A KitchenAid induction cooktop offers the same clean, fast meal preparation as other induction cooktop brands. Its smooth, ceramic glass surface is easy to clean, has many heat settings, and doesn’t get as hot as a traditional stovetop. You will use special cookware to attract the unit’s electromagnetic waves.
KitchenAid Induction Cooktop Reviews
The KitchenAid induction cooktop is a slim, glass cooktop with an electromagnetic field underneath it. The magnetic “induction” transfers heat to magnetic pots and pans. You no longer have to wait until a burner heats up and then wait for the gas or electricity from the burner to heat up the cookware and the food.
A Brief History of KitchenAid
Kitchen Aid, a home appliance manufacturer, was founded in 1919 and produced hand mixers. The company’s electric mixers were sold at house parties or door to door in the 1920s and 1930s. The company soon developed attachments for the mixers, a coffee “mill” and commercial dishwashers.
By the 1960s, the company manufactured a wide variety of home appliances, including dishwashers, electric can openers, and garbage disposals. KitchenAid introduced trash compactors to its product line in 1971, and by the 1980s, it also produced stovetops and ovens. Whirlpool bought KitchenAid in 1986.
Today, KitchenAid sells major household appliances, including hoods, vents, refrigerators, ranges, and grills. The company also sells over a dozen categories of countertop appliances and cutlery, cookware, and other kitchenware.
What Is a Kitchenaid Induction Cooktop and How Does It Work?
An induction cooktop contains a copper wire coil under the glass top, and this copper wire heats the cooking vessels with electromagnetic energy. The heat produced by this energy cooks the food.
Induction cooking is the fastest cooking technology out there. It will bring water to a boil two to four minutes faster than gas or electric cooktops. The surface of your induction cooktop will get hot in the same way a countertop warms up when you take a pot off the burner after boiling water and place it there.
The glass cooktop won’t get as hot as a conventional range because of heat transfers from cookware to the cooktop. The glass surface won’t get hot to the touch if you accidentally turn it on without a pot on the cooktop.
When you use a KitchenAid induction cooktop or any other induction cooktop, you’ll save energy and money. Electric and gas cooktops and ranges use up to 65 percent of the energy they produce, but induction cooktops use 90 percent of conducted energy.
Pros
Cons
Cooktop Mini-Reviews
We found three induction cooktops currently available from KitchenAid – two five-burner models and a four-burner models.
KitchenAid KECC056RBL 15 Electric Cooktop – Black
This coal-black induction cooktop has five independent cooking surfaces and four elements containing a bridge function to accommodate all kinds of cookware.
You can use 12 heat level settings for everything from melting cheese to boiling water and sauces.
We find that this cooktop is easy to use even easier to clean and heats food fast. Unfortunately, this induction device is difficult to maneuver if you want to use pots that are smaller than six inches in diameter or pans smaller than eight inches in diameter.
There is a one year warranty on this product, and on all KitchenAid induction cooktops. This unit requires a 50 amp circuit for use in your kitchen and has a UL listing. Hire a professional installer to place this cooktop on your countertop for best results.
KitchenAid KECC604BBL Architect II 30″ Black Electric Smoothtop Cooktop
This cooktop appears to be one of KitchenAid’s older models, and it isn’t featured on the company website. Discount sellers offer this model on their websites or through Amazon.com
The 30-inch Architect® Series II cooktop is a relatively new product, and it is featured on the company’s website, along with the 36-inch model. It has a 3700 watt, 11-inch element, an 1800 watt, six-inch element and two 2500 watt, seven-inch elements.
All elements offer Melt, Simmer, Performance Boost and Keep Warm functions for more precise cooking. Use the performance boost function to exceed maximum settings for ten minutes. This boost is a great feature if you need to boil sauces, soups or water rapidly, and the simmer function works for foods that need a lower temperature.
The seven-inch elements on this 30-inch cooktop have a bridge function. The bridge allows you to convert two spaces into one to accommodate larger cookware.
The controls on this unit are upfront. It has a cut-out depth of 19.31 inches, front to back The cut-out height measures 3.13 inches, and the cut-out width, left to right, is 29.5 inches. It requires 40 amps to operate and is UL listed.
KitchenAid KECC604BBL Architect
This cooktop appears to be one of KitchenAid’s older models, and it isn’t featured on the company website. Discount sellers offer this model on their websites or through Amazon.com
The 30-inch Architect® Series II cooktop is a relatively new product, and it is featured on the company’s website, along with the 36-inch model. It has a 3700 watt, 11-inch element, an 1800 watt, six-inch element and two 2500 watt, seven-inch elements.
All elements offer Melt, Simmer, Performance Boost and Keep Warm functions for more precise cooking. Use the performance boost function to exceed maximum settings for ten minutes. This boost is a great feature if you need to boil sauces, soups or water rapidly, and the simmer function works for foods that need a lower temperature.
The seven-inch elements on this 30-inch cooktop have a bridge function. The bridge allows you to convert two spaces into one to accommodate larger cookware.
The controls on this unit are upfront. It has a cut-out depth of 19.31 inches, front to back The cut-out height measures 3.13 inches, and the cut-out width, left to right, is 29.5 inches. It requires 40 amps to operate and is UL listed.
What are the Highlights of Kitchenaid Induction Cooktops?
KitchenAid is not unique in that there are dozens of induction cooktops brands with the same basic design. However, the cooktops have special features that make them a breath of fresh air for busy cooks.
The smooth ceramic glass surface makes cleaning up easy. You won’t need to scrub off messy hardened spills off a stovetop anymore. There’s a control lock to stop kids from turning on the cooktop when you’re away, and the unit doesn’t get as hot as a traditional stove even when you’re using it.
The bridge function lets you combine two burners into one for bigger cooking jobs. There is a built-in cooking timer with a 90-minute limit you can set for one burner at a time. The “boil over” feature shuts down the unit until you clean up the resulting spill.
Older consumers, people who live alone and young couples can use the 30-inch induction cooktop as their primary stovetop. Families may be able to use the 36-inch cooktop as their primary stove, unless than entertain a lot or make elaborate meals.
Pricing
The Architect II Series, KitchenAid’s featured induction cooktop, is considered a high-end model. Prices for the Architect, ® Series II cooktops, range from $1999.99 down to slightly more than $1600 on some discount appliance websites. You may be able to find the units at a lower price on some discount appliance sites.
Public Perception (Other KitchenAid Induction Cooktop Reviews)
Many reviews indicate a “love it or hate it” attitude towards KitchenAid induction cooktops. Amazon users gave the cooktops a top rating or complain about the malfunctioning parts and lack of parts coverage and customer service.
Several reviewers on the KitchenAid website also had problems with parts failing, some just a week after purchasing the product. Most of the positive reviews on the company website were written after consumers received a free sweepstakes entry or free product. (This information is divulged on every published review.)
The online reviews complaining about breaking and malfunctioning parts are spread evenly between all the models we’ve covered in the mini-review section. One reviewer said the bridge zone is hundreds of degrees cooler than the element areas, which makes it ineffective for heating large pans of food.
People usually mention how they like the design, concept and the fast, easy way the unit heats foods without becoming hot except for the area under cookware.
Some consumers love the brand – until the moment a control module or another part stops working and needs to be replaced. We’ve seen no complaints about features or usability in any online reviews.
To sum up the reviews on Amazon and other websites, most consumers like the KitchenAid cooktops for their design, features, and ease of use, but some people find the product lacking in quality construction.
The company’s customer service reviews are also mixed. Some people waiting a long time for a response and others receive a fairly quick resolution to their problems.
How KitchenAid Compares to Other Induction Cooktops
Online reviews indicate that other induction cooktop brands, including General Electric, Electrolux, and Viking, offer similar or better cooking options than KitchenAid. GE induction cooktops consistently rate high in both consumer and expert reviews, and range in price from $1,000 to slightly over $2,000.
Reviews of Empava, Ancona, K&H and lesser-known brands are positive or mixed, and these cooktops are much cheaper than KitchenAid and other major brands. The less expensive units usually have two elements instead of four or five.
There are one-burner portable induction units available for around $200 from various manufacturers if you want to use induction cooktop as a kitchen backup unit. KitchenAid cooktops look the same as higher-rated GE, Electrolux, etc. and have many of the same features. However, other brands don’t seem to have as many problems with poorly functioning parts as KitchenAid products.
What We Think
The Architect® Series II KitchenAid induction cooktop has mixed reviews from consumers and at least one positive mention from an expert article as one of the best high-end cooktops.The published consumer reviews we’ve seen are either glowing or complain about failed burners and malfunctioning parts. There seem to be few three or four stars, mixed reviews, which sometimes confirms that the product in question is an “acquired” taste.
We only found two cooktop models available on the KitchenAid website and one on Amazon.com so that you won’t get much choice with this brand.
Although many people have had bad experiences with the construction of this product, you may fare differently. If online reviews are any indication, be prepared to deal with customer service over a broken part at some point.
KitchenAid’s best products are its countertop appliances, dishwashers, and, of course, its electric mixers, and you will rarely encounter problems if you purchase one of these items.
However, when it comes to induction cooktops, we recommend other well-known brands, especially Frigidaire and General Electric, over KitchenAid models.
Coupons and Deals
You may find discounts if you buy one of KitchenAid’s induction cooktops from a big box store or discount appliance dealer. Retailers often have special sales on holidays and close-out sales at the end of the year or season.
KitchenAid sometimes has promotions where consumers receive sweepstakes entries or products, as noted in the public perception section.
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