Do these come with plugs? - ours came with a tail to be hardwired so you couldn't just plug it in like a range.

However - DH put a plug on the end so we could test ours out, and then it plugged in to the electric range outlet.
If yours already has a plug on it and your neighbor has a range, it should plug in (just pull the range out of the way first). Also make sure the breaker is the correct size. If the cooktop pulls more power than the breaker is for, you can have poor performance that isn't due to the cooktop so it wouldn't be a good test. This mostly comes in to play if you have all the burners on at one time (Max draw).

Ours wasn't flat on the bottom (the cord came out that way) so it had to be supported on both sides so the bottom was off the countertop. Not a big deal if you've got some scrap lumber sitting around.

You will probably have to put in on the floor as the cord is unlikely to be long enough to reach. With most free standing ranges - its at the floor. I think most of the non-free standing range/oven/cooktops are suppose to be hard-wired, but maybe that's a locale specific thing.

Thanks macybaby. Good point -- I doubt that it comes with plugs. That would pose extra challenge even if I could find the 240V outlet. Without testing (and no return), that's just too much of a risk to take!

You could probably get an electrician (got any electrician friends?) to run something out of your box and test it for you. Nope, they don't come with plugs on the end. It's hardwired.

You can go to HD or Lowes and buy a plug and put it on with a screwdriver.

You might want to find out what the Miele call center knows about its history. Still under warranty or extended warranty available at a reasonable price? Under the circumstances a fair offer would be $1000 (40% of new cost) payable only after taking it in and getting a good report from a Miele appliance service and repair company ($150 - $200?).

NO NO Do not go to Lowes and buy a plug on to plug in any wall outlet. The Miele get hard wired to the breaker box which must have a 40 amp breaker..

Did I need to be more specific? You can go to HD/Lowes and buy a RANGE plug and put in on the end of the cable, then plug it into a RANGE receptacle. You could then TEST each hob one at a time.

OP said he wanted to TEST it, not INSTALL it.

Thanks all for trying to help. I don't know... maybe I'll just have to pass. The warranty is expiring in one or two months anyway and our kitchen remodel is probably just starting then, so it's useless. I still do have a good solution for testing it out without too much hassle. $1700 (the asking price) seems to be too much of a leap of faith.

Meant to say "I still do NOT have a good solution for testing it out without too much hassle."