I have both gas and induction in my kitchen, but the main part is gas. I would not want to switch to all induction, but I do like it for a few things, such as using with my pressure cooker so that I can set it on a timer, and the cook top will turn off when I want it to. If I had to choose one or the other exclusively, I would choose gas without hesitation. Plus a lot of my pans do not work with induction.

So many things can go wrong with anything electrical - gas is easier to fix, and I like seeing the flame so that I know exactly how much heat I am getting. I also use a wok a lot, and that does not work at all (at least mine does not) with induction.

If you watch cooking shows, you will see chefs cooking with gas most of the time. I have not seen any cooking shows that use induction, although there must be some. Julia Child used to use electric in her first show, but in her more recent shows, she used gas.

Lars

I have induction and would never go back to gas. Yes gas has a visual heat indicator by looking at the flame, but once I got the hang of induction I found I could get the same thing by looking at the numerical readouts. Plus Samsung has a new induction range out with LEDs that shine up the sides of the pan to mimic gas flames. A lot of my pans did not work with induction either, but I promptly replaced them with ones that did. The technology is just so superior that I could care less about my old pans. Obviously there are exceptions but those people will know that and won't be considering induction at all. Cooking shows... who cares. You are buying this appliance for you not some cooking show host. And you don't need to worry how it looks on TV either (big pro style ranges are sexier than low profile induction cooktops).

There are induction compatible pressure canners (Fagor is one, and there is at least one other). I have never used any, so I can't compare them to each other or comment on how well canning works on induction vs. other cooking surfaces.

This post was edited by hvtech42 on Sat, Feb 7, 15 at 16:10

Thanks for the meaty responses -- a lot to think about!

My home canning needs are not going to be in commercial quantities, thankfully!

I do hate the idea of buying all new cookware, but fortunately the more expensive items here are Caphalon pots and pans that can always still be used in the oven since the handles are all oven proof. (Or atop the wood burning stove.)

The idea of easy cleanup is nice. However, the house will be heated by a combo of solar, propane, and wood burning stove. So propane will still be here.

I have seen one or two cooking shows where induction cooktops were used.

Anyhow.... decisions, decisions!!!! Ack!

Like Publickman, I also have a countertop induction burner

Publickman, I didn't realize your induction was countertop. This might explain your lack of enthusiasm about it - they just aren't as powerful as 240V built-in units.

I currently have a gas range, which is great, but in the next round of electric work I'm having 240V brought into the kitchen and will add countertop induction burners...that may work for you too. If you aren't using 240 don't bother with induction.

I find it hard to believe that people with both gas and induction still prefer gas.

Aside from not combusiting nasty hydrocarbons in your living space and dealing with the soot in your home, induction is extremly predictable and controllable. Yes, there is no flame to see as with gas, but with induction you have precise decimal control of the power of the burner. The number on your control pad replaces the gas flame, and that's far more precise and consistant than trying to look at a gas flame. Induction is WAY more responsive than gas could ever hope to be, especially on the low end with simmering. If you make candy or sauces, induction is impossible to beat with any other technology - let alone gas.

Induction is predicticable and consistent. Always. For those who think they have more control with gas, I'd postulate you just haven't practiced enough with induction. Instead of looking for a flame under a pan (which you have probably done for a decade or more) you just need to get used to looking at a number on the controls instead. And what takes more time? Looking under a pan and fiddling with a flame to get it to where it looks right - or just dialing up 8 or whatever the number is for the heat level you need.

No way I would *ever* mess with gas again.

As for pots, that is the one potential downside with induction. If you have aluminum or non-ferrus metals (if a magnet won't stick to it, it won't work with induction) you may have to get a bunch of new cookware. I looked at it as an opportunity to upgrade. I found a great website (from these forums years ago) - Cookware and More. They are an All-Clad outlet, they have sales twice a year - visit their web site and sign up for their mailing list. Almost all my pans and skillets are factory seconds I got on sale from them. Most of the blemishes were either on the handles or outside - only one frying pan had it inside, and it was so small you probably wouldn't know it was there if I didn't point it out to you. Nice thing about stainless is with a little barkeepers friend it can be made to look new easily - but I digress...

As for canning, there are pleanty of large pots that are stainless or have stanless slugs on the bottom that will work with induction. Although to be honest, once I had the idea to use my propane turkey fryer burner outside with my canning I much prefer that - keeps the heat and humidty outside, especially in the warmer months.

Once you see an 8 quart pot of water boil in a little over 3 minutes, I think you will a lover of induction :)

Check out this article about gas ranges and indoor air quality. Also illustrates the importance of a good range hood.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cook with a gas stove? You could be breathing polluted air

I used to hate electric, and much prefer gas. For 20+ years, I have cooked only with gas until we moved to county property in the hills, and the gas company won't put a gas line up here. It is against county safety regulations to cook with propane in the house (propane inside, hangs low in the air and can kill your family silently). My choice was regular electric or induction. I am thrilled with induction! I LOVE it! Not sure about pressure cookers made for induction. Never use pressure cookers. Too scary. My only beef is finding an induction baking pan. Why do I need that? Because I love to cook a roast, then put the pan on the cooktop to make gravy using the brown stuck on bits and the juices. A regular baking pan won't work on induction, and it's hard to find a cheap one. I do have a cast iron skillet, so that might have to do the job for future roasts. I vote induction!!

Just remember that induction works by creating an electro magnetic field that is just as harmful to your health as gas combustion, if not more so. You can always vent the combustion by-products out, but you can't escape the electric fields.
Also, the flat glass/ceramic tops may seem to be easier to clean, but they show every little spill, mark, or touch and they scratch very easily.
As for the pans, you should be using stainless for food anyway. It is the only material that is not putting poisons into your food.

Count me in the 'gas' camp. I know people LOVE their induction. I've cooked on my mom's induction and was less charmed, although she is really happy with it. I guess I just like the feel and sturdiness of my gas range. I have no complaints about the heat responsiveness of induction. I just feel like I would need to be more careful with it and was not convinced my two full water bath canners plus canning sugar water plus cooking fruit would have help up electrically on induction all day long during a summer canning fest. With gas I had no problem or questions with this. If I did not have a choice I'm sure I would have dealt with and probably been happy with induction. But given the choice, call me an old fashioned gas girl.

Perhaps we are all just happy with what we have chosen. If that's the case, no worries, you will love what you choose!

Correction:

JWVideo had me with an "i" in my screen name (it really is 3 L's, which is important if you're doing a search), and didn't quite remember my set-up. I have a 24" Gaggenau induction cooktop (2/3 of the standard 36" model from the same maker) and a 15" Wolf domino. That's five cooking spaces, three induction and two gas. I do more low and slow than high and mighty cooking, and can do the latter on the induction (the gas is "normal" power).

I much prefer to use induction for most things. I'm glad I have the gas, and it's much better for grilling tortillas due to the hot air coming around the griddle, but in general I find the induction better for most of my cooking. One thing that isn't discussed much is heat spread. Gas doesn't like low settings, and usually makes them smaller. The heat is right over the tiny flames, even with a separate simmer burner. You can use a diffuser, but then you're making indirect heat. Low on induction still has the full spread of inductors. And you don't need a double boiler. :)

ChristyMcK is right on the money about the canning. If you're a serious canner, induction, while it could be managed, would be a fight. I know a lot of canners who use electric coil because it's sturdy and even, and possibly more available than gas. Some in the forums here also talk about using a turkey fryer burner with their pressure canners outside.

BUT, there's a big difference between thinking of trying pressure canning, presumably because you want to try something low acid like green beans, and putting up a home farm full of produce for the year. If you live on a city lot, you might have several quarts of beans, not many bushels.

If you really want to get into home canning in a big way, however, even if it's for buying fruit and making jams with waterbaths, you should give serious consideration to how your choice is going to work for you in the future.

Some people also have a full sized induction stove, with a gonzo gas burner for woks and canning on the side. Others have a gas range with an induction domino on the side, though in my opinion that would only be useful for if you wanted to keep the kitchen cooler in the Summer but still boil some pasta. As has been said, gas can do it all. Hotly. :)

The electromagnetic field health studies have been debunked. They used epidemiological data that didn't control for factors such as poverty. I have seen no reports of any health problems caused by induction cooker e-m fields, and it has been studied extensively overseas. There is some concern that there a slim potential for interference with a particular kind of pacemaker, and some further better safe than sorry kind of caution from doctors who are further concerned about potential interaction with medical equipment (mostly because the doctors don't understand induction cooking). That's not a health issue. That's a mechanical issue, and mostly a non-issue at that.

Gas effluent is very bad for asthmatics, and is a potential problem for others when it is not vented correctly. That's a direct effect on health.

I have had electric, induction and gas. Electric coils - blech... Then I remodeled and loved the induction we choose, really did. Then we moved andI had a wonderful gas cooktop and loved the gas. There is a freedom I find in banging my iron skillets around without a care. Cleaning the induction is nothing short of life changing though.... In my perfect world, I will have a 36 inch gas cooktop with griddle and 2 induction hobs under a 54 inch hood. And, a clean up sink in the same run. And, an amazing prep sink. And. And. And.

We are considering a kitchen remodel and have no idea what we will choose. Good luck with your decision.

Here is a good read if you're interested in potential health hazards of induction.

Here is a link that might be useful: Induction Cooking: Radiation Hazards?

The induction field lines are closed and trapped in the magnetically susceptible pan bottom. They don't interact with the cook. They are difficult to even measure close to the cooktop at the edge of the pan. Unfounded arguments promoting fear of damage from weak low frequency electric fields started with the inception of house wiring over a hundred years ago.

Worry about strong radio and radar fields if you must.

kas

Plllog wrote <<<"JWVideo had me with an "i" in my screen name (it really is 3 L's, which is important if you're doing a search.">>>

Ooops. Aging eyes. Sorry.

ChristyMcK wrote <<<" was not convinced my two full water bath canners plus canning sugar water plus cooking fruit would have help up electrically on induction all day long during a summer canning fest.">>>

As I see it, induction ranges holding up electrically is less of a problem than with just plain not having room for all those pots together on the stovetop of the readily available induction ranges. How much that consideration matters will vary with personal preferences, interests and needs.

One of the attractions of a pro-style 30" range is that you can fit four large pots on the stove-top at once because the burners are spaced more widely and the backsplash/vent is thin. This can be a factor for folks who want to run larger volume canning projects (such as described by ChristyMck) as well as folks who do a lot of entertaining. Once you put large kettles/pans on the front burners of freestanding induction ranges and most slide-in induction ranges, you don't have the room to fit any big pots on the back burners (such as dutch ovens, larger stockpots, etc.). This is not limited to induction ranges, btw. It is pretty much true for most major brand stoves.

This limitation will not matter to many people because they rarely, if ever, need to run four large pans at a time. I recall a post from last year when JEBrooks tested out pot spacing (IIRC, on the GE PHB920 and PHS920 and Bosch HIIP540U) and concluded that those induction set-ups would work for his/her cooking because he/she was looking to fit only 3 quart saucepans on the rear burners while using 12-inch fry pans on the front ones.

On the other hand, when you are doing larger production canning projects (as ChristyMcK describes) or maybe cooking for a bigger parties, you may find a standard free-standing range has insufficient space for what you want to do, That's a factor that may be weighed in choosing a range.

Thus, while I have an abstract preference for induction surface burners, I can't buy an abstract induction range. I have to choose between actual models of ranges and every actual range model represents a mix of engineering tradeoffs and design compromises. Depending on your preferences and needs, there may be more to the choice than just induction versus gas.

I had (built-in) induction and would not want a whole kitchen in it. I much prefer gas for most forms of cooking. This is especially true for things like Wok cooking, charring tomatoes and peppers for salsa and sauces, and getting the proper amount of convective heat from the exposed flames.

Here's an interesting counterpoint to the status on the research of induction on health, issued by the Swiss government (which tends to be very conservative in matters of public health): Swiss Recommendations