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I finally got a Wolf cooktop when we remodeled our kitchen 2 years ago after wanting one for 30 years. While I like it better than any cooktop I've had, it's not as fast as I'd hoped, and it's a pain to keep clean. The next cooktop I get will be an induction. The thought of covering the cooktop with paper when sauteeing or frying is really appealling, as is the speed and control.
Unilke Fulsom, I do not find that induction stays hot. I find the opposite. Mine is gas-like in its ability to cut the heat fast. .... The heat control numbers on induction are very predictable and repeatable. And, really unlike gas, induction can go low, low down. If you're making a delicate sauce or slow cooked scrambled eggs, it's tough to beat induction.
Unilke Fulsom, I do not find that induction stays hot. I find the opposite. Mine is gas-like in its ability to cut the heat fast. The glass ceramic electric in my kitchen is bad for retaining the temp.
*They stay hot for a long time. *They take awhile to heat up, but they're about twice as fast as old electric models. WAY easier to cook with. I live where it gets cold in the winter so gas is a must in the house but electricity costs vastly too much money to heat a place. It's irresponsible bad. So it
Folsom,Are you sure you have an induction top? It sounds more like an IR radiant model? The ones I've seen never get hot, and boil water faster than gas.AC
Most European brands work with induction, since it's becoming fairly common there. And of course, good old American cast iron. But the cost to replace a good set of non-induction compliant cookware is something to consider in making the changeover. I'm not there yet, but I'm definitely not getting anything new that is not induction compatible. Like anything new, it takes a bit of getting used to - you feel no heat coming from the burner and you get a strange fan noise. It's tough to "trust" at first since you can't feel the burner heat, until you realize that you just destroyed what's in the pan. Huh, it does work. Even my glass top electric range that has digital numbers for the alleged temperature, is pretty hit and miss in terms of what temperature it actually makes the bottom of the cookware. With induction, you can write down the number and how long you cooked it, and when you get it right you can repeat it. Stick a timer in your pocket and listen to you sound system.
We are also thinking of upgrading to induction, although the cost of replacing a lot of our All-Clad pots gives us pause (many of our pots have an exterior coating on them). In our former home, we put in a new oven/cooktop combination that had ceramic and resistance elements, and it had a turbo boil that worked really quickly. The gas cooktop we have in this house is horrible -- takes a long time to heat water. We would also need to run the electric to there, which could be relatively pricey (although I could do it, too), especially as we're running out of circuits. We likely have to upgrade our panel system, which could get very pricey very quickly.As for the extra electric, have you thought about an electric car, like the Chevy Volt (electric/hybrid)? You could use the extra power to go about 51 electric miles before the gas motor kicks in.