Which model are you considering? We have the CIS365BB which is similar to the CIT365BB. Both come in black, but the CIT also comes in a mirrored finish which looks silvery to me. I don't know if there's a newer model which is black and mirrored, I haven't seen it.

The black cooktop which we have is not mirrored and does pick up fingerprints, particularly the control touchpad. If you want it to look pristine, you have to be a bit OCD about cleaning it up after every use and making sure you dry it well. But it's not hard to clean up since it stays cool and nothing burns on it.

Hope this helps,
Cheryl

Thanks Cheryl, I am looking at the CIT365KBB. There definitely is a mirrored finish version which a showroom rep explain is supposed to pick up the color of your kitchen and reflect that. However, the one we are looking at is black, but the description says Black Mirrored Finish: http://www.thermador.com/cooking/cooktops/cit365kbb-36-inch-masterpiece-series-induction-cooktop

After talking with several people including someone in customer service at Thermador, I am starting to think that is an error on their website, or at the very least, a misleading statement. I live in Vermont and there isn't a showroom in 100 miles that has one of these on their floor so that I can see it myself.

Are you happy with the cooktop?

Hi Robin,

The CIT365KBB is a newer version of the CIT365BB I believe. The new version is frameless, the old version has a steel frame. I think the 365KBB has exactly the same ceramic top as ours, so it's black. It is polished to a high shine, which may be why they call it "mirrored". The silvery one (gorgeous BTW) is the CIT365KM. Their induction cooktops are listed in the link below.

I LOVE the cooktop! I can't say enough good things about it. We bought it based on very little information either on the internet or this forum. It seems very few people own it. We've had it for about 3 months and still haven't tested all the features.

I was most concerned about getting high heat because I stir-fry and sear a lot. It does that perfectly. I've also used it with the timer to make stock. And I've made a ton of jams and preserves. So it simmers, cooks a preset time and sears on demand. It stops in a heartbeat and as the cooktop never heats up (except for the heat from your pot), cooking stops almost as quickly. I hadn't realized this would happen with induction, as I was used to cooking on gas where there is a lot of residual heat.

There are lots of program modes which I haven't tried. I think these allow you to cook for X minutes at one level, then Y minutes at a different level. There's also a power lock so people can't adjust your settings. I haven't tested the shutdown which happens if the temperature exceeds some threshold, or your pot overflows. So far neither has happened (touch wood).

Cleanup is quick, as with all induction cooktops. Someone on GW recommended CeramaBryte for getting everything back to its initial pristine look. I haven't done this, though I keep planning to. I was told that you get residue on the surface from soap and possibly food. When you heat it through cooking, the residue cooks on and you get a dull finish. I also find fingerprints on the control panel which I'm always touching with wet or sticky fingers. So you need to keep cleaning it if you're fussy about looks. But compared with scouring baked-on burnt offerings on the cast iron grates of gas, it is a snap.

It might be worth the effort to drive into Boston to see it if you're concerned. I was fairly confident I would like it, so I took the chance. I also got an extended warranty to cover all bases.

We moved from MA to New Mexico a year ago and still pine for ice cream, lobster, good bread and the ocean.

Cheryl

Here is a link that might be useful: Thermador induction cooktops

Thanks for your great insight Cheryl! Did you buy the cooktop on-line or locally? Given that I have had no help from any local appliance stores, I feel like if I can get a better price on-line that is how I will buy it, but it doesn't seem like there are any "deals" on Thermadors. Did you get the extended warranty from Thermador?

The lobster this year is cheaper than bologna - we have been eating a lot of lobster rolls...Of course, right now thinking of New Mexico I am thinking green chili burger so I guess every part of the country has its food claim to fame :-)

We found a great deal online, but as I just discovered that our model has been discontinued, that may be the reason. We paid about half list price, got a full warranty and the cooktop is brand new.

Ask your local appliance stores (assuming they are Thermador distributors) if they have floor models. After we bought our cooktop, TWO of the local stores offered us even better deals on floor models which were just display units, i.e. never installed or turned on. Try ebay as well. A lot of appliance distributors and liquidators sell through ebay, mostly with warranty (you can ask about this).

I would find out if you have local repair service available before committing. DH says there isn't a whole lot to the cooktop, apart from the magnetic coils which probably need to be sent back to the factory if they fail. I find the local distributor sales people pretty useless, but the repair guys seem OK. With luck we'll never find out. We had a local electrician install our 240V line and he put the cooktop in for us. DH has taken it out and put it back when we put in the range hood, so that part isn't too hard.

We got an extended warranty from Square Trade. I think it was $250 for 2 years which runs concurrently with the Thermador warranty of 1 year. ST covers us for damage to the ceramic itself which I don't think Thermador will cover. DH was most concerned about this because of the stories we have read about cooktops shattering if you dropped something heavy (like a big pot) on it.

Ooohhh lobster rolls! Green chili doesn't begin to compare.

Cheryl

Thanks again Cheryl for all of your good insight.

I will be going to the Irvine, CA showroom this Thursday. I am looking at the 30" black induction cooktop myself. I'll let you know what I find. I'm looking at getting the whole kitchen package with the steam oven. Was ready to pull the trigger on Miele, but need a 27" oven and there's is 27 3/8"! Argggg. DH doesn't want a "non- standard size." Does anyone else think their refrigerator is a little too tall?

Wow, what a showroom!

Here is what I found at the Bosch/Thermador/Gaggenau showroom in Irvine:

The black induction cooktop is black. No special mirror coating. The frameless is very nice. The edges are beveled all the way around and it's completely smooth--no stainless frame around controls either.

It also has a unique look to it. It's not a deep black like Bosch or Miele. It's hard to explain except that it appears to have a graphic element across it that would make finger prints and scratches less noticeable IMHO. I was very impressed with the "Freedom" cooktop, too. If you have $5000 and really need a bridge-type element, this is the way to go. It also only requires 40 Amps if that's a concern. The regualar 36" requires 50A.

I have read that their current warranty is two years, but I doubt it covers pot collisions.

I just moved from a house with all Thermador cooking jewelry. I absolutely loved the coolness, both visually and literally. The downdraft worked flawlessly and removed heat from the pot, which was minimal as well as steam and odors. Cleanup was done with 409ish type spray. We are building and want induction again, but cost to "upgrade" with the builder may be prohibitive. In my area (Houston), gargantuan gas gobblers are the norm. Sigh...

Jadeite: I had to let you know the impact one of your comments made. I needed to decide this week whether to go with the black Thermador induction cooktop or the mirrored silver one. Your comment "gorgeous, btw" actually pushed me over the edge and I'm getting the mirrored silver. :-)

Nlion - It is gorgeous, isn't it? DH who normally doesn't notice these things, really really loved it. But we got a great deal on the plain black and the mirrored silver wouldn't fit into our kitchen well, so we went with black. But the mirror finish is just beautiful!

Cheryl

Cheryl...I'll let you know after Thursday. I do think it's going to look gorgeous, though. :-)

We took a 3.5 hour trip to Boston to see the Thermador black induction cooktop, but it was in a metal frame so the showroom person was going to call Thermador to find out if the frameless had a beveled edge. Thank you lotsapatience for clearing up that question. We did see a GE Profile mirrored induction cooktop and it was very interesting the way it blended in with the granite countertop and took on the colors around it. But, like the thermador, the controls were in a black area - too bad it can't be all mirrored. Thanks to the great input from all of you, we are going with the 36" frameless thermador.

marcolo you should really keep unhelpful comments like that to yourself. Thank you everyone for the info on the inductions! Very helpful. I am thinking of getting all "low class" Thermador in my new kitchen

Almost 3 years ago so pay no attention.