Induction cooktops...direct experiences...?

[jwing]

I've been cooking by induction for 6 or 7 years; before that my preference was gas. If I had to start from scratch and somebody gave me a gas cooktop, I would not use it, but buy a new induction cooktop instead. Here's why:

SAFETY:
Have you ever been distracted from cooking and come back to find your kitchen on fire? I have, and so have a few friends and co-workers. It's not uncommon. An induction cooktop will turn itself off if it senses excessive temperature.

No open flame, no products of combustion in the house, no potential for gas leaks.

CLEAN: An induction cooktop is by FAR easier to keep clean than any other type. The ultimate is a frameless induction cooktop. Anything with a frame will catch spills, crumbs, etc.

CONTROL: This is where even the cheapest induction cooktops beat gas.

In all stovetop cooking, the stove heats the pan and the pan heats the food. With induction, it's like having direct control of how much heat the pan puts in the food, so you skip that intermediate step of how much heat the flame puts into the pan. Surely you've seen gas flames go around an up the outside of a pan, just wasting that heat.

With induction, you can control by temperature, not the size of the flame. In other words, if you want to simmer, you can choose 180F and you will get perfect simmer. That's hard to do by looking at the size of a flame.

You can set timers. You can set timers and temperatures simultaneously.

There's more; go to an appliance store to see the features of each unit.

DISADVANTAGES:

COOKWARE: Yes the cookware needs to ferrous. That is, a magnet must be able to stick to it. Stainless steel and iron cookware are ferrous. If you have aluminum, well you probably shouldn't, but that's another topic. Iron cookware is cheap and it is the most durable and healthy non-stick type of cookware. There is a disadvantage to iron cookware: it does not distribute heat quickly. So, regardless of the heat source, iron cookware should be preheated. Some induction units have a preheat setting. If you need to change temperatures quickly, use a stainless steel pan with a copper or aluminum layer. These are common and don't cost much.

NOISE: A common complaint of non-induction users. Yes there is a cooling fan that makes a little noise, just like a computer fan. I don't hear people complaining that computers are noisy. There can be a buzz, but that is generated by the cookware. Well-constructed pans with clean, dry, flat bottoms do not buzz. Overall induction cooking is noisier than gas, but quieter than a refrigerator and much quieter than 99% of kitchen exhaust hoods.

EXPENSE: Induction cooktops are more expensive than gas cooktops.

Can you get a feel for induction with a portable hot-plate type induction cooker? Yes and no. You'll get several of the advantages, but the controls are not nearly as precise. Most cheapies have a few discreet settings and they control by alternating full-on/off. The good built-ins have variable power for more consistent temperature.

My opinion is that induction is the clear choice if you are open-minded and you can handle change. People who are more stuck in their ways, don't like change, and/or cannot budge from preconceived notions will prefer gas. People who have not cooked on induction long enough to understand it should keep quiet.

[Flying Orca]

Some have mentioned woks. FWIW, I cook with gas, but I have considered a standalone induction wok cooker because the good commercial models (around $1200 and up) generate a lot more heat than any of my range burners can manage, and that's crucial for proper wokking.

[Larry Pattis]

Originally Posted by jwing

I've been cooking by induction for 6 or 7 years; before that my preference was gas. If I had to start from scratch and somebody gave me a gas cooktop, I would not use it, but buy a new induction cooktop instead. Here's why:

<<snip>>

Excellent, thank you for sharing in such detail.

[imwjl]

My mother has had them and now has what I understand to be a newest generation type. The new one is much better than her earlier ones. It's easy to keep clean compared to our gas model that's also a bit asymmetrical in design because of the burners.

While my mother's latest is truly improved, has that easy clean up, I still love our late model gas burner. The near instant response is great.

Consider how you cook. Making food is my wife's big passion. We wear out items that sit as kitchen showpieces for others. Ours is used a lot. If you're not there the easy clean and improved nature of "modern" could be nice.

Edit: I know my wife likes the choice of putting on any sort of cookware. My mother's doesn't allow that.

I can't tell you one's good, one bad - just that my mother's new flat style unit is much better and for us we love that near instant changing the size of the flame.