Frigidaire Induction Range Reviews: Affordable Basic and Professional Options

If you're looking for affordable induction options, the Frigidaire induction range could be in your future. Frigidaire freestanding and slide-in ranges are some of the lowest priced induction ranges on the market. The new Frigidaire Professional Freestanding 36" range is also lower priced than comparable 36" ranges.

Buying a range can be frustrating because there are so many features to figure out, from burner power to oven size to installation details. In this review, we'll walk you through the three Frigidaire induction models to help make your buying decision easier.

Why Go With Induction?

Gas has always been considered the best cooking technology, and with induction comprising a tiny market segment--just 2-7%--people simply haven't been exposed to induction enough to give it a fair comparison. Many Americans still don't know what it is. 

But induction cooking is very popular in Europe, and with growing concerns about indoor air quality from gas ranges, induction is about to explode in popularity here in the US. Which is great, because induction is clean, efficient, and safe. Induction is also faster than gas heat and better at controlling temperature. 

The biggest objection to induction cooking has traditionally been cost, because induction ranges and cooktops have always been more expensive than standard electric. But with these Frigidaire induction range options, that's less of an issue. 

If you want more information on induction cooking, here are some of our other articles: 

Induction Cooking Pros and Cons

Is Induction Better than Gas (And If So, Why?)

Range Hoods and Induction Cooking: What You Need to Know

A Guide to the Best Induction Cookware

Here is a 30 second video from Frigidaire showing how induction works: 

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Induction Range Features: What to Think About Before You Buy

The number of options and features on ranges today is huge. We think the most important considerations are size (unless you're building or remodeling, in which case you can design your kitchen for whatever size range you want), basic options (burner power, oven size, broiler, etc.), options exclusive to induction, and controls.

There are certainly more options to consider. Do you want programmable features? Internet connectivity? A custom color? (If you do want any of these, Frigidaire isn't the stove to get.)

Your buying decision will be easier if you can figure out your must haves, your maybes, and what you can live without. 

One more thought: you probably won't find a perfect range, or any perfect appliance. Unless you have it custom made or have a bottomless budget, your best choice is probably going to involve some settling. So again: it's important to your selection process to know your must haves, your maybes, and what you can live without. 

First Things First: Size

Frigidaire makes two 30-inch ranges and a professional model 36-inch range. These are the two standard range widths in the US, with the 30-inch the most common. (If you don't know what size your range is, it's probably a 30-inch.)

Measure your space before you start shopping so you know what size you're looking for. Also, know that not all 30-inch ranges will fit perfectly into a 30-inch space, and not all 36-inch ranges will fit into a 36-inch space.

You may need to make minor modifications, particularly if you're switching from a freestanding to a slide-in model or vice versa. It's usually not difficult to modify the space, but you may need the help of an installer or carpenter to get it right.

To make sure your new range will fit your space, measure the space carefully and verify the specs of the range against your measurements: they should be slightly smaller than the space itself if you don't want to do any modifications.

Basic Options

Here are some of the basic options to consider when buying a new range.

Burner size/power: Ideally your range will have powerful burners in one or two sizes. What's powerful? Big burners range in power from about 3000-4000 watts. All induction burners are going to provide faster, cleaner heating than gas or electric, but anything above about 3,500W is considered very powerful (and therefore very fast).

Oven Size and Dimensions: The average oven size is about 5 cubic feet, so anything above that is good; actually, anything over 4cf is probably fine for all but the most gigantic turkey. Just as important are the dimensions: you want an oven that can fit a half sheet pan, which is 18 inches by 13 inches. If your oven can fit a half sheet pan (with scant room to spare on either side), it will be able to fit any large roasting pan. 

No matter which brands you're looking at, be sure to check the oven dimensions. You'd be surprised how many ranges have tiny ovens. (In fact, note that the 36-inch professional Frigidaire range has a smaller oven than both 30-inch models.)

Oven features: Popular oven features include convection, self-cleaning, hidden bake element, adjustable broiler temp, smooth-glide racks, a pretty interior color, a temperature probe, an oversized window, and programmable memory options. The Frigidaire induction range ovens have all of these options except the programmable memory feature.

There are more features you can get, but these are the most important ones. 

Color: Stainless has been the dominant finish for many years, but this is starting to change. You can now find appliances in different finishes, including black stainless, matte black, and other colors. It's also no longer considered important that all your kitchen appliances match; in fact, it's considered a bit old-fashioned. We like that there are more finish options than there were a few years ago, but you should always get what you like rather than what's "fashionable."

The Frigidaire freestanding induction range is available in stainless and black stainless. The slide-in model and 36-inch professional model are available in stainless only. 

Induction Options

Induction ranges can also have special features that electric and gas ranges don't:

Power boost: This feature draws extra power to a burner for lightning fast heating. When in use, the power available to other burners is decreased, but you can boil a kettle of water in just a few minutes. Many induction cooktops have some increased power setting that will run for a limited time, usually 10 minutes.

Frigidaire induction ranges have a Power boost feature, shown as "P" in the digital display. After ten minutes Power Boost reverts to the high setting (showing "H" in the display). 

Bridge functionality: This allows you to control two burners as one for extra large or long pans, such as griddles. On some the entire area heats up (like the Bosch Benchmark cooktop) while on others just the two burners heat up and are controlled as one unit. For some reason, bridge functionality is more common on cooktops than on ranges. 

The Frigidaire 36-inch professional range has two bridge elements. The Frigidaire 30-inch induction ranges do not have a bridge feature. 

Great low-end control: People think the lightning speed is what sets induction apart, but as great as that is, induction's true superiority lies in its ability to hold a precise temperature for long periods of time. Neither gas nor electric does this very well, usually overshooting the temp by a lot when the burner is left unattended. But induction can hold a temp indefinitely without any worry of overheating, scorching, burning, or otherwise ruining your delicate sauce, egg dish, simmering stock, etc.

The low setting ("L") on the Frigidaire induction range keeps food at a constant warm temperature of between 145F-160F.

Controls

We probably talk more about controls than any other review site on the Internet. We do this because we think they're the most important consideration that might be overlooked, especially when buying online. There is no other single feature that's going to have a larger impact on whether day-to-day use of the range is a joy or a pain. 

Frigidaire 30-Inch Range Controls

Our biggest dislike of the 30-inch Frigidaire induction ranges is the all-digital controls. All involve multiple key presses. For example, to use a burner, you must first press the On/Off key, then press the Up/Down arrow keys next to it to select the setting. 

Here's the Frigidaire 30-inch induction range control panel:

On the other hand, many induction ranges and cooktops, including premium brands like Bosch and Thermador, have controls right on the cooktop itself, underneath the glass. This is a sleek look, but it can result in huge frustrations because if the glass is wet--for example if something boiled over or you dripped a bit when setting a kettle on the cooktop--the settings can change arbitrarily.

Having the controls on a panel is preferable to this, in our opinion. We wish these ranges had manual controls (knobs) for the cooktop, but those are hard to find these days, and are only going to get harder as we move away from mechanical and towards electronic and computerized appliances.

The oven settings are used less frequently and don't demand the quick changes that the cooktop sometimes does, so they're not as much of an issue. (This is why some ranges have keypads for the ovens, but still have manual dials for the cooktop.) 

Manufacturers have dealt with the digital controls issue in a lot of different ways. GE, for example, has come up with a "finger-swipe" control that closely replicates turning a dial (read about it in our Induction Stove Reviews). 

The Frigidaire freestanding model has controls on the back of the range, and the slide-in model has the controls on the front of the stove, but the controls are the same for both models. There are advantages and disadvantages to both styles: controls in the back are harder to reach, especially when you've got hot pots going on the cooktop--but they're safer because they can't be inadvertently changed. Controls in the front are easier to use, but they can be accidentally changed rather easily; you can use the "lockout" feature to prevent this from happening, but that's an extra step.

Another issue we have with the all-digital control panel is that there's more to go wrong. Electronic control panels are cheaper to manufacture, which is one reason why they're becoming so ubiquitous in the appliance world, but they're delicate. In fact, electronics are one of the most common reasons for service calls on new appliances. And if the electronics fail out of warranty, they can be expensive to repair: some cost almost as much as replacing the whole appliance.

Many people prefer digital controls because they look more modern. (Which, we agree, they do.) And it's true that you'll get used to the controls your stove has whatever they are. We just want you to think about it because if it may mean the difference between loving your new induction stove--or hating it. 

Frigidaire 36-Inch Range Controls

Unlike the 30-inch induction ranges, the Frigidaire Professional 36-inch range has all-manual controls for the cooktop and the oven, with a digital display for the oven settings. The dials are backlit so they're easy to see. The dials are all stainless steel, so they look great in addition to being easy to operate. It's so simple and straightforward, there's not really any more we need to say about it.

We with these were available on more induction ranges, but if you want the manual controls, you have to upgrade to a "professional" style range.

Freestanding Vs. Slide-in Ranges

There are two basic styles of ranges/stoves: freestanding and slide-in.

Freestanding stoves are finished on both sides so they can be installed where they'll have one or both sides exposed. They also have the controls in the back, above the burners:

Slide-in stoves may not have finished sides, though you can often buy a kit to finish them if a side will be exposed. Slide-ins have the controls on the front, at the cooktop level:

There are pros and cons to both designs. Freestanding stoves are less expensive, and the controls can't be inadvertently changed by leaning or spilling on the stove top. Slide-ins are more expensive, but they look more customized, and the lower profile looks sleeker than the freestanding (and doesn't hide your pretty backsplash).

All Frigidaire induction ranges can be installed as a freestanding or slide-in because they all have finished sides. Most dealers will include a kit for any modifications, if needed. For example, if you had a freestanding range and are switching to a slide-in, you may need a "rear filler kit" to close the gap at the wall. 

Internet Connectivity and Smart Features

Some ranges now have bluetooth and/or Wifi Internet connectivity so you can control some functions from your smart phone or through a home smart device like Alexa. Right now, that usually means you can pair a cooktop or range to a hood that comes on automatically when you switch on a burner. (There will probably be more functionality in the future.) 

Frigidaire does not offer Internet connectivity, so we won't spend a whole lot of time talking about it. 

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About the Appliance Industry

Fierce competition in the appliance industry has created a market very different from the one that existed a generation ago. Today, appliances are considered to have an approximately 10 year life span--nothing like the stove your mother or grandmother may have had for 30 or 40 years.

More importantly, few warranties extend beyond a year. Therefore, we strongly recommend that whoever you buy from, you also purchase an extended warranty. 

Another important aspect, especially when buying online from a retailer who may not have a store in your town, is to make sure you have competent service technicians in your area. Such service is no longer a given with any appliance retailer because fierce competition has forced them to cut services to remain competitive. So even if you buy from a local dealer, make sure you can get a certified technician should you need a service call.

As a buyer, you have to make sure you're covered. While we believe that customer service is going to get better as the global marketplace becomes the norm, it's at a dismal low point right now across the appliance industry.

So make sure you get good post-sale service by buying the extended warranty and ensuring there are service technicians in your area who can work on an induction range.

How to do this? Ask. Any reputable seller should have a toll-free customer service number you can call.

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About Frigidaire

Frigidaire is owned by Electrolux, a Swedish-based corporation. (So if you thought Frigidaire was an American company--nope, not anymore.) Electrolux makes a wide range of appliances meant to appeal to many different market segments. 

Frigidaire's affordable induction ranges are one of their newer offerings. About 15 years ago, Electrolux lowered the price of some of their European induction products to make induction a more attractive option. This was wildly successful: it increased the percentage of induction cooktops and ranges in European homes from about 5% to an astonishing 50%. 

This is what Frigidaire is doing in the US now with these affordable induction ranges. It's gone slower than in Europe, partly because natural gas is a cheap resource here, and partly because people don't know what induction cooking is. But this is going to change with new public awareness about gas stoves and indoor air quality.

If you want to read more about this, check out this article in Digital Trends.

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Review: Frigidaire Gallery Freestanding Induction Range (GCRI3058AF/AD)

About $1200-$1300 (black stainless is more)

See both models at AJ Madison

See Both models at Home Depot

Features and Overview

These affordable ranges have all the features you'll need, including Air Fry, convection, self-cleaning, and powerful burners. The one thing they lack is a bridge element, which is one of the coolest features of induction. But this is not a deal breaker. 

Here's the cooktop. The two burners on the left are the same size, the largest burner is in the front on the right, and the smallest is right-rear:

If you operate the two left burners at the same power, you can somewhat simulate a bridge element, though you'll have a cool spot in the center (however, many actual bridge elements operate this way).

The oven is a roomy 5.4 cubic feet, with a large window for easy viewing:

Controls

Using the range was a bit of a mixed bag. (We talk more about this below in the "What We Liked" and "What We Didn't Like" sections.) Here's the control panel:

The all-digital controls were somewhat cumbersome, especially for the cooktop (for the oven, speed is less important). First you have to switch the burner on, then you have to press Plus/Minus keys to reach a setting. There are no "Warm" or "Boil" shortcut keys.

It's easy and intuitive to operate, but single key presses (or a dial) are preferable.

We also weren't crazy about all the key pressing in the freestanding model when we had pans going on the stove. If you've got boiling pasta going, you have to be careful not to get a steam burn on your arm when you change a setting (don't ask how we know this). For this reason, we preferred the slide-in model with the controls on the front of the stove. But the slide-in model is several hundred dollars more, so you may be willing to live with the controls on the back of the freestanding model.

Other than the somewhat clunky cooktop controls, we have few complaints. The cooktop is powerful and fast and everything worked great. The Low setting operates at 145F and is great for, well, keeping cooked food warm or warming leftovers slowly.

The oven is excellent. The Quick Preheat was super fast, taking a little over 10 minutes to reach 350F. (By the way, 350F is the default preheat setting, which is a nice shortcut feature, but it's also easy to change that temp using the numeric keypad). Baking--with or without convection--was fairly even, and better than most ovens (totally even heating is the holy grail for ovens and we haven't found a perfect one yet).

All the oven functions do what they're supposed to do and are easy to use. The oven is large enough for anything you'd want to cook, and the settings and numeric keypad (used for setting the timer, for example) was easy to use. 

The lowest oven setting is 170F, which is great for slow heating of leftovers. The highest setting is 550F, which is standard for home ranges.

You're probably wondering about the new Air Fry feature: yes, it works. You can use this in lieu of buying an air fryer and will probably be happy with the results. We did a big batch of chicken wings and they got good and crispy.

Air Fry is really just a glorified convection feature, but it will do what you want it to.

If you're really into air frying, you can buy a special Air Fry basket from Frigidaire for about $60. Unfortunately, it does not come with the range. (You also have to buy a broiler tray separately--again, pretty standard across the appliance industry.)

Overall, our experience using the Frigidaire induction range was mixed. It did everything we wanted it to do, which was great, but the digital controls were, as we said, a bit cumbersome to use.

If you want a great deal on a basic induction range that does everything you'll want it to do (except talk to your smart phone), you can probably live with the digital controls.

Specifications

Safety

• Automatic pan size detection
• Automatic burner shutoff with 3-minute delay 
• Hot surface indicator lights
• UL listed.

Warranty

1 year limited manufacturer warranty.

NOTE: We recommend buying an extended warranty for any major appliance.

Recommendation 

The Frigidaire 30-inch freestanding induction range is a great buy at about $1200 (price differs for color and is subject to change). It's a basic model, with no bridge elements or power boost, but the burners are powerful and the oven has all the features you need, including self-cleaning and convection--the new Air Fry feature is basically a convection setting, but it works.

We don't really like the all-digital controls, especially for the cooktop. But if you want an affordable induction range, the Fridigaire will be hard to beat, and it has everything most cooks will need.

buy the frigidaire freestanding 30-in induction range:

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Review: Frigidaire Gallery Slide-in Induction Range (FGIH3047VF)

About $1700

See the Frigidaire Gallery Slide-in range at AJ Madison

See the Frigidaire Gallery Slide-in range at Home Depot

See the Frigidarie Gallery Slide-in range at ABT.com

Features and Overview

The cooktop and oven are identical to the Frigidaire Freestanding range, reviewed above. On the slide-in range, the controls are on the front of the range rather than in the back. Also, the Slide-in model has Sabbath mode, while the Freestanding range does not. 

Specifications

Installation Specifications (All 30" Models)

Safety

• Automatic pan size detection
• Automatic burner shutoff with 3-minute delay 
• Hot surface indicator lights
• UL listed
• ADA compliant
• Star K certified.

Warranty

1 year limited manufacturer warranty.

NOTE: We recommend buying an extended warranty for any major appliance.

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Recommendation

The Frigidaire Gallery Slide-in Induction Range (about $1700) is lot of stove for the money, including Power Boost on the cooktop and an oven with true convection plus the Air Fry feature that eliminates the need to buy an air fryer. (It's really just a convection setting, but it works.)

Our biggest complaint is the all-digital control panel that took awhile to figure out and can be slow to use. But if you are on a tight budget and want an induction range, both the freestanding and the slide-in models are great choices (with the slide-in being the more expensive option by a few hundred dollars). The slide-in model is a few hundred dollars more without really having more features (other than Sabbath mode), but most people prefer its looks.

Both models get good reviews and come recommended by many users, with an average rating of about 4.5 out of 5. 

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Pros and Cons of the Frigidaire 30" Induction Ranges

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Review: Frigidaire 36" Professional Freestanding Induction Range (PCFI3670AF)

About $5800

see the frigidaire professional 36-in induction range at Aj madison

see the frigidaire professional 36-in induction range at abt.com

Features and Overview

A "professional" range is designed to look like a restaurant range. Most of them have a more heavy duty build quality, more powerful burners, and more settings and features than basic kitchen ranges. Most also have manual controls--e.g., dials--rather than a digital control panel, which we count as a plus because they're faster and easier to use (though usually more expensive). 

The Frigidaire Professional 36-Inch Induction Range has a professional look and a durable build quality, but the burner power is only slightly higher than on their other induction ranges: 3700W vs. 3600W (big burner). But it does have two bridge elements, which is an excellent feature.

Oven features are about the same, too, except for the temperature probe included with the Pro range.

The oven is on the small side at 4.4 cubic feet, but this is standard for professional style ranges: having feet rather than a warming drawer or storage below the oven sacrifices space, but is very stylish. This is still large enough to fit any turkey. 

Oven features include true convection, self-cleaning, a temperature probe (included), a powerful broiler (broiler tray not included), 5 rack positions with smooth glide operation, a soft-close oven door, and several settings.

This range lacks Air Fry, but using convection will get similar results. 

Overall, it's a beautiful range and has all the features you'll need (except smart phone connectivity features).

Being more expensive also gets you more certifications and environmental compliance than you'll get on lower-priced ranges. This range has RoHS certification, which means a limited amount of hazardous materials was used in manufacturing.

At about $5800, this 36-inch range is anything but cheap--but if you compare to other professional style ranges, it's actually a pretty good deal.

Controls

The controls couldn't be easier to use: they're all dials, even the oven. The digital display shows the oven setting and temperature.

The stainless knobs are excellent quality, with an expensive feel and are a pleasure to use. They're backlit, so you can easily see settings and know what's on (and off) from across the room.

We love these sleek, elegant controls. They're so simple, they don't really require any more explanation.

Specifications

These are most of the important specs. If there's something missing, check out the dealer listing at AJ Madison or ABT.com:

SEE specs for FRIGIDAIRE PROFESSIONAL 36-IN INDUCTION RANGE AT AJ MADISON

SEE specs for FRIGIDAIRE PROFESSIONAL 36-IN INDUCTION RANGE AT ABT.COM

Installation Specifications

Safety and Certifications

Warranty

1 year manufacturer warranty on parts and labor.

NOTE: We recommend buying an extended warranty for any major appliance.

Recommendation

If you want a professional looking 36-inch range for less than what you'd pay for other brands, this Frigidaire model is a great buy. It has all the features you'd want in a range including bridge elements and power boost on the cooktop and convection, self-cleaning, and temperature probe in the oven. At 4.4cf the oven is a little small, but this is standard for professional ranges with no warming drawer or storage in the bottom. 

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Pros and Cons of the Frigidaire 36" Induction Range

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Final Thoughts on Frigidaire Induction Ranges

The 30-inch Frigidaire induction ranges are some of the most affordable options on the market. They perform well, have a good record for reliability, and offer a lot for your investment. We think they're a great choice for anyone on a budget--or even if you're not.

The 36-inch Professional induction range is a more expensive option, but much lower priced than other 36-inch induction ranges we've looked at. It's got gorgeous commercial style with stainless steel, all manual controls, plus powerful burners with two bridge elements and a self-cleaning convection oven. If you want the larger, commercial-looking range you'll pay more for it, but Frigidaire is one of the most affordable options around.

Thanks for reading!

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