When my partner and I were remodeling our house two years ago, finding first-hand accounts from home cooks who use induction cooktops was incredibly difficult. So, I’m here to share my first-hand experience cooking with induction and to speak to some of the questions I wish I could’ve found answers to!
Here I’ll cover my pros and cons of cooking with induction as well as a comparison of induction to both gas and electric cooktops/ranges.
About me: What have I cooked on in the past?
I’ve cooked on an electric stove from the 1950s in my childhood home, electric ranges in college, a teeny tiny electric range in my NYC apartment, a very nice gas range at a rental, and now an induction stovetop in my house.
What is Induction?
Induction heats cookware locally using magnetism. The cooktop hobs recognize magnetic materials like steel and iron and heat only the areas of those materials. (Read more about induction compatible materials here.) Because of this, no energy is wasted, allowing the stove to function more efficiently and keep surrounding areas cool.
Why did I make the switch to induction?
In hopes of eventually powering our house with solar panels, we made the choice to not run gas to the house and go completely electric. Electricity is better for the environment than gas, and even though homes make a very small dent in the bigger picture, we try to do what we can to live a cleaner lifestyle.
So, what’s it like?
It’s wonderful, I love it, and I recommend induction to everyone.
Before deciding to make the switch to induction, I was intimidated by the lack of information available about them and the many myths about them the swarm the internet (read more about my conclusions on those here). Even after purchasing in induction cooktop, seeing it in person made me think, “is this going to work? Is this spaceship dashboard going to cook food?”
Turns out, it does, and very well at that. Cooking with induction is consistent, precise, and easy. Literally everything feels easier.
Induction Cooktop Pros + Cons:
Pros:
(Personally, my pros outweigh my cons)
- It’s powerful and hot
- I don’t get sweaty when I cook and the kitchen stays cool
- Cooking with induction is especially good for small spaces
- The smooth glass top is insanely easy to clean
- The heating is accurate and consistent
- No hot or cold spots, I know exactly where to set the controls for everything from searing steaks to making rice.
- It’s safe
- Frying and searing can send oil flying. When I had a gas range, there was more than one time that I had fire flareups.
Cons:
(My cons are pretty specific to my personal experience)
- It’s not good for carbon steel woks
- Because there is no radiant heat or flames when cooking with induction, a carbon steel wok just doesn’t work very well. My wok has a flat bottom, which technically works for induction, but that flat spot is the only area that’s heated. Because carbon steel is thin and doesn’t hold much heat, the sides of the wok stay almost completely cold. Consider a steel or cast iron wok instead, as those materials hold heat very well. I thought that because the induction gets so hot it would be ideal for woks, but that is not the case.
I still use my carbon steel wok, and it sort of works, but not very well and not as intended.
- Because there is no radiant heat or flames when cooking with induction, a carbon steel wok just doesn’t work very well. My wok has a flat bottom, which technically works for induction, but that flat spot is the only area that’s heated. Because carbon steel is thin and doesn’t hold much heat, the sides of the wok stay almost completely cold. Consider a steel or cast iron wok instead, as those materials hold heat very well. I thought that because the induction gets so hot it would be ideal for woks, but that is not the case.
- The labeling on the controls for my unit is odd (read more about that below)
- I only have experience with the model I have, a GE Cafe. Once I got a handle on it, it hasn’t been a problem.
- Burner size and pot placement restriction
- Induction stoves are laid out with different sized hobs for different sized pots. I was really concerned about this initially because what if I need to have 3 stock pots going at once? Well, luckily, it turns out that the hob sizes and layout are rarely a problem. There is restriction, but I wouldn’t worry about it, because it’s unlikely to cause any problems (turns out I have not had to have 3 stock pots going at once… yet.) Converter plates are an easy fix for this issue.
What’s the best part?
For me, it’s that it’s so easy to clean. There is nothing for food or grease to get stuck to, so it’s as simple as wiping down the glass after cooking.
What’s the weirdest part?
The controls. Initially I wanted to find an induction cooktop with physical knobs, but there are very few models with that feature. Now that I have the stovetop, having digital controls actually isn’t that weird, and only every once in a while does water or oil interfere with working the controls.
Bottom line: don’t worry about the digital controls being a problem.
Aside from the digital nature of the controls, the controls also took some getting used to because of how they’re set up. Keep in mind, I can only speak to the model I have, as I haven’t cooked on other induction cooktops.
I have a GE Cafe, here’s an explanation of its controls:
So as you can see, on my induction cooktop, over 1/3 of the dial is too hot for anything.
Weird indeed, but once I learned this, figuring out where to set the dial was smooth sailing.
Cooking with Induction vs Gas vs Electric Overview
Induction vs. Gas
- Induction is more powerful and hotter than gas
- Induction does not heat anything but the pan, so the surrounding area stays cool.
(That’s a positive attribute 99% of the time. As mentioned above, it’s not so great for carbon steel woks.) - Induction is cleaner for the air indoors and for the environment.
- An induction cooktop is much, much easier to clean than a gas range
- Induction is safer, with no risk of grease fires
Induction vs. Electric
- Induction is WAY more powerful than electric
(electric ranges are generally the weakest and coldest) - Induction is much more accurate and consistent
(no hot or cold spots) - Glass top induction is much easier to clean than electric coils
- Induction keeps the kitchen cooler than electric
Conclusion:
Yes, you should get an induction cooktop!
I love mine, I have never looked back wistfully for gas (and definitely not for electric!)
There is a learning curve that needs to be allowed for to get used to the different functionality, but it’s worth it. Cooking with induction is awesome.
I read your entire content. I was very pleased to see the gradual change in your cooking. In fact, this is how people are moving towards modernity by giving everything. Good luck to you.
Thank you, and thank you so much for reading!
Great review! Your experience with induction cooktops is super helpful. I love how you broke down the pros and cons and compared it to gas and electric. The tips on using your GE Cafe and the info about woks were especially useful. Thanks for sharing!
I am so glad to hear that this information was helpful to you! When I was looking at getting an induction stovetop there was so little first-hand experiential information out there, so I wanted to contribute for others who are also looking at making the change to induction. I’ve been cooking on my GE Cafe (not sponsored btw!) for 3 years now and it’s been wonderful, no regrets!