Cooktop Buying Guide: Induction or Gas?
Induction and Gas cooktops are both beloved by professional chefs and passionate home cooks, alike. But what are good reasons for choosing one over the other?
We think both of them are amazing - but one technology may suit you more than the other depending on your cooking style and preferences. Let's look at their key advantages:
Induction Cooking
- Precision
Cooking with induction gives you incredibly precise control of temperature with extremely even heat distribution. Modern induction cooktops are also remarkably programmable so it's very, very easy to tap into this control - activating automatic programs for ongoing, consistent, precise heat-ups.
- Flexibility
Induction cooking is great if you want to cook with multiple pots and pans simultaneously (and of particular advantage if said pots and pans have an unusual or slightly cumbersome shape).
Induction cooktops are increasingly flexible, with a brilliant capacity to accommodate different types and amounts of cookware.
Remember, however, that some items won't be compatible with an induction cooktop. If you have any doubts about a piece of cookware, a simple trick is to use a magnet to test its suitability. The magnet will still stick to the bottom of an item with a ferrous base - and therefore it will heat up on an induction surface.
- Easy to Clean
Having a smooth glass-ceramic surface, induction cooktops are brilliantly easy to wipe down with a cloth. There's no fiddling about trying to clean trivets or burners - and because the surface actually heats up only a very little bit, you are extremely unlikely to get any burnt food stuck to it.
- Economy
Highly efficient because very little heat energy escapes - unlike with an open gas flame. When you cook with induction, you'll be economising on time and energy.
-- Induction Cooktop Recomman
Gas Cooking
- Intuitive Control
Gas cooktops remain incredible popular for a reason - they still deliver exceptional performance. One of the key aspects is the way the chef can "intuitively" control the heat coming from the cooktop - you can literally see the flame immediately reacting to changes you apply to the strength of the gas flow.
- No Specialty Cookware Required
You can use any type of cookware with gas appliances - no need to purchase new stuff or ditch your favourite pan.
- Installation
A determining factor may well be the presence of a gas connection - there will obviously be extra costs involved if you don't have one but you are primed for a gas cooktop if you do. You'll need to be aware that because Induction Cookers use a lot of energy, they can require special connections - a 20A, 32A or even 42A connection - which will need to be completed by a licensed electrician.
- Personal Preference
Ultimately a lot of the difference will come back to your personal preference - and what you're most experienced with. If you've been cooking a long time with one or the other and reached the point where you'd be loath to make the switch, stick to what you know - after all, cooking is supposed to be a fun and even inspirational experience. Don't let anything get in the way of that!
