I think a 30" would be ok IF you can get a range with burner controls on the front of the range. The touch controls on the cooktop eat up a lot of space, so you want a 36" cooktop if you have those. You also want at least 36" if it's the big central burner with satellite burner configurations. Last owners of this house had a 30" cooktop with that configuration. If we put a large pot on the central burner, it made the other burners unuseable except for very tiny saucepans.

That Thor range isn't induction, which is probably why it's cheaper than the rest ;)

I had the 30” Viking range briefly, before returning it and getting a Miele. I loved the induction range top part of it, but hated the oven. The fan noise was too much for me, and I wasn’t impressed by the temperature control for baking. We had a 40” range before, so I was a little concerned about space but that hasn’t been an issue for the way we cook. There are differences in the arrangment of the burners between the various ranges. Some put the big burner/s in the back, some put it in the front - something that might be a factor in how you like to cook.

I have the 30’’ Electrolux induction which I LOVE LOVE LOVE. It is the best stove I’ve ever had. Good size oven and heating surface so that I can use multiple burners without the problems discussed by mcarroll16. With the shortage of appliances post-pandemic, you might not have the same choices you had in the past. I will never have anything except induction now.

I'm starting to look for a 30" one. That 36" Frigidaire looks great--the 30" ones aren't nearly as stylish or I'd probably be on it.

Get a good layout on the cooktop, but all induction is going to be pretty similar. I went from a 1983 induction cooktop to a new one (in about 2012) and the differences in performance were minor. They're all going to be close. So aside from the hob layout, be sure the oven does what you want.

Remember (if you're remodeling/building) that you don't just save money with 30" on the range itself. You save on the hood above it.

AGA has been around forever. Their traditional ranges are kinda weird. If you go that route be sure you can get service. They're kinda niche.

@Fori Thanks for the insight. I kind of wondered about "new" technology in ranges in general, it seems that adding things like smart features and air fry are really the only options, other than updating style or energy efficiency. Do you have any suggestions on vents/hoods since you mentioned it? That's our next step

Hi Jennifer - What did you decide to do? We are in the same boat - nixing the 36" gas range for the cleaner induction. But hard to make a decision! Thank you!

Note that these three ranges are the same:

• Smeg SPR36UIMX Professional Series 36 Inch Induction Electric Freestanding Range ($4950)
• Frigidaire Professional PCFI3670AF 36 Inch Induction Electric Freestanding Range ($5840)
• Electrolux ECFI3668AS 36 Inch Induction Electric Freestanding Range ($6600)

@wdccruise I am considering the Frigidaire or Electrolux (also Wolf or F&P). Do you have any experience with them?

Fisher and Paykel makes a 36 inch induction. Friend has it. Great looking unit.

@4arnottp I'm thinking of getting the 36" Electrolux. Are you still liking yours? Is the cooling fan on the oven noisy? Some people complain about that with their F&P and Bosch induction ranges. I am making the switch from gas, and I'm a bit nervous. Thank you!!

@P. T.: "I'm thinking of getting the 36" Electrolux"

$740 (Electrolux > Frigidaire) and $1650 (Electrolux > SMEG) seem like hefty premiums for a toekick.

@wdccruise Smeg has a smaller oven (14.5" tall interior dimension, whereas Electrolux is 17.5" tall interior dimension) - so they do not appear to be the same unit. The Frigidaire MSRP ($6,800) is actually greater than the Electrolux ($6,599), and the Electrolux looks way better. Maybe you have not seen these appliances in person?

We're doing a 36" Wolf Induction cooktop. So sleek, clean, simple.

@P. T.: "Smeg has a smaller oven (14.5" tall interior dimension, whereas Electrolux is 17.5" tall interior dimension)"

False.

• SMEG specifications do not show the oven height. Capacity is 4.56 cf.
• Frigidaire specifications show interior height as 14-1/2" and capacity 4.4 cf
• Electrolux specifications show interior height as 14-1/2" and capacity 4.4 cf

"The Frigidaire MSRP ($6,800) is actually greater than the Electrolux ($6,599)"

• Irrelevant. The SMEG and Frigidaire selling prices* are lower than the Electrolux by up to $1650.

"the Electrolux looks way better"

• The Electrolux has a $740-to-$1650 toekick.

*appliancesconnection.com

@wdccruise I get that is what the spec sheets say, but I went to the showroom and measured the ovens. I have seen you comment on multiple threads about those ranges. How come?

@P. T. Love my electroux induction range. I would never go back to electric and prefer it over my gas one at the cottage. Even heat in the oven, super fast burners, effective self-clean. I have had one issue with it in all these years which was a simple repair. Recommended!

@P. T.: "I get that is what the spec sheets say, but I went to the showroom and measured the ovens."

The ranges are identical in every dimension, are identical except in appearance, and there's no way the single manufacturer of all three appliances squeezed an additional 3" of height into one oven, a claim the manufacturer does not make.

@wdccruise The Smeg is DEFINITELY not the same as the Electrolux in oven dimensions - the Electrolux has a larger oven. Smeg's spec sheet doesn't have internal oven dimensions. Readers of this forum should be aware of the difference in the two ranges.

Hey guys. Italian company SMEG, which stands for Smalterie Metallurgiche Emiliane Guastalla is not the same as Electrolux and Frigidaire. It's part of Bertazzoni. Dimensions will be different. And reliability also.

@dan1888 Thank you for your comment! I was told by a salesman that the Smeg induction range is the same as the Bertazzoni, so that tracks with what you're saying.

For those of you that have touched the new Frigidaire 36" Professional induction, do the knobs and other parts feel cheap? We were looking at some of the other Frigidaire and Electrolux models this weekend at a showroom and we were not impressed with the quality. The vent in the back of the induction top was flimsy and the units did not feel like a good value for the price. There was some weird knob cover thing behind the knobs that were annoying IMO.

We looked at the Wolf 36" induction. Granted, its twice as much but it felt solid all around and has a good history of quality from the research I found.

@Shane I saw a Frigidaire Professional range on display and was put off by the finishes, which I thought looked cheap for the price, but it turns out it was not the induction. I believe it was this range: https://www.frigidaire.com/Kitchen-Appliances/Ranges/Electric-Range/PCFE3078AF/. The knobs were gray plastic, and I totally ruled the range out on looks alone. If you look at the link, you can see the knobs.

It looks like the 36" induction looks better. https://www.frigidaire.com/Kitchen-Appliances/Ranges/Induction-Range/PCFI3670AF/. I have yet to see it in person.

I did see the 36" Electrolux induction range in a showroom next to high end gas ranges (Thermador, Wolf, Viking), and I thought it looked good next to them. I was surprised to see it, and I was very pleasantly surprised by how it looked. I was afraid it would look cheap.

Shallow, yes, but I don't think I want large "Frigidaire" branding on my range. The Electrolux looked understated to me, which I preferred.

At half the price of the Wolf, I was planning on getting the Electrolux 36" induction. People seem to like the Electrolux! Some people find the electronic burner controls on the Wolf frustrating (even saying they love induction but hate their Wolf)...others think they are fine and have made the argument that the knobs create another step / another thing to break / a step removed from directly controlling the burners.

It seems that the Electrolux has a bit of a deeper oven than the Wolf. I could put 2 half sheet pans side-by-side on one rack in the Electrolux (I think...it was tight, to be fair, but the door did close, I think), but there was no way the Wolf's oven door was closing at that orientation. I was very disappointed at this discovery. This seemed to me to be consistent across Wolf's ranges.

But, alas, my 6 year old is very bothered by induction on high (says it is a painful high pitched screeching)...so back to a gas range I go. I was VERY deep in on induction, very much looking forward to it, and disappointed by this discovery! I have heard of dogs being bothered, in addition to some children and teens (which is why I tested it with my kids). My 3 year old was not bothered.

UPDATE: I took my kids into the showroom and the Thermador Freedom on high was annoying, but not painful, to my 6 year old. 3 year old still had no problem. It was Nuwave induction hotplate that my 6 year old found painful when on high. The annoyingness or painfulness of the sound made was consistent across clad and stainless steel pans. Not sure what any of this means!

Induction hot plates are much much whinier/nosier than actual ranges. We are temporarily using a hot plate while our range is getting repaired. The sound also varies vastly by exact pan and material. Cast iron is basically silent, you’ll get a little noise with very high quality stainless (all clad, etc) that diminishes as the pan heats and much more noise with cheap stainless.