Bertazzoni Induction Range Review – A New Player

A New Player

Bertazzoni released the PRO304INSX – their first serious foray into induction range cooking this past year – and it’s already making waves as one of the most stylish and well designed induction ranges available. But does it match the hype, and more importantly does it live up to the legacy of this 130 year old company? Let’s find out.

Let’s start with price, and work out from there. These days price vs performance is one of the most important deciding factors. The Bertazzoni induction range is priced very aggressively, at $4,499. in Stainless Steel and $5,499. in one of their signature color choices.  It’s built like a tank, and reminds me of Viking’s professional induction range in many ways. It prices well next to it’s competition, namely the Miele HR1622I ($6,999.), the Viking VISC5304B ($7,679) and the Dacor RNR30N ($4,999.)

For those of you that don’t know, induction cooking is accomplished via electromagnets as the “burner” which excite the atoms in a ferromagnetic pan or pot and produce heat. It’s less complicated than it sounds. Basically what you need to know is that the magnets produce less waste-heat, which means less waste-energy, and are also much, much more energy efficiency overall. Any pot or pan a magnet will stick to will work on the induction burners.

They also heat faster and more evenly than gas or electric ranges, with the added benefit of being safer for children because only a metal object with a high iron content can be heated. Now, that’s not to say the glass on the cooktop won’t be hot for several minutes after you’re done, but in general it’s hot for a much shorter time than any of your other options, which means less worrying about little fingers and hands finding their way to a still-hot burner. They offer a different learning curve than what you’re used to with gas or electric as you’ll be controlling heat a little more precisely than you have before, but the overall effect is more control over your cooking, which is never a bad thing. If you’re used to pouring oil into a pan and then chopping your vegetables while you wait for the oil to heat, you’re going to have to prepare in advance because that oil is going to get very hot, very fast.

On the oven side of things, the Bertazzoni has a smaller amount of oven space than some models it competes with, but it is still plenty adequate for everything up to that Thanksgiving turkey so you shouldn’t have any problems there. In this price range, you will have to do without auto-cooking features of the Miele and the extra long warranty of the Viking, but overall the package is extremely impressive.

Bertazzoni Induction Range Works Great, Looks Better

Also, this thing looks amazing. It’s a really sharp-looking range, with options to fit almost any taste or kitchen decor. It’s available in two flavors, Master and Professional, the main difference being the handle style. The Master has black handles, while the Professional has stainless handles.

They are both the same price, coming in at around $4,500 for a self-cleaning model, with a manual-clean model we were able to price at around $3,200.

Oh, and did we mention the Professional series comes in several awesome colors?

These colorful ranges are an excellent alternative to the all stainless steel look that is so popular right now with kitchen appliances. With these, you can really make the range the centerpiece of your new kitchen, and the Bertazzoni is one of few ranges that we think look good enough to pull it off. Bright, eye-catching color schemes are a great way to make your range stand out, and can really accent the other pieces in your kitchen through the contrast as well.

Stainless is popular now because that’s what all the restaurants have been using for years. And really, that’s because it’s easy to clean, not because of any real aesthetic choice. Ask any chef what color he or she likes their range to be, and you’re probably going to get a blank stare, or some Gordon Ramsay-esque profanity.

For your new home or kitchen remodel though, colors and design choices should matter very much. Having a sharp looking kitchen makes you want to spend more time in it, whether you’re entertaining more often, or just cooking homemade dinners as opposed to spending more on going out. A good looking range is a big part of having that appealing kitchen.

The Bertazzoni induction range is a strong first option from a company that has been making cooking appliances for longer than most, and it has an attractive price point that puts it firmly ahead of some of its competition. It doesn’t have all the bells, buzzers, and whistles that some ranges do, but if you’re a homeowner looking to build a new kitchen, it’s a fantastic choice, especially with the various color options available on the Professional series.