Planning a kitchen renovation. I do have induction capable cookware.
My experience with mainly using a single hob almost 2 decades ago when we were undergoing a kitchen gut as well and was cooking on this. I do have the Control Freak as well just I wanted to see what the futz induction was all about.
Fast forward to now. We currently have gas and am considering a switch to induction. I like some aspects of it but I really am going to miss a knob and …with the current CI grates, It’s not like I hesitate taking a pan and plopping it on…knowing it won’t hurt the cast iron. I will need to retrain myself to be careful once I switch to a glass top.
So for all former gasses who have switched to induction, are there times you regret it.
I cook quite often at my brother’s house and at my father’s condo - they both have induction.
Thing I dislike about cooking in gas :
When it’s windy and sunny the open kitchen door will affect the flame
When it’s already hot outside, it gets even hotter using 3-4 gas hobs when making dinner
The danger of leaving kitchen towel paper close to the gas stovetop
How ineffective and slow gas is to boil a pot of water on the stovetop
The unknown risk and danger of inhaling gas particles while cooking
Call me crazy, yet with all these negative things I still prefer to cook on gas.
I also own quite a large number of copper pans and pots from De Buyer, Falk and old school 2.5 Mauviel that I would need to get rid of first and I would hate to do that since these cooking pots are phenomenal cooking vessels.
I have recently moved and inherited an induction hob after 40 years of using gas and quite frankly it’s driving me to distraction.
A caveat is that I did not choose it and so it may be a poorly specced version, it does seem fairly high end though and having checked prices it clearly wasn’t cheap. It is certainly better than other one’s I have used.
I find that it heats up things quickly but the top end heat is not enough to stir fry, sear meat quickly or have a furious rolling boil for pasta. It also switches off if it gets too hot, switches of because of splashes and beeps incessantly when cleaning. I know I should wait until it has fully cooled down but half an hour after dinner when I want to clean down and relax after dinner it’s is too long.
It’s also very difficult to tell which control controls which induction plate and it’s easy to switch off or turn up the wrong one . It has made my cooking less intuitive and less enjoyable.
It is very good at maintaining a constant temperature and so good at sauces and ragus bubbling away for a long time.
I hope this is helpful. It certainly has been for me to get this off my chest, so thanks for the question.
This has been my main issue. I tried using only induction over the summer but my induction burner is just not as functional as gas when it comes to wet-caramelizing a few lbs or kg of sugar. I need high, even heat the full diameter of the pot. If it cooks too slowly or unevenly the syrup will crystallize before all the water boils off and the sugar caramelizes.
A niche problem for sure, but that’s my experience.
I cook on both gas and induction, and have for about 10 years. When/wherever I have gas available, I choose gas 9 times out of 10. For me, it’s not even a close call.
There are too many reasons for my preference to list here.
On the old Chowhound board, I caught a lot of flak for saying induction’s biggest advantages are ones of convenience, fashion and interior design. I still think that’s true in 2024, although induction has lost some of its trendy allure. But fullsize induction appliances have come down in price.
In case it makes a difference to you, I have a commercial induction appliance that works with all metal cookware, so I can (and have) directly compare. Even being able to use top-flight copper on induction, I still strongly prefer gas.
We intuitively correlate observed flames to what’s happening in the pan. The dial setting is inconsequential. Sort of an epistemological discussion: analog v. digital inputs. Save desperation, nothing would induce us to consider induction.
Yes, it’s an important visual cue, even from across the room or yard. If you pay close attention, you can even feel the flame setting in your eyes.
You may be amused to learn that Panasonic tried to emulate this visual effect on the Met-All induction hob (power setting reflected in the intensity of a surrounding LED ring), but it was a feeble fail.
IMHO a major contributing factor to being a very good cook versus an adequate cook is incessantly watching what is happening in the pan and constantly adjusting as needed. I find that gas plus pans that spread heat evenly and quickly is optimal. I use and like gas. Induction users, how well do your induction tops and pans handle this?
I have a Samsung range with an induction cooktop. I use a mix of All Clad (a nonstick hard anodized set I bought back in 2016 that has held up remarkably well) and some ECI pieces from Lodge and Tramontina. I think, outside of a couple hot spots, it has been comparable to my experience with gas as far as my ability to control heat. It’s not perfect and I can’t get wok hei. But, since I can’t get gas in my condo, it is far preferable to the electric radiant cooktop that was here when we moved in.
I do find I braise and stew more in the oven, since I can better dial in low temp in the long term for that sort of work, but I tended to prefer that even when I had gas.
For precise and immediate temperature adjustments and control, I would rank them this way.
Gas
Induction
Electric
We primarily use gas, but just installed a combo gas/induction range in of our homes, and there are things that I definitely prefer cooking on the induction than on the gas side.
Induction boils water quickly and heats pans more quickly, but I find that it performs pretty poorly on simmering settings. It’s very difficult to get the induction cooktop to do a low simmer, except for the designated “Warming” cooktop.
I think the added benefits of not breathing in gas are probably good but our electricity bill is definitely higher. I still prefer gas.
I recently remodeled my kitchen and was open to gas or induction and went with gas, primarily because I got a really good deal on a Bosch gas stove and San Francisco has banned gas for new construction, so I think there is better resale with an option for either. I used to have gas range and a two burner induction.
Things I don’t like about gas:
-Much slower to boil water
-harder to keep clean with the grates, nooks etc.
When using the highest heat hob the whole pot/pan/handles gets hot so I have to use mitts to take it off the stove.
-I can’t seem to get low enough flame to simmer rice without burning the bottom - it works but I really have to keep an eye on it.
Things I don’t like about induction:
-limited pan use (although I think I only have one nonstick that I use so no biggie).
-beeping when cleaning
-shuts off if some water boils over
-doesn’t seem to get as hot for searing steak on cast iron.
-Subject to shattering (this is how mine was killed, a coffee cup fell onto it from the cabinet).
I’m actually thinking of getting a one burner induction, as I liked having both previously.
I’ve made this same reply before, but I’ll do it again. I have a Blue Star in my main house and an induction in my beach house (and a fairly cheap induction at that [Frigidaire range]).
I will be replacing the Blue Star with a modern and capable induction top one of these days soon. I’m in the process of using up the contents of my propane tank now. For many reasons it’s been my goal to get gas out of the house for a while. I got rid of gas backup for my heat pump last year, got rid of gas dryer, etc etc. Never look back.
I think most of the negatives I see in this thread are coming from folks who are experienced with old and poorly designed induction ranges – the modern ones have overcome most of those objections. Part of my reasoning is to get gas out of the house completely, but aside from that it is is simply a better way to cook. Faster, more adjustable (yes), quick response, and super easy to keep clean, but again, you need to pick carefully. There’s plenty of source material. Review it. Wirecutter is a good start. Focus on today’s capabilities, not complaints about yesterday’s designs.
On the subject of clean, I have developed my own protocol. With induction you can place a big sheet of paper right over the cooktop (I use sheets of packing paper available anywhere packing supplies are sold–it’s essentially newsprint without any print). Possibly add a $15 induction silicone mat over that (for very hot applications)and your fry pan on that. Cook/fry and splatter grease to your heart’s content. When done, just remove the paper and discard. You’ll have a clean surface with essentially no cleaning to do at all. No it never catches fire. Slick. illustrative of the things you can do with a creative approach (hack??) to getting the most out of new technologies.
I could easily replace a range without a kitchen gut…just have had my mind on a makeover of some sorts - new layout+ cooktop
.
BS is actually one unit I am considering as well if I did not do a gut and it was a simple range replacement.
What started this was due the current range. Apparently Wolf has deemed our unit EOL - somewhat. Basically replaced all the ignitors on it ( in addition to a full overhaul of spark modules and gaskets). It is not the 1st time this has been done over its life…new ignitors are not working well.
It’s like a European car out of warranty. Once out, it has had ## repairs. All DIY as paying a service tech for half a day + parts is crazy. The issue on this design is a few…spark module is under the pan top. To get to it, you have to remove all the burners. You end up breaking all the gaskets, and everyone is only available from authorized dealers… so MAP pricing of $350 just in gaskets, and I go all- in since I’m replacing $350 in gaskets - so I replace all spark modules and ignitors. To add to insult, one of the O Rings in the burner design heat rots.
I DIY overhaul it each time, and this would have been my 4th or 5th time…often, I say the next time, this is going out the door
They changed the part-design-construction of the ignitor this year. Same PN but slightly different style that all the ones I have replaced in previous years. New style ignitors just doesn’t work well if at all on the older range
Easily solved putting a flame to a a burner that won’t light but that get’s tiring real quick.
In past years, buying appliances was all about features and such.
These days I also factor what is a consumable, what is the cost to repair it, etc…
And you are entitled to your opinion too of course, which you state often and strongly here and I assume other places.
The current usage of gas by restaurants is a legacy data point, as you know perfectly well, and tells us nothing about which method, with current technology let alone what is coming, is “better” even for professional use, let alone for residential use which is what is relevant to this discussion. And it absolutely tells us nothing about what is coming down the pike for either home or professional adoption of induction as it continues to improve technically, while fire remains forever rooted in pre-history. Reminds one of those GEICO cave man ads.
Many highly regarded chefs have tried induction both at home and their commercial kitchens and have stated unequivocally that induction is preferable. I have posted links here previously so won’t do it again. Easy search. Old ideas and traditions take time to evolve and be sent to the scrap heap…
Cooking is absolutely a place where it is “valid” to reject gas.
It’s always better to look to a better future. Gas represents the worn out past. It’s not needed by anybody, and IMO it’s time to get rid of it. Do as I did years ago – hang the copper up and look at it – it looks great – I bought tons of it in Paris back in the day. I gave it to my daughter, who displays it in her kitchen. There are better ways to cook today. Worshipping the past is not on my radar.
ChristinaM
(Hungry in Asheville, NC (still plenty to offer tourists post Hurricane))
17
Having lived through a 2-week power outage after a hurricane, when propane was in very short supply, it’s hard for me to envision giving up natural gas. My ideal would be an induction stove and keeping the gas outlet with some way to connect an in-line camp stove or the like. I need to research whether this exists.
IIUC there are now some induction stoves coming own the market that are being equipped with batteries, apparently so that the unit can run on 110 and the buyer does not need to go to the expense of putting in a new 220 line to serve the range. Truth is that unless you are cooking a lot you don’t need much power anyway, but it would help in the event of a power outage . Another innovation that may be coming down the pike.
In my case, since I’ll always have my 500 gal. propane tank anyway, I’m thinking of installing a small generator and having some propane to run it in an emergency if I ever need it (I live about 40 miles south of Asheville BTW). But we’ve been here nearly 20 years now and seldom if ever had enough outage time to justify a generator, and since the winters are getting milder it’s questionable to me whether it is really worthwhile. One can always keep a gas grill and couple of small tanks and get by on that for simple cooking for a few days if ever needed. Canned soup is your friend I suppose.
And the vast majority have not and do not prefer induction.
I daresay that some significant fraction of the approximately 5% of Americans who now have induction as their principal home cooking heat source have it only because gas can cost much more if there’s not a simple hookup and pre-existing exhaust. Gas infrastructure may not be available at all. For that cohort, a choice between induction and conventional electric isn’t a hard one, and I think that accounts for what small popularity induction has for a home’s main appliance. That and it’s now hard to find an upscale electric cooktop.
A similar constraint applies to the restaurant market. Restaurants that want to switch to induction realize that it takes years to recoup the costs to switch. New or moving restaurants can simplify their buildouts and permitting by shifting; they like that because it saves them money, not because induction cooks any better.
Despite your insinuation, I don’t worship the past. In fact I’ve spent years helping apply advanced thermal technology to cookware and appliances.
An appliance dealer I know once told me a couple of interesting facts. One, that only about half of home buyers of induction were happy after switching. And two, that the longevity of even the top-end induction appliances he sold averaged 3-5 years.
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ChristinaM
(Hungry in Asheville, NC (still plenty to offer tourists post Hurricane))
20
I can understand that. With climate change though I’m expecting more torrential rainfall.
