Lots of previous threads discussing pros and cons of induction. For example:

http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/3932011/gas-vs-induction?n=33

http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/4166996/gas-vs-induction-i-am-torn?n=34

If I was in an all electric house it would be a simple choice: go with induction over coils, an electric glass top, or propane.

I switched 2 years ago and never looked back. Induction heats quicker, responds faster, is much easier to clean, and is far safer than any of the other options. After trying it, you probably won't wish you had gas anymore. Especially after this study which found air quality violating EPA regulations in 60% of the California homes they tested with gas ranges.

Disadvantages to induction are that it's more expensive, especially if you need to replace your cookware, and there is the potential for electronics to go bad.

Go with induction Alma. I have been using induction for about a year and last week even switched one of the two gas hobs used mainly for wok cooking to an induction wok hob.

I nearly put our almost-completed house on the market a dozen years ago when the local utility company informed me they were mistaken when I was told gas was on my street. The crazy cost to run NG was not in the budget. After much research we decided to go with propane for heat/water, range top, drier (electric ovens). We're by the ocean so propane tanks are a better option than oil re: storms.

If I didn't have gas as an option then I would happily choose induction over any other forms of electric top cooking - which I despise. The gas cooking experience itself is visceral, elemental, you can see, know, judge the temp and heat level with your eyes and gain experience in the process. Induction is cooking by numbers plain and simple, but there is a precision to induction that you don't get with gas and you most certainly don't get with other electric.

Adding a propane setup to an already-built house is probably a bigger step then many want to take, although a buddy of mine did on his older Cape for a Wolf range and has never looked back. You'll find some induction folks have an almost cult-like fanaticism and many pro-gas or weigh-your-option types stay out of the fray in most of those discussions. When a friend is planning electric where gas is not an option, I always recommend induction.

I have two kitchens in my current house. One has glasstop electric and one is a relatively new gas stove with convection oven. Sad to say, neither holds a candle to my old O'Keefe and Merritt 36" range that is now in storage. That one has two rings of fire on each burner and is almost infinitely adjustable. Anyway, I detest the glasstop. I've heard induction Electrolux mentioned here. Is that a favored brand?

Almahw glasstop electric is nothing like induction. They are two different animals

Induction is absolutely nothing like radiant electric under glass. The radiant has glows under the glass. Glass-ceramic is an insulator so they have to be even hotter to make the glass heat up. Then the heat has to transfer from the glass to the pan. Not only is it as inefficient as it sounds, but messes get burnt on and need to be removed with a razor blade--without knicking the glass which could make it break.

Induction uses magnetic inductors under the glass to pass a field to just above the glass (up to about 1/4"). The field passes right through the ceramic-glass. It interacts with the iron/steel to excite the electrons and make it heat up. This is the most efficient delivery of energy to a pan available. The glass doesn't heat up from the field, though once the pan is hot it will transfer some of the heat to the glass. When you've just removed a very hot pot, it can have an ouch feel to touch the hot part, but while I've done it accidentally, I've never gotten a burn from it. You would if you leaned on it for some time, like if you lean on the hot hood of a car that has been running for awhile. There's usually an indicator to warn the next person who walks by that the surface is hot. The cooktop stays cool enough to wipe up messes as you make them, and you can lift your pot and carefully wipe underneath (carefully, because if it's damp, the liquid could transfer enough heat to your hand for a burn). You can also spread newspaper or similar under your pan to contain spatter.

Steve is right about the visceral experience of gas. Most people who change to induction and don't like it cite that as the main reason--they miss the heat and flames and are used to adjusting by flame size rather than by actual temperature or the behavior of the food. Induction is scaled by numbers, as are many gas ranges and electric ranges, but cooking is cooking. My mother taught me to put my hand over the pan to judge the temperature. Also to use a small food particle or drop of water, depending on the situation, to tell the difference between hot and very hot. This is really a good practice even if you use gas, rather than flame size, because there is a considerable variation in heat delivery among gas burners, and the pan temperature method allows you to cook anywhere on any fuel with minimal adaptation.

Although many fine ranges are available, they're all going to be different than your beloved O'Keefe and Merritt. Is there a reason you won't be using it in the future? You can have it reconditioned and restored if it's ailing. There are many people who do that kind of work professionally (and safely).

Since you're looking to replace the electric range that's there now, one thing to consider, which I forgot before, is that induction might require an upgrade to the electric service. Something to check thoroughly before you buy.

Just went induction 2 months ago and definitely don't regret it. The only drawback is that I feel the need to be more careful when cooking on it as opposed to a gas range where you can slide pans around without worrying. I have a grill with a gas burner on one of the side tables so I can still roast peppers/eggplants/etc if I need to.

Hmmm.... I had not thought about losing the ability to grill stovetop.

Did you mean grilling directly on fire or on grill pan? For rectangular cast iron grill pan/griddle pan, there are induction cooktops with bridge element that are suitable for the task. Not sure if the option is available on an induction range, not on a Miele range if memory serves me well.

For charring some food directly on fire, get a small butane gas cooker typically used for table top cooking in Korean, and Chinese cuisines. It is small and cheap and cab be tucked away somewhere nearby. It is probably not everyday that it will be needed.

One of the reasons I got a couple of gas burners was to char vegetables on the open flame. It's stainless, though, and a bother to clean, so I find myself doing them under the broiler instead. I was also given a butane kitchen torch. I'm too chicken to use it, but it's an alternative. ;)

Not sure I'd use the torch either! I do like the idea of a little butane cooker. I actually think I have one in storage - somewhere. :)

Do you have an outdoor barbecue? You could do charring out there instead.

Yes, I'm more careful about moving pans around on the induction cooktop than I was with gas grates. I did somehow end up with some small scratches early on and no idea how that happened. I ended up putting a placemat on top of range in case DH was setting things on top or something. I just recently saw him with some old pan on there that he'd used to carry meat in from the grill and he was cutting it in this pan, jerking it around on the cooktop. Hmmmm.....probably was something like that that scratched it. Fortunately he was mostly on the placemat this time but I did have to tell him again - don't use the top as if it had the cast iron grates of the gas cooktop in our previous house.

I do also notice I have to old on to the pan when stirring or it spins around on the cooktop which of course I think could cause scratches though the pan is super smooth.

These are minor inconveniences which the benefits far outweigh. I have the electrolux freestanding - very happy with it so far though I've only been using it for a few months.

If the pan is smooth AND there are no salt or sugar crystals on the cooktop, it shouldn't scratch. Cosmetic scratches aren't important either, just the ones that score the surface and can cause the cooktop to break.

Re the spinning pan, you can put a silicone (no fiberglass inside) pot grabber underneath, or several coaster sized ones just tucked under the pot edges in a triangle. That will hold it firmly in place without interfering with the induction field or getting in your way.

Do it -- you won't regret it.

The other day my 14 was cooking fried rice and asked "what number do I cook it on" -- so easy to use!

I've had several induction ranges and have really enjoyed cooking with induction. We are in the midst of a kitchen remodel however and are probably going to go with a gas range.

Issues with induction: We had four (yes four) Samsung induction ranges each of which failed within the warranty period. The last one literally exploded the cooktop glass and we refused a replacement but got our money back via small claims. Finally switched to Electrolux which has been trouble free and a more convenient design. My only complaints/comments about the Electrolux applies to almost all induction ranges: 1) glass top is not as desirable as cast iron grates except for cleaning and 2) I don't like the electronic selector controls (although Electrolux is much better than Samsung). If I was limited to electric I would keep the Electrolux, it really has been a very fine range all things considered. I do love the instant control and power.

The reason to switch to gas for us is partly the cast iron grate thing and partly that we bought a nice set of used kitchen cabinets that has a space and hood for a 48 inch range. If someone made a 48" induction range I'd definitely consider it.

One other little quirk about induction ranges: I like to cook with cast iron pans and griddle. If I clean those and put them back on the glass stovetop I get rust spots on pan and stovetop. There isn't enough residual heat to evaporate the water. Of course it isn't that hard to turn on the burner to high for fifteen seconds to evaporate residual moisture (or put down a paper towel) but it's just a little annoying quirk.

For the original poster: go induction if you have only electric. No question about it.

Serious question: do you truly have to be careful cooking around induction? If so it would be a risky option for me. Case in point: this Saturday, three other families over - home made butternut squash ravioli app in the 7qt pentola, commercial roasting pans of roasted veggies plopped on the range top for staging/cooling, wire cooling racks dropped on the range top for the brioche lobster rolls, pans flying on/off the six burners all evening for sauces and various prep, drinks flowing freely. Range cleanup - Sunday. Really, I just don't see the opportunity for an abundance of caution, and my BlueStar can pretty much take any beating I dish out. I always though an induction was an acceptable plan-B, but...

I have had my Kenmore induction range for 6 or 7 years. Only one service call for a noisy convection fan.

I'd buy a Kenmore again in a heartbeat.

to stevep2005: The issue with induction cooktops and ranges is that the cooking surface is high tech glass not cast iron. You simply cannot bang cast iron pots and pans around the way you could on a gas stove. However, the flip side is that the no crevice surface is much much easier to clean than a gas stove and you are not going to ruin igniters with spillovers. Having used both I prefer the control and safety of induction but definitely miss the cast iron grates with gas.

stevep:

Do your truly have to be careful? Nah. Subject gets discussed a lot every so often. You may find this thread (and the threads linked from it) will help answer your questions:

http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2346300/causing-scratches-breakages-on-induction-cooktop

You can put all that stuff on your induction cooktop. You just should set them there, rather than plopping.

The only thing you have to be really careful about, other than not dropping things from up high, is spilled crystals of salt or sugar, which, when pushed around by a heavy pot, and make a score in the surface like a glass cutter does, which can turn into a crack, and then into a break.

If you pick up a heavy pot and don't have a good grip on it, and it slips a couple of inches, it's highly unlikely that you'll damage the surface.

If you want to use the area for staging rather than cooking, you can also put a mat or board over it. If you plop stuff on a cutting board on top of the cooktop it'll distribute the impact and it'll be fine.