What’s Cooking: Gas or Induction Cooktops?

What’s Cooking: Gas or Induction Cooktops?


There’s one burning question that plagues many a kitchen renovator: “should we go with an induction cooktop or a gas cooktop?” Not everyone can make such a decision in the heat of the moment, so you might find this post on the advantages and disadvantages of each type of cooktop helpful.

We’ll start with how they work. An induction cooktop works by sending a small current of electricity through the stove’s cooking element into the pot or pan, which then converts that current into heat. Gas cooktops use natural or propane gas that flows from the main gas valve to each burner’s valve on the stove. Traditionalists rally around gas cooktops because they provide higher heat, while foodies adore induction cooktops for the control and delicate heat they get from them.

If you’re gunning to become the next Neil Perry, you should go for a gas cooktop. Professional chefs swear by these because they’re powerful and the heat appears immediately. You’ll also be pleased to hear that using gas is more cost effective and less harsh on the environment. And if the power ever goes out, you’ll still have gas! However, the open flames and manual knobs do present a safety hazard, particularly if there are little ones running around.

An induction cooktop, on the other hand, allows for much better heat control, plus it’s simpler to use. It will heat something up faster than a gas stove, so can be cost- and time efficient in its own way. One gripe with induction cooktops is that you don’t get nearly as much heat as with gas, and cookware is suitable only if it has some ferromagnetic material at its core, or is placed on a disk that enables induction. Further, if your preferred cooking method involves moving the pans around from plate to plate, this won’t fly on an induction cooktop because the heating will stop as soon as you lift a pan off the stove.

Some important considerations that people often overlook are that induction cooktops are safer, don’t produce any ambient heat in the kitchen and are easier to clean - making them ideal for families.

In terms of aesthetics, induction cooktops are more suited to modern kitchens. Food preparations that require precise application of heat – for example, melting some chocolate in a pot, or cooking hollandaise sauce - are less at risk of being burnt on an induction cooktop because the heat is distributed more evenly.

If you ever find yourself facing this hotly debated topic, we hope this info helps!

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Image via anamoly23.