Here's some info from a very good resource called The Induction Site you can use along with replies. Diva is no longer available unless you find a closeout.
Just ignore the selector and keep going until the pink shows up.

Here is a link that might be useful: Induction hobs 5 burners

Congratulations on almost being an induction cooktop owner. We researched and for us we went with the Bosch 500 series 15 months ago. We liked the Miele a great deal but not enough to spend the extra $$ so early in the remodeling process. Highly recommend testing them in person since there are some slightly different arrangements of the hobs or burners. Ours has the largest in the center. Our smallest burner or the size perfect for doing up two eggs in a small pan is in the back right which makes it is a bit awkward.

Ours has the button touch that you hold to make go up and down which takes a bit of getting used to.

Don't know how the search engine function is doing these days but I know there are other threads on this topic.

Good Luck!

I chose the Miele after endless research. It seems like the right fit for me. It helped that I could go to a showroom and see it in action.

Good luck with your purchase.

Gaggenau has the wonderful knob. I love mine! For me, it's a lot better than touch controls.

I love the GE Monogram we got almost 2 years ago. Ours is the shiny silver top. I have the 30", love the layout of the 4 burners, but I also liked the 5 burner layout on the 36". Good luck!

plllog, with the Gagg knob (sorry, that unintentionally sounded rude), do you find that crud accumulates underneath, or is it easy to clean around it? I kind of like the idea of the knob as well, but I always thought part of induction's appeal is that you just sweep a cloth over it to clean, rather than manoeuvring around controls.

Right now I'm trying to decide between the 36" Miele, Bosch, and Kuppersbusch. The first two, I think, are the only two with the 'real' timers (my wife has a nasty habit of starting to boil water then walking away), but the KB has the placement of the large hob to the left (rather than centre) which my we like better. Maybe I can just live without the timers and just rely on the overheat shutoff that they all have. :)

Bishop, you don't clean around the knob! It's a magnet. You pick it up, and clean the uninterrupted glass underneath just like on any other unit. It's easy to wipe off the knob--no real gunk catchers--then you put it back. It does have the true timers, but the large element is centered. I think the philosophy is that the hood has the best draw in the middle so that's where the big pot/big power should go, or something like that.

The way the knob works is that you slide it toward the indicator for the element you want to use (laid out in the same pattern as the elements themselves), then return it to center and turn it to adjust the temperature. It's a little like using an air hockey paddle. It's fun! There are touch controls for on/off, memory, function, boost, and timer on/off. And the knob rather than all those arrow ups and arrow downs. You use the knob to set the timer as well. It's very cool. :)

I'm afraid I would somehow lose the knob....

Anyone have plllog's model and a child with ADHD?

Interesting! I had assumed it was affixed to the glass. I have to say that DOES sound pretty cool, but agree that we'd somehow manage to lose it.

CO,

I ordered the Thermador after much research. It seemed much more intuitive than the others.

I swiped Greg's description from another post of the details:

Jessica-
I have just bought the new Thermador 5 burner induction unit with all the bells and whistles. It is the most powerful unit on the market and has a center burner capable of having a 4,600 watt output, which about 1,000 more watts than any other cooktop.

Performance
Largest (13") and most powerful (4600W) round heating element on the market
Sensor Dome - retractable sensor meaures the heat of the pot and keeps the temperature consistent
CookSmart® - 9 pre-programmed cooking modes
Speed Heating - Induction cooktops heat 50% faster than traditional gas cooktops
Industry exclusive triple zone - accomodates multiple size pans with 3 diameter sizes
PowerBoost allows the maximum power level to be exceeded in the shortest period of time

Convenience
Two Timers - Auto Shut Off Timer available for all elements enables user to set desired cooking times. Separate kitchen timer also available.
Keep Warm function allows meals to remain ready to serve

Safety:

Pan Recognition - Element will not turn on if other small objects are placed on the cooking zone
Anti-Overflow System - exclusive feature prevents spills by automatically shutting off and sounding alarm when liquids are detected on surface
2-step digital control panel indicates when elements are hot or very hot
Child safety lock

There are less expensive induction units that are also good such as Miele. But the price differential isn't huge.

Greg

HTH in taking a look. I haven't used it except on the showroom floor.

Keep us posted.
Robin

We have the 30" Icon, the one without the cross bar, and we really like it. It heats amazingly fast and it is much cooler cooking vice gas. Plus easy clean up. I think one of the most important decisions is what cookware to buy. I think it is much more critical to induction cooking vice gas cooking. We have a set if Circulon Infinite and it is very easy to clean but does not heat (or cool) as fast as our Chantal enamel pan. But that is not as non-stick. The Circulon is noisy, the Chantal is quiet. And as far as a tea kettle, Chantel hands down. We have the chili red and it bold water in no time and the train whistle is kind of cool.. and loud!

There is no end to the fun I could have with my grandkids with one of those magnetic knobs!

"Okay, let's turn on the stove so we can cook. See that knob? Pull it out for me."

Child complies, knob comes off in her hand ...

"Hey, you broke my stove!"

Talk about a laugh riot!

Thank you for all of the great input on induction cooktop models. DH went to the stores Friday and spent 2 hours (!) playing with many of the cooktops you recommended. Our current questions:

1) The Thermador seemed to have this clicking noise which DH said would drive him nuts. **sandbox5 - does this happen all the time, just when turning it on, or what????

2) GE Monogram - DH liked the layout and feel of the unit. **mls99 - Is the silvery finish harder to keep looking clean or not a problem?

3) Gaggenau - the two stores did not have one to see and we are not really wanting to buy something we cannot see in person first. Also, not sure we can fit this one into our appliance budget since it seems rather high in $$. **plllog - Any information on price point would be helpful. Even just confirming that it is above others would be useful.

4) Electrolux - both stores he went to only had the cooktop with the bar across it which he did not like. So we need to see if a store in the area has the smooth cooktop available. **Is the one WITH the bar the newer model, the older model, or just an additional model??

5) Bosch - no one had Bosch at all for induction. We are curious as to why????

6) Miele - DH liked this unit. No real questions on this one since we have a friend who has one that we have seen/ can play with.

Thanks to you all for your input. Still would love more recommendations/ feedback and any answers to the above questions that we can get. We're getting closer...:)

You can call the internet sales department at Universal-akb to get a Gaggenau price. Unless you're set on the knob, however, any of the others will probably do just as well. I only mentioned it because it's the biggest difference. With the rest there are slight power differences, appearance differences, and a few features that they may or may not have (e.g., a special "low" button, true timers, individual controls for each burner).

The really big difference is how much cabinet space for ventilation is needed for the units, and how deep they are.

I don't know the price on the Gaggenau because mine is a different model from a different source, but Gaggenau in general is going to be on the top tier of what's in the store.

BTW, Miele was my second choice.

I believe Lowes carries at least some Bosch induction cooktops -- but there are several superficially-identical models with differing numbers (and prices). Lowes had some models, but not all. I never learned what difference the actual feature variations meant in practice.

If you can wait until the 4th quarter of 2010, the Western Premium Integrated Induction Downdraft Cooktop will be out

Here is a link that might be useful: Western Premium

After exhaustive research and a trip to a large city to see one 'live', I chose the Miele. I've had about 6 days to play with it so far and I love it. I like the space between the burners, and the burner sizes, too. I had it fully loaded one day and it didn't feel crowded at all. I like that I can program some options, and I love the auto shut off timers. It's not completely intuitive, but I know that I will get used to working it and in a very short time it'll be second nature. Practice makes perfect, don'tcha know... :-) The kids have been enjoying it as well. They're pretty proficient in the kitchen, but it eases my mind that they can't damage anything by forgetting to turn off a burner or set fire to anything that's been left too close. No matter which one you end up with, you're going to really like cooking on induction.

Cj

The E'lux Icon with the bar is the older one. They deleted the bar on the current model.

When I was shopping, the Gagg was over 2x the price of the Miele.

cj47 -- which Miele model did you get?

Really? Fori, that's amazing! When I was shopping they were in the same range.

Silvery finish on our GE Monogram is fine to maintain. If anything sticks, I use barkeeper's friend powder.

Have to admit I like the concept of the integrated downdraft and induction cooktop, but it looks like it was designed by an engineer and not someone who cooks a lot. Now, if it was bigger than 36" to allow for the perimeter vent on three sides, actually had five burners and no knobs, then I would be excited about this for our next kitchen. ;;)

OP, don't count on the boilover feature working too quickly. I have had pasta/rice water boil over for a minute and no shut off. Luckily it cleaned up easily!!

Mojavean, I LOVE your broken stove comment!!

For me, its between the Bosch & Miele. I want a drawer underneath, so that is a key criteria. I originally wanted a Fagor, but the lack of any place local where I see one and limited reviews was the killer there. Can't wait!

Attofarad, I have the 36 inch, 5 burner model.

Lovin' it.

Cj

We chose the GE Profile for price and the fact that it was frameless. We took care of the clearance problem underneath by order a cut down drawer for the drawer base. We have not installed, so I am hoping we will be happy with our choice. I would have loved a Fagor or Wolf but for the price the GE seemed a good choice.

There is no clearance problem with the Therm either.

Such helpful information...thank you everyone! Can anyone speak to the power sharing/ boost functionality? One store told me the advantage of the Miele is that each burner has its own power so none of them adjust when another is boosted. But looking at the manual it looks like there is power sharing with some adjustment during boosting. I believe all other cooktops do that as well??? Any comments on using the boost functions on your cooktops and using different burners at the same time would be greatly appreciated. Plan to make final decision this week...so excited!

I think Diva didn't have power sharing, but heard they'd pulled out of the induction market.

Most have power sharing with paired elements but not for the center element (though it often shares with itselt, sort of, being a lower power inner ring or full power outer ring). There isn't much to worry about on it unless you're trying to boil fast on all elements. Boost is great for a quick boil, but with the current, powerful cooktops you probably don't need it for anything else.

CO,
Did you get my email???

sandbox5 - I did not get your email (is it supposed to come to my regular email or should I be checking somewhere on GW...not sure how this works). Thank you for checking.

Miele does have power sharing. The two burners on the right are paired, the two on the left, and the one in the middle is on it's own. If one burner is boosted, the other burner is limited until the boost feature is disabled. So far I have not had an occasion where this has been a problem. (Two weeks)

Cj

I have a 2007 era Kenmore Elite which was identical to the then Electrolux Icon except that it didn't have the Elux cross bar. It was also significantly less expensive on sale at Sears. It is still working fine.

I haven't kept up with the Kenmores vs. Electroluxi, so I don't know if Elux is still making Kenmore units.

kas

CO,

Mine is not installed yet so I can't speak to it in my home but a friend has it and she said no ticking..I played with it and didn't notice anything. I also played in the store. Could it have been the pot?
Mine will be in (I hope) in 2 weeks....I can email you a pic and report for myself then if you can wait.
I pulled it out and opened it again. It does not reflect like the others.

Robin

We got the Bosch 30" (NIT5065) about a month ago. Loving it so far. It was a decision between Fagor and Bosch but Bosch has all the features you need - one touch temperature selection, individual timers, master on/off, child/clean lock, etc. Very quiet, quick to heat.
Got a good price at Lowe's using Sear's ad. Bought the extended Lowe's warranty just in case. Took them nearly two weeks to get it shipped, though.

The GE cooktops have really come down in price in the last few months. Black frameless 36" for ~$1450, or cheaper on eBay.

Well, I finally have a cooktop that works and a few other appliances, too. I love the Therm and have had no problems with it at all. You had asked about the buzz or hum and I can hear a slight sound but it is not annoying. I have found that it depends on which cookware piece that I use makes a difference.
I had planned to buy new cookware anyway so I wasn't worried about using what I had.
I ended up with try ply cookware and there are no hotspots with any of them.
There is not a clearance issue and I have drawers underneath. There is a HUGE element in the middle that will handle even my biggest stock pot with room to spare.
Have you already made a decision???

Robin

Robin - Thank you SO much for following up. So glad to hear that you are enjoying your new cooktop:)

We have decided to go with the Monogram 36" induction cooktop. They have come out with a new model which does not have the stainless rim, which my husband is happy about. Also has a slightly different finish. Seems like all inductions have a slight hum or buzz to them (I cooked on 3 different models during our testing plus you say the Therm also has a slight hum). So no one model eliminates that issue. Just something to deal with, and which you can't even hear with the hood vent on low.

Now it truly is finding the best pots/ pans for the induction cooktop. We already have some All-Clad SS pieces so that should get us started:)

I have a GE induction cooktop, and use Sitram Profisserie cookware--ZERO hum, total silence. But it must be Profisserie, the Catering made by Sitram isn't induction-capable.

I bought the GE Profile 5 burner. I haven't moved in to the house yet so I can't comment on it's use. I did have a problem with the controls and GE sent someone out to fix it, no questions asked! I was pleased that they so quickly and easily stood behind the warranty.
I really liked the Miele but couldn't justify the cost. The burner timers looked nice but in reality I would probably only use them when making rice!
I have my cooktop installed over a three drawer base. The top drawer is not deep (4") but clears the two fans. The power cord does not so I will notch out the back of the drawer to make it fit. Once in use, I will monitor the heat in this drawer to determine if it can stay or if it must go because it prevents heat distribution.
I really like the frameless design of the GE Profile and the touch controls are intuitive and easy to use. I'm anxious to use it for cooking! I've only tested cookware and boiled water to demonstrate it's power and speed. btw, the large burner of this 5 burner cooktop has good power.

Also, Consumer Reports had high marks for all induction cooktops so you probably can't go wrong not matter what you choose. I am abandoning a Wolf gas range so it will be an interesting transition for me!