Please vote: Induction vs. Gas for island cooktop
Husband (who does much of the cooking) likes fire.
I want easy to clean (since I'm the cleanup crew). I have bad wrists and would prefer not to lift heavy iron grates.
Our son is chemically sensitive and I'm starting to wonder if fumes from a gas range might possibly contribute to his headaches. Now I read about concern about EMFs with induction, hmm.
The cooktop will be on a large island, about 10 feet from a large slider and outdoor living area (we're in SoCal, so we expect that door will be open often). The breeze is strong here, making it challenging to cook on gas range with door open.
Did I mention husband likes fire? :)
Which would you choose--induction or gas?
Comentarios (41)
Joe T.
hace 5 añosI'm a fire guy as well. However, in an island, I think it's going to depend on your venting. A surface-mount downdraft sucks a lot of the BTUs from a gas flame—that's what we had it in our last house. With proper overhead venting, that's not a concern.
So, if you're forced to go with downdraft venting, I say go induction, but if you can do proper overhead, I'd go with gas. Good overhead venting could help keep cooking vapors from your son as well.
BTW, a lot of people don't like cooktops in an island. I had a cooktop in the island and I really liked it—I could cook and not have my back to the family.
Mittens Cat agradeció a Joe T.
cpartist
hace 5 añosÚltima modificación: hace 5 añosFirst i would think about moving the cooktop off the island. That is the worst possible location. The majority of cooking time is not spent at the cooktop but next to a sink prepping
Kate E
hace 5 añosTough call... Given what Joe said about venting, I would lean towards gas if your husband is the regular cook. Regular - if he cooks most frequently, I say give the cook his preference. BUT- if he is just the one who loves to cook but you both cook equally often or you cook more frequently, then I think I’d lean toward the easier to clean option.
Another thought - isn’t induction the kind where the surface doesn’t actually heat up but the pans get hot? If that’s true, induction might be better for an island so if a stray hand touches the surface while cooking, or if a loaf of bread gets set on the surface while cooking it doesn’t melt (true story). If it’s true that induction surface doesn’t get hot (or as hot), I’d go with that since it will be in the island.deb s
hace 5 añosI thought I would always be a gas person until I had induction installed in my current house - I LOVE LOVE LOVE it -- the ability to get to a constant temp and quick temps adjustments are fantastic but my absolute favorite is clean up- just wipe the glass top and it stays looking brand new for years. I did an electric down vent which is not my favorite as it sucks the greasy air into it and its hard to clean.
Mittens Cat agradeció a deb s- PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
hace 5 añosÚltima modificación: hace 5 añosI am also a fire lover but a gas range on an island never vents properly hence the reason your son might be having an issue. Venting is best done on an outside wall or in a staright linre through the ceiling. if it has to be on an inside wall. The fact that you have wind blowing into the kitchen is just another reason to put the gas stove on an outside wall away from cross breezes. Since you have an issue lifting the heavy grates that will have to be his job I have a Bertazzoni all gas range 36” 6 burner all the parts on top go in my DW and the top itself is sealed so very easy to clean. Induction has liitations too. You need specific pots and I find they do not work well for wok cooking. I do however have an induction burner I use for delicate sauces but it is just a portable one.
Mittens Cat agradeció a Patricia Colwell Consulting 
wednesday morning
hace 5 añosYou are so limited with your cookware on an induction stove. I would never even consider it, for myself. There is nothing like a good fire flame to cook with. Electric would be a second choice, but nothing beats a good flame.
With a good steel gas cooktop clean up is not difficult.
Do you know for sure that your son is affected by fumes from the gas flame, or are you just assuming? If your gas flame is creating fumes, there is incomplete combustion and that does not generally occur on a stove top. If you were getting "fumes" from a gas flame that would be carbon monoxide and everyone would be affected by that. That is why gas supplied homes have CO detectors. I really doubt if you would be in any danger of CO from a cooktop. That is generally a threat that is associated with gas heating systems and hot water heaters. It is my understanding that this CO is a result of incomplete combustion due to the flame not getting the right mix of O2 to burn correctly and a lack of a fresh air source.
I grew up in houses that had natural gas burning heaters built right in to the wall. We even had a very large free standing one right smack dab in the living room that was about the size of a small fridge. I am not saying that there was never a danger, but we all survived quite well. Safety codes have changed, probably for good reason.
I am so sorry that your son has chemical sensitivity. I highly doubt, though, that a gas cooking flame is going to pose a threat. But, that is just my understanding and my opinion.
I would not be too afraid of the EMF associated with that induction cooktop, either. I would, though, dislike being restricted to one certain type of cookware and not having a good flame. As a cook I know that having a responsive flame is essential to a wide variety of cooking techniques.
And, lastly, it is the cook who should be the final authority of what tools to cook with. Having an induction cooktop is not going to make a difference as to cleanup. The cooktop is only one small part of the clean up process after preparing a meal.--- a very minor part, and should not be a deciding factor towards something that will be in use almost everyday.
artemis_ma
hace 5 añosÚltima modificación: hace 5 añosI love my induction.
I think any EMF associated with induction isn't going to travel remotely as far as, say, your wifi box that connects up your Internet. Or the signal that comes out of your phone that is on you nearly all day.
Who does the most cooking in the kitchen? Who does most of the clean-up? That combo should influence who has the larger vote on this. Sounds like if you do go with gas, he at least gets to agree to clean up the range.
And the grill outdoors can certainly still be gas! You could have the best of both worlds, gas (outside) and induction and easy to clean (inside)!
Mittens Cat agradeció a artemis_maweedmeister
hace 5 añosThe only way EMF from an induction top will affect you is if you habitually lie on top of the unit while it is on.
Of course, it won't operate this way since it requires a steel (cast iron, etc) pan to be on the hob to activate.
Mittens Cat agradeció a weedmeistersuseyb
hace 5 añosAlmost every pan I see these days says that it works on induction. Induction has now been around long enough that manufacturers know that a lot of induction cooktops and ranges are being sold, and they are making pans that work. If a magnet is attracted to your pans, they will work on induction.
Mittens Cat agradeció a suseybMittens Cat
Autor originalhace 5 añosThanks all. We're not worried about the pans. (Our IKEA 365 works and has always done fine for us! :) And the gas fumes issue was just a recent curiosity after someone else mentioned her headaches stopped after they moved from gas to (old school) electric.
and yes, @artemis_ma, I agree: Chef's prerogative. :)
We're actually doing a test run at our local Wolf showroom this week--boiling water, scrambling eggs, making pasta...on both gas and induction ranges.- Mittens Cat agradeció a cpartist
User
hace 5 añosÚltima modificación: hace 5 añosI'm torn about gas vs. electric. we can't get gas at our home. we'd prefer it because the cooking really is superior. the two (small) comforts that make me feel better that we can't have gas is safety, and the fact that electric is rapidly becoming the greener choice for just about everything.
MAJOR con about glass tops: they're easy to wipe off, but actually really hard to make them look clean (note we have a regular electric cooktop, not induction). any splash or spill and you get these burnt spots that can only be removed with barkeep's friend and really hard scrubbing. also on any given day, the shiny black top will show every single streak so you need to finish with windex and a clean cloth. who has time for that every night? not me. every day I do wipe the stove clean, but it looks streaky most of the time. I hate it.
I did read that induction will have a lower chance of burning stuff on the surface, but that still doesn't solve the problem about that black glass looking streaky.
dan1888
hace 5 añosB F. . . . Your radiant glass top heats to 750* to heat a pan. That more than bakes spills on. The induction top get warm from the pan but not that much. This is why cleanup is windex and a paper towel. And response for your unit is unbelievably slow. Induction is almost instant. Faster than gas. The two cooking experiences couldn't be more different. You need to investigate induction.
suseyb
hace 5 añosWe could not get gas at our last home, so we got induction. I thought that gas was superior to induction for cooking until I used induction. Induction does everything that gas does, only better. I want the water boiling, 90 seconds later I have water boiling. I have a pot that is getting too hot, turn it down, and it instantly cools. I can even heat chocolate without a double boiler because it just won't burn. The fine detail you get with induction is one of my favorite things about it.
We don't have to scrub our stovetop because it's induction. My kids usually wipe it down every night. Takes 30 seconds. I don't think it looks streaky.Cavimum
hace 5 añosInduction is a breeze to clean up, just wipe the glass. Easy peasy. No heavy cast iron grates to scrub. Kitchen does not get hot from flames or hot electric coils.
AvatarWalt
hace 5 añosWe don't have induction, but I've read that with messy things like spattering bacon you can put paper towels between the pan and the induction burner with no problem: that's not just easy stovetop cleanup, it's NO cleanup.
cpartist
hace 5 añosI did read that induction will have a lower chance of burning stuff on the surface, but that still doesn't solve the problem about that black glass looking streaky.
Understand that it is absolutely IMPOSSIBLE to burn stuff on an induction cooktop. Not going to happen because the surface never heats up so nothing burns onto the surface.
Because of that, after cleaning my induction cooktop with windex and a paper towel, if it still looks at all streaky, all I do is wipe it once with a microfiber cloth and the problem is solved. My induction glass cooktop never looks streaky.
There is no comparison between electric and induction. They are two entirely different animals and the only thing that is the same is that both have glass tops.cpartist
hace 5 añosWe don't have induction, but I've read that with messy things like spattering bacon you can put paper towels between the pan and the induction burner with no problem: that's not just easy stovetop cleanup, it's NO cleanup.
I've done it! Except I still had to clean up the front of the cooktop where the controls were. LOL. I decided after that, it was just as easy to use the windex afterwards and save the paper towels for cleanup.
AvatarWalt
hace 5 añoscpartist, I suppose you could use the Sunday paper and just let it drape over the front of the cooktop. :) I love our vintage gas O'Keefe & Merritt, but I have to admit that I'm jealous of you induction people!
Mittens Cat agradeció a AvatarWaltUser
hace 5 años@ dan1888 oh yeah, trust me, we do want induction when we redo our kitchen. that electric glass top is the worst. I actually miss my previous apartment's coil stove from 1983, LOL!
I had read that induction does prevent burning food onto the glass, but I wasn't sure how much that was really true. now I'm really looking forward to getting one!Toronto Veterinarian
hace 5 años" you can put paper towels between the pan and the induction burner with no problem "
I do that when I make popcorn on the stove too, so that it's easier to shake the pan without risk of scratching the top.
highdesertowl
hace 5 añosYour husband loves flame? So have him go buy the outdoor grill (or wood grill) of his dreams? And you get the easy to clean, no gas fume, highly responsive induction inside the home :)
Chessie
hace 5 años"You are so limited with your cookware on an induction stove. I would never even consider it, for myself.
This is such baloney with the available pots and pans nowadays."
That's not true. I have several beautiful (and pricey) copper pans that I love cooking in. They will NOT work on an induction range.
3katz4me
hace 5 añosÚltima modificación: hace 5 añosI was always a flame zealot but moved into a place with an electric range. I had to get rid of that ASAP and was going to run a gas line but decided I wanted to try induction. I will never again buy a gas range/cooktop. Induction is superb. I had all the necessary pans but I certainly wouldn't let that stand in the way. You can buy great sets of induction compatible cookware for a low price. I bought some additional inexpensive Duxtop pans on Amazon to have a few extras to replace my 35 year old revereware. I actually like those pans better than my all clad.
wdccruise
hace 5 años"And you can't roast marshmallows..."
Shucks. I was planning an induction campfire on my next camping trip.
Mittens Cat agradeció a wdccruise
HKO HKO
hace 5 añosI always thought gas was best. New house has no gas. Got induction. I’m a convert, for all the reasons mentioned above. Responsiveness is just as good as gas. It just takes a week or two of learning what number on the controls correlates to the old flame visual.Mittens Cat agradeció a HKO HKOUser
hace 5 años"But you are correct in that you can't do peppers ...And you can't roast marshmallows either."
LOL, I have a similar issue: tortilla toasting (which we do often). a gas burner is the best, but it even worked on a coil burner (get them red hot and drag the tortillas quickly over). now with my electric glass top, I either have to get a stainless pan really dirty, or toast them in the oven. it's not the same. the struggle is real.
Marigold
hace 5 añosI am starting to love my induction, now that I have found the correct pots that don't vibrate. If you decide to go with one, my tip would be not to get one with the controls on the actual cooktop. If something boils over the controls, the whole cooktop shuts down on mine. very annoying
Mittens Cat agradeció a Marigoldkaseki
hace 5 añosA comment on heating the glass (Ceran) cooktop surface. The heat input to the cooktop is mainly conducted to it from the inductively heated pan. If silicone pads or paper or whatever are used to raise the pan slightly, the flow of heat downward is even less than with direct contact. Generally, either way spills can be wiped up while cooking. I use silicone pads I cut from cookie sheets, and this removes nearly all danger that someone would be burnt by the cooktop zone under the pan when the pan is removed. The temperature there will be uncomfortable to the touch, but not searing. This is entirely unlike electric coil under glass cooktops, or gas cooktop grates.
Mittens Cat agradeció a kasekiMittens Cat
Autor originalhace 5 años@kaseki, thanks, though can you please elaborate on what you mean by using "silicone pads cut from cookie sheets"? Not clear what you mean. Thanks!
M Miller
hace 5 añosÚltima modificación: hace 5 añosThey might have meant silicon pads used on cookie sheets (I actually dont like them for cookies cause the crisp edging doesn’t develop on the cookies (the best part!) in my experience)
These: https://www.amazon.com/Silpat-Premium-Non-Stick-Silicone-Baking/dp/B00008T960
PROGreat Oak Studio Architecture
hace 5 añosIf you've ever considered or have the possibility of adding photovoltaic panels to your roof in the future, induction would be the choice to make now.
Mittens Cat agradeció a Great Oak Studio ArchitectureMittens Cat
Autor originalhace 5 añosGreat Oak Studio, yes! We are indeed planning for that at some point soon, we hope.
kaseki
hace 5 añosÚltima modificación: hace 5 añosMittens Cat Silpats have fiberglass reinforcement in them, as I recall, so I wouldn't recommend cutting into them. Instead, I have cut up "Sili Gourmet Reusable Silicone Bake Liners" by William Bounds Ltd., ordered on-line some years ago. If I were to need more silicone sheet, however, I would likely order from the industrial source MCSDirect.com where various thicknesses, sizes, colors, and temperature ratings are available. It takes a long time and a number of mistakes to deteriorate the pads sufficiently to need to replace them, though, so it doesn't look like I'll outlive the uncut stock I have.
While I use circular patterns to mark the silicone sheet for cutting and use three pads to support a pan (four for a rectangular griddle cast iron pan), any shape will do. Unnecessarily large pads will conduct more heat to the Ceran than smaller pads, so pads should be somewhat proportional to the size and weight to be supported. A range of pad sizes between 1 and 3 inches should be sufficient.
M Miller The masculine gender singular will do for kaseki referential pronouns. There have been many times in my life that I've been busy enough to wish to clone myself into a state of plurality, but have never succeeded.
M Miller
hace 5 añosYes, I knew the “they” was wrong as soon as I hit “Submit”, but decided just to live on the edge with that post.
Mittens Cat agradeció a M Miller
meganpat
hace 5 añosDefinitely gas for me so much easier to cook on. My sister-in-law has induction and it is woeful. Plus if the electric goes out you can still cook and boil water etcMittens Cat
Autor originalhace 5 añosmeganpat, this is the first I've heard anyone say they didn't like induction. Why has it been woeful?
Chessie
hace 5 añosIf the electric goes out and I REALLY need to cook, I have a gas grill on my deck.
Sue Guilford
hace 5 añosWhen I was planning my kitchen remodel in 2006, I also wanted gas, but there was no gas line where I needed it. I learned about induction cooktops on this forum and I will never go back to gas. Induction gives you all the control of gas with no fumes (much better for anyone with asthma or sensitivity to chemicals) as well as little or no extra heat thrown out. I also have a gas grill as well as a camping stove to use when we have our next Big One. What I wanted in 2006 was a slide-in stove with induction top; whatI got was an induction cooktop above a wall oven. Today there are a number of induction-top stoves available.
Mittens Cat agradeció a Sue Guilford
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cpartist