Product review (3 stars): Wonderful cook top with some minor short comings
After a kitchen remodel we changed from a ceramic cook top to this induction model, since we did not have gas in the street and did not want a gas tank in the yard. In general we really like it, but there are issues with the controls and and markings on the top. So far we have been using it for about half a year.
First the good:
Very quick, wonderful accurate adjustment (18 levels for each "burner"), you can simmer exactly as you want it. The reaction time, when turning off is like a gas burner, very fast. It is extremely easy to clean, since most of the times nothing burns on to the cook top. However, it has the same problem as any glass surface does, you see streaks very easily. You will find a way to resolve that challenge. All in all it is working working great. This particular cook top is so slim that you can have a drawer right under it for flat utensils, you can't beat that.
The disappointing:
The layout of the controls is not ideal, that is specially true if you have several pots going at once. In order to adjust a burner you have to tap first the location of the burner and then you can adjust the level. That can be tricky if you have something boiling over when there are 4 pots on the cook top. You have to tap the concerning burner first, then the level, that means you might be a little late to stop the mess. In an emergency (burning oil) you can simply press the general off, that shuts everything down.
Bosch should upgrade this to an individual burner adjustment (I think Viking or Wolf does that). The second weak point is the hardly visible markings on the cook top, which makes it very difficult to set the pots on the correct location. Yes, it looks nice when not in use, but it is a pain to use. The large burner is very sensitive to smaller pots, so you have to set it right in the center, but there is not much of a visible reference when a pot is on the cook top. That applies to all the burners. If you are off center too much it will not recognize the pot.
Suggestions:
If you have the space, buy the 36" model with 2 Flex burners, those are the best. Make sure you try out first what ever model you want to buy, with wet or greasy fingers in order to see if the controls work for you. Larger kitchen centers have several models hooked up to power.
Recommendations:
We would definitely buy this induction cook top again, but would give other brands at least a close look before we do so. Make sure you do.
The unit was not purchased at Amazon.