Sorry but IMO fake plastic stone never should be in a counter top in a kitchen . As for the flush install if the appliance shop says they have it the working kitchen ask to see it

• Quartz (engineered stone) earned a 5/5 rating in CR's "hot pot" test: a 400 degree pot filled with oil placed on the countertop.
• I'd consider not flush-mounting a cooktop so any pot that slid partially off the cooktop would not contact the cooktop.
• The Wolf "New" CI36560C/B and CI30460C/B induction cooktops are deficient because: (a) the largest element is pushed to the rear of the cooktop; (b) there is not a control for each element; (c) the cutesy square element borders don't help centering a pot on an element; (d) they're overpriced.
• The "Legacy" CI365C/B and CI304C/B don't have these deficiencies.
• I like control knobs (one per element): Frigidaire Professional FPIC3077RF, FPIC3677RF. Owners like them too.

Overlap of pan bases (not sides) onto parts of an induction cooktop beyond the ring limits may conduct heat to electronics not adequately protected. (For the Electrolux/Frigidaire/Kenmore lines this would probably only include the control region, based on the guts of my original Kenmore. Overlap onto soapstone would not be an issue at any likely pan temperature. On granite, it would depend on porosity and potential moisture in the grain interfaces. Plastics would in my view be at risk, although the CR test result reported by @wdccruise is presumably welcome news for those to whom it applies.

@wdccruise thanks for the info. I purchased the Wolf contemporary legacy version, so good there. Appreciate the info on the CR test of quartz...the 400 degrees certainly seems ample to prevent issues with quartz. Personally, I would never put a hot pot on any counter surface so this seems to be workable even with a flush install…and realize I need to wary of a pot reaching past the cooktop onto the counter. I am still deciding on the type of material for the counter but the info is quite helpful.

@kaseki I agree, the CR heat test results are good to hear about the quartz and also agree that plastics would be the most likely risk of the countertop materials. I think with a little bit of care any damage can be prevented with quartz.

It's the rare "emergency" that can catch one off guard. If you instinctively move a pan off a burner onto the countertop to immediately stop whatever it is doing wrong, as one might with electric coil cooking, then the countertop has to take the heat. For plastic, it might be best to have a hot pad or trivet nearby just in case.

CR's testing results imply that the damage reported here now and then of engineered quartz backsplash damage from rising oven heat from ranges mis-using island trim implies that the temperatures must have been well above 400F. Hmmm. A quick web tour suggests that 300F is the recommended limit for engineered quartz, at least of the resin type.

We did a drop in induction cooktop for this kitchen that is nearly flush and I haven't heard any complaints from clients about the Silestone counter it's set into re: heat damage.

Bernal Heights Sustainable Kitchen · More Info

As you can see, there's a tiny lip for the cooktop but it's barely noticeable.

I think you'll be fine.

@Sabrina Alfin Interiors beautiful kitchen! would love to see the rest of it. thanks for the info on your installation. I do have the option to install as shown in your photo, but really wanted to have it totally flush.

@susanrhill34 if you click on the "more info" link above you can see more photos from the project.