@r: "I didn't want anything on my island, but the cook top needs to go there, so this would be an excellent solution."

Is it really worth $4500 to move the control knobs from the top of the cooktop to the front?

• Gaggenau VI492613 400 Series Vario Flex Induction Cooktop ($6400)
• Frigidaire FPIC3677RF Professional 36" Induction Cooktop ($1900)

wdcruise, nope, you cured me. I owe you! I do like the TPG though! It will likely remain a fantasy as I need to make a decision in the next couple of days.

Hi r, I’m actually also in the Bay Area and am about to place an order with TPB Tech! I’m getting shipping lined up too, so if you want to combine orders and split the shipping costs then let me know!

For the rest of the group, I’ll update you once it arrives!

hi, I am excited for you! I wrote to TPB via their website, but have not heard back in several weeks. Do you have a specific person that I can reach out to? It would be great to share shipping if it worked out.

been researching extensively - came across this addition to sapien stone site

https://www.sapienstone.com/integrated-induction-cooker#

not lots of details, but seems maybe they are going to be a US dealer…

I will keep checking back! thanks...

chefedwards,

CIA graduate here. I've just changed out an old Dacor gas cooktop for a Bosch Benchmark 36" induction. I had to cap off the old gas service and add a 50w breaker and line for the cooktop. It was not a big deal for the electrician, but the copper wire to support the current was expensive. Hopefully, your run isn't too long. The power boost is pretty amazing given how fast it heats a pot of water to boiling.

I saw basic induction units at the Culinary in the early 2000's. It's taken that long for them to be commonly installed.

It's also taking a little practice to get used to the switch from gas to induction. One thing that I've observed that might affect your installation and usage is centering the pan on the surface. It's easy to get off the center of the surface and lose maximum heat production. The visual cues are not that easy to see.

My glass surface is lightly marked and this is a small issue for me. With your surface entirely unmarked, you may have to search for the sweet spot. I guess if the surface becomes scorched, it would be easy to find it. You will have to let us know.

I also wonder if the cooking surface such as granite stays hot for an extended period of time once the burner is turned off. That's the beauty of the glass surfaces, they don't retain the heat. I'm afraid most stone surfaces would retain the heat. That could be a problem in a residential setting.

It's taken about 25 years for the induction technology to take off in the US. You are on the cutting edge. When we see one of these installations at one of the show kitchens in Hyde Park, that's when you'll know that it's a successful product.

ChefEdwards-

never commented in HOUZZ before- here it goes. I also have been looking at TBP technology for a complete home renovation. I am very interested in finding out how your order went, and if you would share your contact. Did you go overseas to see the technology in action? Lastly, what warranty did they offer you on the countertop, if any, against discoloration? I appreciate any further updates or information you may be able to provide. I share your appreciation of this product versus the 3 available technologies in the US currently. Thank you

Update: I was in Israel a while ago and saw one of their units there. It was beautiful. It heated up about two liters of water in 3 minutes 45 seconds on the full power mode (which I think is 3kW).

I’ve also tested the (reinforced) porcelain by ordering samples and dropping heaving things on them. It’s much more durable than regular porcelain, as long as the thing you drop it’s the porcelain not on the edge. The edge would chip like a regular porcelain slab if something heavy hits it.

I’m about to order it for my kitchen in California. I need to arrange shipping myself as they don’t currently distribute to the US.

Note also that it runs on 220V. TPB assured me that if anything breaks then one only needs to replace the induction unit and not the countertop. They are giving me a three year warranty.

They emphasize the importance of using their cookware as thermal shock will crack the countertop.

Will update the thread once it’s delivered!

You have to center a pot on the tiny countertop dot and control the induction element's power level using two little buttons? Neither seems convenient compared to a cooktop with clearly marked induction elements and knobs or digital controls that control the power level. Form over function.

I am currently in the process of ordering a cook top through a canadian rep at Invisiblecooktop.ca and it is costing just over $15 000 for a 4 hob countertop 7' x 2.5'

Does anyone actuslly have one of these things yet?

I have been chatting with a canadian rep at invisiblecooktop.ca and for a 7' x 2.5' cook top it is nearly $16 000. Does anyone actually have one of these cook tops?

Seems like the Canadian distributer is adding a hefty mark up. Prices direct from TPB in Spain are way, way less. But you have to deal with the hassle of arranging shipping yourself.

I'm about to place my order and have it shipped from Barcelona. Will let you know how it goes.

Like how much less?

hi all, sounds like there's a lot of excitement for TPB tech. i'm glad i found this thread, b/c i hadn't heard of it before.

i'm in the market for a new *white* induction cooktop for a white countertop surface on a new kitchen island. my goto surface is corian. i've had it in my current kitchen for 20 years, and it still looks like new -- and it is (glacier) white! trouble is, i have not found any decent white induction cooktops for sale in the States, and corian cannot be used with any of the "invisicook"-type products (because it has some plastic/acrylic in it, so it melts).

so...i am wondering if i might be able to build my own *white* induction cooktop?

that is, can i buy an induction hob from invisicook or TPB tech or similar, and then cut a hole in a corian countertop for the hob, which i then cover with a piece of, say, white Dekton, which then becomes the cooking surface?

(btw, i know that i can use Dekton as a countertop and possibly solve my problem. but Dekton is expensive, and it cracks and chips! i have no faith that a Dekton countertop could last 20 years like my corian has. so this way, when the Dekton fails, i only have to replace it with a new cooktop-sized piece of Dekton.)

what do you all think? is this idea nuts? (some of you admitted to being nuts :), which is what gave me the confidence to post my own nutty idea to this thread! so thanks for also being nuts!)

"i'm in the market for a new *white* induction cooktop"

Summit SINC5B36W 36 Inch Induction Smoothtop Cooktop

You could also buy one from Amazon.de or Amazon.co.uk and have it shipped to the US. Examples:

• Electrolux LIR60430BW Induction Hob, Glass, White
• Electrolux LIL61443BW Freestanding induction hob 4 burners 60 cm White
• Smeg 60cm 4 Zone Induction Hob - White Glass
• Bosch Induction hob with 5 Heating Fields PIF672FB1E, Glass, 2200 W, Acero inoxidable, Color Blanco

awesome -- thank you @wdccruise

does anyone know what kind of hoops i have to tell my electrician to jump thru if i buy something designed for a European kitchen?

Example: Page 3 and 4 of the Bosch PIF672FB1E installation manual shows the electrical block and connections for a 220-240 volt circuit.

Also you would have to be sure that the induction cooktop can operate at 60 Hz.

It may not pass code depending on locality if it doesn't have a marking from UL, CE, etc. I think this will not be a problem, but needs to be confirmed.

I love Corian, but would describe it as acrylic with a lot of aluminum oxide in it. Having it next to a cooking zone begs for damage when a hot pan is accidentally put on it. Or with an embedded hob such that a pan may overlap the material you are using onto the Corian.

Use a white granite, or for kitchen contrast, black soapstone. In you insist on a buried cooktop in Corian with some material above it that is white, strong and temperature resistant, then soapstone, often in the powder form and compressed to shape, and then subjected to high temperatures becomes steatite ceramic and is white, at least in all electrical insulator examples I've seen.

The Electrolux LIR60430BW can operate at 220-240 volts and 50 or 60 Hz.

@kaseki thank you so much for all your tips.

i have an electric stovetop surrounded by Corian right now, and it has stood the test of time. (not hot pots ever accidentally placed on it.)

i am going for a solid white look (i should have said), so granite won't work.

that said, i might not have been clear about my design idea. i won't be covering an invisible cooktop surface with Corian. i don't think that could work.

i was planning to cut a hole in the corian for the cooktop. or maybe put the cooktop on an island which is like 75% corian, and then one end of it is an invisible cooktop surface instead. that way, if the invisible cooktop surface cracks or chips, i would not have to replace the entire countertop, just the 25% or so at the end of the island.

i kinda think this idea is a waste of money, but i am having trouble figuring out how to get a powerful enough induction cooktop --the ones suggested earlier in this thread are not super powerful-- in solid white any other way.

thanks, everyone!

"i am having trouble figuring out how to get a powerful enough induction cooktop --the ones suggested earlier in this thread are not super powerful"

Induction element wattage / boost (highest)

• TPB: 2300 / 3000
• Summit: 2300 / ??
• Electrolux LIL61443BW: 2300 / 3200
• Bosch: 2200 / ??

Schott white Ceran exists; I don't know how easily one might obtain some without ravaging an existing coil or induction cooktop or range.

Cooktek make a drop-in flat-top equivalent to my 3500W induction wok hob. That should be enough power.

Swapping the top to white Ceran should be doable. The control panel, a separate assembly, would be put where a drawer would otherwise go.

Image and parameters: https://www.katom.com/084-MCD3500.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=%5BROI%5D%20Shopping%20-%20PMax%20-%20Push%20SKUs&utm_id=17563307671&utm_content=&utm_term=&gad_source=5&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIoeX946DngwMV5kpHAR0pwQFCEAQYAiABEgLQRvD_BwE

thank you, @wdccruise, for providing more details on the boost. i'll do some more research as well, on the boost of Bosch, etc.

and @kaseki, your solution is just what i was wondering about. thank you for the suggestion. i guess i would need three of four of these CookTeks, which would get pricey. but it does seem doable. and my first goal was to find something doable -- second, i can worry about the price.

i don't know where to get white Schott Ceran, but i wrote to the company to inquire.

@both, i appreciate your time and advice. i'll have to decide now whether to go with simple, cheaper, and less power. or to do the harder DIY thing, to build a more powerful system.

THANK YOU AGAIN!

Cooktek's dual units may come in drop-in style; I didn't check. Note that an array of such units to achieve four or five total hobs will require a wider hood than will be needed for integrated 30 or 36 inch induction cooktops.

@kaseki: "Cooktek make a drop-in flat-top equivalent to my 3500W induction wok hob. That should be enough power."

These cooktops are sold on appliancesconnection.com. The 3500W unit is stated to have been discontinued. The 3000W units are $2046 apiece so installing a typical collection of four elements of this power would cost $8146, far more than any residential, induction cooktop. The cooktops are black, not white. The separate control panels which are connected to the cooktops with Ethernet cables require a cabinet front to be cut to fit. According to the instructions, "For proper operation, an independent dedicated circuit should be used for each unit installed." Purchase and installation of such cooktops would appear to be, to me, to be ridiculous and expensive overkill for a residential kitchen when products designed for such kitchens are available, easy to install, and reasonably priced.

@wdccruise yes, thank you! i do agree -- i was just trying to find out exactly *how* ridiculous before settling for something with less power than i was hoping for! (i.e., before choosing form over function.)

thanks again to you both, @kaseki, as well!

They're not white but the LG CBIS3618B and Miele KM 6370 / KM 6375 induction cooktops may have the most powerful induction elements available:

LG: 11"; 3700 / 6000 boost

Miele: Powerflex; 3550 / 7700 boost

@wdccruise yes, that's what i meant by form or function? i am wedded to white, which i guess means i will end up losing on function. :(

@wdccruise @kaseki

are either of you familiar with this product: https://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison/TI4B4L0M.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cse&utm_term=TI4B4L0M&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA2KitBhCIARIsAPPMEhKdWHUcFKkExYBT3G5382q0i3BBdgEMYlG97Meg6OSLUpbHo3atKuEaAs7NEALw_wcB

it looks like i could potentially make my own induction cooktop using a small piece of Dekton as a surface around these burners. do either of you have an opinion about this idea?

thanks again!

• What happened to white, White, WHITE!?!
• There are actually two, three, and four element versions. At AJ Madison.
• Why is this better than a standard, induction cooktop with 4-5 elements?
• All cutouts would have to be carefully cut, twice each for flush installation of the elements and control. One screw-up and the surface would be ruined.
• Standard cooktops are heat resistant (my LG range's cooktop is glass). Is Dekton suitable for this use (for example, if a hot pan slides off an induction element onto it)?

@wdccruise yes, i want white White WHITE. but i don't want to move to Europe.

i was reading another thread that you may have also been on, that said you cannot really install European cooktops in this country, b/c even with a proper change to the electrical elements, they only last 2-3 years. so i don't think white White WHITE can work, very sadly.

i have also moved on to looking at light grey. :(

and then, maybe just a few black circles, instead of a big black rectangle, would be acceptable. they do, after all, make the point that the countertop is also a cooktop. again without too big of a black shoutout.

i have been told that Dekton can work with Invisicook. but again, i do not want a Dekton countertop. so yes, it should work.

finally, what do you mean about having to make the cutouts TWICE? i didn't get why. wouldn't i just make the cuts once in the Dekton. but i agree a screwup would be expensive!

thanks!

"i was reading another thread that you may have also been on, that said you cannot really install European cooktops in this country, b/c even with a proper change to the electrical elements, they only last 2-3 years." What?!!! Was this asserted for induction cooktops? What elements would you change? Please provide a link to this thread.

While induction cooktops have a lot of high power electronics and this quantity of components can reduce MTBF relative to, say, electric coil cooktops, an assertion of common failure at 2 - 3 years needs some explanation, particularly when it is applied to the trivial differences in power systems that the cooktop power conversion circuits have deal with, and that the Euro induction cooktop manufacturers have to be compatible with a wide range of world-wide wall power parameters. Japan, for instance, has 60 Hz for half the country, and 50 Hz for the other half.

oh, that's so interesting about Japan!

so maybe i am wrong? what i wrote was hearsay, from my husband, who was doing some research last night. it was another houzz thread, i think, but i did not read the thread myself.

thanks for the pushback! :) maybe i can go back to plan A, e.g., the Bosch model from the UK.

" what do you mean about having to make the cutouts TWICE?"

The smaller-diameter cut supports the element and the larger-diameter cut allows the element to be flush-mounted in the countertop. See template.

"maybe i can go back to plan A, e.g., the Bosch model from the UK."

• Bosch PIF672FB1E power levels: 2200, 1800, 1800, 1400
• Summit SINC5B36W power levels: 2300, 1800, 1800, 1400, 1400

Just make sure that the voltage and frequency limits of the candidate cooktop encompass what you have in your locale.

Anyone got one installed? What do you think?

@chefedwards (on any one else who pulled the trigger and ordered from Europe) Do you have an update for us? Was the TPB all you hoped for? Was the electrical installation smooth (with conversion from 230 V and 50-60 Hz to US requirements) ? What about any need for service since installed.

I would like this in a condo I use now part of the year, and will be at more in a couple of years time (retirement). Meanwhile, sometimes it is rented. I am concerned about the use of this by others who may not even "get" that there is a cooktop there. Or, if it breaks, the unit is offline collecting no rental income till fixed. This is true for any appliance in the unit, but if repair techs are in Europe, then more problematic, etc.

Any updates appreciated! Thank you!

Sara

I'd also love an update @chefedwards and anyone else who had one installed.

No word from @chefedwards . That's not a good sign.

Sorry for not writing sooner – I've been heads down on the renovation. The TPB arrived in California last week. It's visibly intact, but will know for sure once we install it and turn it on (in about ~3 months). It looks beautiful.

I will say for anyone considering importing this: TPB pointed me to R&L Logistics, who were rather unpleasant to work with and kept discovering new reasons to charge me.

@chefedwards Yours includes the counter or just the burners? How much was shipping and handling and all those extras? I'm in Los Angeles.

@Paul F Counter and burners – I'm not sure why someone would buy one without the other. Shipping and handling was ~$4k.

@chefedwards Just getting the hardware and template for a local fabricator would take some of the hesitancy away of ordering it for me... not to mention shipping costs, no? How long is the counter you ordered? How would I order an 8.5' counter with the special cuts ends I need to slide into the narrow side cabinets for example? Seems risky unless the kitchen is already done. Is that what I need to do, finish first?

@Paul F: Ah, that's an important point to mention. They need to fabricate it, because their porcelain includes additional materials to improve strength and improve the induction (see more details on TPB's website). Because of that, TPB have to fabricate it themselves. I gave them accurate design drawings of my kitchen and they fabricated to my measurements.

Note that I tested the strength of their porcelain (with their extra materials inside) vs. regular porcelain by dropping pans and heavy items on it. Their porcelain survived impacts that the regular porcelain didn't.

My countertop is 9' by 2'6" deep.

Since I posed the question below, I did quite a bit of checking into things. I'm inclined to get the TPB, but there is budget and I must convince my HOA that any renter in my unit could realize there was actually a cooktop there, and figure out how to use it! LOL.

I found that there was a relatively new TPB distributor in Canada. Somewhere on Houzz, a distributor for the Czech Republic offered to answer questions. So I wrote to both, and provided measurements (in Metric units) to the CA firm and got a quote that included shipping to a nearby countertop manufacturer, who would first measure and template it, then receive and install it. Price varies by overall size and size and number of burners, selected color, and type of controls. For me, a smaller and medium induction unit, with knob and light colored tile, with shipping, was going to be about $8K USD.

Ordering from either source results in the selected tile and burner sizes being created in Italy, and shipped. The website tpbtech.com has all the info about possible porcelin tile colors you can select. For the portion of countertop with the burners, they create a special multi-layer countertop within which the burners are integrated. You can select what kind of controls you prefer (in countertop, or knobs). Different color tile vary in price. This section of countertop is thicker, for the special layers required for the induction units. For backspash, or adjacent countertop you want to have match, you can get more tile that matches, and it's thinner (and cheaper).

As a point of reference, I compared this TPB quote to if I got porcelain tile countertops but went with a diff brand cooktop sold about ~100 mi away who could deliver and install it. It was just over $5K (hopefully being able to use remnant tile selection, and with 3 burners). But this other brand (Invisacook) just didn't show nearly the same amount of watts/power for cooking, so I am no longer considering it.

Canadian Distributor:

David Turnbull, Exclusive Canadian Distributor of TPB Tech, Invisible Induction Technology

877-741-8733 Cell 647-745 4597

david.turnbull@invisiblecooktop.ca

https://invisiblecooktop.ca/

https://www.tpbtech.com/en/home

Czech Republic Distributor:

René Bárta, barta@level02.cz
+420 731 653 843

LEVEL 02, a.s, Jar. Staši 165, 763 02 Zlín-Malenovice, Czech Republic

@Paul F The Candian distribbutor I reference below had suggested that I use a local countertop company to come and measure, template for the cutout, and install the material (essentially put in place and bracket to keep it from moving). They could ensure it will fit by providing the measurements (in cm.) That might make you feel more at ease, but if you want TPB, it's getting made in Italy, and shipped to you.

@chefedwards, please share where you ordered your TPB from, contact info. Did you reach out directo to the home company in Italy?

People are actually shipping TPB from Spain? How does the home insurance work in the US?

Then we can ship the Gaggenau Essentials as well?

@Frank Dong Sure but Gaggenau Essentials is a one burner with a knob module. I was thinking of getting it, but I could maybe fit three of the modules side-by-side on my counter.