The Advantages of Induction Cooktops

About 10 years ago I bought a new gas range. At the time, I was interested in induction cooking, which was growing in popularity. Unfortunately, an induction range was close to three times the cost of the gas range that I eventually purchased.

Since then, the price of induction cooking appliances is a lot lower. While you can still expect to pay a premium for an induction range, the most basic models start around $1,000. While that’s more expensive than the cheapest gas and conventional electric ranges, it’s more affordable than just a few years ago. In general, you’ll find that induction ranges in a manufacturer’s product lineup will roughly cost about 50% more than a conventional electric or range range with equivalent features.

There are two main disadvantages of induction cooking. The higher cost of the appliance is one. The other is that non-magnetic cookware is incompatible with induction, which includes copper, aluminum, and some types of stainless steel. Both of these can be a deal breaker for consumers, especially if you have a substantial investment in non-magnetic cookware.

On the other hand, the list of advantages is long. Induction appliances are higher performance, safer, and have more advanced features than gas or electric.

Induction cooking is quickly growing in popularity. If you’re thinking of switching away from gas in your home, induction is a great step to take. It’s still a new technology to many people, so this article will list some of the top reasons for choosing induction.

Induction cooktops crank out more power

One of the top reasons that people are switching to induction cooking is the much higher power output they can achieve. This isn’t because they use more electricity: their power requirements are the same as a conventional electric range, which is usually 50 amps for a standard 30-inch range.

Instead, induction elements are able to achieve higher power output because they are more energy efficient. With a gas or conventional electric element, much of the heat they generate is lost to the air, especially if you use a small pot on a large element.

Induction elements don’t heat up themselves. Instead, they use a magnetic field to create heat directly in cookware. Because they transfer energy using a magnetic field instead of through contact with a flame or hot element, induction cooking is much more efficient. According to one study, induction elements are 70% efficient on average¹. In contrast, gas and conventional electric elements are only 28% and 39% efficient on average, which means that most of the heat they generate is lost to the air.

Because conventional electric and induction ranges often have the same power requirements – typically a 50-amp circuit with a NEMA 14-50 power outlet – upgrading to an induction range is often as easy as removing the old range and plugging the new one in. Unless you’re switching from a gas range, you often won’t need an electrician.

You’ll especially notice this power efficiency advantage when comparing the time it takes to boil water. When using a full size element, induction will often take half the time to boil a pot of water compared to either gas or electric.

Induction is instant response, just like gas

In the past, gas cooktops were the only choice for any cook who wanted high heat output and instant response when you change the power level. While conventional electric cooktops (whether they are coil element, solid element, or radiant) can also have high output, they take a long time to heat up and cool down.

Induction cooktops give consumers another option. They heat up instantly like gas, but with even better power output. They also response instantly when you turn the power down to a simmer. In fact, induction cooktops can simmer better than either gas or electric, especially when they’re equipped with temperature sensors that let you hold a pot at a specific temperature (more about that next).

Built-in temperature sensors make precise cooking easier

One of the things that cooks often need to do is hold a dish at a simmer. Your Bolognese sauce will be more tasty if you can simmer it for several hours, but that can be tricky with a gas or electric cooktop. If you let the temperature drift too high, you’ll end up with a very not-tasty-at-all scorched mess at the bottom of your pot.

Induction cooktops make this situation easier because most models have temperature sensors built-in. This isn’t possible in a gas or electric element where there is an open flame or hot element, but an induction element will become only as hot as the cooking vessel that’s sitting on top.

Because of this, a sensor in an induction element can accurately read the temperature of a cooking vessel sitting on top. This means that if you’re making a big pot of Bolognese sauce, you can set the temperature to below boiling and hold it there for hours with less supervision than other types of cooktops would require.

Induction cooktop have more safety features

Safety is another big advantage of induction cooktops.

First of all, they don’t create an open flame or direct heat source. The surface of an induction element will get only as hot as the cookware sitting on top. This doesn’t eliminate the risks of burns, but it does significantly reduce the chance of igniting something that accidentally comes in contact, such as a pot holder.

Temperature sensors also provide an additional layer of safety by preventing a cooking vessel from getting too hot. If the cooktop senses that the temperature is too high – as might happen if you accidentally leave an empty pan on a burner – the cooktop will automatically shut off.

This is a common hazard associated with gas and electric elements, which can lead to fires. In fact, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), cooking is the leading cause of house fires in the United States, with an average of 158,400 fires reported per year, resulting in an average of 470 deaths annually².

NFPA’s reporting goes further and reveals that unattended cooking is the top reason for cooking fires. Some induction cooktops have features that help reduce this hazard, such as timer-based cooking, temperature-based cooking that will hold a constant temperature, and automatic shutoff after a long period of cooking time.

Finally, all induction cooktops will not turn on if there isn’t a compatible magnetic pan sitting on top.

Not all induction cooktops have all of these features, so be sure to research any model before making a purchase.

Health hazards associated with gas cooking appliances

Air pollution from gas stoves is another safety risk, but it deserves a special mention because of the health impacts that are coming to light. More and more global research is showing that emissions from gas cooking is associated with serious health impacts, including asthma and heart disease.

A European study indicated that emissions from gas stoves may contribute to as many as 40,000 early deaths in Europe every year³, while US research has shown that as many as 1 in 8 cases of childhood asthma could be traced back to indoor air pollution, primarily from gas cooking appliances.

The emissions from gas cooktops that are a cause for concern include carcinogens like benzene and formaldehyde, as well as combustion byproducts such as PM_2.5, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon monoxide. PM_2.5 is a particular risk for people with heart or respiratory diseases.

While some pollutants (including PM_2.5 and larger particulates) are produced by cooking itself and can’t be eliminated by switching away from a gas range, induction cooking has much lower risks. With electric cooking in general, there’s no danger of an unlit gas burner filling your kitchen with natural gas.

This is an important topic, so I wrote an article that covers this issue in detail, and includes extensive footnotes.

Other “smart” features of induction cooktops

In addition to safety features, induction cooktops also often have other useful features that you can’t find in gas stoves. For example, some cooktops are Wi-Fi-connected and can be monitored and remotely controlled from a smartphone.

Child locks also prevent small hands from accidentally turning on an element.

I’ve already mentioned automatic temperature control, but some cooktops take it a step further with programmable cooking. For example, you can program an element to bring a pot to a boil and then automatically turn the temperature down for a long simmer.

Some manufacturers also let you pair an exhaust hood with the cooktop, so when you switch on an induction element the fan and lights turn on automatically.

Smooth induction cooktops are easier to clean

All induction cooktops have a durable ceramic-glass surface that is much easier to clean than gas or electric cooktops with open elements. If you’ve ever had to clean up the charred remains of food that has dripped onto a hot electric element or gas burner, you’ll appreciate how much easier it is to wipe up a spills on an induction cooktop. As mentioned earlier, the surface of an induction element only gets as hot as the pan on top, so charring isn’t as much of a problem.

Higher energy efficiency helps you save money

As mentioned earlier, an induction cooktop is much more energy efficient than other types of cooktops. This means that you’ll spend less on electricity compared to a conventional electric cooktop. Depending on your cost of your electricity, the savings over the lifetime of the appliance could be enough to offset the price premium that you would pay for an induction range.

New rebates can lower the cost of electric appliances, including induction ranges

Finally, some states are now offering incentives for home electrification projects, including switching to electric cooking appliances. These rebates are part of the federal Inflation Reduction Act, and the money is being made available to states through the High-efficiency Electric Home Rebate Program (HEAR).

Depending on your income eligibility, the HEAR program can give you a rebate up to $840 on an electric range or cooktop. The program will even give you a rebate if you need an electric wiring or panel upgrade as part of the appliance upgrade.

These rebates are still being rolled out and are not available in all states, but you can expect them to be more widely available soon. You can read my article on the Home Energy Rebates program to learn more.

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