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Are you deciding between induction and gas stovetops? It’s not an easy task because both items have their pros and cons. How to choose? The induction cooktop is rather new equipment on the market, but its popularity is growing. Gas cooktops are customary items, but with their own drawbacks. There is something to think about! To help you out, we have created this article – induction vs gas cooktop – thanks to it, you’ll learn the advantages and disadvantages of both appliances. Keep reading to make an educated decision.
How Does Induction Cooktop Work
What is induction cooking? How does it work? Let’s learn the answers to these main questions before picking the right item for your kitchen. Such a cooker looks similar to a ceramic cooktop; it has distinct zones where you place your pans or pots. The surface is made of hard, heat-resistant glass-ceramic.
There is a coil of metal inside the cooking zones. When you turn the stove on, an alternating current goes through the coil and makes an alternating magnetic field. Unless you put a pan on the stove, the surface doesn’t become hot – it stays cold. When you place induction cookware on the cooking zone, the magnetic field penetrates it, and the cookware heats up. The heat from the pan or pot goes into the food/liquid inside it.
What pans work with induction? As it was mentioned above, you have to use induction, cast iron or stainless steel cookware – it’s one of the main induction cooking tips.
Now when you know what an induction cooking is, let’s get to know its benefits.
- 【DUAL HEATING ZONES】 This professional digital countertop induction cooktop by Duxtop is equipped with two independent heating zones that allow you to set each one separately using the LCD display screen. The Duxtop induction burner uses 120 Volts, 15 amp of electricity—standard in all North American homes.
- 【SAFE—EASY TO USE—EASY TO CLEAN】 Child safety lock system helps protect from injuries such as scalding. Touch control panel is simple to operate, and the rapid heating of the cookware makes cooking fast and easy. With no open flame or heating element, food does not burn-on the glass cooktop so it’s easy to clean—just wipe with a damp towel.
- 【CHOOSE POWER MODE OR TEMPERATURE MODE】 There are 20 preset levels per mode so you can select the perfect one for your cooking task. Simply press one button to switch between cooking modes. TEMPERATURE MODE is recommended to fry, steam and saute. Try POWER MODE to keep food warm or to bring water to a boil quickly.
- 【ENERGY EFFICIENT】 Electric cooktops place the electromagnetic energy directly into the cookware without wasting energy on a heating element. This makes them extremely energy efficient while providing faster heating. The Power Sharing Feature is designed to avoid electrical overload and increase efficiency by allowing the burners to share power between them while in Power Mode.
- 【WIDE RANGE OF APPLICATIONS】 This double induction cooker is compatible with cast iron, iron, magnetic steel, enameled iron, stainless steel manufactured with a magnetic bottom. If a magnet sticks to the cookware bottom, it should be compatible. Lightweight and attractive design makes it great for home and outdoor cooking. Low and high voltage warning system; ETL approved and built to North American electrical standards.
Benefits Of Induction Cooking
Induction cooking has lots of benefits! Your meals are being prepared much faster, e.g. water boils under half the time it takes on electric or gas cooktop. More than that, you always get tasty results – due to the precise temperature control, you can ultimately prepare delicious dishes.
A lot of people are concerned about induction cooking health hazards. We assure you that there is nothing to worry about. Induction cooktops produce radiation, as well as microwaves, but the level of radiation is extremely low, and it diminishes to nothing if you are a few inches away from the unit.
So, answering the question “Is induction cooking healthy?”, we say – yes, it’s healthy and safe!
Induction Cooktop Pros And Cons
We have prepared a full list of the pros and cons of an induction cooktop so that you can make a choice: induction cooktop vs. gas.
Pros:
- Energy-efficiency – induction hob supplies the energy directly to a pan or pot, so 80% of the energy from the electricity is used for preparing food.
- Cool surface – the heat is not distributed around the hob, it stays on the pans and pots. However, do not touch the cooktop right away after taking a pan away, it might be burning because the hot utensil was standing on it.
- Top safety – it doesn’t use fire to heat it up, so it’s overall safety, even for curious little hands. The cool and safe surface makes such a stove ideal for families with children.
- Easy to clean – there will not be burnt or baked-on food because induction cooktops do not get hot enough to allow such a problem. But if you need to clean your hob, just take a sponge and wipe it – easy peasy!
- And, finally, the best induction cooktop fits perfectly in any kitchen – you may choose the size of your unit.
Cons:
- Expensive – you’ll have to pay a hard coin for it. However, this item will reduce your electricity bills when in use.
- Dependency on electricity – you won’t be able to use your induction cooktop if the source of power goes out.
- Such stoves require special cookware, which contains iron.
Pros And Cons Of Gas Stoves
Today, gas stovetops are traditionally used in most households. And they also have their advantages and drawbacks, so let’s get to know them.
Pros:
- Reliability – it means that there is no power loss; in case the electricity goes out, you still can cook your meals until you are connected to a gas line, or a gas tank is full.
- Low heat emission – once you turn off your best gas cooktop, the heat disperses immediately. You’ll appreciate it, especially on hot summer days.
- Easily adjustable cooking temperature – the flame gets lower or higher immediately. When you change the flame, you change the temperature of cooking.
- If you buy a portable gas cooktop, it’ll fit in any kitchen.
Cons:
- Requires installation – if you buy a gas stove, you must call a professional to install and adjust it.
- Messy – there are metal grates on the top. These grates and burners become messy while you are cooking, so you’ll have to clean them constantly. It’s a challenging task if you have baked-on or burnt food there.
- Gas health risk cooking – gas stoves can be dangerous, especially if they are installed or used improperly. What does gas stand for in health? Gas leaks are a health hazard – they can cause the following disorders: lack of coordination, memory issues, fatigue, bad headache, nausea, loss of consciousness, death from suffocation.
Is Induction Cooking Better Than Gas
We, at mykitchenadvisor.com, like both ways of cooking – on gas and induction cooktops. As you could see, they have their own advantages and drawbacks. Lots of people like gas stoves because they don’t rely on electricity, and have good temperature control. However, if your priority is safety, energy-efficiency, and cost-effectiveness, you’d better go for an induction cooktop. In these terms, induction cooktops are far better than gas ones.
We hope our post will be helpful, and you’ll find the right unit for your new kitchen.