Cooking in the bus with an induction cooktop

[Ronald Hiemann]

Olivia is (was) equipped withe the typical 2 burner Gaggenau cooktop. Nothing wrong with Gaggenau but it took quite a while to get it heated up. My wife likes to cook and on base, we do have an induction cooktop, which she loves. So... I purchased a 2 burner induction cooktop and put it to the test. From cold to boiling water 1 minute 10 seconds or so. Not only that, the Gaggenau had raised edges which forced the use of pots fitting the glass cooktop area. With the induction cooktop, there are no edges and you can use pots which are larger than the width of the cooktop, or, you can use an oval pan or pot and utiliye both cooking areas at the same time. I do have a happy wife now!
PS: Gaggenau for sale.

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Ron, you're not the only one that made the change. Now there are three known converts on the forum. Happier and safer cooks, we are!

There are a few old posts on the subject.

JIM :)

[nrhareiner]

We converted 3 years ago, and have been very happy with the induction cook top.

[johnbrowder]

Ronald,
Would you mind sharing the make and model you used to replace the Gaggenau?
Thanks!

[JPHJR]

Ron & Gabby:
I would ditto with the request for what induction model and make you acquired. Our unit is a 2006 CC, with the same Gageneau, with raised edges. As a Southerner, can also see the advantage of taking the portable induction outside for classic "frying" anything from fish to green tomatoes. If it is a true replacement, that is fine too. Would just like to know the source.
Thanks,
Jay & Cris Hughes
2006 CC XLII
Oxford, MS

[JIM KELLER]

So...Are you guys doing " Flush Mount " installations.

[Gary Carmichael]

I too would like to know the details, thanks Gary

[Ronald Hiemann]

I bought the cooktop -where else? - on eBay. When I started to research the cooktop, I found that they were selling for around $500 - that held me back for a little while. Then I found a German seller on eBay, offering a 220 volts unit for $220 including shipping. Prior to purchasing, I contacted the seller to clarify whether their unit would work in the USA due to the 50/60 Hz issue. They replied this is no problem. I ordered the cooktop and about 10 days later, the postman dropped off a box at the house. The only thing that needed to be done prior to installation was to cut-off the German type prong. Not a problem since it got hard-wired. The unit works great, my wife loves me, err, I mean her new cooktop. Look-up item 230583272145 on eBay. It is the Domino and it now comes in 2 versions. Portrait and landscape.

[Ronald Hiemann]

Almost forgot to answer this question. The Domino fits the cutout for the Gaggenau. It is therefore not a flush mount installation. Their is a lip of about 1/4 inch, being the thickness of the glass. I will try to attach a photo or PM me and I will email one to you. Sorry, can not do, as I am typing this on an iPad. So email me, if you want a visual.
Cheers,
Ronald

[Sawbonz]

We are getting ready to go induction at home and have discussed it in the bus. Can you post a picture to show me what it looks like installed?

I'd really like to build it up some how so that we can use a bigger pan.

[Ronald Hiemann]

Hi Karl,
Email me and I will respond with photos. There is no need to build-up anything because the cooktop has no built-up edges.
It is all glass and you can use a pot larger than the width of the cooktop if need be. Of course, performance will suffer, if the pot diameter is larger than the actual coil. Also, bear in mind, that you can not just use any pot. It must be made for use with an induction cooktop. IKEA has great deals! Anyhow, email me and I will send photos.

[JIM KELLER]

Almost forgot to answer this question. The Domino fits the cutout for the Gaggenau. It is therefore not a flush mount installation. Their is a lip of about 1/4 inch, being the thickness of the glass. I will try to attach a photo or PM me and I will email one to you. Sorry, can not do, as I am typing this on an iPad. So email me, if you want a visual.
Cheers,
Ronald
Ron, Don't know your email but mine is " j.r.keller@email.com " We have induction in our house and have thought about converting the Bus. In fact, my wife even bought the induction cook top for me to install and it is still in the storage bay. Please send any pictures of encouragement you may have.

Thanks, Jim Keller

[Pete]

Jim, send that cook top to me...I will install it in my bus so you can see how it looks!

[JIM KELLER]

OH, OK Pete. On its way. Anything for a friend !

[Seabyrd]

I have induction in home and in bus... nothing like it !!

[wayne]

Diane, what brand burner did you put in your bus?
Did it fit in the existing cutout or did you have to make modifications?
Thanks!

[Gary Carmichael]

Ron, mine is carmichael@hughes.net thanks Gary

[Seabyrd]

I had an old raised up 2" thick solid coil burner that had a Corian cover over it that was very heavy and hard to store when using the burners (the burners took forever to heat and theneven longer to cool off) so I had it removed and had the hole covered with the existing burner cover cut down to fit. I purchased two portable single induction burners, they are very light take up almost no space when using. I only ever use one at a time and often taken them outside when cooking out. I have very small cabinet top in my galley and love having the extra room.. Also they don't get very hot and are so easy to handle.They are Max Burton brand and are great. I got them on Ebay 2 years ago for about $130 for the pair, then they retailed for that much or more each. If I had had more cabinet top space I would have had a built in cooktop and a portable for outside, but this works perfectly for us.
Diane


Diane, what brand burner did you put in your bus?
Did it fit in the existing cutout or did you have to make modifications?
Thanks!

[wayne]

When y'all get those pics from Ron, would you please post them here so we can all have a look?

Thanks Diane for your reply.

[Ronald Hiemann]

Ok, I have measured both cooktops today. The new induction cooktop has overall dimensions of 11-3/8 X 20 inches and that is the dimension of the flat, black glasstop. Meaning, you could use a larger pot. The Gaggenau measures 11-1/4 X 20 inches and as owners know, the glasstop is framed in a raised metal edge. Thus, the size of your pots is limited. The cut-out does not require modifications. At least, not for the induction cooktop I have purchased. It dropped right in with hardly any room to spare. I think this will be the case for most any replacements.

Regarding the pictures and for those of you who have not seen them yet, just imagine a black, glasstop cooktop. That is pretty much all there is to it.

The much more important aspect of all this is, that cooking on an induction cooktop is incredibly fast.

Warning! It will cut your "Happy Hour" down to 15 minutes.

:-(

Cheers,
Ronald

[BrianE]

Seems like the pics requested in this thread never got published. The Domino cooktop as first reported by Ron and advertised on E-bay is truly an excellent unit. The cost of the unit at $220.00 delivered is a bargain when compared to domestic induction cooktops. The customer service and speed of delivery was excellent also. Thanks Ron, for the recommendation.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DOMINO-INDUCTION-HOB-SENSOR-TOUCH-CONTROL-BUILT-IN-/230583272145?pt=US_Cooktops&hash=item35afd582d1

I had a local corian installer install our unit flush with the counter top which makes it a snap to clean and gains counter space when covered with a thin rubber mat. Cost of installation $250.00. The unit replaced a 110 volt Seaward cooktop in our coach. Converting to 220 volts was a snap which took me about 30 minutes. All in all this was one of the easiest and by far the most wife pleasing project I've completed. Here are a couple of snaps.

[JIM KELLER]

Good Job Brian, looks great !

[Ronald Hiemann]

Did I not send the pix? Shame on me! A couple of people emailed me and I sent them. Anyway, I am really glad to hear that you gained the same experience as I did. Ours is working perfectly fine and sooooo much faster than the standard Gaggenau.
The wife loves it and I collected brownie points. ... :-) ... Not only that, I sold the Gaggenau on eBay for more money than what I did pay for the German made replacement unit.

[garyde]

With the induction cooking, can you use metal and or ceramic pots and pans. Are there any limitations? Also, is there a white color choice, or any other color and trim choices.
I have not measured mine but it is inset in the counter so flush corian cover are place over it. As I understand it, this measurement is the same as the
unit installed , so I would still have the corian cover.

[Seabyrd]

Gary,
You can ONLY use magnetic pots & pans with the induction cooktop...not all stainless steel ones work either.... it is ultra cool... some of you may not know this but you can place a paper towel on the burner then put a pot of water on it to boil and it won't burn the towel.. it barely gets hot.. the pot gets hot only from the water heating.. I carried a magnet in my handbag for ages when I switched to induction in my house and the motorhome. I had to get a lot of new pots and they don't always tell you on the pkg that they can be used with an induction cooktop or not... hence the magnet.. I got some very good quality pots & pans at Marshalls at great prices... it cooks just like a gas burner instant on and off...without the danger of gas and the ugliness... I love it.

[Gary Carmichael]

Gary I believe the inset would restrict the size of pots etc that you could use, just as it does now or flush mount and do away with the Corian cover which I like.

[Ronald Hiemann]

We found some nice, solidly built and very inexpensive pots and pans at IKEA. All of their packaging is marked and shows you if it is suitable for induction.

[BrianE]

Gary, The top dimensions of the Domino are 11 7/16 X 20 1/16 with a thickness of approx. 3/16. The drop in dimension is approx. 2" smaller in both length and width. You would have to e-mail Domino about color choices. We elected to mount flush for easy cleaning and versatility as to pot size. The surface is a very durable glass finish which cleans easily with windex, etc. We have a neighbor who has had a similar top in her home for years and has had no scratching or staining issues.

Beware when buying "induction compatible" cookware. We tried some magnetic stainless pans which were not magnetic enough to activate the induction process. We ended up with Le Creuset cookware which Beverly really likes.....which is a good thing considering its cost!

[rahangman]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I was (am) understanding that SS is not magnetic. ?????

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Your correct Rodger. The SS is on the outside of a magnetic material. Just magnetic is not enough in my opinion, the pots and pans should be manufactured for the use.

Target has a beautiful and inexpensive set, smooth flat bottoms and easy to clean. Cast iron is best, but clunky and could scratch the cook top surface.

JIM :)

[Seabyrd]

9298How Induction Cooking Works:
The element's electronics power a coil (the red lines) that produces a high-frequency electromagnetic field (represented by the orange lines).
That field penetrates the metal of the ferrous (magnetic-material) cooking vessel and sets up a circulating electric current, which generates heat. (But see the note below.)
The heat generated in the cooking vessel is transferred to the vessel's contents.
Nothing outside the vessel is affected by the field--as soon as the vessel is removed from the element, or the element turned off, heat generation stops.

[Sticks]

I'm envious and impressed by all the enthusiastic and knowledgeable posts on induction/non induction cook tops used in the coach. Even though my wife is a great cook at home, when we're on the road it either gets microwaved or she asks "where are we going out to eat dinner tonight "? We've owned our current coach 2 1/2 years now and I haven't turned on the breaker to the cook top yet.

[Seabyrd]

Yeah Sandy keep up the good work !!

[garyde]

Great discription. Is there anything to be cautious about when the unit is on, or turned on accidently.

[Seabyrd]

It would be hard to turn it on accidently... and all I think would happen is all the lights flash on and off a few times.. That has happened a few times when I put something on top of the burner and it was sensed by the cooktop. No actual dangers that I am aware of..

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Ours has touch control on the smooth cooking surface. You touch the ON spot and then confirm with a touch of the spot for the burner you desire. The chosen burner then comes on to a predetermined "initial" setting displayed as a number. You may then go up and down from there and touch another "lock" spot if you choose. When locked you can not change the set temp. (I do not use the lock)
If the pot moves off the burner "focus area" it turns off automatically.
If you remove the pot from the burner it goes off.
If there is no pot on the burner the stove does/will not turn on.
We use SS and Teflon utensils, which are non magnetic. They will not get hot on the stove top.

I think that about covers it, if not ask away.

I like to cook and use the cook top daily.

With the induction cook top there is no fear of igniting a paper towel, dish cloth drying towel or anything combustible that might come in contact with the top.

THE POTS DO GET HOT AND YOU STILL HAVE TO BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT GETTING BURNED.

JIM:)



JIM

[Gil_J]

Although I wouldn't power a stove top from inverters, I assume this cooktop will only operate on commercial or generator power given it's 220.

[garyde]

Yes, that is correct Gil. The loads normally on the inverters are lights, water pump, aux. air, recepticles for tv's, microwave, coffee, counter outlets,refrigerator.
Some converters have added one roof top a/c to the invertor.

[BrianE]

Gil, Depends on whether it's wired to an inverter circuit but the cooktop draws 3100watts which would be an unreasonable battery draw.

[LNDYCHT]

Thought that induction cooking was a great idea, particularly compared to the original Princess stove in my coach. Myself and my dear wife love to cook. Did the conversion in just under 4 hours and managed to easily retain the stove cover due to the units smaller size. Thanks to the forward thinking at Liberty my coach ( and I believe all Liberty coaches) was pre wired and connecting was a breeze.
Although I was impressed with the "InduFix" cook top that so many have recommended I was not happy with the 2 amp per line draw that it draws when idol. Yes, leave the breaker on and it draws 2 amps at 220 just sitting there doing nothing. Great idea and price, poor engineering.

[JIM KELLER]

Very interesting. Garyde, why would that be ?

[gmcbuffalo]

For those of you that want a small built in or portable unit I saw this a couple of days ago.

93499350

[Steve Bennett]

We are looking for a used Gaggenau range. We have an 07 Marathon that we just sold & the rear burner is inop. I know there are a few of you that have put in induction ranges. Please give us a call if you have one you are interested in selling.

Thanks,
Steve
(800) 460-7989