skip to main content
Software
Integrations
Mobile App
Expert Support
All-In-One Platform for Construction and Design
See Pricing
Schedule a Demo
Talk to Sales: (888) 316-4595
My builder uses Houzz Pro to plan the timeline and give detailed estimates and daily updates with photos of progress, and provide invoices at pre-agreed key points in the build. This made the whole experience much more efficient and stress-free.
Steve W.
Client of Cribbs Construction
Learn More
Ideas
Discussions
Houzz TV
Houzz Research
Sign In
Houzz Logo Print
Explore DiscussionsFeatured Home DiscussionsFeatured Garden Discussions
Design Dilemma
janicedonato

Should I choose induction or gas cooking?

12 years ago
I've been so used to gas and am very comfortable with it. I'm thinking of changing to an induction slide in range or an induction cooktop and wall ovens when we redo our kitchen. I'm chicken... Is there's huge learning curve? What will I have to adjust to the most? Thx
Featured Answer
  • 12 years ago
    last modified: 12 years ago
    I love induction! It's way safer than a live flame, and sooo easy to keep clean, and you don't bake yourself when you're cooking, as the rings give off no heat except where they're in contact with your cookware. They heat up instantly, and cool down very quickly afterwards - far more quickly than a regular glass top or coil rings.

    My suggestion would be to buy one of the cheapo induction countertop rings and play with it and see what you think. They're around $50. I bought this one from Costco on sale, ust to try it out, and it was great: http://www.costco.ca/Eurodib-Single-Induction-Cooker.product.10330635.html

    You absolutely do not need fancy cookware - anything with a base that a magnet sticks to will work, including cast iron, obviously, so keep a fridge magnet in your purse when you go pan-shopping if your current pans aren't the right metal.

    The less good older induction cooktops used to make weird hums and clicking noises, but if you buy quality induction nowadays it's pretty much silent, so not even as loud as gas.

    Comments (33)

    • 12 years ago
      I have a Jenn-air down draft slide-in full electric/convection. I hate hate hate the top. I'm used to gas. I'm used to being a bit abusive to my stove when sauteing. I miss using my cast iron. I greatly miss the instant temp control. I despise having to spit polish clean the darn thing after every use.

      I love the oven part.

      My next stove will be dual fuel.
    • 12 years ago
      Lucidos, was your cooktop induction or a smooth electric cooktop? I'm worried more about getting used to induction way of cooking and anything that I'd have to adjust or get used to which would be different from gas. Actually I've heard the cleanup is great on induction.

    • Related Professionals

      Newport News Interior Designers & Decorators · San Luis Obispo Interior Designers & Decorators · Portland Interior Designers & Decorators · New Braunfels Architects & Building Designers · Westerly Architects & Building Designers · Salinas Architects & Building Designers · Vancouver Architects & Building Designers · Queens Architects & Building Designers · Mountain Home Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Valdosta Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Springfield Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Fayetteville Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Waco Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Saginaw Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Salem Kitchen & Bathroom Designers
    • PRO
      12 years ago
      No learning curve at all as long as the cookware is compatiable with the induction elements.
    • 12 years ago
      There is nothing to learn, except it stays hot after it's turned off, so be careful there. Some do not even get hot till pot is placed on it. Very safe.
    • PRO
      12 years ago
      I've had both. I slightly preferred cooking on gas. However, my new home is much more modern, so the sleek design of the induction disappears into the island. It's a beautiful look. They are both better than traditional electric. My induction is very easy to clean, easier than gas.
    • 12 years ago
      I don't have induction, I have heating elements under ceramic glass. The surface material is the same, the mechanism is different. You can use cast iron on both you just can not shake the pan. Making something in a large pan - pancakes for instance - There are cold edges so you have to move the pancakes around or they cook unevenly. You don't get the visual. When I lower the gas I look at the flame. After years of cooking I know where I want that flame. #6 does not compute to me.

      More then the above though it's cleaning...I can't just wipe it down so it's good enough the thing has to be spit polished clean. That means after it's sponged and razored and Cremabryted and Windexed and polished to a clear shine with a microfiber cloth. After making meatballs it takes 15 minutes to clean the stove top.
    • 12 years ago
      lucidos - I have the same material as a cooktop on my stove - elements (standard, not induction) under glass, and I really like it!

      I'm chronically short of space in the kitchen so it gives me extra countertop, and I find it really easy to keep clean, oddly enough - maybe that's because of the colour, though? I'm a messy justcook, but I wipe it as necessary with a dishcloth, or scrape with a knife or a razor blade if something's really burnt on. The only thing that ever pitted the glass for me was a pan of jam that boiled over - i think it's the sugar that causes the pitting.

      I do shoogle pans on it, constantly, and haven't scratched it so far (12 years). Maybe yours is a different material? Mine says "Ceran Schott" on it, I just looked, and it's black with a multitude of dark grey silvery speckles, if that helps.
    • 12 years ago
      I have a smooth electric rangetop, and would like to switch to induction once the freestanding ranges with them come down in price a bit. Agree with bubblyjock that the extra flat space is helpful in a small kitchen. I wanted to add that magic eraser sponges are excellent on glass cooktops. They are a little bit of a pain to keep clean, but magic eraser once a week does wonders.
    • 12 years ago
      last modified: 12 years ago
      @ Bubbly Mine is the "Schott Ceran" black top speckled. It's 3 years old. It has some fine scratches that are almost imperceptible on my favorite burner. It has one teeny pit. It also has some a white ashy areas on 2 burners that nothing will remove. My stove sits by a window. In the morning there is full sun on it. You can see if it's not perfectly 100% clean.
    • 12 years ago
      I've had an induction cooktop for four years, and I'll never cook on anything else! I love the quick boiling time, instant response time and the ability to control the temperature so precisely. On the downside, we had to replace most of our cookware because it wasn't magnetic, but we've not had any problem finding induction compatable cookware. The top only stays hot where the pan was located. It's hot because a hot pan was sitting there, not because a "burner" was hot. It cools fairly rapidly. I clean it with glass cooktop cleaner and it still looks brand new. I'm in the process of buying a new one for a house we just bought.
    • 12 years ago
      We've had gas, electric and induction…. Induction was, hands down, our favorite. Easy to clean (gas grills are a pain to clean!) and quick to heat/quick to cool. I got cheap cookware at places like Marshalls (brought a magnet along to test the pots and pans). We moved and are now back to gas---I hate it! Induction had me spoiled. Good luck with your decision.
    • 12 years ago
      last modified: 12 years ago
      My husband and I really like the relative safety of cooking on our induction cooktop. We've had ours for about five years. About the time our stove was installed, a grandmother in my county had her robe catch on fire while cooking pancakes for her grandsons on a gas stove. She survived less than two months. I can wipe up splashes on the cooktop with a damp paper towel while cooking and not worry about the paper catching on fire.

      To prevent scratching a glass induction cooktop with cast-iron cookware, you can place parchment paper under the pan, or you can sand the bottom of the pan smooth according to this website: http://theinductionsite.com/induction-cookware.shtml
    • 12 years ago
      You can also do the parchment trick to minimize clean up when you cook something that will splatter.

      I agree with the suggestion to get a decent but not too expensive portable unit to experiment with. It is different, but much much much more like gas than traditional electric types.
    • 12 years ago
      last modified: 12 years ago
      A portable induction cooktop might come in handy while your kitchen is being remodeled. We bought a portable unit and a counter-top refrigerator so we could cook in our downstairs laundry room while our kitchen was torn apart. There's always someone who can use the portable cooktop after you are through with it - we passed ours on to a nephew who was heading off to college.
    • PRO
      12 years ago
      Treat it just the same as cooking on gas and you won't go too wrong - the problems arise when people think it's like electric ( ie residue heat) it's not - it's off and on like a gas flame - but sooooo much easier to clean !!! I wouldn't trade mine for the world !!!
    • PRO
      12 years ago
      I would prefer induction cooking as it is the first technology that offers all of the benefits of cooking with gas, with none of the drawbacks. It is faster, safer, cleaner, cooler and cheaper. Induction cooking is far more energy efficient than gas or traditional electric ranges. It is considered much safer as it has no open flame, red-hot coil or other radiant heat source to ignite fumes or flammable materials.
    • PRO
      12 years ago
      Working with a senior who likes cooking with gas. I am recommending induction as an equivalent in terms of the method of cooking with the advantage of a safer appliance--no flames, no risk of gas fumes if the flame is expunged, less risk of burns. I pride myself on fitting solutions to needs, now and down the line, so would value feedback on this idea.
    • 12 years ago
      I have had gas, electric and last year went to induction. No brainer here...Induction
      My opinion for sure but all the top cooking schools in France are switching so I think they know something
      However, gas- dirty- greasy and eventually repair man shows for starters. Been there done that
      Electric. Too slow, uneven and ceramic eventually shows marks
      Induction. Clean, safe easy to use and temperature regulates so well. Just love it. I cooked on it in a school last year at a course and that was the first time I used it. I couldn't believe how efficient it was. Easy to clean and looks nice.
      Read the literature it still isn't huge in North America but it is coming. Also super energy efficient switch your bills go down.

      Che
    • 12 years ago
      Induction all the way! I love that I can actually put paper towels under my frying pan if I'm making bacon so my stove top doesn't get greasy.

      If I boil something over, I wipe it up while still cooking. And if I don't, it doesn't burn on as it doesn't get as hot as electric smooth top, it just transfers heat to the pot.

      Love love love!
    • PRO
      12 years ago
      Dual fuel. If indeed, you are a cook, you know gas top is way to go...
    • 12 years ago
      No way Jose! Check out French chefs world renown most use Induction now
    • 12 years ago
      @ Sustainable Dwellings - hmm. I am, indeed, a cook, and I know that gas top is not necessarily the way to go....
    • 12 years ago
      last modified: 12 years ago
      @ brandy - I keep forgetting about the paper idea - it's so simple, yet so ingenious for low-temperature cooking! Thanks for the reminder.
    • 11 years ago
      Induction wins hands down! Have used induction for the last 20 yrs & would NEVER go back to electric or gas! You can boil a pot of water on a paper towel - amazing. So easy to clean & so quick. Great power saver.
    • 11 years ago
      Learning curve? Can you press a button?
    • PRO
      11 years ago
      Induction...safe, 100% efficient, clean, consistent temp, fast...on and on. You do need the correct pans> I just bought some beauties from Pampered Chef.
    • 10 years ago
      Induction cooktops.
      Love the look and the clean up must be easy. My concern is scratching the surface with placements of pots and pans. Can anyone comment regarding this issue. Planning a complete kitchen redo, all new appliances not convinced this is the cooktop for me.
      Thank you.
    • 10 years ago
      I have had my Bosch for 9 months and haven't had any surface scratches. I do use the Weiman's glass cleaners. Love it more than the gas I had for many years. BTW - I use All Clad, IKEA, Lodge and LeCreuset. All work great, although the bonded sometimes get a vibration or hum at high temps.
    • 10 years ago

      I will never have gas again! No learning curve for me as induction cooking is as responsive as gas. The only difference is you must use magnetic cookware. Induction heat is created through the magnetic connection between the pan and the cooktop, so the only part that heats is the part connected directly to the pan, no surrounding area. I've read that cast iron is ideal for induction cooking, but I'd already gotten rid of my skillet before I read it. One advantage I like is that I can cover my cooktop with paper towels and then fry food on top of the paper towel, thus making clean up easy. I hated my gas stove because I had to take it apart to get it clean, and spill overs were a total catastrophe. However with my induction I very rarely have a boil over, and if I do, I just wipe the surface with a paper towel. A key to easy cleaning is to use these new micro cloths. Every few weeks or so I'll use a cooktop cleaner if I have a dull spot. That's it! I saw where someone said they liked to be rough on their gas stove when sautéing or something...I would not recommend being rough on an induction cooktop...but I've never had a need. I've been cooking on induction for 7 years.

    • 10 years ago

      My induction cooktops have never shown a scratch, but I've never shook a pan directly on the glass either...I don't know why I'd need to since I started popping corn in the microwave.

    • 10 years ago

      Once you've used induction you would never go back to conventional cooktops!

    • 10 years ago

      Scratches? What scratches? As already mentioned, I've used induction for years & never once had any scratches. Pays to use the special induction cleaner though as this puts a protective coating on the elements (so they say!). A breeze to clean & again, I reiterate, the speed of cooking. Changing all your pots/pans initially (ouch!) but after that the pans will go on ANY cooktop so you have them for life. Hate, hate, hate gas! Nozzles stop working & exceptionally erratic to light up. Have just come off a long house-sit where we had to use gas & every day was a challenge just to get it alight!

    Related Stories
    KITCHEN DESIGNA Cook’s 6 Tips for Buying Kitchen Appliances
    By Christine Tusher
    An avid home chef answers tricky questions about choosing the right oven, stovetop, vent hood and more
    Full Story
    331
    OUTDOOR KITCHENSYour Guide to Grills and More for Great Outdoor Cooking
    By Laura Gaskill
    Learn the pros and cons of gas versus charcoal grills, and about neat add-ons that let you do more
    Full Story
    85
    OUTDOOR KITCHENSOutdoor Room of the Day: This Patio Cooks, Even in the Rain
    By Bryan Anthony
    Washington homeowners create their dream outdoor kitchen with a pizza oven, gas grill, fireplace and more
    Full Story
    38
    KITCHEN DESIGN8 Kitchen Organizing Ideas for Messy Cooks
    By Lisa Frederick
    Not the clean-as-you-go type? Not to worry. These strategies will help keep your kitchen looking tidy no matter what your cooking style is
    Full Story
    91
    KITCHEN DESIGNHouzz Call: What’s Cooking in Your Kitchen?
    By Stacy Briscoe
    Most of us turn to recipes, videos and culinary shows when we cook. Where do you set your cookbook, tablet or TV screen?
    Full Story
    113
    PRODUCT PICKSGuest Picks: Great Gifts for Kids Who Cook
    By Mariko Jackson
    Set a young chef's imagination to simmer with 20 toys for baking, grilling and playing in the kitchen
    Full Story
    2
    COTTAGE STYLECute, Cook-Friendly Cottage Kitchens
    By Becky Dietrich, Interior Designer
    Before you lament the limitations of a cottage kitchen, have a look at the possibilities
    Full Story
    70
    HEALTHY HOMEDetox Your Kitchen for the Healthiest Cooking
    By Robyn Lawrence
    Maybe you buy organic or even grow your own. But if your kitchen is toxic, you're only halfway to healthy
    Full Story
    76
    MOST POPULAR6 Kitchen Flooring Materials to Boost Your Cooking Comfort
    By Jennifer Ott Design
    Give your joints a break while you're standing at the stove, with these resilient and beautiful materials for kitchen floors
    Full Story
    351
    PRODUCT PICKSGuest Picks: Cook Up a Modern Victorian Kitchen
    By The Estate of Things
    Get the beauty of a bygone era with modern kitchen fixtures, appliances and accessories for comfort and style
    Full Story
    9
    Sponsored
    More Discussions
    Gap behind kitchen sink
    20
    1928 room that has accumulated about a century of competing decisions
    26
    Which roof color for my 2-tone gray house?
    15
    URGENT Crown Molding Advice
    13
    help me with my entry way wall
    7