- 36 in. induction cooktop from Frigidaire
- Amazingly fast heat
- Even heat distribution
- Cooktop surface is easy to clean
- Auto-sizing pan detection. Exterior – 21-3/8 D x 36-3/4 W x 3 5/8 H inches
| Brand Name | Frigidaire |
|---|---|
| Top Style | induction |
| Item Weight | 20 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 21.38 x 36.75 x 3.6 inches |
| Item model number | FGIC3666TB |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Installation Type | Counter Top |
| Part Number | FGIC3666TB |
| Special Features | Auto-sizing Pan Detection, Even Heat Distribution |
| Model Info | FGIC3666TB |
| Heating Elements | 5 |
| Burner type | Sealed |
| Color | black |
| Voltage | 240 Volts |
| Wattage | 4 watts |
| Fuel type | Gas |
| Material Type | Metal |
| Included Components | cooktop, manual, warranty |
| Batteries Included | No |
| Batteries Required | No |
Forestperson –
This is our second induction cook-top. Our first one lasted 10 years w/o a problem until it failed. We’ve used this Frigidare unit for 6 weeks. The burners don’t heat evenly, not even close. When bringing a liquid to a boil, it will boil exclusively in one quadrant of the pan. You’d be likely to burn something more viscous if you didn’t constantly stir it, even on a lower setting.
Another drawback is that the markings for burner locations are painted on top of the cook-top. They were embedded within the glass on our earlier model. The Frigidare marks will undoubtedly wear off over time. Instructions for this unit caution to not move pans around on the surface, claiming this is to avoid scratching. More importantly, it will probably remove the burner marks. It is natural to slide a pan, particularly when making minor adjustments.
The last disappointment has to do with the sensors that identify whether or not a pot is properly positioned over the center of the burner. They are not accurate. Sometimes it detects that a pot is not centered…burners won’t come on in that case…when it is visually centered and simply turning the unit off/on again fixes the problem without moving the pot. Other times, moving the pot off center, visually, fixes the problem…w/o moving it back to the apparent center. Either the marks for the burner locations are off or the sensors or both.
H.Bollard –
As many reviews indicate, there is a little bit of work to anticipate at the beginning. I highly recommend opening the stove up and checking to make sure that the magnetic plates are lined up how they should be and that the little rubber pieces are secured. This is a design flaw on the part of Frigidaire (Electrolux). However, it is not too hard to do and once you do and install the stove, it works magnificently. Noise is minimal, it heats up super quick, the temperature settings are very responsive, it looks really nice, and is easy to use. I switched from a regular electric glass cooktop. Even though I am pretty good at keeping that think clean, burned on food was always an issue to deal with. That doesn’t seem to be the case with induction. I can have pasta boil over and nothing burns to the stove and clean up is so, so easy. Make the switch. This unit is an excellent price because it is discontinued. The large burner is really nice and works great. Some have complained that they struggle to cook on multiple burners because of the arrangement with the large burner in the center. I have not found that to be problematic. I can use multiple burners at one time. You just have to make sure your pans are sized appropriately for the burners. This is a great stove.
Morgan F. –
I am extremely satisfied with my Frigidaire induction cooktop. I looked at a lot of options that were cheaper but the reviews were too hit or miss to make me comfortable, so instead I spent a few hundred extra to go with this option and I’m very glad. Here is an in-depth review from a first time induction user:
I remodeled my kitchen and was really opposed to keeping my electric cooktop; I just didn’t like it. I didn’t have much room in the budget to pay someone to run gas lines so I did some research and was drawn to several features of induction; namely, the speed with which it boils water/liquids and the energy efficiency (no wasted heat like you get with gas). Secondarily, I liked that the burners don’t get super hot. Scraping burned-on food off of the electric cooktop was one of my least favorite tasks ever.
I did stop by a kitchen showroom to look at the induction options and luckily they had several models that I could demo and they also had pans of water to try out the boil function. When I saw for mine own eyes water that boiled in less than a minute, I was hooked. The cooktops I saw were 3-4 times as expensive as this option. I do not regret for a single moment not paying the extra money. I also do not believe that the difference in functionality reflects the difference in cost; this model does not work exponentially worse nor did the expensive ones work exponentially better. This cooktop is a great value.
First I’ll address the noise that some have complained about. Yes, from time to time, the cooktop can be noisy. Sometimes a fan comes on, other times you can hear buzzing, particularly when using power boil, and very seldom I have heard some screeching but it is usually remedied by going up or down a power level or even just simply adjusting the pot on the burner (I noticed all of these things with the $2000 models in the showroom as well). Generally speaking, the noise is no louder than the sound of the food that’s cooking. Sure, an electric range will not make the same amount of noise but electric ranges don’t cook nearly as well. Gas ranges also make noise. So does basically every other appliance in your kitchen when you use it.
I find the layout of the burners to be very smart. The large center burner is big enough to fit my cast iron dutch oven which I cook with regularly but I can also use smaller pots on it, as the burner will adjust to only heat the area that it is in contact with. That’s the beauty of induction. With electric, if your pan is too big or small for the designated burners, that’s too bad, you either have to try not to roast your fingers over the exposed parts of the burner or deal with the edges of your pan not getting directly heated.
Another great feature of induction is that the burner will not get too hot to touch. While it does get quite warm, I have touched it shortly after removing a pot and not gotten burned. This is really convenient when food spills because it will not burn onto the cooktop. I simply remove the pan, wipe things down, and put the pan back. The cooktop also conveniently pauses heating when a pan is removed and resumes automatically when it is placed back. It saves energy by automatically shutting off if no burners are on or if no pan is placed on a burner for longer than 30 seconds.
You will have to purchase induction-compatible cookware. This was not a downside for me as I’d already planned on purchasing a high end set to replace my 10 year old non-stick pots and pans that were starting to flake. If handled with care, a few high end pans and a cast iron or two will meet your needs well and last for a long time (hand wash, no dishwasher, no metal utensils).
I think the only complaint I can think of at this point is that the cooktop does not respond instantaneously to touch. There is about a half-second delay between touching a button and the change occurring. This was primarily an issue as I was getting used to what heat levels to use and accidentally boiling pots over a few times (don’t leave the power boil on once the water is boiling or you’ll have a mess, turn it down a few notches and it will continue to boil). Now that I understand how to use the cooktop properly, I can anticipate when something might boil over or splatter and turn the heat down ahead of time.
I hope this info was helpful. The bottom line is, this is a great option at a great price. If you’re considering it, just do it. It’s worth it.