2nd Electrolux Induction Cooktop
Submitted by InductionCooker -
11/10/2021
Our first Electrolux induction cooktop was my favorite part of a large kitchen remodel in 2008. It was model e36ic80iss1 & troublefree until late 2021. Unfortunately, repair parts weren't available without a long delay & we wanted to minimize our time without a cooktop. There are many other brands & models available, but when I found an Electrolux that appeared equivalent to our prior unit, that made the purchase decision easy.The new induction cooktop is model ecci3668as. It was a drop in replacement for our prior cooktop, and is slightly less deep than the prior. The controls for the elements are very responsive & easy to use. Unfortunately, I can't think of any other advantages above our prior Electrolux induction cooktop.The things that we feel are significant weaknesses of this new model ecci3668as are:1) The biggest issue we see is with the heating elements themselves. As tested with flour in pans & an IR thermometer, the heating elements are apparently smaller than our prior. Using the same pans, we find hot spots in the center and very cool temperatures more than 3inches from the center of any pan. I'm used to having to preheat a pan for less than 3min, now it takes over 7min and I still see a strong temperature gradient from the center to the edge of the pan.2) Another significant shortcoming is that the center of the actual heating elements does not align with the center of the indication on the visible glass surface; offsets are inconsenstent on each burner3) The timer in the cooktop was a feature I really loved on our prior unit, but the controls make this one almost unuseable. The timer in this cooktop is almost useless. It is easy to turn-on, but almost impossible to set & turns itself off quickly. It's very frustrating and in 4weeks I think I've managed to actually set the timer on fewer than 4 occasions. Once it's set, I've never been able to add or subtract any time to adjust. Turning it off & hoping to set a new time are the only apparent options. 4) The cooktop itself has a more shiny finish and shows any mess much more clearly as a result. The very glossy finish also makes it difficult to see the location of the controls.5) The cooling fans are much more audible than the previous model. (We placed the new cooktop in the same location with no modifications at all from our prior cooktop, so this fan noise assessment is not affected by any physical environment changes.) The old one's fans might have not been active enough, but the difference here is noticeable by visitors sitting 8feet away from the cooktop.My conclusion is that based on our observations we can't recommend the ecci3668as cooktop to friends. I hope it lasts a long time, but we're having a difficult time adjusting to to smaller than expected heating elements & their offsets from indicated locations along with the very frustrating built-in timer. This cooktop does not seem to merit its premium price. If you've got an older Electrolux induction cooktop, wait for repair parts rather than replacing it with a newer model.I've never posted a negative review on a product before. I design & test very high-end electronic equipment. The issues I'm expressing are not those of a technophobe. I'm disappointed with the quality & performance of this purchase & hope my observations might improve Electrolux products in the future and prevent other customers' frustration.
Originally posted on electroluxappliances.com
No, I do not recommend this product
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