15" induction cooktop

11 years ago

I went on AJ Madisons and they list 5 types of 15" induction cooktops: Wolf with 2 zones, Meile Combiset with 1 zone, Kenton with 2 zones, a Gaggenau with 2 zones and a Gaggenau with "3600W zone (don't know what that means). I think 2 zones would be better than one. It will be installed next to my gas cooktop.

The Gaggenaus have knobs on the front of the cabinet which I don't like. The Kenyon looks kind of strange in the picture but I haven't seen it in person. The Meile looks nice but only 1 zone. That leaves the Wolf as the only one with 2 zones and the controls on the top.

Does anyone have experience with any other brands? I have only had the chance to go test out the Wolf one locally and it seemed fine to me, but that's the only one I've seen and used in person.

Comments (3)

eleena
11 years ago
I tried Wolf in 2009 and I hated it. It did not work well with larger pans. Perhaps, they have improved their technology since then.

There was a relatively recent discussion on this forum but I did not bookmark it. Just search. The topic of induction comes up here pretty often.

I tried Miele and liked it but, like you, I wanted 2 zones, so I got Gaggenau with controls in front (along with a matching gas 15" unit). I actually like having front controls b/c it gives more cooking surface but those units are more expensive to install than the ones with top controls.

I am not sure if I like the cooktop - especially for the price. I only cooked on it 3 times and I had to turn the power up all the way to bring water to boil. It *felt* like it took a long time, longer than on my cheap portable unit. When I gain access to the kitchen again (it is being tiled), I'll do a test-comparison.

About one zone vs. two. If I am using my large "everyday" skillet, the only thing that would fit the back burner is a small saucepan. I hardly ever use the two together, so - for all practical purposes - it is not much different than having one zone.

What else are you going to have in addition to a 15" induction unit? There are some nice AEG/Electrolux 24" units (I am forgetting the model name) that are almost as flexible as Thermador Freedom in terms of cookware placement. Looking back, I think I should have gotten one instead of Gaggenau.

This post was edited by eleena on Fri, Apr 12, 13 at 19:51
ssdarb
Original Author
11 years ago
I would put it next to a 4 burner gas cooktop. We get power outages a lot so most people here have gas. I think a combination would be ideal. Maybe one zone would work.
eleena
11 years ago
We have frequent power outages too, that is why a gas unit was a "must have" for me. If I had enough room, I'd do a 15" or a 12" gas unit and a 24" or 30" induction.

If you already have the gas cooktop, getting a Miele module would be the most cost-effective solution, I think, especially if the gas unit has controls on the top. I see absolutely no reason to pay top $ for Gaggenau in your situation.

Five burners are enough for most people. If you think you may need a sixth one sometimes, get a portable unit and save money and counter space. It makes it more convenient when two people are cooking and I take it with me to all car trips as I cannot cook on those electric coils in vacation rentals.

GL!