My Choice of Model, Why and Features
Ours is a small kitchen, so that the cooktop size was limited to a 30˝ x 21˝ model. Using Consumer Reports as my guide, a Kenmore model 4280 was one of their top picks. Off we went to our local Sears store to eyeball this wonder. Of course, we had not been there a minute or two when a sales person was at our elbow. I explained what I was after and he directed me to where one was on display, I was impressed by its clean, high tech, look but was a little daunted by the price, and said so. “I think I can help you sir,” said the sales person, “We have had a unit returned, it would not fit in the available space that the customer had.” I looked at the price tag, it was over $650 off the original price! I told you they are expensive – that price reduction alone would have bought a good gas cooktop! Instant serendipity (I love that word and all that it implies), we had stumbled onto a deal. It went home with us!
The following are a diagram and pictures of our new induction cooktop.
Fig. 1 Cooktop Diagram
Fig.2 Cooktop View
Fig.3 Control View
Fig.4 Control View
Features
I do not want to get too detailed about this, because complete specifications can be seen on Sears own website, but here are a few basic facts. The cooktop has four heating zones, accommodating pots from 5˝ dia. up to 11˝ dia., with heat settings from 1 to 9 with a ‘P’ setting that will give you 125% of maximum (setting #9) for 12 minutes. The controls advance by half increments up to #7 when they progress by one full number up to #9. This precise control enables one to make sauces etc., in most cases, that would require a double boiler on any other stove. There is also a timer, keep warm feature, and, of great reassurance to me because of my wife’s condition, a ‘Lock Out’ control. This would stop her from operating the cooktop if I am not around to disable the ‘Lock Out.’
