Go with a stainless steel sink:

- I like the comment above that it'll last several lifetimes -- they don't chip, and they clean up better than anything else. My current sink was installed in 1970 -- still looks perfectly good.

- Don't get too torn up over 16 vs. 18 gauge. This is the difference between an A and an A+. Is one better? A little. In reality, you won't notice a difference in function or noise.

- But do go with the largest sink you can fit into your space.

I’m happy to hear that everyone seems to like workstation sinks. I’m looking at Create Goods which comes with one ledge, but I can create a higher one by asking the fabricator to leave a reveal. Also, I don’t think it comes with the accessories, so I’m thinking of just buying things as I need them – such as a cutting board and a roll up dish drying rack which can also be used to rinse produce.

We have been planning a kitchen remodel for some time and finally got our ducks in a row for this fall - switching to Induction was always part of the plan. Earlier this year, my 30 y.o. gas cooktop died. What to do? I decided to purchase 2 Induction Hobs to use in the interim. I have a fairly large collection of pots & pans acquired over the years from various sources - a real hodgepodge. Turns out - NONE of those pots and pans would work on Induction! This made it easy to dispose of all those pots & pans – a chore I was not looking forward to. I bought a new set of HexClad from CostCo and LOVE them! I love the Induction too – but I knew I would. My daughter (28) can hear a sound that bothers her – I can’t hear anything and I have good hearing. I wonder if my dogs or cat can hear anything – they don’t give any indication if they do.

Ginny, there are disadvantages with glass to electric. I much prefer coil. Because the glass gets so hot, the spills burn onto them and they require razor blades to get gunk off. Glass is an insulator, so isn't the best at transmitting the heat to the pot, and is equally slow at cooling down itself, like when you go from boil to simmer. And they stay hot longer. Etc. Do check out all the reviews and commentary before you jump in. I do not like it at all.

That said, yes, there are non-induction, glass, 12" cooktops. There are also ones with solid electric elements that look like coils with out the openings. I know nothing about them, but it's worth looking at as a contrast to the glass. Whatever you're getting, if you haven't used the type before, bring your Farberware to an appointment at a demo center, with some food that needs active work, stirring, flipping, etc., and really see how you like them. You might be just fine with the glass and like the whole flatness, or prefer one of the other things you try. I hope you find what you're looking for.

lacey, I agree. Here it can be 30 below zero and I am not going outside to use the grill and I don't have a camping stove, not that it's any better than my Bosch propane cooktop (which I hate, BTW, but that's for all different reasons). My gas cooktop can be lit with a match and I can still make coffee and cook dinner. My double ovens are electric, so those are out of the question.

We do lose power here, sometimes for days. We have a generator and a pellet stove for those times, our rule of thumb is that if the power stays out more than four hours we fire up the generator. The real problem with induction for me? My All American canner will not work on induction. That crosses it off the list immediately for me and yes, I know I could can outside in the driveway with a gas burner or whatever, right along with the bugs and the 90F heat and the chance of dropping those glass jars onto the pavement. I don't have a deck or a patio or a porch plus the house has air conditioning so I'm canning in there and the gas cooktop is just going to have to stay.

I did buy one of those free standing induction burners but the hum drove me batty, so I gave it to my granddaughter. She says it hums more with some pans than with others. The fan in convection ovens has the same effect for me, I made sure my ovens were NOT convection when I bought them.

Annie