Product review (4 stars): Great range, but pay attention to the surface
After much research, I bought this GE Induction range to replace a perfectly good traditional gas range. Since it's induction, I had to replace my well used and well maintained anodized aluminum cookware with new multi-clad stainless cookware and install a dedicated 220V line as well. So I'm well beyond just the purchase cost of this range. But I can say that I love using it. I know it won't really pay for itself since electricity is more expensive than natural gas where I live. But, I also live where it gets very warm, okay really hot and humid in the summer and I hated turning on the gas range to cook. I know the old adage "if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen", only I like to cook and I was looking for a practical way to reduce the heat load in my kitchen. This range is perfect for that. It only heats up the pan and what is in it, so that there's no excessive heat build-up. Though I haven't yet experienced the full blast of summer heat yet, I can tell already that cooking on this range is a much cooler proposition than cooking with gas. Perhaps it's the better insulation from my older gas range, but the electric convection oven also manages to keep more heat inside the oven space. Of course, when one opens the oven door it can steam up my glasses, but if I have something in the oven, it doesn't radiate heat everywhere.

So, why only 4 stars? Well, it's the ceramic range surface - it scratches like crazy. I'm a bit of a picky guy, so I try to keep things well maintained, but in spite of my best efforts, the top is already showing excessive scratches. I have followed GE's recommendation and use Cerama Brite on it, and it does shine the surface nicely, but the scratches are still visible.  I haven't used any rough bottom pans, and there isn't any sharp instruments, knives, etc. on the surface but it still managed to pick up a nice sharp round scratch that probably came from my very new Circulon pan (which is made for Induction cooking). How it happened remains a mystery, but if you're the kind of person who likes everything shiny, then you will be spending a lot of time trying to keep the surface from picking up hairline and deeper scratches. Because it's a slick surface, it's too easy for the pan to move off of it's center on the magnetic core requiring two hands to do simple tasks like flipping an omelet. Coming from gas, I'm used to shaking the pan which isn't a good idea with induction. If the range isn't making contact with the base of the pan, the magnetic field is interrupted and the cooktop will shut off after a few seconds. One can still lift the pan, shake quickly, then return it to the range before the hob shuts off. I understand it's probably a safety shut off, but I do wish that there was a way for the owner to adjust the amount of time that the range allows you to break contact before shutting off.

My wife complains that the all electronic touch control panel doesn't always accept inputs requiring repeated attempts to turn on the oven, or adjust the temperature. I haven't really found that to be as much as an issue, though I have experienced a momentary lag in the range showing the proper cooktop setting.

Still, all in all, it's a really wonderful way to cook - very fast and, with a little practice, very precise cooking temperatures. I kind if feel like I'm cooking in the Jetson's kitchen. Now if GE could just figure out a way to make the surface top a little more scratch resistant, I'd be giving it 5 starts for sure.