Wife bought a massisve 36" cooktop

[Tynyyn]

Hmmm...

We don't need a new cooktop plus the one we currently have is 30".  But she does like bargains.  While tooling around a big box store she came across a 36" flat top induction cooktop.  Original price was $2000 because it was a special order.  It sat and sat on the closeout shelf after the original purchaser decided he/she didn't want/need it any more.  So Lowe's took a hit and decided to sell it for a reduced amount.  No takers at a grand, nor at five hundred dollars.  My wife asked her boss, how much will you drop that cook top?  He said two hundred.  Fine she said, I'll take it.  So with an additional incentive of a $300 rebate card from the manufacturer, and her employee discount, she was able to purchase a very high end cook top for three hundred bucks plus receive a three hundred dollar rebate card.  (She took the rebate card and purchased a 42" eleven drawer tool cabinet for me
).

So, for three hundred bucks we go $2300 worth of appliances and tool cabinets.  Not bad.

[Dave Mc]

That's how my 'whole house' remodels start.

I quit buying from the discount isle.

[daddo]

An extra 6" and a tool cabinet- Life is good!

[crokett™]

will it fit in your kitchen? my cabinets are sized for the one I have.

[Cooler]

I have an induction cook top.  I love it.  You do need pots and pans that will stick to a magnet.  When shopping for pots, take along a magnet.  

I have not had to use any of the cleaner yet, the surface wipes clean with a wet cloth.

Mine (GE) was close to $2,000.00.  I did the install myself.  An electrician had to be called in because it appeared that the service was not adequate, but it was only the last 6 feet of wire that was undersized.

A disappointment was that the timer only chimes; it does not turn off the burner.  My portable single burner would turn off automatically with the timer.

If I had room, I would add a single burner on another work surface to regain that timer.  I am building an island and I hope to include that in the island.  

The induction unit is supposed to be about 85% efficient in transferring the heat.  Compare that with standard electric which is about 75% efficient and gas that is just 60% efficient.  

Also note that gas makes the kitchen hot in the summer and the sides of the pan get very hot.

When frying eggs, only the bottom of the pan manages to get hot. When I am done frying the eggs, I can put my finger on the sides of the pan without getting burned.

I accidentally left the burner on and burned up a pan.  The stove top sensed the high heat and turned itself off without damage.   

Donate your aluminum pans to friends or relatives.  You don't need high end pans anymore.  The high end pans distribute heat better, but the induction stove top assures you of even heat distribution so it is not required.

[Robert Adams]

I have an induction cook top.  I love it.  You do need pots and pans that will stick to a magnet.  When shopping for pots, take along a magnet.  

I have not had to use any of the cleaner yet, the surface wipes clean with a wet cloth.

Mine (GE) was close to $2,000.00.  I did the install myself.  An electrician had to be called in because it appeared that the service was not adequate, but it was only the last 6 feet of wire that was undersized.

A disappointment was that the timer only chimes; it does not turn off the burner.  My portable single burner would turn off automatically with the timer.

If I had room, I would add a single burner on another work surface to regain that timer.  I am building an island and I hope to include that in the island.  

The induction unit is supposed to be about 85% efficient in transferring the heat.  Compare that with standard electric which is about 75% efficient and gas that is just 60% efficient.  

Also note that gas makes the kitchen hot in the summer and the sides of the pan get very hot.

When frying eggs, only the bottom of the pan manages to get hot. When I am done frying the eggs, I can put my finger on the sides of the pan without getting burned.

I accidentally left the burner on and burned up a pan.  The stove top sensed the high heat and turned itself off without damage.   

Donate your aluminum pans to friends or relatives.  You don't need high end pans anymore.  The high end pans distribute heat better, but the induction stove top assures you of even heat distribution so it is not required.

           Same here I much prefer induction to gas. I use an induction countertop burner in the summer because it keeps the kitchen much cooler in the summer. The next house when we move will get an induction cook top preferably with the wok dip in it.

             As for pots they don't need to be magnetic. The common stainless pots with the thick double bottom that has the aluminum disc in it work just fine on induction. Plain sheet stainless, aluminum or similar won't work.

[Cooler]

           Same here I much prefer induction to gas. I use an induction countertop burner in the summer because it keeps the kitchen much cooler in the summer. The next house when we move will get an induction cook top preferably with the wok dip in it.

             As for pots they don't need to be magnetic. The common stainless pots with the thick double bottom that has the aluminum disc in it work just fine on induction. Plain sheet stainless, aluminum or similar won't work.

The type 304 stainless steel is non magnetic but polishes up beautifully.  The type 400 series is magnetic and does not polish well.  My water kettle has the top in 304 stainless and the bottom in 400 series stainless.

The double bottom pots almost certainly have a 400 series bottom.  The aluminum can sit on the burner all day long and never heat up at all.  

There are aluminum pans with a perforated stainless steel bottom bonded on.  But you will only get about 50% heat transfer because of the reduced surface.  The percentage is just a guess on my part.  But clearly the more surface of magnetic material the better the heat transfer.

You can see the perforated stainless on the bottom here: