General Viking Information
Viking is a company that positions itself far upscale and imposes strict territorial sales restrictions (as does Wolf--and as do, in different ways, several other brands, such as
Gaggenau, GE Monogram, Thermador, and Windcrest). Curiously, though Viking pushes their quasi-commercial image (but read their warranty forms--any true commercial use voids the warranty),
their historical reliability rate, as an overall brand, has not been good--check Consumer Reports.
Whether their "super-premium" image and reputation is worth anything is up to you to decide.
The Viking induction units, formerly made for them by Luxine, are now described as "Magnequick"; whether
that is another outside maker or a trade name for products Viking makes itself we are, at this moment unsure (but are checking).
Viking has some "mixed" units combining induction elements and radiant elements; we have not listed those here, for what we hope are obvious reasons.
The Viking units, unlike many others, have their controls as knobs, in a channel down the right side of the units; some prefer knob-type controls, but others don't like them because they
make cleaning more of a nuisance than smooth touchpads; also, that channel eats up space that could be used for cooking, effectively reducing the "cooktop" area width by several inches and
also rather crowding some high-heat-producing electronics, which does not bode well for longevity. Moreover, to be "childproof", Viking's controls are "push-to-turn", making them even less
convenient.
Viking has three basic units, but they each come with trim options; we have listed the major trim differences as separate units below.
(It looks as if Viking's newer units--the VICU206 and the VICU266--represent a step back from the power levels used in the VICU105 and VICU165 units that the new
ones so nearly match otherwise; that suggests that Viking has become aware that they may have crowded too much heat-generating power into too small an under-the-hood space in the original
models, leading to the anecdotally many reports of early failures.)
From numerous reports reaching us, Viking's induction units are highly prone to problems--not so much failures (though their overall reliability record, according to various respected
third-party sources, is not good) as actual inherent design defects (for example, their countertop unit is known to not work with Le Creuset cookware even though that cookware is solidly
induction-usable on every other induction unit in the known universe). Moreover, Viking's customer service leaves a lot to be desired, at least when it comes to induction units (that
"something" is some faint understanding of what induction is and how it works--things they have told customers would make your hair curl).
We disrecommend Viking induction equipment, and of course do not retail it.
As always in these listings, we give these standard general--
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Important notes on these data:
We have spent a lot of time hunting these data--often in several places for each individual unit--but we cannot and do not guarantee any datum to be correct
(indeed, we often found conflicting data at different sources). Caveat emptor! For those units we offer for sale, the prices shown are never over an hour old. For other items, the prices shown are the lowest we found with moderate but not fanatic
searching; moreover, they are not updated very often and are only intended as a rough guide to comparative unit values in cost/power terms. Most "Features" are not terribly important, and are nearly standard among roughly similar units, regardless of brand name. If some "feature"--shown or omitted--is especially
important to you, check on it, because we did not take great pains over the "Features" data. Dimensions given here are, as the makers themselves warn, only to be used as guidelines in planning--never do anything (such as cutting a countertop) till you have your
actual unit to hand. A very important unit datum is the "MaxPower" value. Many units show individual-element powers that add up to impressive totals that the unit cannot really supply.
That is not a defect or some form of cheating: it is "power sharing", a clever and
useful feature; but, unless the maker is unusually open about data, one can easily be misled into believeing that the unit as a whole is more powerful than it is. Your dollars are buying
cooking power, and you need to be well aware of just what you are paying for in actual cost/power terms for the unit as a whole. Similar to power sharing (though less flexible) is the "power boost" feature many
units have on some or all of their elements. (That feature allows a "boosted" element to temporarily, for some short period--rarely specified, but typically 10 minutes or so--run at some
set level well over its nominal power, to help with tasks like getting large pots of water to boiling.) As with true power sharing, if one is not careful, one can get an incorrect
impression of the true total power capability of the unit as a whole, which, as we just said, is basically what your dollars are buying.
(For much fuller information on power, read our page Kitchen Electricity
101.)
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Viking Induction-Unit Data
We found, not counting color and trim variants, three Viking all-induction cooktop models (one designated a "rangetop"), one countertop model, and one
indiction-top range:
Viking VICU206
Do we sell it? No--we disrecommend the brand.
Viking VICU206SB
(maker's product page)
- Elements: 4
- Boosted: 0
- Powers:
· 2.3 kW (boost to 3.7 kW) - left front, 8-inch diameter
· 1.4 kW - left back, 6-inch diameter
· 1.85 kW - right front, 7-inch diameter
· 1.85 kW - right back, 7-inch diameter
(Elements are outlined by squares, but are actually round.)
- Max Power: 7.4 kW = 100%
[it is unclear if the boost uses power sharing]
- Levels: ?
- Controls: push-to-turn knobs
- Timer/s: 0
- Induction Elements Made By: MagneQuick
- Features:
· pot recognition
· auto-safety switchoff
· residual-heat indicators
· color and trim options available (at extra cost)
- Size: 30-3/4" wide x 21" deep
- Cutout: 29" x 19-1/2" deep x 5-1/8"
- Color: black or optional white
- Trim: stainless steel
- Voltage: 240
- Load: 40 Amperes
- Maker's Warranty:
· labor - 1 year
· parts - 5 years
· surface & trim - 90 days
- Online documents:
· Product
Specifications(PDF file)
· Installation Instructions(PDF
file)
· Use & Care (w/Warranty)(PDF
file)
· Quick Reference Guide(PDF
file)
- Prices:
· US n/a in black w/regular trim (VICU206)
· US n/a in black w/brass trim (VICU206T)
· US n/a in white w/regular trim (VICU206W)
· US n/a in white w/brass trim (VICU206WT)
- Cost/Kilowatt:
· black w/regular trim, US n/a
· black w/brass trim, US n/a
· white w/regular trim, US n/a
· white w/brass trim, US n/a
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Viking VICU266
Do we sell it? No--we disrecommend the brand.
Viking VICU266SB
(maker's product page)
- Elements: 6
- Boosted: 0
- Powers:
· 2.3 kW (boost to 3.7 kW) - left front, 8-inch diameter
· 1.4 kW - left back, 6-inch diameter
· 1.85 kW - center front, 7-inch diameter
· 1.85 kW - center back, 7-inch diameter
· 1.4 kW - right front, 6-inch diameter
· 2.3 kW (boost to 3.3 kW) - right back, 8-inch diameter
(Elements are outlined by squares, but are actually round.)
- Max Power: 11.1 kW = 100%
[it is unclear if the boost uses power sharing]
- Levels: ?
- Controls: push-to-turn knobs
- Timer/s: 0
- Induction Elements Made By: MagneQuick
- Features:
· pot recognition
· auto-safety switchoff
· residual-heat indicators
· color and trim options available (at extra cost)
- Size: 36-3/4" wide x 21" deep
- Cutout: 35" x 19-1/2" deep x 5-1/8"
- Color: black or optional white
- Trim: stainless steel
- Voltage: 240
- Load: 50 Amperes
- Maker's Warranty:
· labor - 1 year
· parts - 5 years
· surface & trim - 90 days
- Online documents:
· Product
Specifications(PDF file)
· Installation Instructions (PDF
file)
· Use & Care (PDF
file)
- Prices:
· US n/a in black w/regular trim (VICU266)
· US n/a in black w/brass trim (VICU266T)
· US n/a in white w/regular trim (VICU266W)
· US n/a in white w/brass trim (VICU266WT)
- Cost/Kilowatt:
· black w/regular trim, US n/a
· black w/brass trim, US n/a
· white w/regular trim, US n/a
· white w/brass trim, US n/a
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Viking VICC
Do we sell it? No--we disrecommend the brand.
Viking VICC120SS
(maker's product page)
- Power: 1.8 kW - 8"
- Levels: ?
- Controls: push-to-turn knob
- Timer/s: 0
- Induction Element Made By: Luxine
- Features:
· pot recognition
· auto-safety switchoff
- Size: 12" wide x 15" deep
- Color: black
- Trim: stainless steel
- Voltage: 120
- Load: 15 Amperes
- Maker's Warranty:
· full - 1 year
- Online documents:
· Installation Instructions
(PDF file)
- Price: US $499.95
- Cost/Kilowatt: US $278
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Viking VISC5304B
Do we sell it? No--we disrecommend the brand.
Viking VISC530-4B
(maker's product
page)
- Elements: 4
- Boosted: 1
- Powers:
· 2.3 kW (boost to 3.7 kW) - front left, 8-inch diameter
· 1.4 kW - back left, 6-inch diameter
· 1.85 kW - front right, 7-inch diameter
· 1.85 kW - back right, 7-inch diameter
- Max Power: 7.4 kW = 100%
- Levels: 6?
- Controls: knobs
- Timer/s: 0
- Induction Elements Made By: Magne-Quick
- Features:
· freestanding range with induction top
· push-to-turn childproof control knobs
· residual-heat warning
· pan recognition
· spill detection
· overheating detection
- Oven:
· single oven, 4.7 cubic feet (AHAM Standard, 4.1 cubic feet)
· infrared broiler
· concealed 10-pass dual bake element
· quick pre-heat
· patented two-speed convection system
· numerous trim options available (at varying costs)
· self-cleaning
· 3 internal lights
· 6 rack supports (3 racks included, one full-extension)
- Size: 29-7/8" wide x 28-1/16" deep x 35-1/16" high (to surface)
- Color: black (top)
- Trim: stainless steel (various trim options, such as brass, available)
- Voltage: 240
- Load: 55 Amperes total
- Maker's Warranty:
· complete - 1 year
· porcelain oven - 10 years (limited)
· induction elements - 5 years
· "cosmetic" (glass, painted items, decorative items) - 60 days
· stainless-steel exterior - lifetime
- Online documents:
· Specifications (PDF file)
· Installation
Instructions (PDF file)
· Quick
Reference Guide (PDF file)
· Use and Care
Manual (PDF file)
· Warranty
· Cleaning
Tips (PDF file)
- Price:
· US, black finish, $6099.00
· US, white finish, $6099.00
· US, stainless-steel finish, $6099.00
· US, custom-color finish, $6349.00
- Cost/Kilowatt:
· US, black finish, $824
· US, white finish, $824
· US, stainless-steel finish, $824
· US, custom-color finish, $858
(cooktop only - not comparable to values for non-range cooktops)
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