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At a Glance
By now, you are probably convinced induction is the best cooking type.
It's faster than the hottest professional gas unit with a far better simmer and instant response.
If you live in Massachusetts, you can also vent induction under 400 CFM to comply with Makeup Air regulations.
However, you are probably wondering about the reliability of the magnetic burners and whether it is a problem to fix.
In this article, you will learn about the most reliable induction cooktop brands based on 35,256 service calls logged by our service team last year.
Unlike most review sites, you will understand reliability based on how induction works in your home, not predictive analytics or wishful thinking.
The Most Reliable Induction Cooktops based on repairs and sales for the first year:
- Thermador 2.6%
- Gaggenau 6.25%
- Bosch Benchmark 7.89%
- Wolf 8.98%
- Bosch 10%
How We Calculate Induction Cooktop Reliability
Our reliability measurement is a pretty simple formula. We have 33 service techs averaging eight calls a day, five days a week with 12 working on Saturday.
Yale Appliance Service Team
In 2017, we logged 30,761 service calls. In 2018, that number increased to 34,687. In 2019, we recorded 35,256.
We simply take the warranty service calls and divide it by unit sales for that year.
We count every time our service tech enters a home as a service call, no matter if it's for minor or major issues.
Most Reliable Induction Cooktop Brands for 2020
| Service QTY | Shipped QTY | Service Ratio | |
| Jenn-Air | 17 | 62 | 27.42% |
| Miele | 10 | 43 | 23.26% |
| Samsung | 1 | 9 | 11.11% |
| Bosch | 5 | 50 | 10.00% |
| Wolf | 15 | 167 | 8.98% |
| Bosch Benchmark | 3 | 38 | 7.89% |
| Gaggenau | 1 | 16 | 6.25% |
| Thermador | 2 | 77 | 2.60% |
| Fisher & Paykel | 0 | 5 | 0.00% |
| KitchenAid | 0 | 7 | 0.00% |
| GE Profile | 0 | 5 | 0.00% |
| Grand Total | 56 | 482 | 11.62% |
Based on a minimum of 10 induction cooktops sold the most reliable induction cooktop brand is BSH Home Appliances, the manufacturer of Bosch, Thermador, Bosch Benchmark, and Gaggenau.
Thermador is particularly interesting because they have the best technology. The burner can follow the pan in their Freedom cooktops.
Thermador Kitchen Featuring an Induction Cooktop installed in a Kitchen Island at Yale Appliance Hanover
Wolf is excellent as well. It is also the choice of our chefs. The four left-hand burners can all be joined for one large, powerful burner to cook a large pot or pan.
Induction Reliability vs. The Overall Appliance Industry
Induction performs slightly better than the average appliance at 11.62% average service for the category versus over 13.1% for general appliances.
Induction is electric but uses magnets to excite the molecules in your pan while the pan cooks the food.
You would expect it to be reliable like electric because the working parts are covered under glass, unlike a gas burner.
Induction Cooktops Vs. Electric Ranges
We don't split into electric cooktops and ranges like induction. However, the first year repair rate for an electric range is only 4.54%
Then again, its old technology and the burners are under glass. With induction, it is newer, and the induction drivers add the repair element.
However, induction is far faster, more responsive and way better to use
Induction Cooktops Vs. Gas Ranges
We don't break gas down either. Gas ranges are over 14% repair over the first year. It's mostly igniter problems with gas.
Induction Cooktops Vs. Induction Ranges
Now, this is interesting (or is it just me). Induction ranges are 25% repair in the first year. The ranges require a higher voltage at 50 amp and can become problematic with electrical surges.
Many induction range companies like Fisher & Paykel, Wolf, and Bertazzoni are new, so there is a learning curve as well.
Most Reliable Induction Cooktops Key Takeaways
Gaggenau and Bosch Kitchen Featuring An Installed Induction Cooktop at Yale Appliance in Hanover
Induction is a product you should consider. It is by far the best performing cooking type and has decent reliability.
However, it's not an easy repair, so look at the most reliable brands first.
Check local repair agents before you buy any appliance instead of finding out later.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the best induction cooktops?
Bosch brands and Wolf are the most reliable.
2. Are induction cooktops better than gas?
Yes. They are faster and have a greater range of temperature and simmer. Induction is safer as well because you need metal to activate the metal burner.
3. How does induction work?
Induction is magnetic heat. It excites the metal in your pan, so the pan cooks your food.
4. What kinds of pots can I use on an induction cooktop?
Because it is magnetic, you have to use pans with a level of the metal composition.
5. Do induction cooktops scratch easily?
It can be scratched, but the glass is tempered and mostly scratch resistant.
Additional Resources
Read our Induction Cooking Buying Guide for features, buying tips and ratings of every available induction cooking product in the market. Well over 630,000 people have read a Yale Guide. Induction is our most popular.
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WHY SHOULD YOU TRUST US?
A few review sites have placed this at the bottom of their articles. So here is our take: Our mission is to find reliable products for you to buy. Other review sites may say this as well.
However, we don’t love every product. Quite frankly, it costs us way too much money in repair costs to support less reliable brands.
In fact, we sell fewer brands than most appliance stores. Here is why:
We feel it is our responsibility to repair your appliances after you buy them.
We now have 30 service technicians, each averaging 8-10 calls a day Monday through Friday, plus another 110 on Saturday. That's over 30,000 service calls logged in one year.
The labor rates of fixing an appliance do not come close to the true cost in any product’s warranty period.
That is why no major retailer has a service department. It costs too much labor, money and time.
Our Blog is a bit different than most others you will read. We cannot write glowing reviews of unreliable products.
Hopefully, the bloggers and organizations who write such glowing product reviews for every brand consider servicing these products first. Only then they will understand the consequences of their marketing.
A Note About Pricing
Pricing on this blog is for reference only and may include time sensitive rebates. We make every attempt to provide accurate pricing at time of publishing. Please call the stores for most accurate price.