How a Miele cooktop signals trouble
Miele KM cooktops come in two forms — induction and sealed-burner gas — and they signal trouble very differently. An induction cooktop shows a brief set of F-codes and several normal-state indicators on its touch panel, while a gas cooktop has no display at all and is diagnosed entirely from how the burners light and burn. Knowing your type is the start of any Miele cooktop repair, because an induction coil and a gas burner fail in their own characteristic ways.
Induction: the few real codes
On an induction KM, a flashing F appears when the sensors are covered for more than about ten seconds (a spill or a pot left in place), and F1–F4 can show during the power-up calibration. F11/F99 indicate a stored program stopped. Behind these is a technician-level FE family — touch-sensor, supply-voltage, NTC and overheat faults — that is service-level and not meant for owner diagnosis; treat any FE reading as a call for a technician rather than a DIY code.
Induction: the normal states that are not errors
Several induction indicators are normal, not faults. H is residual-heat warning, the lock or key symbol shows the panel is locked, dE is demo mode (which disables heating — the usual reason a new cooktop “won’t heat”), and a pan symbol means the cookware is not detected, resolved by using magnetic, induction-ready pans centred on the zone. None of these need service.
Gas cooktops and when to call
A gas KM cooktop has no codes at all, so a burner that will not ignite, clicks continuously without lighting, or burns weak or yellow is the diagnostic itself, pointing at the igniter, the cap seating or a clogged port. For induction, confirm the panel is not locked or in demo mode and you are using induction-ready cookware; for gas, confirm the caps are seated and dry and the ports clear. A surface that will not power on, an FE reading, an overheat shutoff or a burner that will not light after cleaning needs an experienced, independent technician with genuine parts. See the cooktop diagnostics page or the error codes library, then book cooktop repair. Confirm your model on the manufacturer’s site at mieleusa.com.