Induction is by far the easiest cooktop to clean I have ever used. Because the hobs themselves don't heat up food doesn't get baked on. And it is one flat surface to clean. I wipe mine up with a damp microfiber cloth every day or two. And every three of four weeks I use a little cerama bryte on it to get it super clean. It is a thousand times easier to clean than gas.

I agree, Induction is pretty much like wiping off the counter. I need a few wipes with rinsed out cloth if I am frying. You can lay newspaper out over the stove to make for even easier clean up unless you are using high heat, then I still wouldn't recommend it since the pan itself will be very hot. If something boils over, it usually does not burn on and can be wiped immediately

I assume you are debating induction vs gas for reasons beyond ease of cleaning. If maintenance is the determining factor, then any induction top is easier to clean than gas burner tops whether porcelain or stainless steel, but I don't find the heavier cast iron grates on higher end gas ranges that hard to keep clean.

Induction is way easier to clean, if you have a boil-over there are no grates for food or liquid to go into. I wipe mine down daily, use glass cleaner like Windex to cut any grease, and every so often I use a "glass cooktop cleaner" from Sears that gets off anything that remains from high heat cooking (my husband tends to use settings higher than necessary). I've never had to use a razor, nothing more than a sponge. The induction is also just as responsive as gas for cooking. You might want to go to the inductionsite.com to learn more about induction. I love mine! As Silken says you can lay newspaper or parchment around the stove if you are cooking something that splatters, it won't catch on fire. However, the pan becomes hot so if you are frying, the heat will scorch the paper under the pan.

Induction is easier to clean than any other cooktop. I just use a little dishwashing soap for greasy splatters and rinse well, or just a damp cloth for lesser spills. You can also line up paper towels around your pots and pans if you're likely to have a boil over. Even after a greasy mess, the cooktop takes all of 2 minutes to clean. Another advantage is that induction doesn't emit all the heat as you would get from gas flames. Excellent temperature control and immediate responsiveness to increasing or decreasing the heat can't be beat. After two years with induction, I wouldn't go back to anything else.

As others have said - induction is a piece of cake to clean. Mine is 3 years old and looks brand new! I generally use a microfiber cloth or sponge and wipe it clean. Occasionally, I use ceramic cleaner - but not sure it is needed.

We clean ours daily after dinner with Windex All-purpose with Vinegar and a microfiber cloth. We use Ceramabyte about once a month, or sooner if needed (it gets rid of the cloudiness that sometimes appears on the hobs, especially under a cast iron pan). The ease of cleaning is but one reason I would never voluntarily change to another kind of cooktop.

With stainless and gas you will have the same problems of things sticking and burning to the stainless. Some have reported that the stainless can start turning blue due to excess heat, but certianly not on all. Friends have a stainless gas top and it never has turned blue, but she scrubs it every day.

I have learned that Canning Pots are not compatible with induction, so I think I am back to the stainless vs black porcelain gas stove top decision.

What kind of canning pot? I don't use one but have seen them the same material as the flecked roasters which work perfectly on the induction.

I used a cheap Graniteware canner on mine (I bet that's the flecked stuff silken is talking about). Didn't even have a flat bottom. Some people have concerns about the weight of a full large canner on induction or any other glass top and that might be a concern. I dunno.

I have no experience with pressure canners but they can be found. Again, it's the weight. And I don't know if it's a valid concern.

I would be doing serious canning (90 minutes at full pressure) with 8-12 quarts. What I have heard is that the manufacturers of the pressure canners do not warranty results if used on an induction. Plus, I believe most US produced pressure canners are made of aluminum and thus would not conduct properly.

http://www.simplycanning.com/canning-on-induction-top-stove-tops.html

Here's some options for induction canning.

Standard canners will not work on induction but as dan1888 points out there are canners one can buy that will work with induction. We do a lot of canning in the summer and it's one reason we went with a df gas top range. I was concerned about the weight of multiple canners, and a big thing of sugar water going all at the same time.

Stainless (ideally brushed) is better than black enamel IMHO for keeping a range looking clean. Black shows every speck of dirt. Our friends have a black top gas range and hate it for this reason. Induction is clearly the winner when it comes to 'easy to clean'. There's a lot of variation in gas ranges in how easy they are to clean. Our Lacanche has a single piece of brushed aluminum (no crevices) on the top molded around all the burners and we simply lift up the grates and wipe it down - it's very easy to clean. Many with a Blue Star say it's also say it is easy to clean.

Our induction cooktop is 2 1/12 years old. It's used almost every day. All I ever use to clean it are window/glass cleaner or all-purpose spray cleaner.....whichever I grab first. I don't even own any of the fancy dedicated cleaners. I learned from experience that it is necessary to use a clean dishcloth, or streaking occurs.