The main advantage for gas isn’t speed, it’s control. I have both gas and electric, standard halogen etc type stoves are junk compared to the fine (also instant, consistent, and reliably easy to gauge) control that gas hobs provide. Not to mention a very even heat . But I agree modern induction finally provide that similar level of control (though the one induction hob I’ve used, while excellent granular control, did seem to heat unevenly requiring the pan to be regularly turned to avoid one-sided burning).
I’ve had a different experience with gas stoves… many of the standard ones can’t be turned down low enough. Simmering something or just keeping it warm is a challenge because there’s too much flame. Really easy to burn sauces or hard to keep them from boiling after they’re done and you just want them to stay warm.
When shopping for appliances for a new house a few years ago I had to pay quite a bit extra to get a higher-end gas stove that had a dual ring of burners that could be turned down lower. In retrospect I wish I’d simply went electric.
Induction is better in every way, like power output, heating speed, and control, except being able to lift the pan freely wok style. Cooking with gas indoors is totally stupid.
Better in every way is nonsense. Cooking indoors is only stupid for morons that don’t know how to safely use a gas stove top. There’s a reason most professional kitchens still use gas and haven’t all rushed to replace with induction - the benefits don’t outweigh the investment.
It’s cheaper to operate and repair gas stoves. That’s why professional kitchens still use them. But you don’t operate a professional kitchen. You cook twice a day at most.
IKEA has induction cooktops for like $600 or 700 bucks. They’re made by Frigidaire and are backed by a 5-year warranty… If you buy from home Depot that same Frigidaire cooked up, you could only get a 1-year warranty. Otherwise it’s the same exact product.
Are induction stove tops still expensive where you live? I just bought one used from a colleague at work and will wire it up today. I haven’t really tried to get a good overview of the market since I didn’t buy a new one, but I got the feeling that it doesn’t exactly come with a hefty price tag nowadays.
I’ve been using a standalone portable induction system whenever I didn’t need 2 or more pots/pans at the same time, so I have some experience how neat the technology is. The fact that it wastes no energy going past the pot (like gas), doesn’t require a perfectly sized pot to maximize efficiency and reacts instantly to changes when I turn the knobs made it a very desirable purchase for me. And the fact that it’s a fast way to heat your food. I doubt that I’ll be using my water kettle to pre-heat my pasta water anymore.
Heat storage effect -as soon as you put anything in cold in the pan the whole element goes cold and it takes ages to reheat. Unlike a gas flame.
And “induction” heating is 90% conduction - only a tiny part of the pan is inducted and then the heat has to conduct to the rest of the pan. So in some ways its worse than a conventional electric hob because the heating is so uneven, and you still get the heat storage effect.
This should be required watching for every moron who claims gas is better.
If you need that instant temperature drop, remove it from the heat??
Also, induction is even better. Hopefully they become affordable and not priced like fancy appliances in the next decade.
The main advantage for gas isn’t speed, it’s control. I have both gas and electric, standard halogen etc type stoves are junk compared to the fine (also instant, consistent, and reliably easy to gauge) control that gas hobs provide. Not to mention a very even heat . But I agree modern induction finally provide that similar level of control (though the one induction hob I’ve used, while excellent granular control, did seem to heat unevenly requiring the pan to be regularly turned to avoid one-sided burning).
That’s due to the heating area being incredibly tiny on various crappy induction stoves.
I’ve had a different experience with gas stoves… many of the standard ones can’t be turned down low enough. Simmering something or just keeping it warm is a challenge because there’s too much flame. Really easy to burn sauces or hard to keep them from boiling after they’re done and you just want them to stay warm.
When shopping for appliances for a new house a few years ago I had to pay quite a bit extra to get a higher-end gas stove that had a dual ring of burners that could be turned down lower. In retrospect I wish I’d simply went electric.
Induction is better in every way, like power output, heating speed, and control, except being able to lift the pan freely wok style. Cooking with gas indoors is totally stupid.
Better in every way is nonsense. Cooking indoors is only stupid for morons that don’t know how to safely use a gas stove top. There’s a reason most professional kitchens still use gas and haven’t all rushed to replace with induction - the benefits don’t outweigh the investment.
@glencairn84 @jol safely as in…? Properly ventilating the kitchen in the middle of a cold winter?
It’s cheaper to operate and repair gas stoves. That’s why professional kitchens still use them. But you don’t operate a professional kitchen. You cook twice a day at most.
IKEA has induction cooktops for like $600 or 700 bucks. They’re made by Frigidaire and are backed by a 5-year warranty… If you buy from home Depot that same Frigidaire cooked up, you could only get a 1-year warranty. Otherwise it’s the same exact product.
Okay, the price went up a little bit:
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/saerklassig-induction-cooktop-black-20462066/
Are induction stove tops still expensive where you live? I just bought one used from a colleague at work and will wire it up today. I haven’t really tried to get a good overview of the market since I didn’t buy a new one, but I got the feeling that it doesn’t exactly come with a hefty price tag nowadays.
I’ve been using a standalone portable induction system whenever I didn’t need 2 or more pots/pans at the same time, so I have some experience how neat the technology is. The fact that it wastes no energy going past the pot (like gas), doesn’t require a perfectly sized pot to maximize efficiency and reacts instantly to changes when I turn the knobs made it a very desirable purchase for me. And the fact that it’s a fast way to heat your food. I doubt that I’ll be using my water kettle to pre-heat my pasta water anymore.
Heat storage effect -as soon as you put anything in cold in the pan the whole element goes cold and it takes ages to reheat. Unlike a gas flame.
And “induction” heating is 90% conduction - only a tiny part of the pan is inducted and then the heat has to conduct to the rest of the pan. So in some ways its worse than a conventional electric hob because the heating is so uneven, and you still get the heat storage effect.
No it’s not. Buy a decent one and they work really well. I’ve never had any issues with hotspots.