Hybrid Induction and Electric cooktops

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tamudude
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Hybrid Induction and Electric cooktops

Post by tamudude »

Hello BHers,
Wife is looking to change out our existing gas burner cooktop and STRONGLY prefers a hybrid electric induction cooktop. The cooktop is a standard 30". I have been searching high and low. The only ones I can find are a Frigidaire (https://www.frigidaire.com/Owner-Center ... FPCC3085KS) and Electrolux (https://www.electroluxappliances.com/Ow ... EW30CC55GB) that have long been discontinued. Does anyone have experience with such hybrid cooktops and if so have any recommendations?
Da5id
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Re: Hybrid Induction and Electric cooktops

Post by Da5id »

Why hybrid? I gave my kids my old non magnetic pots and bought induction compatible cookware. Is there some feature of electric she likes? Having had/used all 3, my current preference is induction, closely followed by gas, with electric a distant third.
Last edited by Da5id on Sun Jul 25, 2021 11:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
jebmke
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Re: Hybrid Induction and Electric cooktops

Post by jebmke »

I asked the guy who does renovation work for us about this and his suggestion was to put in two cooktops side by side. One regular and one induction.
Don't trust me, look it up. https://www.irs.gov/forms-instructions-and-publications
AnonJohn
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Re: Hybrid Induction and Electric cooktops

Post by AnonJohn »

I would just go induction. Completely love ours, 1.5 years in. Would never want anything else. Like it better than the gas it replaced, and so much more responsive than resistance. Buy a few good pots and you're set! The combo of the stove and great pots gives me joy daily.

We have never had anything burn on the top!!! Yay, induction. And cooler in the summer .... I can keep going ... But won't.
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TomatoTomahto
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Re: Hybrid Induction and Electric cooktops

Post by TomatoTomahto »

I’ve had gas (both LNG and propane). Induction works best.
I get the FI part but not the RE part of FIRE.
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Bogle7
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Induction cooktops

Post by Bogle7 »

Electric resistance is your grandmother’s cooktop.
Go induction.
Do not buy Frigidaire as it is Electrolux’s low-end brand.
Read posts here— https://blog.yaleappliance.com/?search= ... =Induction
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tamudude
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Re: Hybrid Induction and Electric cooktops

Post by tamudude »

jebmke wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 11:48 am I asked the guy who does renovation work for us about this and his suggestion was to put in two cooktops side by side. One regular and one induction.
That is an excellent suggestion and something I had not considered. Thanks!!
Dottie57
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Re: Hybrid Induction and Electric cooktops

Post by Dottie57 »

I just moved into a home with induction stove top. After reading this I am going to go noil water!
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tamudude
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Re: Hybrid Induction and Electric cooktops

Post by tamudude »

Da5id wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 11:44 am Why hybrid? I gave my kids my old non magnetic pots and bought induction compatible cookware. Is there some feature of electric she likes? Having had/used all 3, my current preference is induction, closely followed by gas, with electric a distant third.
She mentioned that while using cast iron skillet for making fresh tortillas etc. the induction cooktops complained about being too hot and shut down.
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Bogle7
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Re: Hybrid Induction and Electric cooktops

Post by Bogle7 »

tamudude wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 12:21 pm
jebmke wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 11:48 am I asked the guy who does renovation work for us about this and his suggestion was to put in two cooktops side by side. One regular and one induction.
That is an excellent suggestion and something I had not considered. Thanks!!
https://www.gaggenau.com/us/appliances/cooktops
Vario modules
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Da5id
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Re: Hybrid Induction and Electric cooktops

Post by Da5id »

tamudude wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 12:23 pm
Da5id wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 11:44 am Why hybrid? I gave my kids my old non magnetic pots and bought induction compatible cookware. Is there some feature of electric she likes? Having had/used all 3, my current preference is induction, closely followed by gas, with electric a distant third.
She mentioned that while using cast iron skillet for making fresh tortillas etc. the induction cooktops complained about being too hot and shut down.
I've used cast iron and not hit that problem doing steaks and such. If it is a rarer use I wonder if a single hot plate style device would work. Takes less counter space and can put away when not in use.
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tamudude
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Re: Hybrid Induction and Electric cooktops

Post by tamudude »

Da5id wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 12:26 pm
tamudude wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 12:23 pm
Da5id wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 11:44 am Why hybrid? I gave my kids my old non magnetic pots and bought induction compatible cookware. Is there some feature of electric she likes? Having had/used all 3, my current preference is induction, closely followed by gas, with electric a distant third.
She mentioned that while using cast iron skillet for making fresh tortillas etc. the induction cooktops complained about being too hot and shut down.
I've used cast iron and not hit that problem doing steaks and such. If it is a rarer use I wonder if a single hot plate style device would work. Takes less counter space and can put away when not in use.
That may be where we ultimately land. Just wanted to see if we could have a more elegant solution.
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Bogle7
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Re: Hybrid Induction and Electric cooktops

Post by Bogle7 »

tamudude wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 12:23 pm She mentioned that while using cast iron skillet for making fresh tortillas etc. the induction cooktops complained about being too hot and shut down.
Which cooktops did she test drive?
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Mako
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Re: Hybrid Induction and Electric cooktops

Post by Mako »

Da5id wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 12:26 pm I've used cast iron and not hit that problem doing steaks and such. If it is a rarer use I wonder if a single hot plate style device would work. Takes less counter space and can put away when not in use.
Agreed, when I had an induction several years ago I used a cast iron pan frequently with no issues. When I was researching many people said they used cast iron with their induction. Who knows?
Da5id
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Re: Hybrid Induction and Electric cooktops

Post by Da5id »

Mako wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 2:56 pm
Da5id wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 12:26 pm I've used cast iron and not hit that problem doing steaks and such. If it is a rarer use I wonder if a single hot plate style device would work. Takes less counter space and can put away when not in use.
Agreed, when I had an induction several years ago I used a cast iron pan frequently with no issues. When I was researching many people said they used cast iron with their induction. Who knows?
Cast iron has large thermal mass and gets very hot. I can imagine that it (being in contact with the cooktop) can cause the cooktop to get very very hot if you do it for a very long time. And trigger an overheating sensor. Just hasn't happened to me yet, though if you google it clearly can happen.
mpnret
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Re: Hybrid Induction and Electric cooktops

Post by mpnret »

We've had a GE Cafe induction range for a few years now. Now I can't imagine ever getting anything else. Precise temp control. More responsive than gas. Used cast iron many times with no issues. My wife did have a few non-magnetic specialty pans that we didn't want to replace. So I just bought a induction interface disc for the few times we use them. You just put the magnetic disc on the induction burner and it heats up and in turn heats the non-magnetic pot on it. Works surprisingly well.
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tamudude
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Re: Hybrid Induction and Electric cooktops

Post by tamudude »

Da5id wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 2:59 pm
Mako wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 2:56 pm
Da5id wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 12:26 pm I've used cast iron and not hit that problem doing steaks and such. If it is a rarer use I wonder if a single hot plate style device would work. Takes less counter space and can put away when not in use.
Agreed, when I had an induction several years ago I used a cast iron pan frequently with no issues. When I was researching many people said they used cast iron with their induction. Who knows?
Cast iron has large thermal mass and gets very hot. I can imagine that it (being in contact with the cooktop) can cause the cooktop to get very very hot if you do it for a very long time. And trigger an overheating sensor. Just hasn't happened to me yet, though if you google it clearly can happen.
This is exactly what my wife said kept happening to her with cast iron skillets she was using to make a large amount of tortillas on. Granted this was on a portable cooktop but she is still wary.
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tamudude
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Re: Hybrid Induction and Electric cooktops

Post by tamudude »

mpnret wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 3:19 pm We've had a GE Cafe induction range for a few years now. Now I can't imagine ever getting anything else. Precise temp control. More responsive than gas. Used cast iron many times with no issues. My wife did have a few non-magnetic specialty pans that we didn't want to replace. So I just bought a induction interface disc for the few times we use them. You just put the magnetic disc on the induction burner and it heats up and in turn heats the non-magnetic pot on it. Works surprisingly well.
Thanks. That is a great idea. Can you share which one you have? Online reviews tend to say there is discoloration that gets transferred to the induction cooktop after some time of use.
ClassII
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Re: Hybrid Induction and Electric cooktops

Post by ClassII »

I think I remember reading (on here, no doubt) that you can use those silicone baking sheets to protect the induction surface from cast iron skillets. I figured it was more for scratches but could also keep the heat at bay too.
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tamudude
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Re: Hybrid Induction and Electric cooktops

Post by tamudude »

ClassII wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 5:43 pm I think I remember reading (on here, no doubt) that you can use those silicone baking sheets to protect the induction surface from cast iron skillets. I figured it was more for scratches but could also keep the heat at bay too.
Excellent!! Will look into this too....
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rob
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Re: Hybrid Induction and Electric cooktops

Post by rob »

Induction is amazing but be careful of the electric draw.... We replaced the oven at the same time and ended up having to swap braker sources for oven vs cooktop because of the power draw. New ovens have far less draw and induction has higher than old cooktops.
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oxothuk
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Re: Hybrid Induction and Electric cooktops

Post by oxothuk »

ClassII wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 5:43 pm I think I remember reading (on here, no doubt) that you can use those silicone baking sheets to protect the induction surface from cast iron skillets. I figured it was more for scratches but could also keep the heat at bay too.
We've just used paper towels to protect from scratches.
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quantAndHold
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Re: Hybrid Induction and Electric cooktops

Post by quantAndHold »

If this is a concern, I think I would just stick with gas.

Since it’s such a specific problem, you could get an induction cooktop, and if you have a problem, get an electric griddle to sit beside it on the counter when it’s tortilla time.
mpnret
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Re: Hybrid Induction and Electric cooktops

Post by mpnret »

tamudude wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 5:39 pm
mpnret wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 3:19 pm We've had a GE Cafe induction range for a few years now. Now I can't imagine ever getting anything else. Precise temp control. More responsive than gas. Used cast iron many times with no issues. My wife did have a few non-magnetic specialty pans that we didn't want to replace. So I just bought a induction interface disc for the few times we use them. You just put the magnetic disc on the induction burner and it heats up and in turn heats the non-magnetic pot on it. Works surprisingly well.
Thanks. That is a great idea. Can you share which one you have? Online reviews tend to say there is discoloration that gets transferred to the induction cooktop after some time of use.
We purchased a Denmark 8" Stainless Steel Induction Interface Disc at Bed Bath and Beyond (link below) because it was cheap and had decent reviews. Unfortunately that one is no longer sold anywhere. Lots of similar ones on Amazon. Just be sure and read reviews. We don't use her specialty pans that often so it's not a heavy use item but works well when we do use it. If you use the interface disc all the time you are missing out on some benefits of induction cooking. I did notice a slight discoloration in the stainless steel due to high heat but no transfer to induction cooktop. This may be because the disk doesn't directly contact the cooktop. It has 3 small contact points on the bottom that are about 1/16" thick.
https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/ ... 1042271550
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Re: Hybrid Induction and Electric cooktops

Post by nisiprius »

We've been very happy with our Electrolux all-induction-cooktop stove, and my wife and I have yet to feel any need for, or nostalgia for resistance-coil heating. But we're not foodies. We had to spend maybe $150 on new pots and pans--many of our old ones were compatible--but I think my wife kind of enjoyed that. Induction-compatible cookware seems easy to find at all price points.
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Re: Hybrid Induction and Electric cooktops

Post by seawolf21 »

tamudude wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 5:31 pm
Da5id wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 2:59 pm
Mako wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 2:56 pm
Da5id wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 12:26 pm I've used cast iron and not hit that problem doing steaks and such. If it is a rarer use I wonder if a single hot plate style device would work. Takes less counter space and can put away when not in use.
Agreed, when I had an induction several years ago I used a cast iron pan frequently with no issues. When I was researching many people said they used cast iron with their induction. Who knows?
Cast iron has large thermal mass and gets very hot. I can imagine that it (being in contact with the cooktop) can cause the cooktop to get very very hot if you do it for a very long time. And trigger an overheating sensor. Just hasn't happened to me yet, though if you google it clearly can happen.
This is exactly what my wife said kept happening to her with cast iron skillets she was using to make a large amount of tortillas on. Granted this was on a portable cooktop but she is still wary.
Shutoff is a safety feature. Cooking vessel can get really hot if left unattended in excess of 550F. Granted I don't make tortillas but should one be making tortillas at 550F?
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