I’ve had a gas cooktop for the past 23 years and have really liked it. We are about to remodel a house and it needs a new cooktop. I assumed I would go with gas per usual, but read a little blurb about induction cooktops.
If you have had experience with both, what are your thoughts?
Many folks I know with induction cooktops love them. One plus/minus is most have to buy new cookware that works with induction cooktops—magnetic and no warped bottoms. It is instant heat and instant cool surface.
My inlaws just switched from gas to induction because of restrictions in their new building. They thought they were going to hate it but they LOVE it! They had to buy new cookware but are now recommending induction to anyone who will listen.
My sister and H’s best friend both are induction converts. They were both reluctant and now are quite pleased.
Induction’s ultra ease of cleaning is the key feature I love the most!
What I always loved about gas is how easily and quickly you can change the heat level. But reading about induction, it says it is even better at this? And is more “efficient”?
It’s also more expensive.
I wonder if @coralbrook has an opinion?
The heat level with induction changes immediately - no difference there.
I also believe it makes my kitchen look a bit more “sleek.”
One of our kids has an induction cooktop and loves it. I’ve used it a few times and it’s what I want whenever we build or remodel again. It’s just as responsive as gas and poses no indoor air quality concerns.
Plus, I think induction will be safer not only when grandchildren are around but also for dh. Twice since retiring he has left a gas burner on when the flame was low and he failed to notice. He also tends to be careless about potholders and dish towels. I have to remind him that the cooktop in the basement is not induction but the old fashion radiant glass top, so it does stay hot for a while after being turned off.
Love my induction cooktop for all the above reasons but I wish I could have a small gas burner for occasions when I want to char a pepper or use my wok or whenever I want. But day to day induction is great.
I got an induction cooktop when I redid my kitchen about 7 years ago. It still looks like new. I love it and no longer burn myself when cooking (used to have gas). I didn’t even have to get new cookware since my original pots and pans from when I got married ( 34 years ago) work. The only challenge was that some things take longer to cook since they heat up so quickly. So a 3 and a half minute soft-boiled egg takes a little over 5 minutes, for example. But that’s a minor thing for the most part. It is so easy to clean, and I love the sleek look, even with my traditional kitchen.
If the things heat up more quickly, why does it take longer for items to cook?
I prefer gas over induction. I use a wok a lot when cooking, and gas is much more suitable for this. It’s also faster cooking than induction.
D2 redid her kitchen a couple of years ago. She replaced a smooth top range with induction. (Even though there was gas heat, it would have been around $4000 to move the gas line to allow for a gas range.) She really loved it. So did her husband.
They have since moved to a different state. She has a 36" gas Viking range. She is fine with the gas, except she has no burners that allow for simmering. (She has proclaimed that Viking makes terrible appliances.)
She said that if she had to replace the range, she would stick with the gas, but get more flexible burners. She said that she really missed the ease of cleaning and the rapid cooking. For her now, it would be a toss up as to which she likes better. Her husband prefers the induction.
We remodeled last year and switched from gas (for the previous 20 years) to induction. I am loving cooking on the induction cooktop. I have been able to learn the correct settings for many of my favorite dishes and the best part is since it is a digital control, I can easily set it back again.
I definitely recommend induction.
If you are a serious cook and have access to gas, gas wins by a mile.
Given a choice, no professional chef would cook on anything else.
If electric is your only choice, induction is the best of the electrics, but you’d spend every minute spent cooking regretting that you can’t have a gas cooktop.
For less serious or ambitious cooks, induction is fine.
“(She has proclaimed that Viking makes terrible appliances.)”
She is absolutely right.
My current gas stovetop is a jennair. It has the small burners as well as the big ones. I use the small ones to simmer. My Viking didn’t have that feature.
I don’t have much experience with the actual difference in cooking. But I have researched this a lot for resale value.
If you are in an all electric building (as my current project) then induction is the way to go. It costs about a thousand dollars more than a cheap electric cooktop and I don’t think it comes in a range unit, but I could be wrong. Then there’s the cost of buying new cookware. It used to be that only European brands sold induction but Frigidaire and some others have joined the market now. But the jump from the Frigidaire to next level (Bosch) is still $1,000
The key thing to realize is that induction cooking requires a 240 line which means you might have to pull a new wire into the kitchen, and make sure your panel can take the extra load. It could be an issue in an older condo that used to have a gas range. I am currently juggling this issue in my remodel.
I think it’s definitely the way to go in a small space or for renters or elderly.
@coralbrook - yes, there are induction-top slide in ranges. Whirlpool used to make a couple of models.