"you can place a paper towel between the burner and the pot."

I have a relatively average level LG induction range, and I use a paper towel under my pot whenever I make popcorn -- no problem. Also sometimes when I use my cast-iron frying pan -- it seems to improve the connection between the pan bottom and the stove top.

The cookware set I bought is Circulon $199 at Costco [often on sale for $149]. Also I have a dutch oven from Sams Club that works with it. Everything cooks so evenly. And stays so clean.

I love my GE profile induction stove I’ve had for 2 years. We replaced our 6 year old gas stove as issues with oven function. Was planning to get gascooktop with electric oven but hard to find & that combo is costly. Appliance store suggested induction as cost of them has come down over the years. I did some research decided to go for it & have been so happy for all the reasons everyone states here. Speed, ease of cleaning etc. I don’t see anyone talk about safety - that’s a huge factor. Mine has a control panel lock you can engage when not in use but biggest thing is when pot removed from cooktop the burner will blink / flash a warning that pan removed then will turn off. Has anyone ever left a gas burner on lowest simmer setting when they’ve removed pan & not seen the burner still on until hours later or next morning?.😱 i know I’m not the only one! So, tell us tiffislan, what did you decide?

@Kw, I have definitely, accidently left low burner on, yikes! Just purchased Frigidaire induction cooktop and can’t wait to use it!

Yes, Jan. I was thinking of doing a 36 inch or larger range, but based on all these induction lovers, now thinking induction may be the way to go..

KW- haha I love it! "well tell us tiffeslan, what did you decide?" I will let you know! Pirch showroom salespeople seem to think if you cook a lot, the gas range is better...I also worry about scratches on an induction and feeling like, "if I use it too much, am I going to run out of it's limited time allotment! I think the look is modern and beautiful and more exciting, but it's a risk! I wish I had a friend with one!

Depends too on if you use cast-iron skillets. Maybe induction is better now, but I have been using induction for 6 years. I miss my skillet! I have adapted. but next home...back to gas. Although I might miss the induction then.

haha that's funny Erica. What is it about cast iron skillets that you like? I have All Clad and they'll work but salesperson at the appliance store said, "yes but then you have to be sure bottoms are completely flat for good connection" etc..I am not that fussy and can probably adjust to anything, but I want something that won't break down. Wolf seems like a sure bet. Thanks again!

There are various reasons for liking gas/propane. My main reason is cooking during power outages.

Hi Tiffeslan! I have All Clad too, and I love it! My induction came with instructions saying not to use a cast iron skillet, but I tried cooking with it before reading. Basically, it did not heat at all, and I was trying to melt butter and cook rice in it to make a big one pot meal. I was so surprised after an hour and nothing cooking! Found out the hard way!
I miss heating up the skillet and heating up chix or steak and then finishing it off in the oven. With an induction, I use either my all clad or a non stick skillet and then transfer the meat to my cast iron which I heat up in the oven- instead of the seamlessness of my cast iron from stove top to oven to table. I don't want to risk accidentally putting the oven temp too high and damage a pan.
I have a medium size family, and my cast-iron was amazing for one pan/pot cooking. My recipes have adapted well to an induction. It's something I think about it sometimes! Every person uses their kitchen differently. Oh! And my tagine! It's in my garage...it can only be used on gas and not induction. So only two things I can't use.
Don't worry about what the salesperson said about perfectly flat bottoms. Some pans flatten perfectly after being heated.
You're right about getting something that won't break down! That's important. Sometimes...I get pans from a restaurant store. If it is good for the pros, it's good for me. I only have 4 kids, but they eat a lot! And I am in the kitchen...cooking a lot. :)

I'm intrigued by the idea of a range with a combination of induction and gas... Sounds like the best of both worlds! We have gas in our kitchen and love it because we cook a LOT and mostly on cast iron skillets of all shapes and sizes, as well as stir-frying on a wok. We also let our teenagers cook and our son is an excellent cook, but he's messy. The gas burners do need to be cleaned daily, but it's just part of my routine and not a big deal. I feel like I'd worry about an induction cook top getting destroyed with the way we cook, and would be very sad not to be able to use our cast iron pots and pans.

In our basement brewing (beer & coffee) area, we have a large plug-in induction burner and love it for how quickly it brings water to a boil and maintains a consistent temperature. We also use it for heating milk for making yogurt, and boiling water for canning or making pasta. It's perfect for some tasks, but not for the way we prepare most of our meals.

uh, cast iron is magnetic and should work on induction. no idea why yours wouldn't.

Sales person told me there’s a pad one can get to place on glass surface under cast iron pan to prevent damage from scratches to surface. My understanding is the only reason cast iron is not advised - too much risk of scratch or break from setting down too hard I think. I don’t use cast iron but I changed from gas to induction 2 years ago & will never go back! I love the cleanable glass surface, the environmental positive of electric over gas, the safety of not leaving a burner accidentally on at simmer & I think my induction has faster response to heat control than my gas did. I was looking for gas top electric oven to replace my 6 year old gas oven with on off issues. Induction was suggested as better cost. It was explained that as induction becoming more popular cost has declined. I don’t have a particularly high end model but it works for me! GE Profile. Love it !

We are putting induction in our new build and could not be more excited. We have All Clad cookware.

I’ve never had a problem using cast iron on my induction cooktop. No scratches yet after 3 years.
I love induction.

Thanks, Bouncy, what do you love about it? Do you feel like you can still sear etc..?

Induction does great with everything from searing on high heat to easily maintaining the gentlest of simmers on low heat. For me, the precise control of heat and short amount of time to heat up are my favorite features of induction. Because my induction stove can maintain very low temperatures, I can melt chocolate without using a double boiler. I'll never go back (and I've lived in homes with everything from dinky rental coil burners to higher-end slide in gas ranges).

I have an induction range in one location and a gas range in the other. Happy with both but LOVE the induction. Precise control of heat, as others have said. Also safer for kids and the elderly because the surface doesn’t get hot. Turns off automatically when you remove the pan, so good for fire safety. The only negative we found is that when our outdoor gas grill expired one night, we couldn’t make s’mores on the induction burner indoors because it needs a pan on it or it won’t heat up hahaha. Not a problem for normal families who make their s’mores outdoors! Given the choice of induction vs any other kind of burner, I’d always choose induction.

Good to know, thank you. Funny about the SMORES!!! I guess we could live with that! lol Are you ever concerned that your time is running out with them? Sounds strange but I heard they only work for a limted amount of hours? Ever hear that? Our current broken gas range was at this house for 30 years working till recently, so just wondering if you've ever hear that you need to change it in 8 years..?limited

Maybe this is a solution for those who want both!

Induction Mixes with Gas Cooktop · More Info

@tiffeslan I’d never heard that and hope it’s not true! 😳

me too! Anyone know anyone who has had one for 15 years?

we can't get a gas line because it would be insanely expensive. at first we were sad about it, but the thing is, electricity is rapidly becoming the greenest kind of energy, so that alone makes us pretty jazzed about getting an induction. we don't have one yet, but we're really looking forward to it. my husband is a really good home cook so I think he deserves something fancy!

apparently they stay cleaner too! currently we have a regular glasstop electric, and it usually looks spotty even when its clean. burnt starches leave a film that can only be removed with barkeepers friend, so I only do that about once a month. apparently inductions really cut down on that problem since the surface doesn't get nearly as hot. I look forward to less scrubbing!

Thats interesting about people having trouble with cast iron on induction ... it's certainly magnetic, and I've never had an issue with a Staub (enameled cast iron) on a portable induction burner; they've worked just like they should, assuming I didn't screw up.

Good to know. Thanks Bundtcake! I have never cooked a lot with cast iron. I do like to make Persian food, would like to learn Thai...but need to discover the cast iron world as well if I can dedecideicde on a color sceschememe!- maybe once we know the new kitchen colors LOL I suppose I could also get a portable plug in induction! What brand do you have?

Depends on what you cook I suppose...we primarily make indian food and need the gas for things like phulkas that are made on open flame. Also the kadahi which is similar to a wok is used almost daily in our house so Induction won't work.

I wish gas had a look like induction- flat, sleekmodern, mosern then flames come out of the glass! Why not?! I may be onto something here! lol

tiffeslan that's so funny, I actually prefer the look of a gas range, I think they're so pretty! or even those old electric coils. mainly because I would wipe around the burners and and the enamel area would look "clean enough" for everyday standards, whereas my glass top looks streaky most days.

Rekha A 9a agreed, that is a major upside to gas! in our house we eat tortillas really often, it's so much better to put them straight on a gas burner, lol.

Good point about how you can getaway with imperfection with gas range...especially black burner shell...induction much more modern and sleek but the ranges do look "rich and substantial," don't they!

BTW, I use this kind of recycled scrubbie to clean it every day. it won't get the really stubborn starch spots, but it will get the other burnt food and doesn't scratch the glass. they're awesome for dishes too, even my LeCreuset.

tiffeslan, I like that with induction I get precise control of the heat

And I get the heat instantly. Also very easy cleanup. Another bonus is that with the controls locked I have another smooth surface I can use since I don’t have a lot of countertop space.

The benefits to induction IMO are safety related and clean-up related. Maybe I'll throw in quick heating to a boil as well. I bought a $100 portable induction cooktop to expand my cooking capacity, and to see if induction was something I'd want to use 100% of the time. I have to say, I don't love the incremental settings. I think gas is much more precise than induction, but the 20ish settings I have on the induction hob are probably more than sufficient for anyone doing anything other than making candy. However, I will say that I was surprised that my induction cycled on and off at a low simmer, so I wasn't able to maintain a constant heat. My rice would boil for a few seconds, then not even simmer for a few seconds, then boil, then flat, over and over. This is obviously different from my gas stove, which will maintain the heat I set it at without fluctuating one bit. I assume that the larger/more expensive cooktops do not do this, but if they do, that would be a turn off for me.

Anj_p - the full induction cooktops do not cycle on off as the single burner units do. I have GE Profile range & it maintains consistent level heat. I used a single burner hob lent to me while doing a kitchen remodel & I didn‘t notice it ever cycled on off either. I don’t know what brand it was.

OhmyGOSH this is the first time I have come across anything that shows *both* induction and gas!

*happy dance*

My husband (serious hobby chef) recently picked up a small stand-alone induction top from Costco, to try it out. He really liked it a lot. We can't go full-on induction because we have frequent power outages in our area, *and* my husband loves to cook with a wok, so we need a flame.

I'd take an induction/gas combo any day, that's awesome!

two issues with cast iron; first, it is heavy and you don't want to drop it on the induction top nor is it a good idea to slide it over the top either. Second, there are a number of cast iron pots/skillets/griddles that are NOT smooth on the bottom. Induction needs pans (stainless steel with a high carbon count, carbon steel, cast iron) with reallllly flat bottoms. I cook on induction (and have been doing so for 8 years) and I use stainless steel (take a magnet with you to test out that pan - not all of them have high enough carbon content-I had to get ride of two pots I had for many, many years for that reason). I have LeCrueset, a couple of cast iron/porcelain exterior items from IKEA, a griddle pan-Lodge) and they are all cast iron and work quite well.

For those of y'all with induction, do those little discs work? I'm guessing there will be some heat loss in the transfer, but is it a good idea to get a couple of induction conversion discs (or whatever the heck they are called), so I wouldn't have to replace all of my cookware?

Are they hard to clean or anything?

ODD I bought one to use with my non-induction type pots/pans-I found they worked but 'not well', i.e. I had to bump up the heat level so what I normally cooked on a mid level setting I would need to use somewhat higher (half way between mid and high) to get the same level of heat.

It is simply a thick piece of stainless steel. Induction tops are the absolute easiest cooking surface to clean.

I'm late to this party, but you should know that induction cooktops will soon get way more popular, especially in California where in many cities gas ranges and cooktops are going to be phased out for climate change reasons. I wrote a blog post on this, if you're interested:

https://www.sabrinaalfininteriors.com/blog/are-you-ready-to-switch-to-an-all-electric-kitchen

It is all preference. I used a small induction cook top when we remodeled our kitchen so we could cook in the laundry room. I hated it! I could not stand the constant pinging of the burners. If I took something off the heat to add an ingredient it would shut off and then need to get back up to speed once replaced. We had induction cookware and it was a 2 burner temporary stove top so not high end. I loan it out to friends with remodels now. I hated the glass corian top stoves and found them very hard to keep clean, constant scrapping with a razor for burned on food. Sounds like these newer induction tops are much better. Still a gas stove fan!

I loved my induction range in last house and I am waiting for my new one to arrive

My first Bosch induction cooktop has been going strong for 12 years. I just remodeled my kitchen (with another Bosch) and my daughter inherited all of my cabinetry and appliances. The Bosch looks as new as the day I installed it but is now used by my daughter who is in love with it after years of cooking on electric. I will never go back to gas or electric! Here it is in its new home.

I love to cook. I have gas in the country and induction in the city. Induction is far better and so easy to maintain. I would never chose anything else. On the question of longevity, I don’t think today’s appliances are built to last.

A fascinating thread!

I believe the induction cooktops are made of Ceran (not Corian).

Regarding scratching: I use heavy stainless steel cookware (Demeyere), and have slid the pot across the top, especially if it is too heavy to lift off the burner. I am not overly neat, but have never noticed scratching on the cooktop in the almost two years I have had it. For cleaning, I use a sponge, or on occasion, a Dobie pad. Never had reason to use a razor. Even if I didn't clean drippings when it was still wet, usually a damp sponge is sufficient to remove any spills on the cooktop. I am more disappointed that the stainless steel frame around the cooktop has shown scratch marks; not deep ones, but you can see the lines. I've learned to live with it because I don't think there is anything you can do about them.

Regarding the questions as to the number of positions on the dial and whether they are continuous or discrete, please see: Induction cooktops: how fine is the control? (lots of levels?) and GE or Bosch slide-in induction range? (That last post is from 11/26/18, not sure why Houzz lists it as "last year" - I note this because GE has updated its Cafe models, not sure if Bosch has.) The point is do your research, make a list or table of the features of each that you are interested in. On some the placement of the large hob is important (back or front), and can make a difference in your choice, so think about how you cook now and whether placement of the burner would make a difference to you. For instance, having the large hob in the back bothered some people because of having to carry a heavy pot full of water even the few inches to the back burner (and back over the front burner to the sink) was more than an annoyance. Read reviews (you will learn which are helpful and which are simply griping), of cookware as well as the range. Buy the best you can afford, even if it means beginning with three pieces of cookware and slowly adding on. Also think carefully about whether you want or need that second oven when the main oven is so far down you must bend low to lift a potentially heavy pan, whether it be chicken or turkey or anything else. Even with the extended sliding (telescoping) shelves, you still must lift that pan out of the oven to the stovetop or counter.

Also, the hob (at least on my GE Cafe) does NOT turn off immediately if the pot is lifted, you have a few seconds, so if you put it back on the burner almost immediately, you don't have to turn the burner on again. But, if you do have to turn it on again, it is not a big deal.

Also, some misunderstanding above about the responsiveness; an induction range does NOT have to "heat up" -- if you put the dial on 5, it pulls electricity to get to 5 immediately. A gas stove always begins at the lowest or highest flame and has to be adjusted to the setting you want. Similarly, if you want to turn the setting down or up, it will respond immediately, not phases, like a flame. Therefore, if you turn off a boiling pot of water on an induction stove, it will stop boiling immediately; if you need to begin on high (such as boiling water for rice) and then lower the heat (such as after you put the rice in the pot), it will respond immediately, a sensitivity cooks appreciate.

Don't drag a pan across the surface as you would in pulling it quickly to mix or rotate food. Don't expect to lift the pan to flip the contents and then put it back on the stovetop; I would think the hob might turn off in that amount of time of no contact. However, it is a safety feature, not one to be upset about in general.

As to keeping the top clean, there have been discussions on cooking on paper towels or silicon or silpat (such as: WARNING: Silpat, induction and wok do not mix! and Avoid scratching induction cooktop and kas - use of silpat on induction cooktop?and General Search: "Houzz and silpat on induction"). I have used a thin silat under and beyond the pan when making spaghetti sauce as I find it 'burbs' over the top as it simmers and reduces.

Regarding things being manufactured with a set number of uses in mind from the beginning, I think you are referring to planned obsolescence (where things are created to work for only so long before they break, compelling you to buy a new one sooner than your old appliances would have broken down). Some accept this as the reason things don't last as long as your old appliances. Some say the electronics don't last as long as the old mechanical way of manufacturing, such as 'less moving parts.' It's a difficult call, since we can know the experience people have had because of the reviews or talking with repair people or friends, however, the manufacturers are not transparent as to their goals. Your own research is important, learning if any companies have a higher incidence of repairs when compared to others. Consumer Reports publishes reliability findings as does Yale Appliances (here is one from May 2020 bottom of article has a comparison of reliability of induction ranges vs cooktops vs electric ranges). Do consider paying for extended warranties as electronics are very expensive to repair. Do not assume that the higher end models never need repairs because they were more expensive to begin with; in fact they can be even more expensive to repair.

Also consider leaving the oven door open for 10-15 minutes after cooking until the fan stops, so the heat escapes and does not gather into the electronics portion below the cooktop area.

Hope some of this helps. Much has been touched on by the answers above. Please do let us know your decision!

I grew up on a home that had a gas stove, we had the coil-style electric stove when we were first married, and we switched to induction in 1988. We've had it ever since. The current Thermador cooktop (bought 18 years ago) still looks like new and has not had any problems. I think it heats faster than gas, provided we use cookware that has a flat bottom and is well matched to the size of the "element." For the person who complained about streakiness, I used a different product recently and I experienced the same thing -- nothing would clean the streaks. Back to my tried and true product, Weiman Glass Cook Top Cleaner & Polish, and my cooktop is sparkling again. I hope I'll always be able to have an induction cooktop!

We have a gas range in the home and an induction cooktop in our RV. We will be putting an induction in the home we are building. The grills on the gas range are heavy and it is harder to clean although easy to regulate the heat. The induction is just as reactive to your heat adjustments and easier to clean (put paper on top of cooktop if you are going to fry). If you go with induction be sure to research the power draws when using multiple burners. I haven't researched for a while but it used to be some induction cooktops will not allow you to cook on high on multiple burners. For instance in our RV we have a two-burner that has a maximum of 10 power for both burners. If you can cook on one burner at 7 power you are limited to 3 power are the second burner (7+3 = 10). Was similar concept when I initially started researching induction, manufacturers just didn't use the number system.

Tapattee, I wonder if the power draw limitation is brand-specific -- or if it has something to do with its being in the RV rather than in a home. I've had all five of my burners on high, with no problem. I've never heard of putting paper on top of the cooktop when frying. I'm interested in learning about this. What does it accomplish? What kind of paper? One other point that people don't often mention -- I found that once I got accustomed to the unit and how it heats, I was able to know when I could turn the control to zero and let the pot "coast" -- continuing on the heat for a while without drawing any energy.

1maps, you are right that the RV has a limited power draw as it runs on 110. It's been a while since I've researched but I remember you have to consider power boosts, bridges, etc. We've been trying to get permits for a couple of years so my research slowed down. We were leaning towards the Thermodore Freedom but are now limited to a 30" induction due to counter space and Freedom only came in the 36". We are thinking about Wolfe since it has the shortest height so we could put drawers underneath. If you put paper underneath your pans when frying the grease clean-up is easier. I saw this at a demo. Also learn a lot at the KBIS we attend when in LV. Our house should be built next year so I will be researching my kitchen appliances again. I will be living on these forums in the near future.

@tapattee I have a 36" induction with drawers underneath. Wolf is a great product but you can put drawers underneath many...just making sure you have all options.

wow a couple of years for permits, that is frustrating