Induction cooktops - high early failure rate + cost = dubious value???

Daniel Plainview on 30/11/2016 - 15:17
Last edited 30/11/2016 - 15:19

Hi All,

We recently purchased an existing home, which had been built in the 1980's and was still rocking it's original 900mm solid state cooktop! You know the horrible big metal coils that no pot ever made will sit properly on.

Suffice to say it was one of the first things I wanted to change - and induction was my preference.

For the past 3yrs we'd actually been using a little single element portable induction cooktop in our rental property, which had a similar horrible coil element upright cooker. ~$40 delivered - never any issues with it.

But when I've come to research 900mm induction cooktops I've noticed that a LOT of people have publicly complained about them failing within the first 2-3yrs of use. Heck even OzB's own Scotty seems to have had a horror experience with one:
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/114691

This combined with the pretty high cost of 900mm versions has me seriously pausing prior to moving ahead with one. Seems Induction cooktops are one of remaining areas where the 'Aussie Tax' still applies - several companies buying them in Europe and flogging here and they're still considerably cheaper than via Oz retailers.

Amongst the current options I'm considering:

  • going with a smaller 600mm option (as 900mm is very restrictive with little choices + they're really shallow so not that much more actual cooktop), which can be bought for as little as $300+ - using a stainless steel panel as a 'picture frame' type cover over the larger existing cutout (860mm x 350mm). So if it prematurely fails replacement is much less expensive.

  • going with the cheapest possible halogen cooktop, essentially just to fill the cutout space - but continuing to use the portable induction cooktop wherever possible.

  • and most radically having no builtin cooktop at all!!!! Covering the cutout via stainless steel or similar and getting another portable induction cooktop. I VERY, VERY rarely use more than 1 hob at a time and this way I can put the portable cookers away in the cupboard underneath when I want extra bench space - or have them both out on that rare time I need 2 hobs. Replacing one is super cheap.

FWIW a few lil sidenotes….the kitchen already has an existing 32A breaker at our powerbox……if I get the right cooktop it should be a simple remove, rewire, drop in etc install, thus I had planned on installing myself (yes I KNOW the ramifications of this for warranty etc - my father in law is a retired sparkie so I'm not at risk of killing myself etc - just trying to save $$$).

Anyway if anyone has any feelings on whether current Australian prices for induction cooktops is unrealistic or whether the technology is still too unreliable I'd welcome it……I find it somewhat bizarre that a ~$30 item is essentially the same as a ~$1500-3000 one, albeit with a few bells and whistles missing - makes the latter seem a dicey choice.

Perhaps I'm being too old school but I'd EXPECT any cooktop to last 10yrs plus atleast, no major breakdowns during that time and perhaps just a few replacement parts if needed - but complete failure inside that makes ANY money saved through increased efficiency very much a false economy!

Cheers, Nick

Home & Garden

Comments

  • apptrack on 30/11/2016 - 15:48
    +2

    You're better off getting a standard electric cooktop.

    More of a gimmick than anything. It's good if you have kids but other than that…

    • Daniel Plainview on 30/11/2016 - 15:58

      Well I dunno about Induction being a gimmick. To me a gimmick would be something thats essentially useless in the ACTUAL benefit it brings. Induction does crap all over regular halogen ones (no idea why they call them ceramic cooktops as they're giant heat lamps under glass). Much more efficient etc…….BUT as I stated there's little benefit saving a few cents here and there on power IF the upfront cost is ~50% more plus it fails perhaps in a quarter of the lifespan of a cheaper halogen cooktop etc.

      Suffice to say gas isn't an option in my area (no natural gas and no desire to plumb LPG in).

      • onegpt on 22/08/2023 - 14:38

        Thank you @Nikko that is definately good to know. how do i if a cooktop halogen cooktop vs normal electric? any links / models etc? thanks a lot

    • [Deactivated] on 29/05/2017 - 08:29

      Electric cooktops are extremely slow due to inefficient heat transfer.

      They are cheap and works with cheap pots but that's about thr only advantage.

    • merriweather on 24/08/2023 - 20:47

      Noooo way. I’ve had a couple of induction stoves and they’re great. Currently in a rental with electric and it is absolutely (profanity) hopeless. They’re apples and oranges.

  • bikuta on 30/11/2016 - 16:39

    I have an electric cooktop and ended up getting a portable induction cooktop (I think it was around $59 from some website) because it's much quicker to cook with. I'm pretty sure the power saving comes with the speed of cooking rather than the actual power it draws.

    Recently I found out IKEA sells a portable one too and it looks much nicer.

    Maybe you're better off sticking with the portable one for now and just wait for when they go on sale..

    • Daniel Plainview on 30/11/2016 - 17:14

      Well the power saving is from the energy transfer efficiency of it - that is to say the amount of the actual heat/power used that end up getting into the cooking vessel.

      Wikipedia quotes induction at 74+% efficiency vs smooth top electric (halogen) at 72%….gas is around 40%. These were the latest tests, earlier ones had induction at 84%.

      Still thats much closer between induction and the smooth top electric than I expected.

      Yes, and I did see that portable unit from Ikea and you're right it looks alot better than the very busy and Yumcha looking units we've both already got.

      • bikuta on 30/11/2016 - 17:34

        Is halogen the one that you need to wait to warm up? I can imagine the efficiency getting pretty close once their at full operating temperature, but the electric cooktop I have takes about 15-20 mins to warm up properly (sometimes more). Could be because it's an ancient of a unit.

        • Daniel Plainview on 30/11/2016 - 17:40

          Ah well I made a bit of a mistake before - apparently the proper way to refer to them is smooth top electric units - these are often also called ceramic cooktops as generally thats what the glass type looking tops are made of.

          They cook by using radiant heat from an element or globe under the smooth glass, which is directed up onto the base of the cooking vessel.

          These warm up pretty fast - not as quick as induction - but I think you're thinking of the coils or solid plate units - which both definitely take a long time to heat up.

        • bikuta on 30/11/2016 - 17:44

          @Nikko: yea mine is definitely the solid plate unit, so for me induction is hands down the better option.

  • dayta on 01/12/2016 - 14:20

    I just built a new house with a Siemens 900mm induction cooktop. It's basically my favourite thing in the house. Heats up quickly and (importantly) cleanup is trivial. Only been in a year, so I can't really comment on reliability, but do be aware that some models require below bench ventilation, which could be a pain for retrofitting. (Ours doesn't, but it varies between manufacturers).

    You will quite probably need to run a separate circuit for it. Ours has some utterly ridiculous peak power draw (10.1kW peak load, works out to ~40A or something). You'll also need an accessible isolation switch for it to be a legit install. The builder made us get 3 phase into the house to support this, but I doubt you'd need to do this, especially for a smaller one.

    On price, the RRP in Australia is very high but we managed to get the price down a lot so there's clearly a lot of movement available from the retailer (4500rrp -> 2900 at Winning Appliances).

    • Daniel Plainview on 01/12/2016 - 14:54

      Thanks for your reply. The Siemens range is great, heres hoping you get a decade plus from it as I'd be very upset if it packed it in after 3-5yrs given the very significant pricetag. The concept of 'leasing' the induction tops isn't exactly that reassuring for a technology thats been in use (atleast industrially - apparently was first used in steel smelters) since the 1950's!

      Underbench ventilation should be ok - it's current directly over very large cupboards that hold pots and pans etc - the dimensions of this cavity is ~40cm high x 60cm deep x 250cm long - plus the cabinet doors are old style catch one ones so air flow should be pretty good without any mods.

      Unsure if the cooktop is on it's own circuit or its shared with the oven, I know it's a 32A one though. Good point re: isolation switch, we've an inhouse sub-powerbox thats around 5 steps away from the cooktop. Not perfect but I'd imagine it should suffice.

      Thanks for the details of your negotiation on the price - but I'd not be able to stretch to such a high end product.

  • Jackson on 28/05/2017 - 09:37

    Just saw this thread, I am struggling with the same thing. Had 2 now (first replaced under warranty) and the 2nd one is exhibiting issues, basically turns on and then straight off again, makes it unusable for days at a time, however it is intermittent. The previous one 2 hobs just blew and then eventually a year or so later the whole thing packed it in.

    It appears to me prices are coming down on 60cm units, but 70-90cm units are still pricey. And yes the reliability being an issue too, it's hard to lay down the extra money.

    Having said that they are definitely now a gimmick, IMO they're better than gas due to the ease of clean up, lower risk of burning and no need to have gas plumbing. AFAIC they should just retire all the old types and work on perfecting this technology for the mainstream.

    • Daniel Plainview on 28/05/2017 - 11:40

      @Jackson, thanks for your reply and info - sorry to hear of your woes.

      FWIW do you mind if I ask:

      1) What brand/s units failed on you?

      2) How do you have them mounted? e.g over top of underbench oven or separate piece of benchtop?

      3) Got the right amount of ventilation gaps etc?

      I don't know if I'd describe them as a gimmick - thats more something with no real tangible value but just seems like "Wow, shiny things!" to attract folks.

      The technology is very mature (I think it's 1950's or so it was originally used in steel mills - so I think it's a case of a combo of some dodgy components or installation requirements e.g ventilation gaps not being adequate. Obviously you're always going to get some failures but they definitely seem massively over represented - and it's very rare of hear of folks having issues with other cooktop styles.

      But I 100% agree it's hard to justify paying a significant price premium for a builtin unit, when their failure rates are so high - I'm ACTUALLY considering the very unorthodox step of just going with NO permanent cooktop and instead buying another 2 good quality portable units. As is I very rarely need to have more than one pot on at once so figure this might be an out of the box solution that works pretty well.

      • Jackson on 29/05/2017 - 15:31

        Hey mate, sorry that was supposed the say 'not a gimmick'. These things are unbelievable in that they give the control and efficiency of gas without having a gas connection and should be mandatory in new dwellings AFAIC in the same way that flourescent globes and instant hot water systems etc save electricity.

        They have both been Teka branded, not a brand well supported in Australia, they were sold through Masters for a time. Both in stone bench tops making it particularly annoying to have to replace them. The first was a flush mount, and the second was dropped over. In both cases I believe the controller electronics is at fault, esp the second case as it just works a lot of the time.

        One thing I noticed about portable units is they all seem to have a fan, and I know a few people with them (more than I know have in built units) but haven't heard of anyone have one die yet. Maybe these things are overheating? My current unit is located above the oven, and my old one was above a drawer. I don't think it's a heat issue because the first time my current one had an issue we just woke up in the morning and it was flashing, and the night before it had worked perfectly

        • Daniel Plainview on 30/05/2017 - 11:20

          @Jackson, much thanks for your reply:

          One thing I noticed about portable units is they all seem to have a fan, and I know a few people with them (more than I know have in built units) but haven't heard of anyone have one die yet. Maybe these things are overheating? My current unit is located above the oven, and my old one was above a drawer.

          I may be wrong but I thought the vast majority of induction units - including builtins also had fans within them - I know they certainly have significant ventilation gaps in their underside and was sure I'd seen fans (very similar to what you'd see on a laptop CPU heatsink) on all of these.

          The portable unit I have is a very cheap and nasty one, typical Chinese generic, branded Eurolab - but to it's credit I've used it as our EXCLUSIVE cooktop for nearly 2 years now and never an issue with it.

          I get that a very small sample size isn't indicative of much BUT if a unit like this - which sold for around $40 delivered - so lets say $30 - is able to work pretty effectively - it's got me flummoxed what the basis for so many very much superior branded & priced units failing is. Because all things being equal I'd expect the Miele, Bosch, Electrolux etc of the world units to use superior quality electrical components and superior manufacturing processes, quality control and basic designs.

          Now I've read that essentially induction units are VERY simple - very little real high tech stuff in them - so while this might allow the cheapies to be reasonable I'd still expect the better units to be MANY MANY leagues ahead in their reliability but that doesn't seem to be the case.

          Sure the big branded units do generally have better aesthetics, a few more features (boilover detection being one I miss BADLY) - but really MOST of these really aren't that big a deal (IMHO) - but reliability is surely a must have.

          I remember reading on a big cooking forum in the USA that when you think about that induction cooktop you just installed the best way to think about it rather than it being a fixture is that it's something you're LEASING - and I'm sorry but thats really not good enough.

          Whilst you'll get a % where components will just fail for any number of reasons my understanding is that heat is by far and away the biggest factor in killing them - and why they're soooooooooooooooooooo specific and direct about the amount of ventilation space you need around them. I really don't think many people ensure this is done correctly as they're seen as just a cooktop - and often aesthetics in the kitchen win out over putting a vent in place etc. I'd imagine where they're over an oven is a case where they'd really suffer as there's just not enough space for both of them in most benchtops.

          Anyway I'm certainly not in a rush to drop $1500-2000 for a 90cm unit that suits my current cutout - I just don't have faith in them and would be driven round the bend and up up pursuing a statutory warranty claim if one carked it within 5yrs minimum (and honestly I'd say a decade is completely reasonable). Haha but thats me.

        • Jackson on 30/05/2017 - 15:05
          +1

          @Nikko: i feel exactly the same way. My mother's ceramic disc cooktop is now 30 years old, and the only thing wrong with it is one of the hobs goes straight to max when turned on. Apart from probably being a simple variable resistor going wrong which is cheap to fix she actually doesn't care as she has 3 others, not bad for 30 years service. I would say 10 years is reasonable, especially when cutting in to stone bench tops.

          I believe Eurolab is deals direct and oo.com.au's brand, I used the same unit for a few months when my first cooktop died and to be honest it not only didn't skip a beat it worked better than my built in. From time to time my built in struggled to detect the pot and would alternate between on and off, you would have to move your pot to a different hob to get working, never had the problem with the small Eurolab unit

        • Daniel Plainview on 31/05/2017 - 08:37

          @Jackson: Yes, it's difficult to rationalise a good explanation for why builtins seems to suffer such a high failure rate vs the portable cheapies. I can only imagine it's ventilation as thats the only significant variable between them - all others are actually in the builtin's favour. Go figure.

        • dayta on 31/05/2017 - 09:38

          @Nikko: i think you're on the money - repair guys I've spoken to think that most failures are caused by bad installs, specifically lack of required ventilation. These things are full of solid state components which are going to die with heat. I'd say this is probably why the cheap units fail so much - they'll be full of lowest cost Chinese components instead of properly rated name brands.

        • Jackson on 31/05/2017 - 12:15

          @dayta: but it's not the cheap units failing it's the expensive ones, if it is ventilation my theory is that companies haven't installed fans in their units, either to save money/reduce complexity, or because fans make a noise which is one less reason to buy an induction over a regular electric one. As mentioned my first one was in kitchen where underneath there was about 10cm and t by en it went straight into a drawer, so there was oodles of ventilation, but no fan to concentrate it on any components that needed it.

        • Jackson on 27/08/2018 - 22:56

          @Jackson: my unit finally packed it in a couple of months ago, that's 2 in about 6 years of use a d both had problems the entire time. As mentioned below just bought an Aldi unit with 3 years in home warranty so lookong forward to being covered regardless for that time.

  • Foxtail on 31/05/2017 - 10:02

    My wife is a chef, have had induction cooktops in last few properties inc. a rental, she says would not cook without one as its nearly as good as gas because its so quick yet controllable, first two were very expensive $1800 and $1400, Jan. last upgraded our kitchen and purchased a Euro Chef for $300 of eBay she says its as good as the others, a friend bought the same ditto.

    • Jackson on 31/05/2017 - 12:17

      Will be keen to know how this is going in a couple of years

    • buderim11 on 29/08/2018 - 09:06

      I bought a Eurochef 60cm induction hob off Ebay , the first one they sent had a faulty display and the touch controls where hard to use.

      The customer service was very good they sent me a new hob and paid $100 to have the replacement hob fitted and supplied postage labels to send the faulty one back.

      But I found the touch controls on the replacement not very sensitive and hard to use , In the end I bought a Aldi one that is a lot better for $249 on special . I sold the Eurochef on Guntree for $180.

  • Foxtail on 31/05/2017 - 16:36

    At that price can buy one a year:)

    • desert eagle on 13/06/2019 - 15:30

      So, has it broken yet?

      • buderim11 on 14/06/2019 - 07:59

        No , still working as it should .

  • Jackson on 27/08/2018 - 22:54
    +1

    I just bought a 60cm Induction Cooktop from Aldi for the measly sum of 239 after moving to replace an old ceramic glass one which is wuite old and is slow to heat up and cool down. Having used 2 built ins and 2 portables extensively I will report back how good this thing is

    • buderim11 on 29/08/2018 - 09:08

      I have had the Aldi one for 4 months , it works great and I would recommend it especially for the price .

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