Also, since I'd like to spend no more than $2500 on a cooktop, should I even be considering induction? :)

I just ordered a GE monogram 30" induction for around $2k. It certainly can be done!

I see no down side with induction. I used to really love gas, but hadn't cooked on it for years. Then, a couple of week ago I was helping a friend get ready for a party. I had completely forgotten how HOT it gets standing in front of a gas cook top. My induction is faster to adjust than gas and more powerful. It took forever to boil water with gas - induction is so fast.

I can't really tell you about cost to operate. There are so many factors, and I have no real way to break it down for you. You would have to look at gas and electric costs in your area. Really, cooking is a pretty minor portion of your energy usage, so I'm not sure you would see a difference one way or the other.

Cost: 30" Brandt from New Zealand was $1900. You can also get De Dietrich in the U.S. now for reasonable prices, the Kenmore is below $2000 as well.

There's no right answer about whether open or sealed burners are easier to clean - it's a matter of personal preference. I've had both and I love sealed burners - just clean up in place - nothing to drag to the sink, no drip trays, etc. But some people prefer taking things to the sink to clean them.

Aliceinwonderland, so are you saying that if you turn the heat down on induction, it responds immediately?

Olchick: There have been several long discussion threads on this board about the very topics you mention. Some of those might contain useful information for you.

If you go to the bottom of the main Appliances forum page and type induction into the search box, you'll get quite a few hits.

I've ordered a 36" GE Profile induction cooktop for my new build, scheduled to close on 4/1/08. I'm paying $2,013 through my local appliance store. I haven't seen one in person but I have seen and tested a silver GE Monogram induction cooktop and I'm really excited to get mine! I've always cooked on gas and I'm looking forward to a change. No more scrubbing grates and using toothpicks to clean gunk from the burner cover holes; I'll greatly reduce my chances of setting my arms or sleeves on fire (I'm clumsy so this is a real risk for me); and a nice reduction in the heat of the kitchen.

Good luck!
try_hard

Thanks, try_hard, I have tried searching on these topics before, but haven't found much. I will try again :)

olchik - I can have a tea-pot on full boil, whistling, turn it off and it instantly stops whistling. Moves instantly from boil to simmer as well.

Try this link - it should be the search results...

try_hard

Here is a link that might be useful: Search on keyword INDUCTION

Olchik, I cannot recommend induction highly enough. Like you, I had an old JennAir glass-top electric cooktop with griddle options and integrated downdraft. A horror to cook on!! Slow and unresponsive (despite the fact that I had updated the heating components 5 years ago.) It took up to 30 minutes to bring a large pot of pasta water to a boil.

I now have the Diva DDP-40, which is a 4-hob, 30" induction cooktop with a Dacor pop-up downdraft. It is a joy to cook on this appliance! Instant responsiveness. Literally. Something's about to boil over, I press a temp reduction button, and that's the end of that problem. The range of temperatures is amazing -- from the gentlest low to a blazing high (WAY hotter than the JennAir.) Water in a full tea kettle boils in two minutes. And it's a breeze to clean up, because splatters don't "cook" on the cooktop.

The one downside is I had to buy new pots and pans. And, truthfully, I burned some stuff when I first starting using the Diva because I was so unacustomed to such power. (The only time I ever use the highest setting is when I'm setting water to boil.)

I had a gas stove years ago, and appreciated how it worked, but not how it looked. I much prefer the sleek look of glass top electrics. Induction provides that aesthetic plus the responsiveness of gas. IMHO, it's the best of both worlds.

Good luck to you!

One downside I should have mentioned. If you do a lot of water bath canning, a large gas element is better for that. Induction works, but canning pots don't have flat bottoms so you lose efficiency and can overheat your induction cooktop. Induction is fine for a little canning, but I use my huge propane burner for the all-day canning marathons.

I have an old Jenn Air and looking to get an induction cooktop and I was almost ready for the gas idea. Boy does that sound familar. I have seen an induction cooktop in action and sold on the idea. I want to heat my food not the air. 90% eff to 45-50%.

Coolbeans

How do you like the Dacor downdraft? what is your fan size and piping? Any issues?

I want to heat my food not the air. 90% eff to 45-50%.

Hold on, it's not as clear cut as this. Yes, induction is roughly 90% efficient. But, because it uses electricity, you have to compensate for the electricity that is lost in making and moving that electricity from the power plant to your home. Roughly 1/3 of the energy produced is lost before it gets to the appliance. So this brings induction down to about 60% efficient. Induction is also not as efficient with some pots, resulting in more loss. Thus, in the big picture, induction is only a little more efficient than gas.

As to operating costs, don't sweat it, unless you are comparing to a traditional Aga! Cooking uses something like about 2-5% of the total energy use in a house.

Now, on the original question, I have both in my kitchen. Induction (at least a powerful hob) is faster than a gas range. Both provide instantaneous response. However, induction is not as much fun to use as gas. I believe it is something in our makeup that make adjusting a flame more intuitive and enjoyable than adjusting a digital display from 20 to 4 to maintain a boil. Induction is generally not 100% continuous in temperature adjustments-it moves in steps, and occasionally you want a temp between 3 and 4. Some newer tops offer more levels than older units, eliminating this problem.

Gas is likely to be more reliable in the long run than induction-it's a lot simpler and a mature technology. Induction cooktops, made of a glass-like material, can shatter if heavy things are dropped on them. Never store cans of food or similar things above an induction top. Induction is probably safer than gas, but can lead to a false sense of security. If you have asthma, gas is not recommended.

Both have advantages and disadvantages.

Canuck, my Dacor is an ERV30 with a 1000 CFM remote blower. I don't remember whether the duct is 8" or 10"; it's probably 8. The cooktop is on a peninsula and the ducting had to go down through the tile floor and through a crawl space to its outside destination. Very tricky installation -- the installer used flexible foil ducting, which I learned would invalidate the Dacor warranty, and had to rip it out and replace it with rigid ducting.

Anyway, it's been in use for 18 months and we are completely pleased with it. It works best if there's a window cracked open somewhere in the house.

I should note that we don't fry anything, ever. Just not in my cooking repertoire. So the downdraft is for venting steam and odors with minimal grease. I pull out the screens every now and then to see if they need to go into the dishwasher. They haven't yet. I don't know if any downdraft would be a good choice for cooks who regularly fry and/or wok.

Coolbeans...I've been agonizing over the past week about which cooktop has the best configuration for my cooking style. I love the hobs on the 24" Diva but need more than three burners. I also love the styling of it but DH doesn't like the idea of installing another burner next to it. Do you find that the 9" hobs of the DDP-4 are large enough?

Having been through some lengthy power outages we are going with gas. If I didn't want a range for the purpose of the oven being under the hood vent I would consider a 2 burner gas and a 2 burner induction. Best of both worlds.

Eandhl - I think you're saying that in a power outage you can still use a gas range, right? My understanding from some past threads on this Forum was that in a power outage, with the way gas ranges are made today, your range still won't work. That's because the ignitors are electronic, and the hobs are made not to ignite without them. So you won't be able to light the gas range the old-fashioned way with a match in the event of a power outage. You need electricity for the ignitors to ignite the gas flame on the gas range. Perhaps there are exceptions to this? Of course, there is the AGA which has the gas flame on all the time. But other than the AGA, I remember someone posting that even the very simple basic Wolf AG range still has electronic ignitors. Please post back on this topic, as I would be interested to know which range(s) would work in a power outage. Thanks.

True, the ignitors won't work without power. Matches still do, though. So you should be able to use your burners. For example, the (current) GE owner's manual I looked at yesterday explicitly describes lighting the burners manually.

Typically, though, the oven part won't. Many (most?) gas ovens ignite via heating a piece of metal red-hot via electricity, and have an interlock to keep gas from flowing if that isn't working. Also, the valve that controls the gas flow to the oven burner is probably electrically controlled. So no oven during the power failure.

Thanks vmolesg, I thought all gas ranges could be lit with matches in a power outage. I am planning on a DCS, can anyone tell me for sure if it can be lit?

Olchik, I recently posted a similar query. Those ceramic Jennair cooktops are horrid, aren't they? It makes you really want to go overboard to make sure that the next cooktop has all the power and control you'll ever want! I had my heart set on gas as well, until I started reading up on induction here, and then I was all in a muddle. In the end, to help me make up my mind, I bought a 1.8 KW induction burner, which is about the same power as the smallest burner on many full sized induction cooktops. It's also the most kw's you can plug into a normal sized outlet--I wanted to give induction a fair shot, so I wanted to get the most power available without spending money to wire it. I put it right on the countertop next to the Jennair and started using it for everyday cooking. A demo somewhere is nice, but using it for your own everyday cooking is a much better trial, IMHO.

Have fun,
Cj

eandhl - you can definitely light the burners on the DCS with a match if the power is out but you can't light the oven.

Yet again I say thank you weissman.

Coolbean

Thanks for the input on the Dacor downdraft.

eandhl, I think the best idea for power outages is to have a portable butane cooktop in the house/garage, like the one you'd use for camping. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want to stay in the house during a lengthy power outage. Maybe 'cause I live in Minnesota and it can get very very cold in the house during a winter power outage :(((

From what I read on this website, I am convinced about going with induction. Now if I could only decide on which one! :)

Thanks everyone!

Cheri, I haven't had any problem with the size of the hobs on the DDP-40. I routinely use an 11" skillet on a 9" hob. And my 12" stockpot works fine, too.