Equipment Reviews: Induction Cooking

Why induction? Induction burners are known to heat up very quickly and hold a consistent temperature and are purportedly safer, since they are flameless and often have features such as automatic shut-off and screen-locking mechanisms. They are also easier to clean and are more energy-efficient than gas or electric stovetops.

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[barcham]

THANK YOU for mentioning the danger of using induction if you have a medical implant. I have a defibrillator/pacemaker implant and am unable to use one for that reason. I only learned of this when reading the manual after I purchased one on sale. Anyone with metal pins in their arm or wrist after an injury should also avoid cooking this way. This is a very important detail that is rarely mentioned in reviews or articles on induction appliances. 👍👍

[elyjane]

I live in the UK and I have used induction for about 10 years. Once I got used to it, I just love it. Cooks and cleans up easily. Recently I had occasion to use a gas stove. Could not wait to use my induction again.

[clearontheconcept]

I have a Duxtop very similar to the best buy recommendation here and have enjoyed using it for several years. One cool feature is that it's so portable I can take it with me on road trips and basically have my own kitchen wherever I go.

[karenwosilait]

The Duxtop sold us on induction. We cooked on it for about 12 months, some in hot weather when we didn't want to use the gas stove we had access to, and for 6 months when we had a non-functioning electric stove. I do recommend that an induction cooktop have fine control, not just 1-9 but 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, etc up to 9. I don't think I'd be sold without the finer control.

[nancyeaton]

25 years ago I moved into a neighborhood with no natural gas hookup and was crushed. I suffered with an electric range for a few years until I bought a GE Profile induction cooktop in 2009 and I have never looked back. I am an avid cook and I LOVE induction cooking. The responsiveness and control are excellent. I'm happy the prices are coming down. I have also used a pair of standalone burners in two separate rental cottage kitchens. The guests love them and I feel reassured knowing there is a safe alternative to electric or gas for renters. I didn't know about cooking through a silicone mat, I will try this with my cast iron pans. Less likely to scratch the top this way.

[davidnewcomb]

Cooking on a hot summer day, I am so pleased with induction as it dumps far less heat into the room.

[selewachm]

We upgraded our old house to an induction range with convection oven. Previously he had a builders grade gas range for > 20 years. Wow! Fell it love with it! You can melt chocolate without a double boiler. Redoing the kitchen in our new place. Replacing a 28 yo electric coil with induction stove top. Can't wait!

[TeddyCavachon]

We built our retirement dream house in coastal North Carolina where there is no piped-in natural gas so I decided on a GE Cafe Induction range / double oven and love it for the level of control it offers, the speed at which pans and pots heat up, and the ease of clean up. An infrared thermometer is very useful when using induction because the pans get so hot so fast, even at medium heat settings. Three ply All-Clad skillets and sauté pans which have an aluminum core to distribute the heat have more uniform temperatures than all stainless pans. The less expensive pans which have thicker aluminum “pucks” in the base (e.g. Emeril and Wolfgang Puck branded) also work well.

[SafeNation]

Another great reason to use induction burners is that you don't get bad gases like NOx in your kitchen and home – much much better for you and your family.

[jamesvoigt]

My motto is "have stove will travel." Not only is it great in my kitchen or any other room I want to cook in, but I can put it in an old laptop case (Duxtop brand), and it is unremarkable when traveling. I do also take a compatible saucepan and fry pan. It can go camping (if there is electricity), to hotel rooms, RVs, friends' houses, church, special event spaces, and so forth. It is so nice to set it in a corner keeping our hot chocolate warm during a community meeting.

[TitoTimTravels]

At our condo (Philippines) gas is not allowed at all. We use portable gas cans, so lots of safety concerns. I have always hated regular electric burners, so the induction cooker was my best option. We bought one induction burner for our main pans, and one infrared burner for our aluminum pans. Each burner cost about $30-$40. The infrared is an electric burner but much better than the old style. The induction burner is a miracle! It gets hot super fast, has amazing responsiveness in temperature adjustments, and does not stay hot after use. I still prefer gas, because a chapati puffs better on a gas fire. 😎

[anonymousdonor]

These are very common and super cheap in Asia. However, even w 240v 50Hz power; the power supplies can get very hot. 125V would require more current. One of the primary uses for them is that large high rise apartment buildings generally don’t allow gas for fire safety reasons. A popular brand is made by the Spanish company Malloca . A basic 3 burner cooktop costs about $700-800. Very easy to install.

[juantamayo]

I actually laughed so hard when she said the price of the expensive model lol

[tomfromoz]

TY!!! I was just about to google that question. I rarely use more than one hob, and usually cook almost everything using the same pan! It's clad for induction. You've made an old lady so happy.
>> Tom's Ukrainian/American wife Pam <<

[corystansbury]

One thing that is rarely mentioned, and that I've found since owning both countertop and a range model, is that the peak of induction heating is roughly half the size of the coil. So even on Allclad or Swiss Diamond cookware, the evenness isn't as good as one may prefer. The only models that seem to address this are the Thermador cooktops which use 48 small inductive coils which automatically detect and heat whatever compatible cookware is over them.

[unclegeorge]

My portable unit is just as you suggested - The Test Rig. I haven't got above 3 yet. Frying onions and I have to pay attention. At 80; I really enjoy the unit turning off when I remove the pan. So the door bell or phone rings: I just set the pan to the side (Oh, it's a hot pan for sure) and if I get to gabbing - No problem!

[TheRepublicOfJohn]

Really glad to see more frequent output of reviews on the channel. Lisa does an awesome job presenting the real differences between similar products. Any time I'm shopping for kitchen equipment, ATK is the first place I check for advice! Thanks everyone!

[marcelrobinson]

They are also perfect for small studio apartments.

[gundampharmacist]

I just got my first induction stovetop - a portable one as I am a poor college student - and I can say portable to portable, it still beats the pants off of the much cheaper portable electric and gas stoves. Gas has the problem of having finite fuel and all the issues with needing venting, and the portable electric stovetops keep shutting themselves off to try and maintain temperature or not melt themselves (which my most recent one failed to do). Compared to that, I'm more than happy with my new "budget" top.

[jjpp]

This is a great summary. I have a portable burner I use in the back yard in the summer when I’d rather not be indoors. I can use it exclusively or alongside the barbecue. It’s light, and easy to set out there and easy to clean up afterwards. My next stovetop will definitely be induction.