons.

Induction range - Samsung Chef series. Installed 5 1/2 years ago. Top looks beautiful. We scratched it very slightly with an accidental pan scrape and, after googling, we used sugar on the scratches and they disappeared.

Two weeks ago, suddenly both left burners on the left initially reacted to pans but, within seconds, would switch to the "pan not detected" error signal. Turning the knob up or down to different heat settings went through the same steps - a few seconds of operation followed by the error.

Repairer coming out Thursday. If we have to replace, not repair, I will pick induction. I am a not very talented and extremely sloppy cook. DH and I are both mindful of not scraping/ dragging pans, though. The scratches we removed resulted from an accidental jostle while reaching over a pan.

"Almost forgot. Our planet. Enveloped in a huge magnetic field. Without it we'd all be dead crispy critters."

Our planet also has naturally occurring radiation. Using your "logic" there is no harm dumping spent nuclear fuel rods in your city's water supply.

"suddenly both left burners on the left initially reacted to pans but, within seconds, would switch to the "pan not detected" error signal.

That happened to me as well, but after only about 9 months. The repair guy was puzzled, saying he'd never seen that before, but he was able to figure it out and repair it. I have an LG range, and have had no problems in the 2.5 years since.

@bry911

"Almost forgot. Our planet. Enveloped in a huge magnetic field. Without it we'd all be dead crispy critters."

"Our planet also has naturally occurring radiation. Using your "logic" there is no harm dumping spent nuclear fuel rods in your city's water supply."

Your straw man argument only illustrates you lack of understanding of magnetic fields and basic science.

But then again, weren't you the one who saw no utility in the use of architects?

Thanks for your kind input random internet stranger. Chatting with you makes me feel better about myself.

Toronto Vet, thank you so much.

It was nice of you to share that a) it could be repaired and b) the repair took. Fingers crossed.

But then again, weren't you the one who saw no utility in the use of architects?

Speaking of straw men...

Next, no. That is simply a fabrication. I have consistently advocated that architects provide utility and typically well beyond their cost. In fact, several times I have discussed my amazement at how inexpensive architects are.

ETA: As I mentioned above, it may be the Nocebo effect. I just find that the patronizing comments are a bit ridiculous. Here are a few things that we absolutely know. People experience discomfort/pain when using something. That something is a friggin range! Just let those people pick a different range and be done with it. No need to come in and make snide comments about it just to belittle them. It is a range... They are not refusing to vaccinate their kids, or wear a face mask in a pandemic, they are just telling you why they chose a different range.

I do all kinds of cooking and love to deep fry. Induction cooktops will NOT reach 350 degree ferenheit to do any proper deep frying. Something about a safety mechanism you cannot turn off in order to protect the internal components. I tried a portable induction cooktop which went up to 275. If I had known this I would have kept my gas stove.

Thank you. This was from 5 years ago...We ended up not doing induction and I really REGRET it!!! Even a combination is good to have both but it seriously is SO much better!

What induction cooktop do you think will not reach 350?

I have friends that sear regularly on their induction ranges/cooktops. Am considering induction (Wolf) and would be utterly astounded if I can't get a Cast Iron pan up to 500+ as measured with a Heat Gun.

The comment read a little confusing. Are we really comparing portable cooktops to built-in stoves?

Yes, portable cooktops can be quite underpowered. That is specific to the model and can happen with induction, gas, or (if you still have one) electric coils. Part of the problem is the small physical size of the portable appliance, the other part is the fact that they have to run off of a 110V 15A outlet.

Full-size induction stoves shouldn't have any issue maintaining considerably higher temperatures. But again, there could be model-specific limitations. The "simmer burner" probably is limited in how much heat it can output. And some induction cooktops divert power, if you try to use multiple high-powered burners simultaneously. There also are models that only require 110V. That's great, if this is the only energy source available in a particular kitchen; but it will come with serious practical limitations.

It would help this conversation if @di p gave us details for their exact model number.

Sorry, let me clarify. I replaced my gas stove with a full sized induction stove. I found the measured temperature to deep fry inside a cast iron dutch oven consistently below 300 degrees fahrenheit whereas a full stock pot of water would boil within minutes. I found this very curious and disappointing. I tested the same 3 inches of oil inside the cast iron dutch oven on a separate portable induction stove unit and found similar result, around 275. When deep frying the temperature must be at least 350 degrees or so.

^ di p again doesn't state the specific model number, or even a brand-name, of the unsatisfactory induction range.

"When deep frying the temperature must be at least 350 degrees or so."

Get a tabletop deep fryer. Problem solved. No frying pan set-up can replicate a deep fryer, even an inexpensive one. Nor contain the resultant splatter as well.

I strongly dislike stand-alone deep fryers. I used to own one. The clean up was always a major hassle. So much more convenient to deep fry in a Dutch oven or a round-bottom wok.

An no, there is no reason why this shouldn't work on any commonly-available. I don't dispute that @di p has a stove that doesn't work for this purpose. But that's the exception rather than the rule, and induction isn't really the culprit. There are plenty of induction stoves that don't suffer from the same limitations.

Of course, if you personally prefer a stand-alone deep fryer and don't mind the clean up, then keep doing what works for you. I just don't think that it should serve as an excuse for accepting a inferior stove. A stove that can't bring a pot to 350°F is underpowered and not fit for general-purpose use in a residential kitchen. Find a model that doesn't have this problem.