dealer info on BS, induction cooktops

11 years ago

Today there was a BS demo and promotion (I use the term loosely), and I got to ask my questions about venting, performance etc. I also talked to the dealer at length about induction cooktops.

Overall I was unimpressed by the BS promotion. The person doing the demo said they were giving away a cookware set with purchase, but they had run out. So they were giving buyers an apron and/or mitts. It was difficult not to collapse in laughter. They were trying to sell me a unit costing several thousands, and the incentive was a $10 apron and mitts?!

The demo was a bit sad, a bad stir-fry with undercooked rice and no seasoning. Almost no-one was there. Fortunately this didn't change my opinion of BS. I grew up with a Garland beast (6 burners, a grill, two ovens) so BS has been my ideal for a long time.

The same dealer also sells Wolf, Thermador, Electrolux, Jenn Air, GE induction cooktops. I asked what they would recommend and the only brand that was mentioned was Thermador. There is a new model, the Freedom Induction, which allows you to put 4 pots anywhere on the surface. It also has color touch screen controls and power boost from 3600W to 4600W. It is very expensive. They had none to show me, it's so new. And they knew nothing about it, other than the publicity pamphlet.

There is a second Thermador, with SensorDome. This uses infrared to measure the temperature of the pot being heated in order to maintain the preset temperature precisely.

I asked about other brands and models and got a very wishy-washy sales pitch which told me the salesperson is not a cook. According to them, everything is wonderful. And they couldn't explain what the difference between the high-end and moderately-priced units was.

They knew nothing about Electrolux and didn't have one in the store. I was shown a Jenn Air because there is promotion which gives the buyer an 11-piece set of cookware "estimated at $900 value" with purchase. The cookware is unlabelled, except for "three ply stainless" on the bottom.

I couldn't do a hands-on test of the different models which were display only. So I collected the information, asked about venting and left.

Thank goodness for this forum. If all I had to make the decision came from the dealer, I would be hopelessly muddled.

Cheryl

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Comments (8)

chac_mool
11 years ago
Look for a place that lets you actually cook stuff; maybe a friend with induction or whatever, or another dealer.

I think Bosch's high-end cooktop has something similar to "SensorDome", with a different name (AutoChef, or something). Not clear if its really good or just annoying; I guess it depends on how and what you cook. The Freedom Induction innovation will get cheaper in time, but its the next new cool thing right now.

Cookware is an issue that you may need to face with induction (as opposed to gas). But you don't need high end stuff, as long as its magnetic.

I would be as leery of the various promotions as you (wisely) seem to be. Though, a good oven mitt can be very handy to have...
jadeite
Original Author
11 years ago
Hi chac_mool

Yes, I agree that I need more experimentation before blowing thousands on a unit that I expect to have for many years. Unfortunately my choice of dealers is limited.

What is worse is that whatever I buy will probably be serviced by this dealership. Honestly this gives me a bad feeling. Now I need to know that my cooktop will be bulletproof!

I'm not too concerned with cookware. I have a lot of cast iron, and I took a look at some induction-ready pots at my locat Costco. It will do fine.

I like free stuff as much as anyone, but the promotions at the dealership were just silly. I felt sorry for the BS rep having to tell us about the mitts with a straight face.

The Freedom cooktop is definitely cool. I expect a lot more technical innovation in the next 5-10 years. And I'm sure prices will come down.
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burntfingers
11 years ago
Just an update on the Thermador Freedom induction cooktop. I asked my local dealer if he had any more information on it a few days ago and he told me that they had just been told the units were available to sell. To quote his email, "The "NEW" Thermador 36" Induction is $4999.00 it's a CIT36XKB, open to order available July / August 2012."

I like the concept, have a problem with only being able to put 4 pans on at a time (regardless of the size of the pan), and absolutely don't like the price !

Burntfingers
a2gemini
11 years ago
Better than the gagg price of $12,000!
jadeite
Original Author
11 years ago
a2gemini - that would make me gag!
elyash
11 years ago
I just bought the electrolux induction slide in range. Purchased emeril pots and pans at macy's for about $125.00 for the set which is made by all-clad. The induction works great!! I have only used the main oven, but it bakes extremely well.
I traveled to Reading, Pa. to try out the BS oven and cook top. If you live within driving distance you can make a similar arrangement.
jadeite
Original Author
11 years ago
avidchef - I'm glad to hear you like the electrolux. I'm in New Mexico, where induction is an exotic technology. I get blank stares when I ask about hands-on demos. I've seen a Jenn Air in action, and a small portable unit. I envy those of you who have better access.

I did play with BS a little. I have always lusted after BS, but our present kitchen would need drastic remodelling to allow sufficient venting. That's why I turned to induction.

Cheryl
westsider40
11 years ago
I bought a Bosch induction cooktop without ever seeing a live
Bosch. i did see a live Miele for a few minutes but I was already way convinced. From reading about it on gw, I couldn't imagine anything other than induction. I don't enjoy cleaning grates and stove tops. I love having instant temp changes in my pots. But that's been said before.

For me, it would not be necessary, and it wasn't, to see a live demo. I believed all the happy users. But everyone's different.