The GE PHP900DMBB 30” induction cooktop is an impressive option for faster, more even cooking. I chose to review this particular model because it’s a bestseller with a record for reliability, great looks and high consumer ratings. Some equate it to the quality of cooking with gas but it’s safer and easier to use.
It’s a built-in model with two available color options – black and stainless steel. The frameless rim makes it easy to keep clean around the edges, too.
I like how it looks on the kitchen countertop and it seems very suitable for any modern or vintage kitchen.
General Electric launched this model in 2007. Enough years have passed that the product now has reached a remarkable maturity and reliability.
It’s built-in safety features make it worry-free and protect children or pets from inadvertently harming themselves as they might with a regular cooktop.
A friend told me he bought this induction cooktop for his mother who is elderly and sometimes forgets the stove is on. With the Pan-Sensor feature she is protected and he doesn’t have to worry about her cooking meals for herself.
It’s very easy to use and the intuitive features will make you forget about your old stove and wonder why you didn’t switch to it earlier.
If you are thinking about making the change to an induction system, the PHP900 DMBB 30 inch model from GE meets many of the criteria that consumers generally have on their list of wants.
I’ve arranged all the information you’d need in order to easily decide whether you should consider this cooktop for your own kitchen or at least help you compare it to similar products.
1. Controls
Everyone you ask who owns this induction cooktop will tell you that it is very easy to use. So let’s see just how the controls work, how easy it is to start/stop, how to boil some water, etc.
All controls are digital and are placed conveniently in front and center of the cooktop so that even if you are left-handed you will not feel uncomfortable working the settings.
They’re all touch controls built into the surface of the cooktop so that there are no knobs to clean, which I love because I’m so tired of having to wipe around the little ridges underneath those things.
There are six digital controls which will control the power and will make the perfect temperature for your meal easy to find:
Four digital controls, one for each burner which each have two digital controls (+ and -) for temperature adjustment and a LED indicator. When you want to start a burner you press ON/OFF and a blinking number five will appear on the LED. Using digital controls of + and – you can increase or decrease the heat. The five means moderate heat. There are 19 levels starting with “L” (Keep Warm, very useful if you want to keep food warm for longer), and then increasing with ½ from 1, 1 ½, 2, 2 ½, 3, 3 ½, …to 9 and the highest is “H” level used for boiling 4 to 6 quarts of water in 10 to 15 minutes. There is a built-in protection for “H” level to prevent using it extensively which will drop the power from H to 9 after 10 minutes. Boost may be repeated after 10 minute cycles but you need to manually do it. The H level is known as Rapid Cooking and Boiling.
Kitchen Timer: this digital control is used as a reminder when a specified number of minutes has passed. So you will be warned with a long beep and a flashing LED which lasts 3 seconds, when the time is up, then the system continues to warn you with two beeps at every 10 seconds. This signal will last for 5 minutes and then will be automatically deactivated. It doesn’t control the burners so you need to shut the burners off yourself by removing the pan (the Pan sensor will help you then).
Control Lock: is used to lock the induction cooktop before cleaning and when not in use. Pressing for 5 seconds will activate the lock with an audible signal (two beeps) and the LED will glow. This option is good if you have a cat that jumps on the cooktop and by mistake can turn on a burner or if you have children who reach the cooktop surface and press the digital controls.
There is also a light indicator placed to the left of the digital controls which shows what burner is in use: Hot Surface Indicator Light. The indicator has four circles that correspond to each burner. When a burner is in use the corresponding circle becomes red and remains active as long as the burner is hot. This safety feature warns the burner is hot and we avoid accidents.
When you drop or raise the temperature using the digital controls the effect is instant making it very easy to control how to prepare the food. Temperature levels are very accurate so no need to worry about burning food .This makes induction cooking very effective in the kitchen.
Tip: use 2 to 3 power to simmer, 5 for most sautéing, 7 to 8 to bring liquids to boil, 9 to H for boiling water.t
2. Surface
The surface is made of ceramic glass and the color is black so cleaning is a breeze.
The way it was designed and material of which it is built, makes this cooktop look amazing. It will also give your kitchen a very modern and interesting style.
On the left front you will find the GE logo. On the right in the back you can see the Schott Ceran logo which is the company that supplied the ceramic glass.
The glass ceramic is produced in Germany and the material from which it is built has fascinating qualities. The composition is made up mainly of natural materials like quartz sand that can be found in inexhaustible quantities.
The surface is quite resistant to scratches but still care must be taken when handling pots. When you take a pan away you need to lift it and not slide it so the surface will remain like new for a long time.
Tip: You can use a silicone sheet as a cover to prevent dust and protect it from scratches as long as the cooktop is not in use.
3. Heating Elements
The cooktop is equipped with four hotplates, the largest is on the right and somewhat alone on this side, the smallest burner is in the middle back and the other two are the same size on the left side.
The large burner has a diameter greater than 11 inches, left front/rear elements 7 inches large, and the smallest burner is 6 inches.
The largest burner can heat 4-6 liters of water in 10 to 15 minutes.
A lot of people seem concerned about induction cooktops getting as hot as electric or gas. I’d mention how they get as hot as either of the other two and that you’ve read comments from those who have used a gas stovetop before who thought induction was just as good.
The cooktop is divided into two heating zones. The 7 inch elements on the left are in one zone and the large and small elements are in another. The cooktop is designed for power sharing between the elements in a single zone. While the two 7 inch elements can operate at any power level simultaneously that is not the same for the large and small element. If the large element is on Boost (or H) the smaller element cannot be used until the large element is on anything but Boost.
Induction heating provides more even cooking of the food inside your pots and pans. Have you ever had a pan that sat flat on your countertop but when you put it on a traditional cooktop burner it tilted or was off kilter a little bit? Some portion of the pan bottom does not make contact with the burner so the heat is not evenly distributed.
However, with an induction cooktop the pan lays flat on the flat cooking surface. The burner has a coil underneath that generates an electromagnetic field. This field causes the iron molecules in the cookware to vibrate very rapidly and as those molecules bounce against each other they become hot which is what makes the cookware heat up. This vibration happens very rapidly and is not visible to the naked eye. The pan may make a slight humming noise which is a sign of the vibration process and might take a little getting used to but it’s not very loud. It’s most notable when using the very highest power setting but much of that can be offset by using heavier cookware.
If you thought there might be problems with roasting meat you should not worry because it is faster now.
Reducing the burner heat can be done immediately and cools almost instantly.
Cookware should have at least the following diameters:
– For the large burner the cookware should be 7 inches minimum;
– For the smallest burner the cookware should be 4 inches minimum;
– For the medium sized burner the cookware should be 5 inches minimum.
In case the cookware is too small the Pan Sensor will warn you showing an “F” on the control panel.
A griddle can be used on the induction glass cooktop; however, there are a few things to consider:
The element controls are not linked, so the burners may cycle on and off at separate times. This can affect performance.
The bottom surface of the griddle that is in contact with the glass surface of the cooktop must be flat in order for the induction coils to work. Many griddles have a raised rim, and this may affect whether it will work with an induction cooktop.
Use an anodized or other coated aluminum griddle, and you can choose whether you want a nonstick coating on it.
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4. Power/Watts
Every time a technology changes we compare it to the old. Are induction cooktops more efficient than those on gas? Will I have problems to heat, fry or anything else that needs power? Will my bills get higher with induction?
My opinion is that you will be amazed by this technology and you never look back and your costs will be, at worst, the same.
Each of the four burners has different power:
– the 11 inch burner gets 3700 W;
– the 6 inch burner gets 1800 W;
– the 7 inch burners get 2500 W each.
This model has electrical requirements like proper voltage, frequency and a grounded branch circuit protected by a circuit breaker. The connection should be made using only copper wire. You will need 40 amp service so in most cases you will need to do a kitchen breaker upgrade from 20 amp.
Ice doesn’t melt
5. Sensors
The PHP900 induction cooktop has 4 elements. For each element there is a minimum pan-size that has to be used in order for the element to operate. The large burner needs a minimum of a 7” diameter pan; the smallest burner would need a minimum diameter of 4”, and the 2 medium sized burners need a minimum diameter of 5”.
The pan-size sensor detects that the correct diameter of pan is being used on that particular element. If the pan is too small or a metal object such as a spoon or fork is placed on the element, then the sensor will not allow the element to operate.
So, for each element there is only one “ring” size as such.
6. Ventilation
Any new technology comes with its own conditions so let’s see in terms of ventilation what we should know about distances (over, down) that this model needs.
The PHP900DMBB needs 12 inches of space under it (to any combustible material like shelving) for proper ventilation so that the electronics do not overheat. This free space is not necessary if you install a wall oven under it. It is not necessary to have an overhead oven hood but if you cook a lot I recommend one.
The clearance from the countertop to the unprotected overhead cabinet should be 30 inch. The cabinet should be no more than 13 inches in depth. Also, you need to take into account that all materials close to the cooktop need to be high temperature resistant; the heat generated would be close to 200 degree F.
Tip: the electric panel is the most exposed so do not forget to take your extended warranty. In case of electric panel burn and you are out of the warranty this may cost more than the cooktop itself.
7. Accessories
When you get your package it will include:
– PHP900 DMBB induction cooktop.
– Use, care and installation instructions.
– Cleaning cream Cerama Brite.
– 1 bafle.
– 2 hold-down brackets.
– 6 hex head screws.
– 2 thumbscrews.
– 1 foam tape.
Also, you will need a new set of compatible cookware which should be made of magnetic stainless steel; cast iron is not recommended because it can scratch the ceramic glass.
To test if the cookware is induction compatible you can use a magnet and see if it sticks and holds to the bottom of the pan. You can easily find this type of cookware searching at local stores or you can use Amazon. Mostly any cookware which fits the conditions can be used.
8. Dimensions
The width is 30’’; depth is 21 3/8’’; height 3 ¼ inch and height at front is 4 5/8’’. Also, we need to take care about the cutout which is 28 1/2″ wide by 19 5/8″ deep which will be suitable for cooktops with rounded corners. Power cord is 36” long.
We should not forget about the distances we need in front and behind the cutout: min 1-3/4 inch between cutout and the wall behind cooktop and min 2-1/2 inch from front edge of cutout and front edge of countertop.
A drawer directly under the cooktop can not be used to store items such as towels and paper products. Should be used as a false drawer front to obtain the clearance.
9. Installation Time
The installation process is not too difficult if you have some skills, materials and tools handy. The overall process will take 1 to 1 ½ hours.
Materials you need:
– Junction box.
– Large size wire nuts.
– ¾ inch strain relief.
Tools you need:
– Pencil.
– Philips head screwdriver.
– ¼ inch nut driver.
– Ruler or straightedge.
– Saber saw.
– 1/8 inch hand drill.
10. Pros
No more knobs which were difficult to clean.
Less heat in the kitchen because it takes less time to heat up the pan.
Advanced safety features.
The cookware doesn’t get burned because there are no flames under it.
Easy cleaning.
The cookware doesn’t get hot: only the bottom of it is heated; the manual warns against touching the pots and pans because they may get hot. The heat may transfer to the handles.
Fast heating meal.
11. Cons
The dust can be seen more easily.
You need new compatible cookware.
You will need extended warranty in case you want to avoid unexpected expenses after 1 year of warranty.
The cookware makes some noises when the burners are at H level.
You need to be more careful when you place the pan on the burner: needs to be centered.
You need to take care to not scratch it.
The burners are hard to see – may have problems centering the pan.
12. Consumer Ratings
This model got 4 to 4.5 stars out of 5 on different websites like ConsumerReport, Buzillions and Amazon.
J.D Power and Associates did a survey and 3800 customers rated different brands of cooktops and ovens but not specific models. The GE Profile brand earned more than 788 points out of 1000 and is rated “better than most”.
The overall rating is positive and people enjoy this product.
Usually people write a review when they are unhappy with the product but in this case I saw a lot of positive reviews and this is the case when people are amazed by it.
A couple of issues in the Amazon reviews showed that a few people had issues with the cooktop no longer working after a short period of time. Obviously this is a risk you run buying anything these days and it did not appear to be an issue for the majority of consumers but just something to be aware of and this information may help you decide about whether or not you may want to buy an extended warranty.
My thoughts are that the PHP900DMBB deserves its rating and it is a rare case when you see so few people complaining about a product.
13. Price
The price list is near to 1700 USD (GE website) but you can get a big discount on Amazon as it has the lowest price .
From their reviews most of the customers are happy with their decision in buying the PHP900DMBB model; they love the look, the easy way to clean it and safety features. Almost all said they would buy again and never go back to gas. It seems they spent their money well.
