Gas cooktop vs induction

[busymama7]

We are doing a kitchen remodel and waited until we had enough money to plumb for gas. Our kitchen people suggested I look at induction because the cost of bringing gas to the house and then through the house is pretty high.   I have had a glass top electric for 10 years that I HATE. I miss the responsiveness of gas.  The ability to adjust the temperature and have it go up or down immediately.  To have a consistent medium heat. To not overheat pans trying to get them to a temperature for cooking in some reasonable time frame. 

I know about the pans needed for induction. I need new pans anyways and use a lot of cast iron so not a problem.  

What else to consider? I especially want to hear from people who cook a lot and have used both for a good length of time (like more than just on vacation or something). 

My husband is pushing for gas because he thinks I will be disappointed that we didn't do it as I have wanted it every single day for 10 years and love it when I'm at my parents etc. We had gas for 12 years in our previous house. So it's a known. I know I will like it. What I don't know is if I would like induction so it's a risk. I might love it. But I don't know and can't know without trying it.  So I'm trying to crowd source especially for those who have used both.  And cook a lot.  

[Laura Corin]

We bought a cheap single induction hob to play with in advance.  We are converts. 

We've had our big one for a few weeks and love it. Very responsive.  We have scratched the surface with our cast iron pans but we decided not to be precious about that. 

The single plug in was very helpful during the remodel.

[Corraleno]

When my gas cooktop died, I bought a couple of portable induction hobs to tide me over until I can do a full gut-job. When I was originally planning the remodel, I was very gung-ho about switching to induction for environmental reasons, but now that I've actually used it for a while, I've changed my mind.

One issue is the super high-pitched hum; it comes and goes, and one burner is worse than the other, but it absolutely drives me nuts. I thought it might just be a function of less expensive portable burners, but I've read the same complaint about full size cooktops and stoves, and there's no way I could put up with that every time I cook for the rest of my life.

Another big issue for me is that the heat cycles on and off, especially at lower temperatures. So if I'm trying to keep a pot at a low simmer, what I actually get is a pot that goes from no bubbles to boiling to no bubbles to boiling every few seconds or so. I want even heat, not constant cycling on and off.

ETA: I thought of another thing — the only part of the pan that really gets hot is the part that is over the magnet. So for example, my portable burners have 2 concentric circles and if the pot is smaller than the outer circle, even by a fraction of an inch, only the inner circle heats. And if the pan is much bigger than the outer circle, you can clearly see the circle of heat in the middle of the pan and everything around that circle does not get nearly as hot. I eat a lot of stir fries and I have a very large pan, and there's just no way to get the edges of the pan hot enough to cook the food evenly.

I've cooked with gas most of my life, with the exception of the 10 years I was in the UK, when I had a glass top halogen stove. Induction is definitely much faster and more responsive than electric or halogen, but the noise and the cycling on and off are dealbreakers for me.

Edited March 29 by Corraleno

[Laura Corin]

1 hour ago, Corraleno said:

When my gas cooktop died, I bought a couple of portable induction hobs to tide me over until I can do a full gut-job. When I was originally planning the remodel, I was very gung-ho about switching to induction for environmental reasons, but now that I've actually used it for a while, I've changed my mind.

One issue is the super high-pitched hum; it comes and goes, and one burner is worse than the other, but it absolutely drives me nuts. I thought it might just be a function of less expensive portable burners, but I've read the same complaint about full size cooktops and stoves, and there's no way I could put up with that every time I cook for the rest of my life.

Another big issue for me is that the heat cycles on and off, especially at lower temperatures. So if I'm trying to keep a pot at a low simmer, what I actually get is a pot that goes from no bubbles to boiling to no bubbles to boiling every few seconds or so. I want even heat, not constant cycling on and off.

ETA: I thought of another thing — the only part of the pan that really gets hot is the part that is over the magnet. So for example, my portable burners have 2 concentric circles and if the pot is smaller than the outer circle, even by a fraction of an inch, only the inner circle heats. And if the pan is much bigger than the outer circle, you can clearly see the circle of heat in the middle of the pan and everything around that circle does not get nearly as hot. I eat a lot of stir fries and I have a very large pan, and there's just no way to get the edges of the pan hot enough to cook the food evenly.

I've cooked with gas most of my life, with the exception of the 10 years I was in the UK, when I had a glass top halogen stove. Induction is definitely much faster and more responsive than electric or halogen, but the noise and the cycling on and off are dealbreakers for me.

That's interesting.  Ours doesn't make a noise. We haven't had it that long but I haven’t found the cycling to be a problem so far. We like the ultra low simmer compared to gas.

Husband cooks meat and likes the extremely high heat for searing. He also cooks Chinese food and is happy with his flat bottomed wok.

[Pawz4me]

I puffy heart love my range with induction cooktop. If the burners on mine make a noise it's not one that's noticeable, and certainly not objectionable, to me. I have read that the noise bothers some people. If my burners cycle it's not enough that I've noticed. It's just a super fast, responsive, dependable, steady heat. I love that the "burners" themselves don't get hot enough to burn. I love that the burners adapt to pan size, so I can use my favorite (smaller) pan on my favorite burner (the front right one, which is the largest). I've had no problem at all with cold spots on pans, whether I'm using a smaller pan on a larger burner or a pan that's slightly larger than the burner it's on.

My only cooking on gas has been in RVs and camp stoves, so probably not really comparable to a good home range (just as I kind of doubt an induction hob is really comparable to a cooktop). I never found gas to be all that. More responsive than a regular electric cooktop, but for me the gas/fumes part of it were a huge negative. After I got the induction there's no reason I can think of that I'd ever consider gas, except (maybe) if I lived in an area with frequent, prolonged power outages.

Now all that said, and as much as I love induction -- if you really like gas that much then I'd go with it if the extra expense isn't cost prohibitive. I know for myself when I have my head and heart set on something I'm usually disappointed when I settle for something else. 

Edited March 29 by Pawz4me

[CTVKath]

My brother and sister-in-law bought a house 4 years ago and remodeled the first floor including moving the kitchen to a different room but not moving the gas becuase of the price. She bought a really nice induction stove but misses her gas stove and regrets not moving the gas line.

[Katy]

Do you live in an area with hurricanes, wind storms, or ice storms that will occasionally knock out the power for days or weeks? That’s the reason I’ve heard most frequently for choosing gas over electric. 

[Innisfree]

I’ve been using a small induction cooktop for several years now. We had intended to do a major kitchen overhaul, drew up plans, talked to contractors… and then decided to buy another house instead, so I didn’t get my induction range as planned. It’s still planned to go into the new house, once we finish our move. So, that’s the background for me. The built-in cooktop I’ve used for years is a smooth-topped electric unit. It’s essentially never used now, unless I desperately need to use an extra unit while cooking a big meal. It’s slow and unresponsive, and cleaning it is a pain because everything burns on before I can remove it. I used a gas stove for about a year while I was in college, so thirty+ years ago now, and occasionally in vacation rentals: not much current experience.

I love the induction unit. My favorite things are the responsiveness and the easy cleaning, which is largely due to the fact that the surface of the cooktop never gets terribly hot. The gas would have similar response to temperature changes, but not similar ease of cleaning.

My dd who has her own living space now quickly requested a small induction cooktop for Christmas, after experiencing cooking on her own electric stove. But that’s not a comparison to a gas stove.

I’m glad I don’t have to worry about gas leaks, which are an issue affecting air quality in homes with gas stoves. I’m glad our house just isn’t connected to gas at all: no fossil fuels, no sources of carbon monoxide. I’m glad cleaning is easy. I’m glad that the cooler burner means greater safety.

I have rarely heard the vibration noises. Repositioning the pot seemed to help, but maybe I’m just not sensitive to the sound, or maybe my unit just doesn’t make the noise. No one else in the family has noticed noise.

On low settings, yes, there is a pattern of heating briefly and then cooling briefly. It hasn’t affected my cooking: the low temperature is genuinely low. My impression is that some full sized induction cooktops don’t do that, but I would certainly ask about the specific models you’re considering.

If you’re undecided, and you already have some pans that would work, try a portable induction burner for a while and see what you think. For an investment of roughly a hundred dollars, you can give it a try before you commit to a big expense. 

Finally, if you’re reluctant to give up gas but like the sound of induction, I’ve noticed there are some small, built-in induction cooktops with two or three burners. These are cheaper than the full sized ones by an order of magnitude, ranging from about $110-$250, so less of an investment to start, and cheaper to replace down the road. They could supplement a small gas stove, providing flexibility. I doubt the quality is as high as the best induction ranges, but probably the same is true for the small portable induction burners, which in my experience function quite well.

[EKS]

I don't know where you live, but I'd get gas into your home before it is outlawed.

[Innisfree]

So, this isn’t what OP asked, and is a bit off the wall, but throwing it out there anyway. For emergency situations, I’m toying with the idea of getting a wood stove which would permit some cooking, either just on top or in an oven. I’m sympathetic to the need for backup options: fairly concerned about having some redundancy, in fact. I think I prefer a wood stove precisely because it requires a bit more effort. We wouldn’t be using it as often, it wouldn’t be constantly leaking fumes, and it would cover both heating and cooking needs. Just another option.

[busymama7]

Yes I have considered that now is the time to get gas before it's outlawed.    I live in Vegas which we "affectionately" call little California so it's probably a matter of time. 

We don't deal with power outages with any regularity but also have a large camp chef which would allow us to use that as need as well as a nice outdoor grill.  

(New)Wood burning fireplaces are outlawed although we have two already.  Not sure about stoves but we wouldn't have anywhere to put one. 

The ease of cleaning is about the one pro I can think of with induction.  I'm not sure the speed and responsiveness is better (or even as good) than gas but maybe it is. 

I am in the crunchy side so fossil fuels plus indoor air quality is a consideration. But I just LOVE cooking on gas so much 😔

The thought of regret is the reason my husband thinks we should just do it.  We will also run lines for the dryer (which is on the way out anyway) and the water heater and the pool as well.   Possibly more.  Probably would put a line in for a double oven for when we need to replace it. 

Ahhhh so much conflicting info here just like everyone I ask.  

[Laura Corin]

@busymama7 I can boil a pan of water extraordinarily fast - faster than gas or an electric kettle.

When you adjust the temperature, the change is instant - there's little stored heat, unlike with electric or even in the gas 'trivets'.

The cleaning has been a revelation to us  - after supper we just wipe over the hob and the worktop.  Just like that.

Do you know anyone who would let you play with their cooker?

I never thought I would prefer anything to gas, and I cook a lot.

[Carol in Cal.]

I’m glad to have seen this thread as I had been considering induction.  I have gas, and it’s great to be able to cook even during a power outage.  We do have a gas water heater and furnace, but the furnace requires electricity to run so that’s not a help in an outage.  However, although the water heater does not per se run during an outage, I have heard that the pilot light is sufficient to slowly warm up the water in the tank, so in theory we would have a little warm water to use—have not tested that but it’s certainly possible.

My friends that have induction love it, though, and a guy whose wife got very bad Alzheimer’s thought that it was super helpful that the cooktop surface didn’t heat up enough to burn her or burn paper, dodging several pretty common risks right there.  However, I am very sensitive to shrill noises—so much so that I can hear those dog fences that are supposed to be too high pitched for human ears to detect—so if that’s a common induction issue I couldn’t possibly stand it.  

[mmasc]

I love gas cooktops, but can’t compare it to induction. I’m only chiming in bc I have one (important to me) thing I do on my gas that I can’t do on others. I put any tortilla I’m eating directly on the flame and warm it that way. I LOVE the little toasty, charred bits so much that this one thing is a big deal lol. I also like to char poblano peppers on the gas flame occasionally. So maybe think about if there’s anything you do on your gas that can’t be replicated on induction??

[Harriet Vane]

For environmental reasons and especially for the quality of the air I and my family breathe, we are planning to switch to induction. Once I read up on indoor air quality and gas I was really horrified. I now cook with the window cracked open no matter what, and we're actively looking at replacing with induction this year.

[Paige]

We replaced gas with induction because I have asthma and it really exacerbated when we moved into this house. Removing gas is also expensive, fwiw. I had gas before, but maybe it had better ventilation or maybe my asthma hadn't gotten that bad yet, but for me, I will never go back to gas. My asthma is so much better now and I love how quickly water boils. I'm not a gourmet chef, but I feel the pans are responsive and everything cooks well. We don't have to worry about people accidentally turning the burner on or leaving one on and we can even put a towel under a messy pan. I love it!

[Carol in Cal.]

1 hour ago, Harriet Vane said:

For environmental reasons and especially for the quality of the air I and my family breathe, we are planning to switch to induction. Once I read up on indoor air quality and gas I was really horrified. I now cook with the window cracked open no matter what, and we're actively looking at replacing with induction this year.

See, my house was built in 1922, on expansive soil, and it leaks air like a sieve.  I’m counting on that to give me decent air quality.  My head is firmly in the sand on the asthma issue.  

[Harriet Vane]

7 hours ago, Carol in Cal. said:

See, my house was built in 1922, on expansive soil, and it leaks air like a sieve.  I’m counting on that to give me decent air quality.  My head is firmly in the sand on the asthma issue.  

Years ago when we lived in a fixer-upper in Chicago, I smelled gas in one specific spot in the basement. My husband scoffed. My contractor scoffed. He was a nice guy but he couldn’t see any problems. I let it rest.

After a while—a long while unfortunately—a city employee had to look at our interior meter. He asked about smelling gas and I mentioned the faint whiffs I got in that area, but said my husband and contractor didn’t see any problems. Mr. City Employee whipped out his sensor and started checking the pipes.

Turns out we had three (3!!) small leaks. He shut off the gas to the house and we had to get it repaired immediately.

I was so upset that we had been breathing that all along.

But a friend comforted me, reminding me that my old house was so drafty and leaky that the air was constantly cleared. For once I was so thankful for the drafts. 

[KungFuPanda]

Drafty old houses have their uses. When the tree fell on our house and we moved to a new-build apartment we were sick the entire time. There was no air flow and we were sealed in. The apartment also had a gas stove, which I expected to love because it seemed a chefy, but dd and I hated the smell of the gas even though it was just a quick whiff before the flame. DH and DS never noticed the smell. 

[Laura Corin]

My venison stew at a lovely steady simmer. 

 

 

[HomeAgain]

I do prefer cooking over gas rather than induction.  I feel like I have more control over the temperature fluctuation than I do with induction.  It's also nice to have that extra source of energy during a storm.  However, my lungs are terrible, with a bit of scar tissue and very sensitive to disruptions in the air, so a gas stove isn't the healthiest thing in the world for me.  It's why we use a lot of cast iron and things that hold heat well when cooking longer, so I can turn down the heat or turn it off completely after a while.

The one nice thing about our previous induction stove wasn't anything to do with cooking, it was a glass cover that came down over it.  Not possible with a gas stove, but it made a nice level area that was used as extra counter space in our small kitchen.

[Katy]

I seriously doubt gas is going to be outlawed in the US in our lifetimes. 

Natural gas is a byproduct of shale oil in the US. It’s not only essentially free, it’s abundant and we burn it off to waste it in huge quantities in production because it’s difficult to put in pipelines. But the equation for that has changed a because of the war in Ukraine. Now we’re discussing building more pipelines so it can be shipped to Europe because the price of heating oil is so expensive there now.

It is moderately healthier to use electric stoves, but we don’t have the battery capacity to really switch to a green electric grid, even if everyone preferred it. There hasn’t been enough lithium and other necessary chemicals mined yet. If we’re building up more infrastructure to capture and use the currently wasted natural gas, we’ll probably end up incorporating more of it into the electric grid instead of wasting it. 

Edited March 31 by Katy

[City Mouse]

It sounds like you plan to use the gas for other purposes besides just cooking. In that case, it makes sense to me. Even though I have used a gas stove for most all my adult life, I don’t know that I would go to the expense of adding gas lines to a home just for cooking. 

[MeaganS]

For me we chose induction primarily because it heats our kitchen the least. Our kitchen is in an area of our house that struggles to stay cool in the summer. It was almost painful to use the oven or stove because it just heated the whole room up. When we remodeled, we went induction and it has made a huge difference. 

We have all sorts of camping supplies, so cooking during outages isn't a consideration for me. Our outages only ever last an hour or so here anyways. 

Edited March 31 by MeaganS

[busymama7]

5 hours ago, MeaganS said:

For me we chose induction primarily because it heats our kitchen the least. Our kitchen is in an area of our house that struggles to stay cool in the summer. It was almost painful to use the oven or stove because it just heated the whole room up. When we remodeled, we went induction and it has made a huge difference. 

We have all sorts of camping supplies, so cooking during outages isn't a consideration for me. Our outages only ever last an hour or so here anyways. 

This is good information for sure. I live where it gets to 115+ in the summer and I don't use my oven at all.   I do use the cooktop but hadn't considered that gas may heat up the room more. It is an open space so maybe that would help.