There is definitely a niche market for these kind of cookers, but induction has for as long as I can remember always been a flat surface.

That leads to touch controls with all the listed drawbacks, but it's nonetheless what has gained the most support.

For most i suspect the aesthetics of one clean flat surface wins out over alternatives, even though these alternatives are more usable for cooking.

For us the “one flat surface” is about cleaning instead of aesthetics. We cook all the time and out range constantly has crap spilled on it. Being able to wipe it down in a quick pass is so nice.

That is another big advantage of induction. It gets much less dirty because it’s so easy to wipe clean each time it is used.

That said, it is not necessarily exclusive, we can have a nice flat surface along with a panel with physical knobs on the side. Even with a minimalist look à la Dieter Rams if needed.

It looks great! Thanks for the tip, I’ll definitely have a closer look when we remodel our kitchen next year.