# Induction ranges **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 16, 2021, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/induction-ranges/956170 "2021-12-16T19:27:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2021, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/induction-ranges/956170/1 "2021-12-16T19:27:44Z")
We have an electric glass top range, not induction. We hate it. We hate it because it is slow to heat up and because it maintains the temperature by cycling on and off, meaning the pan heats off, cools down, reheats, rather than staying at a fixed temperature. Makes, say, deep frying a real challenge. Gas is not an option.So we have been looking at induction ranges. But they too cycle on and off, though apparently with much less of a swing in temperature. Anyone here who can comment on their experience with induction ranges and stovetop cooking and the on/off cycling? We’re looking at Bosch Benchmark series right now. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/induction-ranges/956170/2 "2021-12-17T02:54:50Z")
Miele top of the line. Bee’s knee’s. Both the cooktop and the oven. ---
**Author:** ![Tride](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tride/32/13907_2.png) [@Tride](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tride)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/induction-ranges/956170/3 "2021-12-17T03:05:06Z")
Jenn-air cooktop here, 6 months old. Awesome. It does cycle on the mid heat range, but does great. Boils a tea kettle in like 3 minutes. Pulls 11000 watts! ---
**Author:** ![Tride](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tride/32/13907_2.png) [@Tride](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tride)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/induction-ranges/956170/4 "2021-12-17T03:06:16Z")
Cycles on and off every 5 seconds or so in the mid range. ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/induction-ranges/956170/5 "2021-12-17T03:10:10Z")
Absolutely love mine. As others have said, I can boil water so fast that it’s silly. I also love how it behaves far more like gas. If my pasta water is at a rolling boil, I turn it down a bit and it’s now just boiling, not boiling over, and it takes place instantly. No more adjusting the temp, wait to see if it’s what you really want, adjust some more, etc. While it cycles in theory, it doesn’t seem to swing in temp when doing so. ---
**Author:** ![Kedikat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed655f/32.png) [@Kedikat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kedikat)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/induction-ranges/956170/6 "2021-12-17T07:34:05Z")
I’ve used an inexpensive little two burner one for years. It keeps a very stable temperature. I suppose cycle times will vary from different makers. I do like the digital temperature setting. But as I said it is a cheap one so the temp is not precise. But it is steady. ---
**Author:** ![Dereknocue67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Dereknocue67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dereknocue67)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/induction-ranges/956170/7 "2021-12-17T08:35:12Z")
11000 watts? Doesn’t that convert to over 91 amps? What type of electrical service do you have? ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/induction-ranges/956170/8 "2021-12-17T13:28:53Z")
Aside: I read the subject as “Induction RAGES,” and clicked in to learn about a new kind of anger. Never mind. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/induction-ranges/956170/9 "2021-12-17T13:55:58Z")
I’ve been looking at and for them, they never or rarely appear in the big box hardware stores (big blue and big orange), and their absents makes me question getting one. I’ve also heard they have a limited life unless one buys a commercial induction (which also has a limited life but longer then the home models). Any input/advise on those comments? I really hate my electric range and need something better but reluctant for those issues. ---
**Author:** ![Tride](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tride/32/13907_2.png) [@Tride](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tride)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/induction-ranges/956170/10 "2021-12-17T14:23:08Z")
220 volts, so 50 amp service. And it’s not like we’re using all five burners that often. Kanicbird–the cooktop (Jenn-air, identical to the Kitchenaid version) is the same model that was in the rental we had while building this house. That cooktop was 8 years old or so and doing fine. One of the reasons we bought it. ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/induction-ranges/956170/11 "2021-12-17T14:59:00Z")
The need to replace 75% of my cookware for induction-rated (magnetic) cookware has put me off looking at induction ranges. ---
**Author:** ![Tride](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tride/32/13907_2.png) [@Tride](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tride)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/induction-ranges/956170/12 "2021-12-17T15:18:20Z")
Yeah, that is an issue, but we got a nice Circulon set for like $200. Our tea kettle we bought for it buzzes which is a little annoying. Got a Le Creuset for my wife for Christmas. Super easy to clean, also. ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/induction-ranges/956170/13 "2021-12-17T17:25:51Z")
I could probably post something about that, too, these days! ---
**Author:** ![Rain\_Soaked](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19adc/32.png) [@Rain\_Soaked](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rain_Soaked)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/induction-ranges/956170/14 "2021-12-17T17:25:53Z")
I have an induction range and definitely like it. Easy to clean and heats up fast. However, I would probably not get another one for two reasons: 1. Getting a cast iron pan up to HIGH heat to sear a steak does not work. The sensor on ours will turn off the burner after a certain point. 2. Complexity. There is a lot of electronics in the induction oven which can fail. We had a sensor fail and were happy it could be replaced without having the whole electronics board replaced. While I like the induction stove, I would probably go for a gas range next time I have the need. Simplicity of operation and great for high heat. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/induction-ranges/956170/15 "2021-12-17T17:32:50Z")
My MIl has an induction range. I’ve used it a few times and always wonder if it is working correctly, because it appears to go on and off repeatedly. She loves it because it is so easy to clean. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/induction-ranges/956170/16 "2021-12-17T17:57:30Z")
> [@Rain\_Soaked](#): > > Getting a cast iron pan up to HIGH heat to sear a steak does not work. The sensor on ours will turn off the burner after a certain point. On America’s Test Kitchen, they heat up a cast iron skillet in the oven at the highest temp the oven will produce. Sometimes @500 for an hour. They say heating on any kind of burner won’t heat the pan evenly. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Rain\_Soaked](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19adc/32.png) [@Rain\_Soaked](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rain_Soaked)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/induction-ranges/956170/17 "2021-12-17T18:04:25Z")
That is what I do. After that, I would use the burner at HIGH for about 5 minutes per [Alton Brown’s method](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLi3G7RSUS0) to get it scorching hot. ---
**Author:** ![Anita\_Dayoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Anita\_Dayoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anita_Dayoff)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/induction-ranges/956170/18 "2021-12-17T20:12:13Z")
I have two singles and a double cooktop. The double sits on top of my nearly new electric glass top that I never use anymore. The two standout features for me are portability and temperature control. Taking one or two out the back door to fry bacon or other meat keeps the smoke and grease out of the house. Temperature control like you haven’t seen since grandma’s electric frying pan.They read the temperature of the pan through the cooktop. I got rid of all of my old cookware and bought new decent quality stuff on Amazon. ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/induction-ranges/956170/19 "2021-12-17T20:27:11Z")
Our new electric frying pan also cycles on and off, meaning the bacon sizzles, then doesn’t, then does. Bought it to make crostili, since our electric glass top can’t maintain steady even heat as a design feature/bug, but have the same problem. Other experiences with induction ranges and this cycling on and off?