Zone-free induction cooktops

[fvandrog]

We bought a house a couple of months ago, which had a kitchen not renovated since the sixties. The first thing we did was throwing out the filthy electric stove, and since I have been cooking with two portable induction units. Whereas I have to admit that those portable units are actually surprisingly convenient, we definitely want a proper cooktop in the remodeled kitchen.

Since gas is not an option we will go with induction. While researching different induction cooktops, I stumbled over some zone free induction cooktops. They definitely look intriguing, and if one buys into the sales pitch, they are the best thing since sliced bread.

There are, however, a couple of issues that make me hesitate. For one, the spools have a diameter of around 7 cm (3 inches), which seems a bit crude to me (I have looked at three different makes, and they all use the same spool size). All the ones I have found are also limited to four pots, even the 63 Amp versions. 'Normal' zoned induction cooktops, even those with capacities below 60 Amps, are also available with five zones. And then there's the price ... these range between a third and half more expensive than high end classical induction cooktops.

(Another disappointment, which goes for any cooktop I have looked at, none come with temperature probes for the pots -- it shouldn't be rocket science to integrate those with modern electronics I'd think ).

Anyway, I was wondering whether someone has experience with or an opinion on one free induction cooktops.

Edited May 22, 2014 by fvandrog (log)

[andiesenji]

Friends who are remodeling and expanding an "80s kitchen put in two of the Thermador "freedom" cooktops - the reno is not yet finished but they are cooking on one connected cooktop and love it.  They have two-burner griddles that work perfectly and some oversize pots that could not be used on the regular induction burners.   They have a very large family - seven kids plus one "grandma" who does a lot of the cooking so they needed two cooktops. (and will have four ovens)...

[rotuts]

does any one have something like this :

 

 

Id love to hear about it

 

costs, electrical work, amps and watts.

 

one can always dream

'

might go nicely with the Induction copper-ware from France.

 

if you go to the YouTube site, on the R are other vids from Bosch, Meile etc

 

 

 

 

guess Im glad Im not younger.

Edited October 5, 2015 by rotuts (log)

[ElsieD]

This may or may not be helpful, but when I went looking for a new cooktop, Thermador had just come out with a zone free cook top. It cost roughly twice as much as a regular Thermador induction stove top. Very, very pricey.

[Deryn]

No, I don't have one so I can't really help you with your questions but it is very 'pretty'. I love the fact that you can put your pots anywhere and that you can have more than 4 pots at a time (which I believe has been a limitation even on zone free induction stoves to date) and that even my long fish cooker pot would fit on it easily. However, I worry about the electronics component and its reliability/longevity. I am also not a fan of 'scrolling' so I would prefer knobs to an electronic interface or, at the very least, an easier to use tap/push button/'dial' representation of some kind if it has to use a screen at all.

I don't know the price but I hazard a guess it ain't cheap (it would surprise me if it came in under $5k USD) and you won't be able to buy it at BB&B with a 20% off coupon. And, out in the boonies here, its reliability (the electronics part especially) would be a big issue for me since I doubt service would even be possible if needed. I think I will keep using my cheap portable induction burners for the time being, nice as that Siemen's one may be. But, I would not hesitate to pay the big bucks for induction copperware from France!

Edited October 5, 2015 by Deryn (log)

[rotuts]

""  you won't be able to buy it at BB&B with a 20% off coupon ""

 

Rats.  I was on my way !

[Hassouni]

That looks really cool, but I shudder to the think about the cost - any ideas?

[rotuts]

there is a high-end appliance store in my town.

 

I motored down there at speed

 

they had no idea what I was taking about.

 

but eventually they looked up thermador which they carry

 

5,000 USD   for CIT36XKBB   Freedom induction top

 

4,600 Watts  /area  ( perhaps ) 7,200 Watts total

 

you need a 40 A  240 line

 

so  about 1 k for the new line and add 1 K to get my 20 A in each circuit I have

 

2 K for the cooper induction pans  ( say 4 -5 )  not the pots, but sauciers, skillets etc

 

ive found that if you have thick copper all the way up the sides  ( I have a lot of 3.5 mm French pots ) it takes forever to

 

heat the contents as a lot of heat goes up the sides of the pots and heats your kitchen.

 

the rest of the Induction cookware will come from IKEA +

 

ModCuisine says they are fine

 

1 K for installation :

 

10 K, ready for soup to nuts.

 

there is a larger kitchen store very near me and i called them and they have two brands in the showroom  " live "

 

they nearer store I went to had a WOLF  Combi Oven   : 5 K   I don't know if this is the 24 " or 30 "

 

Id bet 24 "

[rotuts]

I motored down  at a higher speed

 

to a store that has a new outlet one town over, on the way to TJ's which Ive passed many times in the past.

 

it one of those very high end places w all the $$$$ stuff.  nice stuff.

 

here is what i found :

 

Gaggenau CX491610 Cooking - Kitchen

 

http://www.yaleappliance.com/Ranges/Gaggenau/Induction-CX491610.aspx

 

 

$ 5,499

 

Thermador CIT365KBB Cooking - Kitchen

 

http://www.yaleappliance.com/Ranges/Thermador/Induction-CIT365KBB.aspx?q=cit36

 

$ 5,000

 

these two can handle 4 pots any way you put them on the surface.   the surface is 36 " and the cooking area is 30 " w an area in the center for the touch screen controls  

 

Ive gotten no where getting info on the Siemens  surface unit, either via the web or their web sites nor telephonically.

 

Ill leave that work tp someone else.

 

BTW while there I saw the Gaggenau / Miele / Wolf  steam ovens

 

 

 

you can find all you wanted to know about them at their link above.

 

I don't work for them, BTW. but they were very knowledgeable and the prices on these gizmos are

 

centrally controlled by the company  but there are 'seasonal' adjustments.

 

(un) fortunately i don't have an island area  ( for the induction top   w a cool  ( extra ) flip-up exhaust system )

 

nor a wall to mount the steam oven.

 

just as well.

Edited October 5, 2015 by rotuts (log)

[rotuts]

the Siemen's is a 4 pot also.

 

but i can't find info on it anywhere.

 

it came out after the thermador  so Im wondering if there is something in it that's not in the others.

[kayb]

They appeared to have a zone-free induction cooktop when Cyalexa and I ate at The Catbird Seat recently. I was lusting for it. I suspect lust for it is about all I'll get to do.

[rob1234]

Nice work, I had heard somewhere the gagg was double the price of the thermador so good to know they are almost the same, especially considering the internals are apparently identical.

 

AEG also has a full surface induction. This thread is the first I've heard of the miele one and that video is from 2012. Wonder if they ever actually released that model.

 

I was planning to put one of these in our new home build next year. Might also look at the new miele's with tempcontrol (but not full surface).

[rotuts]

having not seen nor able to find out anything about the Siemen's

 

I took a closer look at the Gagg.

 

make sure you watch the 4th Youtube down.

 

I've done a lot of 'cabinet' work as have a Homeworkshop  of sorts

 

5 HP Powermatic 10 " table saw etc.

 

looking over the printed out tech info on both the induction tops and the SteamOvens I looked at today

 

if you want a quality very high end installation: as important, if not a lot more so, than the equipment you buy

 

is the craftsmanship of the installer.   this is 'cabinet'grade work not carpentry grade work.

 

its not so much that im a perfectionist, but i know the last 10 % of the installers skills will make or break an installation.

 

that last 10 % is very hard to come by.

Edited October 5, 2015 by rotuts (log)

[Deryn]

Interesting that the Siemen's (is that the one in the video?) is only a 4 pot as well since the video (as I recall anyway) quite clearly showed the demonstrator pushing around 5 pans at one point (though he didn't exactly say you could use more than 4).

I guess my bottom line guess - the $5k USD was in the ballpark (even if obviously it would cost a lot more than that for the mods needed to actually install it). Too bad but I am not surprised.

Edited October 5, 2015 by Deryn (log)

[rotuts]

Yes   I thought the Siemen's might do 5 pots so you saw what i did.

 

nope  4.  

 

there seems to be an Industiral Cabal, maybe German, that makes the G and the Therm , even perhaps the Seimen's

 

as I still can get no where on the S's, maybe they never produced it.

 

Im very surprised the Siemens web sites are so difficult to work for what you want.

 

maybe its the 'extra'  'diesel fumes' in Germany ?

 

[AlaMoi]

....no zone . . .

 

omg.  watched the video.  it would take me four pages of posted-on-the-wall instructions to even think about this kind of stuff.

 

burner.  got burner,  burner on, burner off.  flame high, flame low.  so simple even the Internet can understand it . . . .