Induction vs gas cooktop?

[Matata]

Has anyone converted from gas to induction cooktop? If so, are you pleased with the change. Pros & cons please. I'm aware that you need iron or other magnetic pots and pans. I don't know how old the Jenn-Air gas cooktop is but was here when we bought the house 15 years ago. I call it The Beast. It's difficult to clean, showing its years, and replacement parts are near impossible to find. I want something easier to clean. I'm not a fan of electric ranges so thought induction might be a good option. Pic of The Beast. Just took it apart and cleaned it this morning. Don't ever want to do that again.

 

[Austina]

I’ve always had gas hobs, but when we redid our kitchen, I went for induction. It’s absolutely fantastic, just as controllable as gas, and soooo easy to clean. I wholeheartedly recommend it. I went for a Siemens that has 3 difference size ‘rings‘ and a double length panel on the right hand side.

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

I’ve always had gas hobs, but when we redid our kitchen, I went for induction. It’s absolutely fantastic, just as controllable as gas, and soooo easy to clean. I wholeheartedly recommend it. I went for a Siemens that has 3 difference size ‘rings‘ and a double length panel on the right hand side.

What she said!
We had to rent between two homes during renovations and I went back to gas. Hated it. So messy to clean and water boils faster on induction.

Also the safety: only the pot and it's contents get hot. No open flame.

 

[lissyflo]

Another induction fan here for the same reasons as Austina - really easy to clean the hob, looks really streamlined and neat compared to gas, just as responsive to temperature changes, and without the greasy burn that gas somehow creates. The only slight downside is that I needed to change a couple of my old pans as they wouldn’t work, but that’s a small one off hit. I wouldn’t change back for anything!

 

[voce]

I don't disagree with any of the comments above. I would say if you are a chef, though, you probably want gas. When you make a change to the heat setting on induction, temperature does not change instantaneously, and you have no visual indication of how much heat is actually going into your food. With gas and flames you can see and feel the heat, which is important if you want to have very precise control over your food.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I voukd not get rid of the gas cook top quick enough when we brought our house
Im no cheif and i was afraid of the flame

 

[Queenie60]

I’ve always used gas and I do consider myself to be quite the chef. My gas stove is easy to clean as the black grids lift off. I use a little easy off cold oven cleaner around the burner to clean off the cooked on mess. I’ve been pleased with gas. Mine is a Thermador

 

[Ally T]

I’ve always had gas hobs, but when we redid our kitchen, I went for induction. It’s absolutely fantastic, just as controllable as gas, and soooo easy to clean. I wholeheartedly recommend it. I went for a Siemens that has 3 difference size ‘rings‘ and a double length panel on the right hand side.

My MIL has an induction hob & it's lovely! Ours is gas, but I believe gas hobs are being phased out in the UK at some point in the future, in a move away from using fossil fuel. Regardless, I know when I have my kitchen re-fitted I'll be going for induction. You're right - so EASY to clean!

 

[caf]

Team Gas!

 

[CloudofDisaster]

I loved gas and never thought I would change. But a few years ago we redid our kitchen and the changes to the layout would have made it difficult to move the gas lines to the new stove spot, so we switched to induction and WOW. I love it so much. I find it easier to control the heat, especially at low temperatures, than on my old mid-level gas range. YMMV if you're coming from a gourmet chef's stove, but honestly, I now find it easier to control than my MIL's Viking, which I swear doesn't get low enough heat.

...For everything else, there's a charcoal grill. Seriously, at the point that an actual flame is going to make a credible difference in the food itself, I take it outside to an old-fashioned charcoal grill. This happens a few times a year, mainly for steaks and homemade naan.

And it may sound silly, but the safety benefits are my favorite part. You never have to worry about errant plastic wrap melting into a burner, and the glass is touchable almost instantly when you turn off the heat. It's also SO much easier to clean--and because you don't have to wait for the surface to cool down (as you would on a glass electric stove or on gas burners), you can clean up spills immediately, before they have time to set.

We have a Samsung and it was a splurge for us, but it's definitely earned its keep.

 

[lyra]

I think I'd like to try induction. We've literally tried everything else. Gas is nice, but the stovetop is constantly a mess. Our old glass top was difficult to clean and took forever to get anything to a boil. I'm also sick of the gas oven. I would never do that again.

 

[cmd2014]

I went from gas to induction and really like it too. It’s very responsive, faster, and you can set a pan to an incredibly steady heat which is great for simmering or keeping things warm.

 

[Matata]

Thank you all for your input. I've done a bit of research today and there are two issues I have to talk to vendors about. My current range top is 48" and the largest induction surface I've found is 36" so I'm hoping there's a way to fit a new cooktop in without it looking odd. Also current range top is downdraft. There are a few downdraft induction cooktops out there ranging between $4000-$7000. I was hoping to spend less than that. Gaggenau offers bespoke cooktops so I could build one to fill the hole where the current range top is; downside, nearest dealer is in Portland, 5 hr drive away or 1 hr flight away but I don't know if there is someone local who would do accurate measurements and install.

 

[dk168]

I have a gas hob at home, and recently bought a single and a double burner induction hobs for my pop up kitchen events where naked flames cannot be used due to health and safety reasons.

I bought a set of Tefel Ingenio cookware as they are designed with induction cooking in mind; and they take up less storage space due to the removable handles. They worked brilliantly with the induction hobs.

Fast to heat up and cool down, very easy to control, the boost option is great for cooking steaks and stir-fries.

And the hobs are easy to clean due to their smooth surfaces, and fast to cool down compared with the ceramic hobs that I had many years ago.

All except one pan of my existing induction-ready stainless steel utensils from the same manufacturer and range that I bought over 20 years ago is not recognised by the induction hobs, and the manufacturer could not explain why that is the case. I have read this is not uncommon for supposingly compatible pans not being recognised.

I shall have a 2-burner induction hob for my camper van as I do not wish to carry a gas bottle. Diesel stoves are not very on and offable as they only have one burner for the entire stove top. The induction hob I am getting is specifically designed for the RV market costing a lot more than the ones I bought for light catering use!

I would say go for it as they are great.

DK

 

[dk168]

@Matata your current range top looks fantastic with a flat plate and a grill plate in addition to gas hobs, and I wish I had a kitchen that size to have one of these!

DK

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

We have the downdraft version. I think we went with BORA. We're really happy with the Downdraft/induction combo.

BORA Basic - discover the BORA cooktop extractors

BORA Basic - the kitchen revolution: Cooktop & extractor in a single product - fits into every kitchen. Without an extractor hood - more space & odourless cooking!

www.bora.com

I hope you can find a solution that works in your kitchen.

I haven't ever encountered the pot/pan problem. The only thing is that I used to have a pan that didn't have an extremely thick/ heavy base and using it on the gas stove in the rental apparently deformed it slightly. So there's no contact with the glass. Consequently it doesn't work well on the induction hob.



Fyi we're a huge family and I cook everything from scratch 2 x /day. So not necessarily gourmet style cooking, but very heavy use.

Thank you all for your input. I've done a bit of research today and there are two issues I have to talk to vendors about. My current range top is 48" and the largest induction surface I've found is 36" so I'm hoping there's a way to fit a new cooktop in without it looking odd. Also current range top is downdraft. There are a few downdraft induction cooktops out there ranging between $4000-$7000. I was hoping to spend less than that. Gaggenau offers bespoke cooktops so I could build one to fill the hole where the current range top is; downside, nearest dealer is in Portland, 5 hr drive away or 1 hr flight away but I don't know if there is someone local who would do accurate measurements and install.

 

[missy]

@Matata fyi:

Induction Vs Gas Cooking – The Pros And Cons
Lets have a look and compare the pros and the cons of both induction cooking and gas cooking so that you get a better idea of what is you will need in your home.

Pros And Cons Of Induction
Pros

• Very efficient in terms of electricity and is far quicker than Gas cooking
• Very child friendly
• Very quick to heat the cookware reducing cooking times as well as the fact that is is only the cookware that heats up nothing else making the kitchen a cooler place.
• Very accurate – temperatures are finely controlled to help make your cooking better and easier
• Pre-set temperatures for easy use
• Because the base does not heat up you can easily have a portable cooktops which can be used anywhere.
• Are a lot safer than traditional electric cooktops as they do not get hot themselves
• Many have safety features which do not allow them to be on if there is no cookware on the plate
• Glass surface that does not get too hot means spills are a lot easier to clean.
• Can be very easy to install as you do not have to worry about the base heating up.

Cons

• Can be very expensive compare to other types of cooktops
• Will my cookware work with induction – You will need the correct cookware to use
• Unlike gas you need to have the cookware on the plate for it to be effective
• Glass surfaces can crack or be scratched
• Pre-sets and fine temp control means you have to be a little more calculating in your cooking
• Touch control systems take time to get used to and can be difficult in a situation where there is a lot going on in the kitchen.

Pros And Cons Of Gas
Pros

• Instant heat source when you turn on gas.
• Gas is a lot more versatile than Induction as your cooking area is less defined ( up and across – just watch a chef cooking and you will see how they move the pots and pans around.
• Rapid temperature changes make its more accurate and reactive than traditional electric cooktops.
• The flame, for many acts as a visual guide as to how they are cooking temperature wise.
• Most gas cookers come with manual knobs to control the temperature which works better for some people as opposed to touch control system
• While some cookware is better for gas than others all of you current cookware will work with gas.

Cons

• Gas cooktops can be very expensive to install as you will need to have a gas supply installed if you do not already have one.
• While it is very rare there are occasionally gas explosions from leaks etc so there is a safety factor that needs to be taken into account.
• The naked flame makes them not very child friendly and so children in the kitchen have to be closely supervised.
• The heating method is not as efficient as induction and it is not uncommon for kitchen to get hot when you are cooking because of this heat escape.
• Are not so easy to keep clean, there are little bits that need to come off and be cleaned so there is some level of maintenance.
• Because of the safety features you will need to ensure a reasonable amount of maintenance to ensure good and safe performance.

Induction Vs Gas Running Costs
In Terms of power usage this is a difficult one to figure out as there are different sizes and you will also need to take into account the cost of these sources where you live. In many countries in Europe for example gas is cheaper the electricity and is piped straight into the house.
For many in the USA you will need to have some sort of gas tank attached if you do not have this option. For some in the rural areas gas will be cheaper as it is less expensive than the electricity. You also should take into account that fact that gas can run independently to your electricity, if the power goes out then you will still be able to cook.
With all of this in mind it is important to remember that ultimately induction is more efficient than gas and will heat and cook faster than standard electric cooktops or gas will.
If you are someone that does not really do a lot of fancy cooking and maybe feeding a big family with kids etc then in this area induction is probably going to be a better solution.

Why Not Have Both?
If you are not ready to change the whole of your kitchen for this it should be pointed out that because of the nature of induction cooking you can very easily get a portable two plate cooker that can be used in conjunction with what you already have in the kitchen. This option will help you when you are cooking for more than you usually cook for and can be done on any of the kitchen surfaces.

Gas Or Induction – Which One Is Best ?
This is the million dollar question and really there is no straight answer to this. Overall though for the average user induction would be the option that you should most seriously look at.
If you are a foodie and cooking is a big part of your lifestyle gas might be a better option for you as it is more versatile.
If you are a family and need to change what you have at present then the induction cooktop is probably the one that you should be looking at.
If you have kids in the house that are active in the kitchen then again you should be looking at the induction range.
If you are a student and are looking for something economical, then the portable induction range is what you will be best suited to you.
If you are looking to make a major change in your kitchen then we strongly advise that you seek professional help as they will be able to better assess the exact costs for you in terms of installations and running costs that you will incur.

 

[jaaron]

I'm a pretty serious cook and switched to induction through necessity (it was going to be tricky to reroute the gas lines in our old kitchen) and don't see myself ever going back. I could not love it more. It gets super hot, super fast, I can melt chocolate in a pan directly on a burner, and a low simmer stays a low simmer. I disagree with the comment above about the temperature not changing instantaneously--I have never had a gas range that could provide the same degree of responsiveness, and I've had some very high end ones.

I also agree that it's cleaner--not just in terms of mess, but in the heat and particles it puts out into the air. I find myself using the range hood much less often with induction. Most of my pans are Le Creuset or Demeyere--no problems with any of them. Also works really well with cheapo Lodge cast iron.

I have had a Siemens, which I liked a lot, and currently have a Gaggenau here and a Wolf at our beach house--the Wolf is probably my least favourite.

 

[msop04]

Following...

We're building a house sometime between December and February of the upcoming year... I always thought I wanted gas, but now I may look in to induction.

 

[voce]

I disagree with the comment above about the temperature not changing instantaneously--I have never had a gas range that could provide the same degree of responsiveness, and I've had some very high end ones.

The temperature of the induction stove heating element changes instantaneously. However, the heat in the glass cooktop surface used to conduct the heat cannot change instantaneously as flames do. In the situation where I want high flame then suddenly low then high again, especially going from high to low, the response is always lagged because the glass doesn't cool instantaneously. I'm not talking about only maintaining a steady temperature or only going from low to high.

When something is overcooking on a gas cooktop, you turn the flame off and boom, problem gone. With induction, you need to remove the entire cookware with food inside off of the cooktop to prevent it burning any further.

Furthermore, fire is just versatile. What would be the induction equivalent of fire roasted? Can you really get the same taste?

I use "chef" mainly as a proxy for people who experiment with different cooking techniques and always trying to refine and improve, which has nothing to do with how serious or good a cook somebody is.

 

[Tekate]

What is a gas hob?

 

[Tekate]

I'm in the process of working with an architect in designing a new house for us in Texas, I'd like to start building asap, but who the heck knows at this point. we were all set to buy the Thermador 48 inch total gas range but it does also come with some induction features one on model so I will check that out, it's always been very important to me to be able to do a very low boil and it's hard to do with gas. Thanks for all the info.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Induction indoors. And open flame/BBQ for outdoors.

cheer--Sharon

 

[rainydaze]

I grew up with electric (coil), had gas for a couple of years, back to electric (ceramic) and now I have induction. Induction is by far my favorite. Reliable, predictable results, fastest when fast is what you are looking for, easy to achieve and maintain the perfect temp for every cooking situation I have encountered, easy to adjust and I find the adjustment registers within seconds. I am not a chef - but when I do try something new/different I don't find that induction hinders my efforts or results.

I highly recommend induction! I hope you find one to fit your space!

 

[jaaron]

The temperature of the induction stove heating element changes instantaneously. However, the heat in the glass cooktop surface used to conduct the heat cannot change instantaneously as flames do. In the situation where I want high flame then suddenly low then high again, especially going from high to low, the response is always lagged because the glass doesn't cool instantaneously. I'm not talking about only maintaining a steady temperature or only going from low to high.

When something is overcooking on a gas cooktop, you turn the flame off and boom, problem gone. With induction, you need to remove the entire cookware with food inside off of the cooktop to prevent it burning any further.

Furthermore, fire is just versatile. What would be the induction equivalent of fire roasted? Can you really get the same taste?

I use "chef" mainly as a proxy for people who experiment with different cooking techniques and always trying to refine and improve, which has nothing to do with how serious or good a cook somebody is.

Are you sure you're not thinking of glass topped traditional electric hobs? They look exactly the same, but are completely different technology.

Because induction cooks with electomagnetism when the magnets of the stove interact with the magnetic properties in the pans, the only heat produced is between those two things, so the glass itself doesn't heat up at all other than with residual heat. While I'm not a thermodynamics expert by any means, having cooked extensively with both, I would liken the amount of residual heat to that left by a gas flame in the cast iron burner support. Your description above of overcooking is exactly what I experience with induction- a lowering of the burner results in an instantaneous response. I can put pasta in, let it come back to a rolling boil, lower the heat to 8 and it will immediately stop threatening to spill over but still maintain a low boil.

Sure, fire is versatile. But I can't think of the last time I fire-roasted something on top of my stove. If I'm roasting or charring, for example, I can do it under the broiler, on a gas barbecue on in a big green egg. In fact, I put one of these in where we redid our kitchen, and never use it.



As for refining cooking techniques, I'm not sure which ones--other than flame roasting over an open burner or flambéing with flame directly from the cooktop--can't be done with induction?

I'm not working for the industry, by the way. Just stating my experience.

 

[cmd2014]

The temperature of the induction stove heating element changes instantaneously. However, the heat in the glass cooktop surface used to conduct the heat cannot change instantaneously as flames do. In the situation where I want high flame then suddenly low then high again, especially going from high to low, the response is always lagged because the glass doesn't cool instantaneously. I'm not talking about only maintaining a steady temperature or only going from low to high.

When something is overcooking on a gas cooktop, you turn the flame off and boom, problem gone. With induction, you need to remove the entire cookware with food inside off of the cooktop to prevent it burning any further.

Furthermore, fire is just versatile. What would be the induction equivalent of fire roasted? Can you really get the same taste?

I use "chef" mainly as a proxy for people who experiment with different cooking techniques and always trying to refine and improve, which has nothing to do with how serious or good a cook somebody is.

This hasn't been my experience. In fact, I had more of a problem with residual heat in the cast iron burner supports of my old gas stove than I do with the glass on my induction cooktop. I used to have to put pots on another burner because of it if I truly wanted zero heat underneath. The induction offers instantaneous heat reduction in a way that my gas stove didn't do quite as well and I've never had to move a pot to another spot because of residual heat since owning it (you can put your hand on the glass pretty much right after taking a pot off). In fact, what I love most about my induction is that I can have things flaming hot, instantly turn the heat off (or down), hold it on low indefinitely without it burning or drying out, and have it instantly boiling (or hot) again when I'm ready for it to be. I do this with water for pasta (boil it, turn it to low until I am ready for it, then crank it again for instant boiling water when I want it), for things that I want to hold warm until other parts of the meal are ready, or just if I'm too busy having snacks with friends before the main course.

I did buy a tabletop gas burner (an Iwatani) that I thought I would use for certain things. It is awesome, but I only ended up using it for one thing. Seasoning my carbon steel pans. The induction burner is not the best at that for some reason. No idea why. Its the only thing that I have found it to be not so good at. I also told myself I'd use it to roast peppers and heat tortillas, but nope. I either do those outside or in the oven. I really don't miss the gas stove at all. Plus, induction is WAY more environmentally conscious. Not just more energy efficient (90% more so) but the emissions are much less.

 

[voce]

Are you sure you're not thinking of glass topped traditional electric hobs? They look exactly the same, but are completely different technology.

No, I'm not sure. I was thinking of my MIL's stovetop, and I can't remember whether she called it electric or induction. I just know she loves it to bits and I don't. Her glass stovetop heats up so it's probably traditional electric, not induction. Good catch there!

My experience with induction has mainly been one-pot portable cooktops. The power settings on those are in terms of 100W gradations, which is so not intuitive. Perhaps the lag response is due to the residual heat in the cast iron pans themselves I had to use with induction burners, not the cooktop itself. Again, some people love cast iron cookware to bits, and I don't.

I really don't do much Western cooking, find having to go outside to use the gas barbecue a hassle, and haven't figured out how to do the broiler method for roasting and charring. It just seems really energy inefficient to engage the use of an oven when something could be done right over the range with much better visibility. The last time I used a gas burner to roast was when I placed an eggplant between two bricks to make baba ghanoush. Also, roasting jalapenos over a flame imbues a much different taste than just broiling. The closest equivalent involved frying the jalapeno to get the blistered skin, but frying is much less healthy.

Back where I used to live a couple years ago I was cooking for 30-50 people at a time. I would use a wok 3 ft in diameter with a round bottom, and I'd push around like 20 pounds of food. Just the thought of maneuvering that thing around multiple burners on an induction cooktop with them turning on and off from the safety sensors not detecting the wok as it moves around gives me a nightmare! In general, I think induction has not been adapted to round-bottom cookware such as woks very well. Nor can I cook Korean dishes that are meant to be served in stoneware and are sizzling hot when they arrive on the dinner table.

So I guess induction is great, but it has its limitations. Sorry for confusing the electric and induction.

 

[jaaron]

I did buy a tabletop gas burner (an Iwatani) that I thought I would use for certain things. It is awesome, but I only ended up using it for one thing. Seasoning my carbon steel pans. The induction burner is not the best at that for some reason. No idea why. Its the only thing that I have found it to be not so good at. I also told myself I'd use it to roast peppers and heat tortillas, but nope. I either do those outside or in the oven. I really don't miss the gas stove at all. Plus, induction is WAY more environmentally conscious. Not just more energy efficient (90% more so) but the emissions are much less.

I've had pretty much the same experience. I tend to do mine in the oven, but it's a good idea to use the gas burner for that.

No, I'm not sure. I was thinking of my MIL's stovetop, and I can't remember whether she called it electric or induction. I just know she loves it to bits and I don't. Her glass stovetop heats up so it's probably traditional electric, not induction. Good catch there!

My experience with induction has mainly been one-pot portable cooktops. The power settings on those are in terms of 100W gradations, which is so not intuitive. Perhaps the lag response is due to the residual heat in the cast iron pans themselves I had to use with induction burners, not the cooktop itself. Again, some people love cast iron cookware to bits, and I don't.

I really don't do much Western cooking, find having to go outside to use the gas barbecue a hassle, and haven't figured out how to do the broiler method for roasting and charring. It just seems really energy inefficient to engage the use of an oven when something could be done right over the range with much better visibility. The last time I used a gas burner to roast was when I placed an eggplant between two bricks to make baba ghanoush. Also, roasting jalapenos over a flame imbues a much different taste than just broiling. The closest equivalent involved frying the jalapeno to get the blistered skin, but frying is much less healthy.

Back where I used to live a couple years ago I was cooking for 30-50 people at a time. I would use a wok 3 ft in diameter with a round bottom, and I'd push around like 20 pounds of food. Just the thought of maneuvering that thing around multiple burners on an induction cooktop with them turning on and off from the safety sensors not detecting the wok as it moves around gives me a nightmare! In general, I think induction has not been adapted to round-bottom cookware such as woks very well. Nor can I cook Korean dishes that are meant to be served in stoneware and are sizzling hot when they arrive on the dinner table.

So I guess induction is great, but it has its limitations. Sorry for confusing the electric and induction.

I thought that might be the case

Whenever I've had someone say they hate induction, it usually turns out they're talking about an electric cooktop. The reason I tried induction in the first place was that when we moved, there was a ceramic electric hob in the house. I could not wait to tear it out and replace with with gas--I have never hated a cooktop the way I hated that one. But the gas lines were going to be an issue in that kitchen, so I reluctantly went induction as my best option. Much to my surprise, I loved it.

I've also used the portable one burner ones, and while they have some real power, they're nothing like a residential cooktop. I will also say, the technology has become much more user friendly in recent years. Mine is zoneless, so I can put a pan anywhere on the cooktop and it senses the size and shape of the pan. They also make them with indentations for woks, but I haven't tried one--nor have I used a 3 foot wok, though!

For blistering/charring, I don't find using the gas barbecue hugely different from the stovetop. And if I want something really smokey, I'll use the green egg with wood charcoal. Admittedly, having to go outside isn't always ideal, but then, neither is having to have the flame on inside for long enough to soften an eggplant. (I cheat with jalapeños and just throw them in a very hot, dry skillet--usually chars them ok).

I love Korean food, though, and stoneware is one thing that won't work on induction.

 

[msop04]

Forgive me if this is a dumb question, but can you put kitchen cabinets directly above an induction stovetop, or do you need a minimum height above it or a hood of some kind?

ETA: I'm assuming a ventilation system of some kind is necessary.

 

[dk168]

I opted for a ceramic hob when I bought my flat in London in 1989.

It took time to heat and cool down, and the stove top remained hot for a long time.

Hence I was not keen on induction as I thought it would be similar.

However I was wrong.

Induction is much more controllable with fast response time, and the glass top cools down much quicker.

I don't flame roast often. However, if required when using an induction hob, I shall light a match or use a blow torch to set it off.

DK