The best induction cooktop brands, according to Consumer Reports

Induction cooktops have become a popular kitchen upgrade for their speed and precise temperature control. Those advantages depend on the appliance holding up, and owners report breakdowns and chipped glass surfaces far more often on some brands than others.

Consumer Reports surveyed owners of 21,272 cooktops and measured cooking performance in its labs, pointing shoppers toward three induction models worth a look.

Illustration: Quartz

Consumer Reports rated the 30-inch, four-burner LG CBIH3013BE highly in both high-heat and low-heat cooking tests. No other induction brand finished ahead of LG in CR's reliability survey, which drew on responses covering cooktops bought since 2016. Buyers can expect to pay between $1,045 and $1,198.51, less than half the price of the Bosch model that follows. LG includes child locks on the touch controls for households with young kids.

Illustration: Quartz

At $2,649, buyers pay more than twice the LG's price for this 30-inch Bosch model. CR rated its cooking highly at both extremes, from a fast sear down to a slow simmer. CR's owner surveys placed Bosch among just three induction brands with strong reliability projections, and the brand drew high satisfaction marks as well. Durability-minded shoppers may accept that premium, even after cheaper induction brands earned similar marks from CR.

Illustration: Quartz

Frigidaire prices the Professional PCCI3080AF between $1,299 and $1,799.99, well under what Bosch asks for its 30-inch induction model. CR found the cooktop's low-heat control strong and its high-heat cooking nearly as capable. CR's member surveys pointed to few breakdowns across Frigidaire induction cooktops and favorable owner satisfaction for the brand. Shoppers weighing cost against durability can treat this model as the middle ground between the LG and the Bosch.