If you\u2019re willing to adapt your cooking style just a bit, there is almost no downside to induction. It\u2019s faster, more efficient, and safer. It produces less ambient heat in your home and no harmful fumes. And it removes one more point of natural gas from your home, reducing your carbon impact and eliminating potential methane leaks<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Induction stoves cost a bit more than gas, at least upfront, but given how much worse gas stoves are for human health, we think this is well worth the cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A gas stove lights natural gas on fire, then controls the amount of gas flowing to that flame, either underneath a burner or inside a stove. That\u2019s conduction<\/strong>: gas burns, the heat is conducted <\/em>to your cookware, and your cookware then cooks your food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Induction<\/strong>, by comparison, is direct heat. An electromagnet sitting just underneath the ceramic flat surface creates a magnetic field that reaches the pan sitting on it. That field induces<\/em> a reaction with the metals in your pan that resist it, which warms the pan up and then cooks your food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Induction has quite a few advantages over gas, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n For far more information on induction cooking, and our recommendations on how to buy the right stove, check out our guide to induction stoves and cooktops<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n New induction stoves cost more than new gas stoves. Some of this is to be expected, given that they\u2019re a newer product category, and have more advanced capabilities (especially since most come with convection-driven, or \u201cair fry,\u201d electric ovens).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shopping at big-box appliance stores, we saw a range of $550-$1,600<\/strong> for a 30-inch or slide-in gas stove, at 5-6.5 cubic feet in size. There are certainly more expensive stoves, but we cut off the top range where prices started to jump for unique looks or attention-getting features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The same sizes of induction stoves were $1,200 to $2,000<\/strong> (similarly limited to mainstream models without expensive upgrades). More expensive induction stoves tend to start at $3,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s worth noting, too, that many appliance stores and chains may not have induction models available for immediate, local pick-up and delivery\u2014at least at this stage in induction\u2019s growth. You can likely get delivery for free on such a significant online purchase\u2014and possibly even installation, if your kitchen is ready for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some people won\u2019t need to pay much to install their stove, gas or induction, depending on what was there before. If your home already has a gas stove, buying another gas stove is the path of least resistance. Similarly, it\u2019s easier to install an induction stove where an electric stove was before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Induction stoves, like electric, require a dedicated 220-volt outlet, connected to a 40-50-amp circuit breaker. If you\u2019re moving on from gas, you may need to install high-capacity wiring, a new outlet, and, potentially, upgrade your electrical panel. Finally, you will want to cap your gas line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is likely work for a licensed electrician (and plumber, if a gas cap is needed), and the costs would depend on your existing wiring and panel, the distance from the kitchen to the panel, and other variables in your home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s not too likely, but if you\u2019re choosing between induction and a gas stove for a home that doesn\u2019t yet have a stove: don\u2019t. Natural gas prices are soaring and volatile<\/a> at the time of publication. Gas stoves produce potent greenhouse gasses like methane, which cause climate change. And probably worst of all, gas stoves produce harmful indoor air pollutants<\/a> that dramatically increase the risk of respiratory illnesses like asthma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Adding a gas line to a kitchen now, just for the sake of a gas stove, is not a great investment. If you\u2019re not sold on induction as a cooking technology, you should, at a minimum, buy an electric stove. It\u2019s better for your indoor air quality, for the planet, and if you or someone else wants to switch to induction later, it\u2019s much easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Image via<\/em> Marco Verch Professional\/Flickr<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Induction cooking requires pots and pans that react to magnetism. The simple test is to see if a magnet is attracted to the bottom; if it sticks, the pan is ready for induction. If not, you\u2019ll need to invest in a few new pans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many pots and pans already work with induction, even if they\u2019re not specifically labeled or sold as induction-ready. Cast iron, many kinds of steel (stainless or otherwise), some non-stick pans, and Dutch ovens (which are cast iron coated with glass). Nothing will go wrong if you use the wrong pan; the cooktop will simply give you an error and won\u2019t heat it up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Induction cooking, compared to a gas burner, allows for much faster heat-ups, quicker temperature changes, and safer cooking without flames or burning-hot surfaces. Induction converts 90% of its energy to cooking heat<\/a>, versus 74% for an electric stove, and 40% for a gas stove.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because the pan should stay in contact with the burner, you\u2019re better off stirring with a utensil than grabbing the pan and flipping food around (you can still do it, you\u2019ll just see an error and lose the power for a moment).<\/p>\n\n\n\n And the mental timings you might have for your techniques and recipes need adjusting, because your induction cooking will go much faster. You might not have as much time to prepare ingredients while other things are heating, and, at first, you\u2019ll have to watch things more closely, like garlic and onions browning. But having a meal done quicker is certainly a nice perk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you choose an induction stove, you\u2019ll get the same kind of oven as electric stoves. Increasingly, that means a stove labeled as offering \u201cair frying.\u201d Air frying is essentially a trendy rebrand of a convection oven<\/a>, where circulating air provides more even heating and crispy\/browned foods than a traditional radiant-heat electric oven. Gas stoves also offer air frying, but, as you might imagine, electric ovens are more consistent and accurate<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Induction stoves look remarkably similar to most other stoves. It makes sense: they have the same kinds of oven space as electric or gas, and then the flat-top cooking surface of most modern electric stoves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One notable change for many induction stoves is that they tend to feature buttons, or touch-sensitive panels, rather than the knobs common to gas stoves. That\u2019s a benefit of the technology\u2014you can set many finer temperatures or power levels on the stovetop than simply nudging a dial where you roughly want it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But if you prefer the control and feel of dials, or don\u2019t trust touch panels not to break, you can find induction ovens with knobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most of what you\u2019ll need to do to keep an induction stove running are the same as for a gas or electric stove. The inner stove needs regular cleaning. The flat stovetop needs cleaning whenever possible. And ventilation is important, as for any cooking appliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cleaning up an induction stove is notably easier than a gas stove. The heat is inside the pan, not literally flaming up from underneath, so both your stove and your pans pick up fewer marks and burns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most significant difference with induction cooktops is their ceramic-glass surfaces. They can scratch or scuff if certain cookware slides around on top of them. While they don\u2019t get nearly as hot as traditional electric cooktops, food can still get crusted onto induction cooktops, if it gets trapped underneath the cookware. And if you drop a too-heavy pot or pan on the cooktop, it could chip, or even shatter. None of this is likely to happen with common, cautious cooking, but it\u2019s worth noting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Follow your stove\u2019s instructions for the best cleaning and maintenance tips. These will typically involve wiping down when cool with a non-abrasive sponge, or a glass scraper<\/a> for tough gunk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As noted in our induction stove buyer\u2019s guide<\/a>, \u201cnatural gas\u201d is great marketing for something that is mostly methane, a gas that is 80 times more potent<\/a> at warming the earth than carbon dioxide. The methane that leaks from gas stoves every year\u2014just the functioning stove, not any gas lines\u2014has the same emissions potential as 500,000 gasoline-powered cars<\/a> on the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just as importantly, induction stoves run on electricity. The U.S.\u2019 electrical supply has a lot of coal and natural gas behind it, but it\u2019s quickly adding more renewables<\/a>. By cutting off gas and electrifying your home, you\u2019re setting yourself up (and the future people who own your home) to help move the nation, and world, away from burning fossil fuels for everyday needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There have been many studies showing that gas stoves are a major source of indoor pollution. Gas cooking has been shown to increase the risk of asthma in children by 42%<\/a>. Almost no home in America has the kind of ventilation needed to clear the nitrogen dioxide emissions caused by gas stoves.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is induction cooking? How is it different from gas?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Costs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Upfront purchase<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Installation<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Cookware<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nCooking techniques<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Appearance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Maintenance, repair, and care<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Environmental benefits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Health benefits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n