Advice on Replacing an Old Free-Standing Oven with One with Induction Cooktop

• 

  bargaino on 16/11/2023 - 14:32

  +1

  A photo would help. Sounds messy. You'll need to compromise somehow.
  Is this a rental?
  I would do it "properly" by extending the benchtop, and a bit of cabinet work.
  It might save money too. How much is a freestanding oven+induction combo?

  You really do not want to downgrade from gas to any non-induction electric.

  • 

    BendBridge on 16/11/2023 - 15:30

    A 60cm freestanding oven+induction combo costs roughly $2000. The only way to make enough space (60cm or more) is to replace the basin with something shorter.

    You really do not want to downgrade from gas to any non-induction electric.
    Yes.

• 

  freefall101 on 16/11/2023 - 14:50

  +1

  I just want to remove the old and replace with the new with minimum change.

  Have you factored in that it probably won't be plug and play for the induction and you'll need a sparky in? Likely need at least a 20A plug.

  Freestanding ovens with induction are rare, 54cm ovens are rarer, I highly doubt you'll find anyone who makes both in one. Induction needs a fair bit of cooling space too underneath so it'd be really hard to put together. Your best bet (if you don't want to do any carpentry work as above) will be a portable induction hotplate on top of your existing oven (or a new one) that fits.

• 

  coffeeinmyveins on 16/11/2023 - 14:58

  +2

  It's an old apartment

  Can your electricity lines support induction? Older apartments may not be rated to support the load requirements.

  I just want to remove the old and replace with the new with minimum change

  You realise you need an electrician to do this, right?

  Failure to do so will result in any home and contents insurance you have likely being void.

  What's the love for induction as well? In most circumstances, a ceramic cooktop is perfectly fine.

  • 

    BendBridge on 16/11/2023 - 15:20

    Thanks for the comments. Yes I realise a certified electrician is needed to do the job. A new power cable will likely need to be taken directly from the main switchboard. I did some search and research on the Web and the conclusion is that induction cooktop is much more efficient than electric.

• 

  altomic on 16/11/2023 - 15:13

  if you have gas then it may be unlikely that you have wiring in place for a stove.

  check your fuse box to see if there is a breaker switch for an electric stove. also check what it is rated for.

  if no dedicated fuse then you'll need one installed. I had mine updated in my old house when I upgraded my stove (it was only 10A and needed 20A). it cost about $400 (though I got a couple of other small things done at the same time). you're in appartment so that may make things difficult.

  • 

    BendBridge on 16/11/2023 - 15:22

    Thanks for the heads up on the amperage. I'll try to talk to the body coorp about it.

• 

  dtc on 16/11/2023 - 18:07

  I'm in a similar boat; basically there are very few stoves with induction cooktops. Induction cooktops fine, stoves with no cooktops fine. Both together, not very common. 580cm width is not a standard width anyway, the smaller 540 stoves are pretty much just the cheap ones and none of them are induction.

  What is your benchtop made of? You can put a 58cm hob in and then a separate stove - ikea sell a few 59/59cm ovens and a 58cm hob. The issue is going to be how you deal with the gap in your benchtop, as the hob will probably not cover the whole gap that exists when the stove is taken out. However, there are ways around it - cooktop 'trim' (eg https://dougsmithspares.com.au/new-cooktop-old-benchtop/); get a stainless steel insert to span the gap (just a short bit of stainless steel benchtop) and you cut a hole there for the hob and the stove sits underneath. You can do the same with stone or wood benchtops, but whether you can match the new bit to whats already there is the issue. eg: I have 30+ year old wood benchtop and its impossible to match it; either I have to have an odd stainless steel insert or replace the whole benchtop…

• 

  Stewardo on 16/11/2023 - 18:29

  The product your after is called a stove,
  Here are 8 examples of 54cm wide stoves:
  https://www.appliancesonline.com.au/filter/cooking-appliance…
  You’d be better of saving up and replacing your kitchen with built in induction cooktop.

• 

  sumyungguy on 16/11/2023 - 19:10

  I've always disliked stoves because the cooktop and oven have different lifespans. Consider adding a shelf/storage unit, fitting an induction cooktop and in the space below an airfryer/oven; e.g. Ninja Foodi XL DT200.

• 

  Benoffie on 17/11/2023 - 22:20

  The only free-standing Ive seen with induction are the expensive brands - Smeg, Ilve, Falcon, Rangemaster etc. It's a lot of coin. Maybe old school electric/ceramic would be better?

• 

  seanw18 on 20/11/2023 - 10:12

  An option to kick the can down the road until there's more induction stoves available, if the oven is still working, is to get a couple of those portable induction units and use those on the top of your oven if it has a hinged lid like many do.
  I did that when my gas was offline for 8 months with building works.

  I have a similar problem, 80cm stove and no 80cm freestanding induction stoves available.

• 

  bluegumflat on 23/11/2023 - 09:14

  We have had a Belling 60cm freestanding double electric oven with induction top for about 8 years. Its been a very handy little beast until last week when I started getting an error on 2 of the 4 hobs - it will be interesting to see if these are repairable or the hob replaceable.

  Whilst induction is a better (imo) and more efficient way of cooking than ceramic, they can draw a big load. So, yeah, as above, get an electrician to give you a heads up on potential 'behind the wall' costs. Depending on your cooking requirements, you could look at a built in oven and a couple of benchtop, plug in induction hobs (also mentioned above).