Well, it's finally done! Annette has hated the gas cooktop every since we started RV'ing. I finally convinced her to let me install the True Induction 2-burner cooktop. Below is the one we had.
The old gas cooktop was recessed into the counter, with covers that allowed her to have additional counter space when not actually cooking. She did not want to lose that counter space so I couldn't install the True Induction drop-in unit. Problem was that the surface mount induction cooktop was about 3 1/2 inches wider than the recessed area! My only option was to mount the surface cooktop under the recessed area. This is what it looked like after removing the gas cooktop and capping off the LPG hose and the electrical wires.
You can see the lip around the bottom that supported the gas cooktop. I had to use a Multi Function Oscillating Tool to cut out the lip, then sand the edges down nice and smooth. I made the mistake of NOT covering everything in the room with plastic before doing this!
When I got through EVERYTHING was covered in fine dust! You can get an idea of the mess it made from the pic below!
Before starting all this I called the True Induction folks and asked them to measure from the outside edge of one burner to the outside edge of the other burner. It was exactly 20". The opening, after removing the lip, was 21". I was concerned that there would be only be 1/2" clearance between the Corian wall of the opening and a full-size (maximum 10") pot at maximum temperature! They assured me it would not be a problem, so I decided to go for it!
This is what it looked like just before mounting the new cooktop.
The next step was figuring out how to secure the cooktop to the bottom of the opening. I decided that my best option was to use 3/4" x 1/8" aluminum strips from Lowes to secure it to the wood, holding it up tight against the opening. I used three strips from front to back and one strip across the middle from side to side. I placed the strips to be directly under some raised square areas of the cooktop base. Yes, it took some careful measuring to figure out exactly where to mount the strips since I couldn't hold the cooktop in place and measure. Annette was not feeling well when I was doing this and there was nobody else to help me! After getting the strips in place and the cooktop in exactly the right position in the hole, I put #8 x 1/2" screws through the strips into the base of the cooktop to secure it.
As you can see in the middle pic above, the new cooktop lacked about 4" covering the hole front to back. I found some black plexiglass on Amazon that was 12" x 24" x 1/4", and the company included one free cut in the price! I had them cut it in half, giving me two 6" x 24" pieces, perfect for my opening! Here is a link for that:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ilpage_o03_s00
I drilled holes in the plexiglass for the screws to pass through freely, then drilled smaller holes in the bottom of the Corian so the #8 x 3/4" sheet metal screws would not crack it. The plexiglass matches the cooktop perfectly! Of course, the plexiglass will scratch easily so you can't be putting things on it! Here is a pic of the completed installation.
I was lucky enough to have a 120VAC outlet under the sink that I could use for the cooktop. Not sure why it was there, nothing was plugged into it.
We bought a set of the Duxtop induction-ready cookware. Haven't tried it yet but it looks like really good quality!
I ordered two of the True Induction mats to go on the burners, keeping things from sliding around and scratching the top. They told me that the strong magnetic field can cause the cookware to vibrate sometimes and the mats will stop that.
Anyway, it's all over but the cooking now! Annette, where are you?
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