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Induction stove advice

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Deal Guru
Jul 7, 2017
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SW corner of the cou…
teoconca wrote: I noticed the breaker 40A together with another box (does not look like breaker that can switch off).
As for current stove receptacle , it is at back near bottom of the stove. For sure, it is not big one like my dryer receptacle..
Does it look like this?
WP_20210123_13_21_53_Pro.jpg

That's a standard dual 120V receptacle stuck into a 240V box. I am pretty sure there is wiring for 240V there as a (dead) OTR MW was mounted there and required 240V.
I smile when I see container ships sailing past my house laden with stuff made in China
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Dec 27, 2007
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So what features do induction ranges have? The Frigidaire posted in this thread looks pretty good, but then I see all the others for well over 2 grand!

Other than oven size, number of burners, dual convection, 2 ovens.......
Deal Guru
Jul 7, 2017
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SW corner of the cou…
Squirrel99 wrote: So what features do induction ranges have? The Frigidaire posted in this thread looks pretty good, but then I see all the others for well over 2 grand!

Other than oven size, number of burners, dual convection, 2 ovens.......
Depends. Sam as any range. Cooktoosp went from coil (or solid plate) to ceramic (currently) and now slowly to induction. Features depends on what you want to pay for.

The 2-ring induction cooktop I am planning to buy in the next couple of weeks will, unfortunately, run more than 2x the price of a full-size range and only has a pair of dial controls.
I smile when I see container ships sailing past my house laden with stuff made in China
Newbie
Nov 8, 2015
61 posts
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Ottawa, ON
Squirrel99 wrote: So what features do induction ranges have? The Frigidaire posted in this thread looks pretty good, but then I see all the others for well over 2 grand!

Other than oven size, number of burners, dual convection, 2 ovens.......
This thread is a few months old and so is your question so my answer may no longer apply to you if you have decided to buy an induction already but i wanted to share my experience shopping for an induction range/stove. Buckle up for a longish read.

Having used a stand alone induction burner that plugs in a regular electric outlet, I already had an idea how it was to cook with induction. An induction stove takes that to the next level as the burners are more powerful. Induction is crazy fast. For example, you know how you may turn your regular glass cooktop on for your pan to get to temperature while you season your meat and chop some vegetables? Well you can’t do that with induction. Your pan gets hot in a matter of a minute, or less. Learned that the hard way….

So the answer some of the questions here and the question on features. It depends on a lot of things including brand, price etc. A lot of the features are the same as regular glass cooktops like warming drawers, double oven, Bluetooth/Wifi connectivity. I believe the GE CAFE also has an option of wifi connectivity for cooking sous-vide. Then it is a matter of how much power each burners have, how many and size. Some have 4 induction burners + 1 regular burner to keep warm. Most brands will have 1 big burner, 1 or 2 medium burners and 1 or 2 small burners. Some even have bridger burners were you can use two burners together for one pan.

If this can be of any help, here are the models I was considering with the Pros and Cons of each, including the most common complaint for each. I only shoped for 3 brands. LG, Frigidaire and Kitchen Aide. Did not consider Samsung because reviews were rather poor on all models. Did not consider GE, GE CAFE and other high end make and models because of price.

LG LSE4617ST - $2,800 - Rated at 83% in Protégez vous (Consumer Report)
PROS: knobs to control burners, big oven, warming drawer, 6 inch keep warm burner, Wifi enabled (limited features for oven only), fake flame to show that burner is on, Power Boil
CONS: 2 of the 4 burners on the small side. (1 large 11 inch burner, 1 medium 8 inch burner and 2 6 inch burners)
Most Common complaints: Blowing fuses when using self-clean. Some have reported blowing fuses when heating the oven to 450 and above. Oven enamel peeling/desintegrating was another complaint. People are also complaining that the writing on the knobs tend to rub off too easily and that access between the knobs is too tight to clean the stove properly

Frigidaire CGIH3047VF/GCRI305CAF - $2,400 and $1,700 respectively - Rated at 85% and 88% respectively in Protégez vous (Consumer Report
PROS: Cheapest induction stoves aside from the one at Ikea, Air Fry, Steam Clean, Power Boil, likely made in North America
CONS: Small burners - 8, 7,7 and 5.5 inches, no warming drawer, no WiFi, No Air Fry basket provided with oven, control panel at a weird angle on the CGIH3047VF
Most common complaints: Buttons hard to press/unresponsive, flimsy drawer, quality control issues (loose screws, noisy fans, easy to dent), finish problems

Kitchen Aide KSIB900ESS - $3,200 - Rated at 90% in Protégez vous (Consumer Report)
PROS: Large 7.1 oven, cooking/warming drawer, 11, 7, 7 and 6 inch burners, bridge burner linking both 7 inch burners, steam clean, Free pan offer, Power Boil, likely made in North America
CONS: No WiFi, control panel for burners on cooktop, Free Pan offer (many are reporting never receiving the pans)
Most common complaints: Cooktop shuts down if there is a spill on the control panel, control slow to respond/unresponsive, oven slow to heat up to desired temperature

All three stoves had other similar praises and complaints. For example, all received praises for oven temperature being consistent no matter how quickly or slowly it heated up to the desired temperature. All three have ‘’true convection’’ All three also seemed to have longevity issues needing repairs, oftentimes in the first year of owning the stove. All three brands had complaints about how long it could take to get the stove serviced which is a problem in general with COVID19 and employee shortages everywhere. Two of the three are made in North America, more likely the US but could be in Canada as well. I did consider an older more expensive LG model but it required a 50 amp breaker. It seems to be the same for the LSE4617ST depending on where you get your information.

Seeing the rate at which they often need repairs, I was almost turned off from getting an induction stove until I started reading reviews on regular glass cooktop. They are generally rated even more poorly for the most part and require as much, if not more repairs than induction cooktops. Once I decided to go ahead with the purchase, I went to a store with my wife to check them out more closely.

The two Frigidaire models were fairly nice. The 3047 looked nice and ‘’professional’’ while the 305CAF looked unappealing and cheap. Pulling on the front panel of the 3047, you could see that the stainless steel is flimsy and the built is subpar. The drawer didn’t feel as flimsy as what I had read in reviews but it didn’t feel all that solid either. Was not a deal breaker though. We didn’t like the contrl panel on the 3047. It is at a weird angle IMHO.

The LG model was really nice. Nice design, warming drawer seemed sturdy and it came with a keep warm burner. That being said, we didn’t really like the knobs mostly for aesthetics reasons. I didn’t really like the blue oven interior but my wife did. This ended up being the runner up. We also looked at the Kitchen Aide double oven KSIB500ESS I believe and came to the conclusion that the bottom and even middle racks would be quite low and require quite a bit of bending in order to get things in and out of the oven. It turned us off from double oven stoves.

The Kitchen Aide was our favorite and the most we were willing to pay for a new range. It did end up at $4,000 with taxes and extended warranty, so keep that in mind when shopping. This is the one we found to be the best of looking of the 4 stoves (subjective, I know). It was also the one that too me was the safest pick of the 4 as it is the one that had the least critical complaints, at least for me. We liked the layout the most, the look and the bridge option even though it is something we may seldom use. The warming drawer is also a cooking drawer and can cook up to 450 I believe. It is small though so it will likely not get much use for cooking but should get some use for keeping warm.

We have only been using it for a week now so I can’t speak for longevity but I can speak for its ease of use. It is pretty straightforward. Press power, select the burner and adjust the temperature using the slider. Yes, it does take about a second to register your finger touching the control panel but it does work really well nonetheless. We have used the oven a few times already and I personally find it to heat up in an acceptable time. it gets to 350 in approximately 10 minutes which is the same as my two previous stoves (Samsung, Whirlpool). There is a slide in type of oven rack rail that is really nice as well although I wouldn’t use the sliding feature with a 10 pound turkey in a Creuset. Burner performance is extremely good and responsive. Boiling a couple of litres of water takes a couple of minutes. Adding pasta to the water only stops the boiling for a few seconds. Heating up your pans to cook is insanely fast so you have best be ready to throw in your food otherwise you will burn your oil in the pan. The responsiveness is something else. I was boiling potatoes over the weekend and it was about to boil over. I just lowered the burner and in 2 seconds the water was back to an acceptable level. These performances were achieved using All Clad Copper cookware so your mileage may vary depending on the type of pans you are using. I have used some Costco Oxo frying pans over the weekend with very good results as well.

It is also very easy to clean. My wife actually had a boil over yesterday as she always puts a lid when boiling potatoes. Nothing stuck to the stove or burners. All she needed was a damp cloth. Had this been a regular glass cooktop, she would have needed a scraper, a wet cloth and some cooktop cleaner.

All in all, I am very satisfied with my stove and very happy I made the jump. Induction has the advantage of keeping your kitchen cooler in the summer since the heat is only transferred to the pan. The glass top stays relatively cool as well. Only the heat generated by the pan transfers to the cooktop which is still to hot to keep your hand for an extended period when you remove the pan but likely not hot enough to burn you severely either. And it does cool down quite quickly as well.

I’m hoping this will help people decide to go ahead or not. The first thing you should do is decide on a maximum budget you are comfortable with, then shop the makes and model within your budget. If you can, go check them in store to have a feel of the stove. Seeing and feeling them goes a long way towards making a decision. Pictures and reviews are nice but an in person check up of the stove gives you another perspective you may not get from a picture or a review.

Happy shopping and let me know if you have any questions I may not have answered in this long post.
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Apr 26, 2003
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Just an update to this thread from my perspective as well. We ended up getting the Frigidaire GCRI305CAF model because honestly it was the cheapest and best reviewed induction range I could find. I wasn't looking at spending more than $2K on a stove that honestly will probably break in a few years anyways. They don't make stuff like they used to.

The stove has been great and honestly, once you go induction, you never want to go back. Boiling a full kettle of water literally takes 3 minutes and it's at full boil before you realize it. Cleanup is amazing as well since there isn't the same level of mess when you do have spills or boil overs, which honestly do happen with an induction range if you're not paying attention. A pot of boiling water with pasta or anything else will boil over so quickly if you're not paying attention.

I did have a few times where the control panel wonked out on us but a reboot of it solved that problem.
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May 18, 2004
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jeall wrote: I bought a Frigidaire induction stove last year from Costco and I love it! I am so impressed with the immediate rise or decline in temperature by adjusting the numerical display. It takes a bit of getting used to, have your ingredients ready to cook (veggies all chopped) before turning it on. My old coil electric stove would take awhile to heat up so I always turned it on first and then started pulling stuff out of the fridge to be chopped. My only complaint (and not really a complaint) is the oven takes longer to come to temperature (approximately 10-15 minutes) so just be aware of that and turn it on before you need it. I did buy the extended warranty but no issues yet. I use it everyday and would not want to go back to electric again. Easy to keep clean too.
one thing for your oven taking longer to heat up, if you use "bake" most new ovens have hidden elements and it slows it down considerably. use Convection bake instead if you don't already, if nothing else, to heat up the oven. very few recipes would require straight on bake anyway.
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Mar 22, 2017
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The_Madz wrote: one thing for your oven taking longer to heat up, if you use "bake" most new ovens have hidden elements and it slows it down considerably. use Convection bake instead if you don't already, if nothing else, to heat up the oven. very few recipes would require straight on bake anyway.
The vast majority of oven tasks are better done in convection. It heats up faster, it’s more even, it cooks at a lower heat so it’s cheaper and doesn’t mess with your home temperature as much, and it cooks faster too. I’m not even sure they should sell ovens without convection now - it feels so dated!
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Nov 8, 2015
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Beneful1 wrote: Both the Frigidaires and the LGs scored the highest marks in Consumer Reports.. The Frigidaire is available for $1499 at IKEA as the Tvarsaker. IIRC it was on sale a week or so back for $1199.

https://www.ikea.com/ca/en/p/tvaersaeke ... -80462172/
I’m going by the Protègez vous which I thought was the French version of Consumer Report and assumed the ratings would be the same. I think that when something scores 8/10 or higher, you can’t really go wrong. Then it’s a matter of preference, budget and features.
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Nov 8, 2015
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grumble wrote: The vast majority of oven tasks are better done in convection. It heats up faster, it’s more even, it cooks at a lower heat so it’s cheaper and doesn’t mess with your home temperature as much, and it cooks faster too. I’m not even sure they should sell ovens without convection now - it feels so dated!
I’ll have to check try the convection on my Kitchen Aid. I honestly never really had great success with my Samsung and more recently my Whirlpool. I did use it on the Whirlpool for food I wanted to be crispier but it seemed to always be hit and miss. Maybe I just need more practice!
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hamstercaster wrote: I’ll have to check try the convection on my Kitchen Aid. I honestly never really had great success with my Samsung and more recently my Whirlpool. I did use it on the Whirlpool for food I wanted to be crispier but it seemed to always be hit and miss. Maybe I just need more practice!
I used the 'easy convect' feature on my stove for a while - I'd key in the temperature and time using the 'non convection' option, then I'd hit the easy convect button and it automatically changed the temperature and timer to the convection equivalent. I found it quite good, though I'm not an expert chef
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Nov 8, 2015
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grumble wrote: I used the 'easy convect' feature on my stove for a while - I'd key in the temperature and time using the 'non convection' option, then I'd hit the easy convect button and it automatically changed the temperature and timer to the convection equivalent. I found it quite good, though I'm not an expert chef
That’s mostly how I had been using convection on the Whirlpool and Samsung with varying results. At one point I was keying the temperature 25 degrees higher than what the cooking instructions called so the convection would be at the same temperature as per the cooking instructions. They may however not have been “true convection” though. The Kitchen Aid is so it may offer better results. I’ll also be trying the steam cook and see if it makes a difference when cooking bread. I mean I could just have put a pan with water in my old stove but I guess the rack adds that “convenience”

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