The Best Electric Induction Range Comes From This Brand, Per Consumer Reports

If you're looking for a new oven with energy efficiency, precision, speed, and ease of cleanup, you're going to want an induction oven. These stovetops use electromagnetic energy to cause your pots and pans to heat up, cutting out any coil middleman. (Just remember that you can't use any old cookware on an induction stove.) One problem, though: which induction oven should you get? Consumer Reports' ratings and reviews of electric induction ranges have one brand that sits in the top three spots: Frigidaire.

First and second place are taken by the Frigidaire Gallery models GCFI3070BF and GCFI3060BF, and in third place is the Frigidaire Professional model PCFI3080AF. All three rank high in brand reliability, and have perfect cooktop ratings. All three are also considered "CR Smart Buys" due to their price points. The Professional model can be found for $1,799.99, and the Galleries are $1,499 and $1,399 respectively. Once you pick your model and get it installed, make sure you avoid these 12 common mistakes people make when cooking with an induction stovetop.

The rest of the internet is a little more reserved in its opinion of the Frigidaire induction ranges. One Reddit thread really dug into the issue of whether the brand is as good as Consumer Reports says it is. The initial poster had found a bunch of customer reviews that said the appliances tend to break down easily, and they asked if this was really the case. They got a mixed response. 

One commenter was on the negative side, writing: "We used consumer reports [sic] too and went with Frigidaire about 6 months ago. Would not recommend it. We've already had service in because of intermittent problems." On the other hand, someone wrote: "I've had a Frigidaire induction unit for 8 years. It's worked perfectly." The initial poster ended up buying a Frigidaire model (and paid for extra protection) and, as of a year ago, loves it.

Whichever brand you buy, to help keep the service technician from having to visit to repair your stovetop, it's important to take good care of it. Luckily, an induction range is easy to clean, because you should never leave spills on one. If a spill hardens on the glass, it creates a difficult-to-clean ridge separating your pan from the electromagnetic cooktop.