If you’re looking for the best induction range on the market look no further. The Equipped Cook has reviews on three of the best.

These are all 30” ranges within an affordable price range. Each one offers different features to appeal to different cooks. If you are remodelling your kitchen, now is the time to buy a new induction range.

The technology is exciting, the cooking is fast and the control is amazing considering you can melt chocolate on the lower settings without the need for a double-boiler.

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SAMSUNG NE58H9970WS Slide-In 30” Induction Range

When you’re looking for the best induction range you probably look at the cooktop first. You would think the induction burners on the top would be the most exciting part of this range. In fact, the dual convection oven is equally exciting.

We’ll look at the oven first.

Is this a double oven?

This is the Samsung dual oven. As one oven it is 5.8 cubic feet. But the oven space can be divided by placing a partition horizontally across the oven to create two separate cooking spaces. Each oven space has individual heating settings and individual timers which can be set independently from any other cooking area on the range.

This feature allows you to utilize either of the ovens on their own or to cook two completely separate meals at the same time. For example, you can cook a meat main course while cooking a meringue dessert at the same time. You have the freedom to heat frozen meals while roasting meat at the same time.

Both of the dual ovens are convection ovens with even heat distribution. Admittedly, the top oven is smaller in size than the lower oven but this can be useful for smaller meals since it pre-heats quickly and saves time and energy.

Conveniently, the oven partition divider has its own storage compartment located above the warmer oven below the main oven. This is extremely important in any kitchen where you don’t want extra items taking up cabinet space.

Is it a self-clean oven?

Yes. The oven has two options for cleaning.

The first option is the steam-clean for a lighter more frequent clean. To utilize the steam-clean add 10 oz. (300 ml) of normal water, not distilled, to the bottom of the oven while empty. You simply choose steam clean on the controls and let it do its thing.

At the end of the steam cleaning cycle there will be some residual water left on the bottom of the oven which needs to be wiped up but this is a lot easier than cleaning the whole oven.

The second option is the self-clean option. This is used for heavy duty cleaning and is needed less frequently.

The self-clean function can be set for 3, 4 or 5 hours. There is a delayed start option. When using self-clean the warming drawer cannot be turned on and the cooktop burners cannot be used. In self-clean mode the oven operates at very high temperature and the oven door cannot be opened for about 1 hour after the cleaning cycle finishes and the oven cools down.

Can I time my oven cooking to turn off automatically?

Yes. The oven has two timers, one for each of the dual ovens. If you are using the whole cavity it operates as a single oven with a single timer. The timer can be used to automatically turn the oven off at the end of the countdown.

There is a delayed cooking function. The oven can be set to start and finish cooking at a delayed time – very useful if you are planning your day in advance.

The oven offers a keep warm function. This can even be set to operate after timed or delayed cooking. The keep warm function keeps the oven at 170 degrees. It can operate for up to 3 hours at a time after cooking has finished.

What about safety features?

There are several safety features on the oven. If you leave the door open for more than 2 minutes the oven automatically turns off.

When the self-clean function operates the oven door locks and remains locked for about an hour after the cleaning is completed to allow the oven to cool down.

When you engage the child lock on this induction range it stops all the controls being operated and it also locks the oven door.

There is a 12-hour safety/energy saving feature. This turns the oven off after 12 hours in baking mode or after 3 hours in broil mode.

Any other oven features?

This model comes with a temperature probe. The probe plugs into the oven easily. The probe is used to measure the internal temperature of meat being cooked. This lets you set the oven temperature according to the heat needed to cook the meat properly. No more guesswork.

The oven includes a broil option. However, it should be noted that if this function is being used in one of the dual ovens you cannot operate the other oven at the same time.

There is a favorite cook function to allow you to record the settings for three of your favorite recipes.

A warming drawer is located below the main oven. The warming drawer is in addition to the keep warm function in the main oven. The warming drawer has settings of low, medium or high. It is recommended that food only remain in the drawer for a maximum of 1 hour. The drawer will shut off automatically after 3 hours.

The options are adjustable on this range. These include setting the temperature units displayed, setting the clock, setting the controls to silent, and selecting the language as English, Spanish or French.

There is also a Sabbath feature. This function is to be used on Jewish Sabbath and Jewish holidays. For full details on how to operate this function you can refer to pages 67 – 68 of the Samsung NE58H9970WS User Manual.

What about the induction cooktop?

The induction cooktop is truly exciting. Not only does this range feature the latest cooking technology but it looks like a professional grade range, sleek and impressive. This is an induction range you’ll definitely want to show your friends and family.

The cooktop has four induction burners. The sizes are 6”, two 7” and an 11”. The power ranges from 1,200 watts on the smallest to 3,300 on the largest burner.

Like all induction cooktops the burners each have a minimum pot size that can be used. The base of the pot is the relevant measurement. The minimum for the 6” burner is 4.5”. For the 7” burners the minimum pot size is 5.2” and for the 11” burners the minimum is 7.25”.

The cooktop surface includes a digital display. The control knobs are located at the front of the unit.

Is there a high power setting?

Yes. There is a power boost setting to boil water quickly. It can be activated for 10 minutes maximum. When you select the Hi/Boost setting a “P” will display on the digital display. After power boost is finished the heat setting automatically returns to level 9.

This range utilizes a power management system. Most induction cooktop use power sharing in some form. The four induction burners are located in two cooking zones. The two 7” burners share one zone on the left and the 6” and 11” share another zone on the right of the cooktop. If you are already cooking with a burner within a zone and you turn on the other burner at full power boost the power will be reduced to both of them. This is the power management system activating.

If you need to use the power boost function, make sure it is in a cooking zone not already being used. For many cooks this is easy because a pot of water needing to boil quickly is often placed on the left side of the cooktop while a saute pan is already in place and cooking on the right hand side on the 11” burner.

What are virtual flames?

One of the unique features on this induction cooktop is the virtual flames. If you are changing from a gas cooktop to induction this will probably appeal. Even if you’ve never cooked with gas before, this is a very exciting feature.

The virtual flames appear on your pot or pan when the induction burner is turned on. The flames actually change color when you adjust the heat settings. If your pan is too big for the burner the virtual flames will be covered and not able to be seen. This is not dangerous because they are not real flames, it is just disappointing that you won’t see them.

If you are not impressed by the virtual flames they can be switched off in the option settings.

Overall, the SAMSUNG NE58H9970WS 30” Slide-In Induction Range is an impressive kitchen appliance. If you love induction cooking and want the added convenience of the dual convection ovens this is definitely the best induction range for you. This is an induction range you’ll be proud to own.

In summary, its features include:

• dual oven with versatility to use as one oven or two ovens at the same time;
• automatic timer to turn off the oven at the end of cooking;
• both steam cleaning and self-cleaning options;
• a warming drawer separate from the oven and underneath;
• virtual flames on the induction burners; and
• an extra large 11” induction burner on the cooktop.

GE Profile PHB920SJSS Free-Standing 30” Induction Range

The American built GE Profile PHB920SJSS is a 30” free-standing range with an induction cooktop and a convection oven of 5.3 cubic feet. This model may be the best induction range for a cook who likes to use a griddle pan because two of the burners can be used in sync to form a larger cooking area.

This will also be the best induction range for anyone who likes the idea of controlling their oven remotely by wifi from their smartphone. A very exciting feature.

Are there four or five induction burners?

This range offers an impressive layout of 5 induction burners on the cooktop. Four of them offer normal induction cooking and the fifth is a warming option.

The sizes of the induction burners are: 11” for the largest, two 8” which can be synced together or used individually, one 6” and a separate 6” warmer. The power on the four cooking burners ranges from 1,800 watts to 3,700 watts. The power on the fifth, which is a warmer, is only 100 watts so it cannot be used for cooking food or boiling water. It is recommended that food only be placed on the warmer while it is already hot. You cannot heat cold or frozen food on the warmer.

There are minimum sizes of pans recommended for use on each burner. The minimum diameter for the largest burner is 8”. The minimum recommendation for each of the 8” burners is 5-3/4” and the minimum for the 6” is 4-3/4”. If you have a pot or pan with a base smaller than 4-3/4” and you can’t possible live without it, you may need to consider a range which does not use induction on the top since most will have this size as their smallest burner.

Is there a power boost feature on the controls?

Yes, there is a power boosting feature. The controls are easy to use. There is a plus (+) sign to increase the power and a minus (-) sign to decrease it. You can go straight to power boil as the highest setting when you turn on a burner. In the alternative, you can go straight to the melt setting as the lowest.

Power sharing is utilized on this model. This is common on a lot of induction cooktops. If you are using the highest power boil feature on one burner and you turn another burner on at the highest power level there will be a drop in power level of the induction burners. Since the highest setting is usually only used for a short time to get water to boil quickly it is easy to stagger your power usage when cooking with multiple pots.

The warming plate can be set to Lo, Med or Hi settings. It is recommended that the warming feature not be used for more than 2 hours. The food should be hot when it is placed on the warming plate.

An advantage that may make this the best induction range for many cooks is that the controls are located at the back of the appliance. Everyone has their own personal preference but if you are concerned about young children touching the controls this may be what you’re looking for. Having the controls in front of you as you lean over the cooktop can be undesirable for many people. The control panel is also very easy to clean at the back of this model because it is a flat panel without any knobs for dirt to get stuck in.

Which pots can I use? Can I use a square pan?

Like all induction cooktops the pots and pans you use should be flat-bottomed and ferrous. You can test your pans with a magnet and if it holds to your pan it should be fine to use with induction. Of course, the size of the pan is also important but it is only the size of the base that matters. If you have a large frying pan of 12” it is usually perfect for the largest burner because the base may be only 9” or 10” in diameter underneath.

On the GE Profile PHB920SJSS range it will detect whether the pan is non-ferrous or too small and if it remains that way for 30 seconds the power control will flash and then automatically turn off.

If a pan is removed from an induction burner for longer than 30 seconds it will turn off automatically.

Square pans compatible with induction can be used on the model but round pans are recommended as working best.

One of the best features on this range is that the cooktop layout offers a sync option where two 8” burners can be used together for a griddle pan or a large oval or rectangle shaped pan. This option is easy to use and wonderful for making gravy with a large pan, cooking French toast, making pancakes or gourmet toasted sandwiches on a light griddle. You can also use an oval shaped fish pan across the synced induction burners. Very few induction cooktops offer this feature so if it is important for your style of cooking you will find the GE Profile PHB920SJSS range perfect.

There is a safety lock which can be used on the control panel. This is handy for cleaning or if you want to be sure a child does not accidentally activate the controls.

Can it broil or grill?

The broiling function is activated with a touch of the broil button. There are two options, Broil Lo and Broil Hi. They are both activated by the one button. The Lo function is for thicker cuts of meat that need to be cooked through.

When using the broil mode there is no need to preheat the oven.

Does the oven have any special features?

Yes. The oven on this induction range offers “True European Convention with Precise Air”. What does this mean? It means your food will be cooked more evenly and without hot spots in the oven. There is a third oven element in addition to the usual two plus there is a reversing fan to provide advanced heat circulation. This means you shouldn’t need to turn your pan around during baking or roasting.

Another special feature is the Sabbath mode. This can be set in advance and the full instructions are included on page 15 of the Owner’s Manual.

Is this a smart oven with internet connectivity?

Yes. The most exciting feature on this induction range is the wifi connect feature to operate the oven remotely from your smartphone. You can do this from anywhere in your house or even remotely from work or wherever you are.

The setup is quite straight forward and then you’re ready to access the power on/off function and the temperature controls remotely. You can even preheat the oven on your way home from work.

Does this oven self-clean?

This convection oven has two cleaning options.

The steam clean option is for smaller cleaning jobs in between the larger self-cleaning jobs. To use the steam clean function you add one cup of water to the oven and touch the steam clean button. It runs for 30 minutes and the oven door locks during cleaning. The steam clean operates at a lower temperature than the self-clean option.

The self-cleaning option operates at a higher temperature and you can choose the length of time for the clean between 3 and 5 hours. During self-cleaning the oven door locks and remains locked until after the cleaning finishes and the oven cools down.

The enamelled racks can be left in the oven during a self-clean but the shiny silver racks need to be removed before the self-clean commences.

During self-clean the cooktop burners cannot be used.

Is there a storage drawer?

A storage drawer is located under the oven. This is a useful space for pots and pans when they’re not in use.

Overall, this could be the best induction range for a cook who likes to:

• use induction burners for fast, efficient cooking;
• use a griddle pan on their induction cooktop;
• wants the control panel at the back of the appliance;
• appreciates an extra induction burner for warming;
• wants their oven to perform evenly with good heat distribution;
• use a steam clean or self-clean mode; and
• wants to use advanced technology to control the oven functions remotely from a smartphone.

Frigidaire Gallery FGIS3065PF Slide-In 30” Induction Range

In terms of value this could be the best induction range to give you the most bang for your buck. The Frigidaire FGIS3065PF induction range is a 30” appliance with an oven of 4.6 cubic feet.

How many induction burners?

There are 5 induction burners with the middle one being a warming option.

The induction burner sizes by diameter are: 10”, 8”, 7”, 6”, and a 5” warming burner.

This model provides magnetic detection and pan size detection. The induction cooktop will determine whether the pot is magnetic and if not, it won’t turn on. The induction burner control will flash with the last setting to indication that it can’t detect a ferrous pot and it won’t operate. This stops the burners accidentally turning on. Pan size detection means it will automatically determine the size of the pot you’re using and alter the heating area of the burner to provide a better fit for the pot.

Where does the pot go on the cooktop?

The induction cooktop on this range uses lines in a cross design to indicate the minimum and maximum size of pan you can use on each burner. This is an advantage compared to cooktops that merely display one circle for each burner and then it is up to you to determine what the minimum pan size is for each one.

On the Frigidaire Gallery FGIS3065PF the largest induction burner is 10” (minimum pan size 8.24”). The other burners are: 8” (min. 5.5”), 7” (min. 4.5”), 6” (min. 3.5”). The warmer is 5” in diameter.

It is recommended that the pan dimensions should not exceed half an inch beyond the size of the burner as marked by the larger cross lines on each one.

What type of controls?

The cooktop is controlled by knobs you can turn. The result is shown as a digital display of the power setting. There is a digital display window for each burner. The display will show Lo, Hi or Pb (for the power boost function). The power levels in between Lo and Hi go from 1.5 to 9.5 with 0.5 increments.

The power display will also show an HE message (hot element) when the ceramic cooktop surface has retained residual heat after cooking and is too hot to touch. This is a safety feature.

If you lift a pan off the induction cooktop and place it back on the same burner within 3 minutes it will remember your settings and allow cooking to resume. If you remove a pan for more than 3 minutes the burner will automatically turn off.

What are the oven features?

The oven on the Frigidaire Gallery FGIS3065PF induction range can bake, roast or broil. It comes with a quick preheat function and you can select delayed start for either baking or for self-cleaning. You can use a meat probe to determine accurate doneness.

The convection oven in this range uses three elements and a fan to circulate even heat. Some foods may cook faster and almost all foods will cook more evenly.

Is a timer included?

Yes there is a timer on this range. The timer is a kitchen timer and it does not automatically turn the cooktop or oven off at the end of the time set. When the timer reaches the end of the countdown it sounds a beep 3 times every 30 seconds until it is turned off. The timer can also be turned off before it completes the countdown.

The oven can be operated in silent mode without sounds or beeps whenever desired.  Two buttons are used to operate the silent mode and once you get the options you can select “beep on” or “beep off”. It is easy to set and you don’t need to go several levels deep into a menu that requires a large owners’ manual to operate.

The oven comes with a default setting which turns it off after 6 hours. This is an energy saving feature. This setting can be changed if you prefer continuous baking.

This induction range includes a lockout function. When the lock button is activated it locks the oven door, the oven control panel and the induction cooktop. This is useful to stop children accidentally turning the range on. It is also convenient to lock everything when you are cleaning, especially if the person who does the cleaning is not the person who uses the range to cook and is not familiar with the controls.

What is the keep warm function in the oven?

After you finish cooking in the oven this function will keep food warm until serving. The keep warm setting maintains heat at 170 degrees and can be used for up to 3 hours. After this time the oven will automatically turn off. The keep warm function can be used on its own. It can also be used at the end of a bake time or it can be set to operate after a delayed start.

It is recommended that the warming setting only be used for hot food. It should not be used to warm cold or frozen food. This is a food safety concern because the temperature is not high enough to cook food safely.

Can you broil?

A broiler pan and insert can be used in this oven. The advantage of using a broiler pan is that it keeps the grease away from the high heat of the element. The broil setting uses 550 degrees to cook meats at high temperature and produce the best browning results. The default broiling heat setting is 550 degrees but you can adjust the temperature down to a minimum of 400 degrees while using the broiling function.

A broiler pan can be used in the third, fourth or fifth oven rack position depending on how large the food is to broil.

In addition to normal broiling this oven allows you to convection broil. This function utilizes the top element as well as the fan to circulate heat and seal in the juices of thicker cuts of meat or fish while still browning the outside. Again the default heat setting is 550 degrees but it can be adjusted to between 400 and 550 degrees.

Is there a meat probe?

Yes, this model comes with a meat probe. The probe plugs in to the front left attachment in the oven. The advantage of the probe is that the actual temperature inside the meat is shown on the oven display. This allows for accurate cooking times and temperatures. Once the desired temperature is reached the range will give three beeps and change to a warm setting of 170 degrees. This will remain in place for 3 hours unless you change the setting.

In the Frigidaire manual there is a chart with suggested cooking temperatures when using the meat probe. The chart includes beef, veal, lamb, pork, poultry, fish and egg dishes. It is very helpful if you haven’t cooked with a meat probe before.

To automatically set the oven to continue cooking after the target temperature has been reached, rather than going to the warm setting, you must do this before the cooking commences. The probe does not need to be attached to do this.

If the probe temperature reaches 250 degrees or hotter a message will flash saying “Prob Too Hot”. This will continue up to 300 degrees at which stage it will automatically turn off. This may occur if the meat probe is not properly covered by the food and it is exposed in the hot oven.

You can change the oven temperature by touching the probe button to revert to normal temperature settings. You can then change back to the probe temperature by touching the button again.

The meat probe must be removed before the oven self-cleaning function commences.

Cleaning options?

The Frigidaire Gallery FGIS3065PF Slide-In 30” Induction Range offers a steam cleaning option to be used before manually cleaning the oven. By adding 8 oz of filtered water to the bottom of the oven you can then set the steam clean function. This is a good way of cleaning your oven without using harsh chemical cleaners. Steam cleaning takes 20 minutes to complete.

This model also offers a self-clean mode. This uses high temperature to remove grime from the oven. Before self-cleaning all the racks need to be removed from the oven along with the meat probe and any pan or accessories.

For safety, the oven door will lock before self-cleaning commences. It will remain locked until the oven cools down. A three hour cleaning session will usually take four hours to complete and allow the door to open.

The delay start option can be used on the oven self-clean but not for the steam clean function.

Is there a Sabbath mode?

Yes, the Frigidaire FGIS3065PF Induction Range provides a Sabbath mode. The baking oven can be used during this mode but the cooktop and other functions cannot be used. Full instructions to activate the Sabbath mode are located in the User Manual.

Overall, Frigidaire FGIS3065PF Induction Range is the best induction range for people who want to:

• cook with a meat probe;
• broil or convection broil meats, poultry or fish;
• use the delayed start for baking;
• utilize the steam clean and self-clean functions;
• use the warming burner on the induction cooktop; and
• use the warming function in the oven.

 

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