Which cooktop is right for you? Gas, electric, or induction?
So you’ve decided to get a new cooktop for your kitchen? Your choices come down to three options, either the conventional choices of gas or electric or the more modern choice of induction.
To help you decide we look at the pros and cons of each based on five different criteria, to help you decide which cooktop is right for you.
Space Considerations
One of the first and most important things to consider when choosing the right cooktop for your kitchen is how much space you have.
If you’re cooking in a smaller area, then induction is likely the best option since it most often has a minimal footprint and, perhaps more importantly, it doesn’t radiate large amounts of heat like conventional options of gas or electric cooktops.
If you do have space to spare, then both induction and electric are good options.
Cooking Considerations
When deciding on which cooktop is best for your kitchen, your cooking habits are important to consider, especially the number and type of burners or elements you need.
If you cook frequently or prepare meals for different people with different tastes or different dietary needs, (and you have space!) four or five cooktop surfaces, burners or elements would be ideal for you.
Conventional gas cooktops are suitable to cook any type of food, and while you don’t get the precise and consistent temperature control you get with induction, it is a great way to cook.
Electric cooktops also offer a great option for cooking for large amounts of people, but like gas cooktops, be sure to consider the safety concerns in a busy kitchen. Unlike induction cooktops, the danger of getting burned or igniting flammable material should be considered.
Induction cooktops are often the choice for people that are cooking large amounts of food because induction allows for quicker cook times and more efficient use of power. Induction is also a better choice in high-traffic kitchen areas since it’s safer than conventional cooktops. Unlike gas or electric, with induction cooking, only the pot only heats up.
Energy Use Considerations
While gas and electric cooktops offer many pros of there own, they simply can’t compete with induction cooktops when it comes to energy consumption.
Induction delivers between 80% to 90% of its electromagnetic energy to the food in the pan. That far more efficient than gas which delivers only 38% of its energy, and electric, which is about 70%.
Safety Considerations
If safety is a top priority for you in your kitchen then the clear choice for the next cooktop in your kitchen is induction. Far and away.
When you turn on an induction cooktop, the coil beneath the surface passes along the magnetic field to the pan, not to the cooktop surface. Whether its a piece of paper or fabric, when materials that ordinarily easily catch flame, when they come in contact with the induction cooktop surface, nothing happens.
Cleaning Considerations
While traditionalists might be adamant about cooking via conventional methods of gas or electric, few will say that they are easier to clean. All those nooks and crannies and grooves and removable parts can make cleaning conventional cooktops a major pain.
Induction cooktops, on the other hand, with their smooth black glass surface, make cleaning a breeze. There are a few tips you should follow when cleaning an induction cooktop (as we’ve discussed here), but there is no debate that induction cooktops are incredibly easy to clean and maintain that “like new” look.
Have some questions about induction cooking you need answered? Contacts us anytime! info@dipoinduction.com
