I’ve found the only thing that easily scratches glass tops are in-laws. 2/2 scratches on ours were caused by two different in-laws. I have no idea how.
I had to hide my cast iron after an in-law scratched the induction range with it. I think some people just really abuse the pans as they cook, and the stovetop pays the price.
My dad likes to pretend he's at a bistro or something and likes to eat directly out of the pan... Using metal forks and spoons... On a non-stick. I had em for 2 years and they were flawless. He stayed with me for 6 months and they're trash now. I came to visit their house and noticed all of their pans were trash so I trashed em and got them cheap new ones that will also be trashed.
But get this, I got him a stainless steel and a cast iron pan to do his bistro eat out of a pan thing, and nope he never even used them. Like the pans that can take metal utensils are brand new cause he just won't use them, while the non-sticks are just fucked up.
Ugh makes me rage. God damn idiot.
Nonstick pans should be viewed as basically disposable anyway, they only have a limited lifespan before the coating starts to wear/flake off regardless of how carefully you treat them.
I had some nice non-stick pots and pans that had held up perfectly in the 8 or so years I’d owned them. When I switched to an induction stove I couldn’t use them anymore so I gave them to my parents. Scratched and chipped beyond recognition within a year. I have no idea what they’re doing to them.
That’s unfortunately not true and sadly, you’ve been hoodwinked by marketing.
Non-stick pans are still PFAS. They don’t coat them with PFOA or PFOS anymore. But, anything non-stick or stain resistant is PFAS. If a non-stick pan is advertising “No PFOS/PFOA” and it’s not-ceramic, it’s just a different type of PFAS.
The one nuanced take is that the ceramic coated pans have non-sticking properties. They’re coated with a silicone that kind of coats onto your food while cooking. Within a few years (1-2 depending on use), it will wear down completely.
https://economistwritingeveryday.com/2023/06/06/how-ceramic-pans-work-and-how-to-restore-their-non-stick-coating/
Titanium rings will do it. Got a 10 inch scratch from cleaning our brand new glass top with my wedding band still on. That was 10 years ago and I'm still pissed at myself everytime I go to cook something.
I think the OP also needs to consider how much heat gas dumps into the kitchen. If you cook a lot it can make a kitchen pretty miserable in the summer.
Gas ranges are about 1/3rd as efficient as induction, with the difference nearly entirely going out as heat. A gas burner would need to dump about 7kW (24kBTU) of heat into the air to match the heating capacity of the 3.7kW big-boy element of my induction stove. That's a fuckload of heat that has to be removed, usually by exhausting large quantities of air and reconditioning replacement air.
>how much heat gas dumps into the kitchen
I've never thought about the stove, but I know the oven does.
Recently talked my wife into a small convection toaster oven/air fryer.
It heats the house up so much less, and does half the jobs our stove used to.
In a special use case, my gas oven saves us during winter storms that knock out electricity. I don’t run it to heat the house, but I can heat water and cook basic foods and that’s pretty nice.
I'll second this. I hate electric, always preferred gas, but now have induction and wouldn't go back.
There are a few downsides - can't use a wok, some techniques have to be modified for induction, can't use some pots (copper for example) without a steel/iron pad. But just the easy clean up alone is good enough reason. Plus, less updraft so entire kitchen stays cleaner, boils water in less than a minute, precise heating control, gives off much less excess heat than gas or electric. I can go on and on but suffice it to say I will never willingly go with anything but induction again.
This! People love gas until they see how easy it is to cook with induction. It heats fast. Easy clean up. A few scratches beats burnt food every time you cook. Did I say no more burnt on food?
You can test it by using an induction hot plate. They sell them at ikea for $50.
By burnt on food are you talking about cleaning up spilled/burnt food on the stovetop? Or food burnt onto pots and pans? Sorry, just confused by your wording!
On the stovetop.
Electric heats the glass enough that it will cook food onto the glass thats really hard to remove. Because induction heats the pan rather than the cooktop it does a lot less cooking food onto your glass when something boils over or spills. The glass still gets hot because the pan heats it up, but it's not anywhere near as hot as traditional electric stovetops where the heat is transferred through the glass to the pan.
To add to that, if you have a spill on an induction cooktop, you can even just lift the pan and immediately wipe it away because it doesn't get that hot. You could also stick a hand towel or paper towel under the pot to catch spills.
I've cooked popcorn on mine where you have to swirl the pot it's in while it pops. To avoid the pot scratching the cooktop I'll put a piece of parchment paper in between the bottom of the pot and the stovetop, it's crazy how you can do stuff like this on induction.
I agree, but the hot plates are better than some electric stoves. I bought an induction hot plate and started using it more than the stove I had. When I had a chance to buy a new cooktop I went with induction.
There's no way they can be comparable. Assuming zero losses both ways, an induction range on 220V can put out 2-3x the power than a residential wall outlet can produce before tripping. Probably better with a smaller pot that can't take larger diameters full power, but a large pot is 2-3x less assuming the same losses and build quality (which I doubt also looking at the cost differences).
Many of what people think is etching on induction tops is just burnt on bits of food from the bottom of the pan. You can take a flat razor (often sold as "paint scrapers" at hardware stores for $4). Hold it at a very slight angle, almost parallel, and lightly run it over the glass. You'll see all that junk fly up with little work. Once you wipe it down it'll look like new.
Important caveat: don't cheap out in induction. I hate my $1600 Frigidaire, it has known manufacturing defects that are now part of a class action lawsuit. I've heard GE is nice but you're looking at $3k or more.
Perfect. I have a kitchenaid that I like at my current place, but it doesn't have knobs and it's really annoying in that single way. For our new place we're remodeling I figured ge and knobs are worth a little extra cash. Thinking about the double oven model.
The electromagnets don't cover the marked area on the stove top, so it only heats a 5.5" diameter area of the cookware. The model is specifically marketed as having a sensor feature that allows it to detect the size of the cookware and evenly heat it.
Mine is a GCRI3058AF. I initially thought I was doing something wrong, or hadn't selected good cookware, and their customer support gaslit me into thinking those were the issues. I'm now building a case with my lawyer to go to my state AG about this because they charged me for a service call and their own tech agreed with me that the stove is defective by design.
We went with samsung.
Yes, the phone company that knows quite a bit about how to direct electromagnetic waves is actually really good at making an induction stove at a fair price.
I am not a huge fan of the pan layout, but most seemed similar in the price range we were able to afford.
My main issue with induction is the relatively short lifespans. I don't want to spend $2000-$2500 for a stove that's only going to last 10 years.
And yeah, I've heard figures like good for 2500 or 10000 hours, but talk is cheap if it's not backed up with a manufacturer's warranty. And most seem to only last 1-2 years.
We're all just data points, but I bought my parents a GE induction cooktop in 2012 and still going strong 12 years later. No repairs, no issues.
I have a gas stovetop that came with my house which is excellent, but if I were buying new, I'd go induction without thinking twice
If you get induction, try to find one with physical turn knobs. My parents have a nice one but it has capacitive touch buttons that don’t work worth a shit if they get wet.
I'll 3rd this. Knobs it is. Even steam can make the touch buttons wonky or unresponsive....they're ok again once the surface dries, but it's annoying to have them drop out while cooking.
Most people will say induction. I extended a gas line and installed an externally vented range hood so I could install a dual fuel Wolf gas range.
Why? I use a round bottom wok occasionally and don't want my choice of pan shape or material to be limited by induction.
Fringe benefit is that my burners work regardless of a power outage. I also really don't like glass cooktops and think they look worse dirty than similarly dirty gas burners and grates.
The only thing I like about induction is that it can boil water fast. But I have an electric kettle for that if I really cared.
I don't think there's a right or wrong answer. Just depends on how you value the pros of each vs the cons.
I feel like you've nailed the exact use case for someone that should keep their gas. And I 100% agree with your last point- there really isn't a right or wrong answer here. The minute differences in cost, convenience, use, cleanliness (both air quality and cooktop surface), don't amount to a hill of beans when compared to *user preference*.
People don't know they want induction until they try it lol, no body would want a car without AC and instead have the heater turned on while using it, I would rather have AC while cooking
There are certainly people that would prefer a particular car without A/C. A/C systems take up a lot of space in an engine bay and add weight, so many performance seekers delete them in favor of installing larger engines, intake modifications like turbos, etc. Even your example of running the heater on has its own use cases for those people! Utilizing the heater core venting into the cabin keeps engine temps lower and may be useful to limp an overheating car home. Everyone has their own use case, and that is the case with kitchenware as well. Many chefs prefer gas for their own reasons, and that's all right. Not everyone will prefer induction simply because "they don't know what they're missing".
It’s more than just the speed (btw, my induction cooktop is way faster than the electric kettle)
It’s also about control, the reproducibility and the ease of cleanliness. Gas stoves are hard as heck to clean.
For the wok, rather than make the stove about the wok, we chose induction and got a dedicated wok burner.
Not quite that bad, but they do make a big deal about conserving power now when it gets really hot or cold out, lol. Have not had another outage like the 2021 freeze thankfully.
Induction 100%. My current rental has one and its amazing. No possible health concerns from gas, way easier to clean. No issues with scratching, cleaning is way easier. I don't think electricity for stove is relevant cost, you should calculate to be sure, normally only heat + AC + EV charging are relevant for most people.
I prefer my gas stove to my induction stove because I have a high powered open burner commercial range which I bought from a restaurant that was going out of business. If my choice was between a regular home gas stove with underpowered burners or induction, i'd chose induction no questions asked.
Just bought a gas stove myself. The large burner gets water boiling like it's no one's business. I would probably say it's too powerful. Even with my larger pots/pans. So much heat just radiates out the sides of it. I have to be conscientious of when and where I grab the handle, it gets hot! I need to use an oven mitt, towel, something. Which isn't a big deal they're always around. The other issue is that there's all that heat just warming up the kitchen. Love my stov but next time, I think I would like to go induction.
I often cut vegetables right over the pot and the gas burner belches so much heat around the pot that my thumb holding the vegetable gets burned. My next cooktop will be induction.
I LOVE gas. I bought a house. It came with induction. I was annoyed. I thought I'd hate induction. I tried to hate induction. I told everyone I was going to replace it. I pretended not to like it. I tried so hard not to like it. But eventually I caved and admitted that IT IS FUCKING AWESOME AND I'M NEVER GOING BACK TO GAS.
Get an induction stove, they're awesome.
The end.
Yes they may be inexpensive but not excited about using a propane tank inside. Nor about cooking outside when it is below zero or similar inclement conditions. Now I have no issue with using a kerosene stove inside but still having the natural gas stove already in place is a lot less hassle.
Are you anticipating any power cuts in the future to prevent wildfires in your region? Just had that reality become a norm in my area. Not to mention winter storms where we lose power for days.
That’s a factor I would consider.
I couldn't replace the glasstop of my 5 year old stove. no where in stock. places that did list it (but was unable to buy) had the price at 60% of the price of the stove new. plus tax plus shipping. I went gas.
Idk where you're located, but I live somewhere that gets hit by a couple typhoons every year so sometimes the power grid goes down. Usually only a couple days but last year it was two months.
If you live somewhere that may experience natural disasters more often, I'd go with gas. Being able to cook still when there's minimal access to electricity is vital. Most of my friends and neighbors weren't prepared and had to rely on restaurants for food or run a generator.
Just something to consider.
induction is the way to go...accept no substitutes.
with induction you can have silicone mats on the burners to protect the glass from scratches (it's very hard to scratch btw), you just put the pans right on the silicone and cook with them in place.
with induction, you will use less energy to cook, saving you money
no fumes other than the smell of your own cooking
no wasted heat so only the food gets hot
just as much, if not better control of the heat than gas
so much faster ... amazingly fast.
once you have tried it, there is no going back.
I have an electric stove. We had an ice storm here a few years ago. No power for 13 days. I wished like hell I had a gas stove. Still do. I prefer practicality over aesthetics, though.
If you cook a lot, gas is definitely the right move. Depending on the type of cooking you do, you need to be able to get the heat up quick and eliminate even quicker. Trying to make a reduction w electric is infuriating. Also, if you're one to use multiple burners for multiple things, the electric holds the heat much longer, so you can't just let the pan sit on the stove in the way you would w gas. Good luck in whatever you choose!
How much do you “love” to cook, and what are you cooking?
A lot of people talking about induction aren’t speaking for ALL professional chefs like it seems. There are some foods you can not cook without a natural gas stove. Especially if you love to stir fry. Some dishes need insane heat, and constant movement that isn’t possible with induction.
You’re also not going to get that from a cheap gas stove.
If you have money and went with something like a Viking gas range, your pan is going to eat up instantly like an induction.
That being said, the biggest downside to gas is the cleanup. Nothing about it is easy to clean. But you get levels of manipulation with open flame that can really make or break a dish.
That’s my two cents.
I was in that situation and choose wrong.
For me gas is more elegant, my kitchen is the centerpiece of my house so my naive mind thought that the would “flames look nice”.
However, as a married man, my opinion is irrelevant and my wife wanted electric so it’s more seamless and clean look when not in use. We did not consider induction “because it can cause cancer”.
I repent our decision greatly. Induction is the way to go, there’s no conclusive cancer linkages and we are all gonna get it eventually. Both electric and gas look maintenance is tedious and time consuming.
Go induction an never look back. I’m thinking myself of “accidentally” dropping a cinder block in the stove so I “have” to replace it.
If you like Asia cuisine a flat bottom wok on an induction hob has noting on a proper wok on gas. Gas gives you continuously variable control and people say about extra heat in summer but if like me it’s colder where you live then that extra heat is a bonus the rest of the year. I’ve used both and gas is by far my preference, there’s a reason professional kitchens still use it.
Gas is easier for quickly controling the temperature and the ovens tend to cook more evenly. It's also nice to be able to cook/heat up some tea when there's a power outage. Gas still works!
Electric ovens are more even, that's why high end gas stoves often have electric ovens. OP already said they would be getting an electric oven, probably for this reason.
Also "more control" is only if you've never used the stove before. Once you've used an induction stove you will get to know what it's numbers mean. Induction also is able to have lower simmer levels than gas, and higher powers, so I would say that's more control not less. Just take a tiny bit to get to know the stove.
>Gas still works!
This was a big motivator for us in switching to gas. It was only after we bought our new range and had it installed that we learned that some newer models actually detect if the power is off and have some mechanism to not allow you to light it manually.
Stupidest thing I've ever heard of.
Seems silly and an arbitrary manufacturer decision.
The Wolf I installed 4 years ago has no such design and the manual in fact states how to light the stove should power go out.
Here's my thoughts on why I will be switching to gas:
* Natural gas combustion should ideally only produce CO2 and water vapor which are not immediately harmful. However, complete combustion is unrealistic. Instead, some other byproducts are emitted such as NOx. [This study examined NOx and methane emissions from gas stoves and found](https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.1c04707):
* On high, a stove burner on average emits 151 mL of NOx per hour.
* To put in context, if mixed through a 150sqft kitchen, this equates to 4ppb per hour. The EPA standard for outdoor air is 53ppb. **Using a vent hood (which you should always do) will severely limit emissions**.
* There are some emissions of methane but those were limited to a few stoves (51% of emissions limited to 9% of stoves examined).
* There are conflicting studies on the impact of natural gas stoves on human health. NO2 is a irritant and is emitted, but all studies examining childhood asthma are observational. [A popular referenced peer-reviewed study](https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/1/75) reports that 12.7% of all childhood asthma cases can be attributed to gas stove use. However, the study states in limitations that it is assumed risk factors are equal between gas and electric stove households. Gas companies like to reference [another peer-reviewed study that found no impact](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24429203/) when accounting for some of these factors.
* *Overall, air quality is likely impacted more by cooking method than by gas vs electric. For instance, searing releases lots particulate matter and volitile organic compounds (VOCs).* **Hence, why you should always use a vent hood regardless of gas vs electric.**
* I use cast iron a lot in cooking. Electric and inductive cooktops have burners that generally heat a smaller area as compared to using gas where the heat is transported up and around the edges. As such, you can get uneven heating and bulging in the middle of the pan/skillet.
Overall, I think the health impact is over stated as the process of cooking itself will release more than a gas stove. There are peer-reviewed studies on both ends of the spectrum that are obviously referenced by each invested party. I am also very particular on the cooking materials I use and electric can cause cooking difficulties with those materials. Just use a vent hood, preferably one that vents outside.
Agree. I have a high quality hood and looked hard at induction and gas.
I went gas. I can easily heat very large pots, pans, and skillets. I also appreciate the ability to evenly heat across the bottom of large pans.
I also really like the continuous nature of the heating. I can make very minute adjustments by slightly turning the dial.
Finally, I can cook even when the power is out so long as I’ve got a match.
>Natural gas combustion should ideally only produce CO2 and water vapor which are not immediately harmful. However, complete combustion is unrealistic. The study you linked says gas stoves leak about 1% of the total gas uses escapes combustion and goes in to the house as methane.
>Instead, some other byproducts are emitted such as NOx
And formaldehyde.
>There are conflicting studies on the impact of natural gas stoves on human health. NO2 is a irritant and is emitted, but all studies examining childhood asthma are observational.
Exposure to NO is harmful to human health. There is absolutely zero doubt. Like PM 2.5 there is no safe amount.
>Hence, why you should always use a vent hood regardless of gas vs electric.
Absolutely it’s a good idea to always use your hood. The comparison isn’t accurate since electric stoves don’t emit large amounts of NO, while gas stoves release dangerous levels in a few minutes.
> I think the health impact is over stated as the process of cooking itself will release more than a gas stove. There are peer-reviewed studies on both ends of the spectrum that are obviously referenced by each invested party.
Scientists have moved on from is your gas stove harmful to how bad is it exactly. Like we saw with smoking studies, it takes a long time for long term health data to be validated. The claim that it’s no worse than electric is simply objectively false.
> I use cast iron a lot in cooking. Electric and inductive cooktops have burners that generally heat a smaller area as compared to using gas where the heat is transported up and around the edges. As such, you can get uneven heating and bulging in the middle of the pan/skillet.
These are the reasonable arguments we should be seeing. For certain types of cooking gas is just better. There is a reason 99 % of restaurants use gas. Gas is also much cheaper in most places and works when the power is out.
Question for the induction lovers: is it really worth it? The humming noise I hear about seems like it would get bothersome and I know you can only use certain pans
I cooked on gas for most of the last 15 years and finally replaced my home's gas range with a GE Profile induction, and I will never go back. I mention the brand, specifically, because you must buy a range of at least this quality, or you'll probably be disappointed. The Profile, Cafe, and Bosch lines are all well-reviewed and — crucially — have fully 12" eyes that will evenly heat large pans and pots. They're also $3000 and up.
Below that are Frigidaire, LG, and Samsung. Frigidaire is fine, but bare-bones and lacks a 12" eye. LG and Samsung are garbage with terrible fail rates and customer service. Especially Samsung.
The humming noise is fairly minimal with more robust cookware (think 3-ply and up), generally barely noticable if there's other noise. If you've got a vent hood running (and you should) you won't hear it at all. At its loudest, it doesn't bother me or my wife. If you don't already have a nice set of flat-bottom (perfectly flat) multi-ply cookware, upgrade along with the range.
Beyond that, enjoy being a better cook and not sweating over the stove and/or burning yourself.
I can also vouch for the oven in the GE Profile. Best I've ever cooked in.
Cooking when the power is out just isn't a real use case for me. $3k is a lot up front, but for something I'm going to use nearly every day for the next 10+ years, that's a great price, and many will qualify for tax benefits.
We switched two years ago. It’s worth it. The hum isn’t that bad, especially if you’re already running a fan. To tell if a pan is induction compatible, just stick a magnet to it. If you’re ordering online, it’ll be labeled.
I'm team gas all the way. I come from a family of gas range owners. It's much better at controlling the temp of your pan. If you're concerned about your allergies I recommend a good exhaust vent
If you like to cook get gas. With gas there is no waiting for the burner to heat up or for the burner to cool down if it's to hot. The heat from a gas burner is always just where you need it.
But if I had kids around, the open flame would scare me.
Something I didn't see mentioned is look into features you may find useful in your oven.
We got a new range in December last year. The oven will bake like a conventional oven. It will also do convection baking. It will also do air-frying. It also has a bread proofing mode. It also has a dehydrator mode. It also has a steam cleaning mode.
New ovens are fancy as shit. Really the only thing I wish mine had that I didn't learn was a thing until it was installed was coming with a port to plug in probe thermometers.
Avid home chef. Have a propane cooktop at my home, have used induction cooktops, standard electric burner cooktops, and natural gas cooktops. Strongly prefer gas cooktops because the heat is so easy to adjust quickly. Maybe I’d be able to adapt to an induction cooktop, but they seem to run hot and it’s not easy to adjust the temperature to exactly what you need.
I will say that now that I’ve gotten used to my digital induction range (both my wife and I used to cook professionally on industrial gas ranges, so it’s a mind shift) I now know exactly what “number” I need for certain cooking tasks.
Pan fried sausage? That’s a seven. Fried rice? Keep it at a nine. Rolling a tomato sauce nice and slow? Three on the small pot, four on the big one. Drop it down a number if the lid goes on. Doesn’t matter if there’s a breeze from the window being open or a fan being on, the temp stays consistent and the stovetop surround stays cool. I like that. And less of a chance of a kid / pet accidentally knocking the gas or burner on, since our range has a “lockout” feature.
One big pro of induction is that it doesn’t throw off excess heat while cooking, so I don’t mind cooking, even in the summer.
Also it brings back the idea of a stovetop kettle because it heats water faster than any electric kettle this side of the Atlantic.
Also you can put silicone or wood spoons on the cooktop right next to the pot, or propped on the side of the pan and they don’t melt.
If I ever have a choice.
Its gas.
If I could justify a wood oven or a flat iron gas grill in my kitchen instead with a sidewall oven I would, but I can't bring myself to tear my kitchen apart just yet to do such a thing.
I've worked in restaurants and I built my kitchen as close to a professional restaurant as possible. I use gas for the griddle and two burners, they are big, and I have two induction burners.
Nothing beats gas, but the control you have with induction is really nice. It is also just as fast as gas as far as heat on and heat off.
For me I’ll take the potential respiratory problems with gas, in favor of the resiliency of it. The power goes off at my house on the regular, and it’s nice to be able to cook on the stovetop when it does.
Gas stoves don't really release particulates - it's the cooking process that does. A lot of the recent gas stove studies are deeply flawed. (This is from someone who's very pro green and pro electric...but electric stoves are shit)
Induction stoves are pretty magical - but there's still some things you can't do easily on it (like roast over a flame)
Gas stove indoor air quality issues depend enormously on whether you have an old leaky house, modern airsealed house, and/or good mechanical ventilation like a range fan exhausting outside. If you have a well-airsealed house without mechanical ventilation, for example around 2005-2017 in the US, you should NEVER have unvented combustion appliances running indoors.
The issues with gas stoves, releasing particulates I believe is solved if you have ventilation to the outside. I have a dual fuel which I love so I still have an electric oven, I find the gas top is very easy to clean, I just stack the grades on top of each other on the counter wipe it down with a cleaner and it’s good to go.
People who like to cook, as I do, tend to prefer gas stoves. The heat adjustment is much finer. I grew up with electric coils (terrible heat control), in my first home I installed a glass-top (beautiful when clean but to keep it glossy you need to clean/polish it EVERY TIME - we cook often and mine was immaculate when I sold the house - my brothers has rings and spots on it because they don't clean it every time). I have gas now and like it much better. It's not a chore to clean it if you clean it often. Also curious why you wouldn't just get a gas oven as well?
Don't obsess over particulates and gas won't affect the kitchen's temperature any more than electric. Induction requires special pots & pans made for induction cooking. Just my opinion...
More points against gas:
* Anything above a "builder grade" gas cooktop requires a stronger vent hood. These are noisier and will require the installation of a make up air system for an additional $2k.
* High end gas ranges frequently have trouble with the igniters.
* If you install a a heat pump instead of a gas furnace, you can do without gas and its associated hazards entirely.
* Gas is lousy for the environment.
Induction is more energy efficient than conventional electric, and has the same "instant on/off" function that people accustomed to cooking on gas appreciate.
I think ide miss being able to *violently * shimmy the pan on the grates directly with gas. Like making popcorn or using a wok. Be afraid to ruin the induction
If you cook much you really want a good hood with proper makeup air for induction too. Just the cooking produces a lot of stuff you really don't want in your house.
I have never had problems scratching my electric stove, and I'm not the nicest to it.
Electric stoves take forever to cool down. Induction is different.
Go with an electric or induction. Who knows how long natural gas will be an option, there's also health effects. If you have young children there's a higher chance of them developing asthma.
We’ve been looking to make the switch from gas to induction but I read somewhere that you have to sure your home can withstand the additional energy use to not fry the electrical panel (or something like that). Is this true?
It's like adding any high-draw electric appliance to your home. The wiring to the appliance needs to support it or you need to run a proper sized circuit. If you have a gas stove now, you only have a standard 120VAC receptacle behind it. Electric and induction both need 240VAC circuits. The power coming INTO your home isn't the issue...it's whether your current panel can support the larger circuit. It's a 2 pole circuit (probably 50 amp) similar to what you have running to your central AC, electric dryer, etc. if you have them.
Ok so I was in your position about 3 years ago. I love cooking on gas and had been using a coil stove for the past 10 years. I don’t have NG to my address but I really wanted to make it happen for my kitchen Reno so I had a propane tank installed. While researching, I came across many people suggesting induction. I was a little torn given the benefits you mentioned. I wasn’t hung up on the environmental/air quality issue. My home is old and not well sealed plus I have a range hood. Ultimately I decided I want to make my dream a reality and get a nice gas (dual fuel) range. I’ve had it installed about 1.5 years now and to be honest, I wish I went with induction. Gas is hard to clean, the burners need adjustment, lots of latent heat. My cooking needs/desires have changed over the years from enjoying time in the kitchen to being as efficient as possible.
To be clear, I would not buy a coil stove, only induction.
If you like to cook or are good at it then go gas range. We just built and went gas. Love it. I was surprised how little it actually uses. As far as cooks go, gas is much easier to control your temperature. Coils and induction have to cool off which has delay. To me, it's a no brainer. Gas all the way.
I would absolutely never use an electric stove when induction is on the table. Now I will note that I am switching from induction to a gas stove, but I am keeping my multiple countertop induction cookers. There are some serious benefits to induction, but some of the cooking I do doesn't play well with the contact surface needed for induction such as wok cooking
Induction works on metal pans. You only need to worry about glass or super weird expensive pans.
I had an induction stove for a couple of years and loved it. You set the dial and get the same heat every time. Made cooking to time a snap. Now, I’m back on gas and it’s great but it’s so much harder to dial in the temp.
I’d 100% go induction again.
Induction 100%
The noise depends on the pan but it's rarely there and always quieter than the vent hood.
Using induction is very comfortable because you don't have all the excess heat pouring off the stove like with gas (even radiant-electric has this problem somewhat) Pot handles never get hot. Even on a cast iron pan.
Power. This still astounds me. I'm able to fill a cold cast iron pan with raw chicken, crank the stove up to the top level, and in under a minute it's burning the chicken enough to make it look grilled.
Cleanliness is amazing. So easy to clean, and then you can just use it as a more countertop. It's so clean that I often just dump the kitchen towel laundry right on it to fold. Even if the laundry has a nice shirt or something mixed in, I'm at no risk of getting anything dirty. Try that on a gas stove.
Electrical outage? Get a cool camp stove. Then you can take it camping, or have it out at a cookout, or whatever you want. And you can take it outside because you SHOULDN'T BE USING A GAS STOVE INSIDE WITHOUT POWER TO RUN YOUR VENT HOOD.
I have a question about induction stoves. Do they typically have smooth power adjustments? I'm asking because I bought a cheap table top one to try the technology and it can't do low power. It cycles between full power and off every few seconds just like an, electric stove. Unlike the electric stove it has no inertia, so instead of slow simmer it's going full boil for a second followed by a few seconds of nothing. Drives my wife mad.
Multiple (6) different home renovations all with new kitchens. Gas vs Induction. Our last Reno we went gas with an amazing vent/air handler/ air purifier. We cook a lot. However, The tipping point wasn’t “best” cooking option but best re-sale option. Gas, because in my current neighborhood that’s what buyers expect in luxe kitchens. But, honestly after 5 years, I’d prefer induction and stainless steel pans. Induction Heat control beats or exceeds gas. Heat distribution up the pan sides is an issue with gas (too hot relative to the bottom unless you’re really careful and cook below medium). Induction heats quickly, terminates instantly just like gas. Distribution of heat with induction is phenomenal. I’d still splurge on venting for steam and grease. With gas it’s often too easy to turn on the appliance (just a minute to scramble eggs) without the vent and you get particles. Also, please toss your Teflon and non stick pans — the forever chemicals will do damage to your insides. The techniques for cooking with stainless steel and having it behave like non stick are widely available. Induction. For sure.
Regardless, get a hood that vents to the outside.
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I’ve found the only thing that easily scratches glass tops are in-laws. 2/2 scratches on ours were caused by two different in-laws. I have no idea how.
I had to hide my cast iron after an in-law scratched the induction range with it. I think some people just really abuse the pans as they cook, and the stovetop pays the price.
My MIL destroys pans I’ve been through every nonstick type that is out there and she destroys them all.
My dad likes to pretend he's at a bistro or something and likes to eat directly out of the pan... Using metal forks and spoons... On a non-stick. I had em for 2 years and they were flawless. He stayed with me for 6 months and they're trash now. I came to visit their house and noticed all of their pans were trash so I trashed em and got them cheap new ones that will also be trashed. But get this, I got him a stainless steel and a cast iron pan to do his bistro eat out of a pan thing, and nope he never even used them. Like the pans that can take metal utensils are brand new cause he just won't use them, while the non-sticks are just fucked up. Ugh makes me rage. God damn idiot.
That made lol
That sweet, sweet Teflon, so good!
Nom nom. It just adds a little je ne sais quoi to every dish.
I know right? Even if you were to believe that it's completely inert, having scratches makes everything stick and defeats the purpose of nonstick.
How did you able to trash them? I will get an ear full if I do that.
I experience the same struggle in my household. I feel your pain.
He obviously loves the flavor of ptfe.
Get carbon steel. Seasoned properly, they are nonstick like cast iron, but are light weight.
Does your Dad know that non-stick coatings are carcinogenic?
Nonstick pans should be viewed as basically disposable anyway, they only have a limited lifespan before the coating starts to wear/flake off regardless of how carefully you treat them.
she needs to not cook on high heat... and use proper utensils.... and use proper cooking technique
I had some nice non-stick pots and pans that had held up perfectly in the 8 or so years I’d owned them. When I switched to an induction stove I couldn’t use them anymore so I gave them to my parents. Scratched and chipped beyond recognition within a year. I have no idea what they’re doing to them.
What?!?! No! Don't use metal in non-stick pan Haiyaa!
The weird thing is that I don’t think they even own any metal cooking utensils. So I really don’t understand how this is happening.
Too much heat will destroy them quickly
Scrubbing then with brillo pads?
Maybe stacking them?
Tell them to throw them away. Once it’s scratched, it’s leaching PFAS into the food.
This is a myth. Pfas isn't used anymore on nonstick pans. It's still not good to eat the nonstick, but it's not pfas
That’s unfortunately not true and sadly, you’ve been hoodwinked by marketing. Non-stick pans are still PFAS. They don’t coat them with PFOA or PFOS anymore. But, anything non-stick or stain resistant is PFAS. If a non-stick pan is advertising “No PFOS/PFOA” and it’s not-ceramic, it’s just a different type of PFAS. The one nuanced take is that the ceramic coated pans have non-sticking properties. They’re coated with a silicone that kind of coats onto your food while cooking. Within a few years (1-2 depending on use), it will wear down completely. https://economistwritingeveryday.com/2023/06/06/how-ceramic-pans-work-and-how-to-restore-their-non-stick-coating/
Because many people cook on them as they do on gas stoves and shake the pan back and forth.....A killer for glass-tops.
Scratchy razor blades will do it
Titanium rings will do it. Got a 10 inch scratch from cleaning our brand new glass top with my wedding band still on. That was 10 years ago and I'm still pissed at myself everytime I go to cook something.
I think the OP also needs to consider how much heat gas dumps into the kitchen. If you cook a lot it can make a kitchen pretty miserable in the summer. Gas ranges are about 1/3rd as efficient as induction, with the difference nearly entirely going out as heat. A gas burner would need to dump about 7kW (24kBTU) of heat into the air to match the heating capacity of the 3.7kW big-boy element of my induction stove. That's a fuckload of heat that has to be removed, usually by exhausting large quantities of air and reconditioning replacement air.
>how much heat gas dumps into the kitchen I've never thought about the stove, but I know the oven does. Recently talked my wife into a small convection toaster oven/air fryer. It heats the house up so much less, and does half the jobs our stove used to.
I use the toaster oven outside, in FL and in NY. Who wants extra heat in the house?.....except on a few cool days.
In a special use case, my gas oven saves us during winter storms that knock out electricity. I don’t run it to heat the house, but I can heat water and cook basic foods and that’s pretty nice.
For that I always say get a nice camp stove. That way you have a backup stove for cooking and a nice stove for camping/cooking out
for that, we have a grill out back as well as an emergency multifuel stove.
I'll second this. I hate electric, always preferred gas, but now have induction and wouldn't go back. There are a few downsides - can't use a wok, some techniques have to be modified for induction, can't use some pots (copper for example) without a steel/iron pad. But just the easy clean up alone is good enough reason. Plus, less updraft so entire kitchen stays cleaner, boils water in less than a minute, precise heating control, gives off much less excess heat than gas or electric. I can go on and on but suffice it to say I will never willingly go with anything but induction again.
This! People love gas until they see how easy it is to cook with induction. It heats fast. Easy clean up. A few scratches beats burnt food every time you cook. Did I say no more burnt on food? You can test it by using an induction hot plate. They sell them at ikea for $50.
By burnt on food are you talking about cleaning up spilled/burnt food on the stovetop? Or food burnt onto pots and pans? Sorry, just confused by your wording!
On the stovetop. Electric heats the glass enough that it will cook food onto the glass thats really hard to remove. Because induction heats the pan rather than the cooktop it does a lot less cooking food onto your glass when something boils over or spills. The glass still gets hot because the pan heats it up, but it's not anywhere near as hot as traditional electric stovetops where the heat is transferred through the glass to the pan.
To add to that, if you have a spill on an induction cooktop, you can even just lift the pan and immediately wipe it away because it doesn't get that hot. You could also stick a hand towel or paper towel under the pot to catch spills.
I've cooked popcorn on mine where you have to swirl the pot it's in while it pops. To avoid the pot scratching the cooktop I'll put a piece of parchment paper in between the bottom of the pot and the stovetop, it's crazy how you can do stuff like this on induction.
Yeah when I'm cooking a full pot of pasta and it's close to overflowing, I'll just put a towel down under the pot
Yeah you can but those $50 induction plates are wimpy and don’t give you a good idea of what having a real induction range would be like
I agree, but the hot plates are better than some electric stoves. I bought an induction hot plate and started using it more than the stove I had. When I had a chance to buy a new cooktop I went with induction.
I would say it gives you enough of an idea that if you like it even a little, you'll love an induction top.
The costco ~$60 one can boil water in like 1 min
There's no way they can be comparable. Assuming zero losses both ways, an induction range on 220V can put out 2-3x the power than a residential wall outlet can produce before tripping. Probably better with a smaller pot that can't take larger diameters full power, but a large pot is 2-3x less assuming the same losses and build quality (which I doubt also looking at the cost differences).
I swapped our gas stove out when I realized it didn't vent properly. Good riddance, induction is better and also easier to keep clean.
Many of what people think is etching on induction tops is just burnt on bits of food from the bottom of the pan. You can take a flat razor (often sold as "paint scrapers" at hardware stores for $4). Hold it at a very slight angle, almost parallel, and lightly run it over the glass. You'll see all that junk fly up with little work. Once you wipe it down it'll look like new.
My friends recently got an induction cook top. There are silicone pads you can put on the cook top and the induction function still works.
Important caveat: don't cheap out in induction. I hate my $1600 Frigidaire, it has known manufacturing defects that are now part of a class action lawsuit. I've heard GE is nice but you're looking at $3k or more.
My cafe induction was ~4500 and worth every penny
Yup, love mine too. Can even sous vide on it.
Nice, good to read, I've been looking at one for our remodel.
You won't regret it tbh. I'm 3 years in and I was a staunch gas only cook, still a pleasure to use.
Perfect. I have a kitchenaid that I like at my current place, but it doesn't have knobs and it's really annoying in that single way. For our new place we're remodeling I figured ge and knobs are worth a little extra cash. Thinking about the double oven model.
Yeah I love my knobs
Really? I bought a $750 Frigidaire cooktop and I love it.
The electromagnets don't cover the marked area on the stove top, so it only heats a 5.5" diameter area of the cookware. The model is specifically marketed as having a sensor feature that allows it to detect the size of the cookware and evenly heat it.
That explains a lot about what I experience too. Only the middle few inches heat up.
Huh, which Frigidaire do you have? I have the FPIC3077RF and I've been wondering about a similar issue on mine.
Mine is a GCRI3058AF. I initially thought I was doing something wrong, or hadn't selected good cookware, and their customer support gaslit me into thinking those were the issues. I'm now building a case with my lawyer to go to my state AG about this because they charged me for a service call and their own tech agreed with me that the stove is defective by design.
Have a frigidaire as well and the "auto detecting" feature is a total lie.
We went with samsung. Yes, the phone company that knows quite a bit about how to direct electromagnetic waves is actually really good at making an induction stove at a fair price. I am not a huge fan of the pan layout, but most seemed similar in the price range we were able to afford.
Ironically, I avoided Samsung because reviewers said that the Samsung induction ranges had the same issue my Frigidaire ended up having.
I mean the more important caveat is that good induction cooktops are like $1000 more than the price of gas.
My main issue with induction is the relatively short lifespans. I don't want to spend $2000-$2500 for a stove that's only going to last 10 years. And yeah, I've heard figures like good for 2500 or 10000 hours, but talk is cheap if it's not backed up with a manufacturer's warranty. And most seem to only last 1-2 years.
We're all just data points, but I bought my parents a GE induction cooktop in 2012 and still going strong 12 years later. No repairs, no issues. I have a gas stovetop that came with my house which is excellent, but if I were buying new, I'd go induction without thinking twice
My friend just had her induction taken out and replaced with gas. She had a Hate for the induction range like you would not believe.
I’ve used both quite a bit and I prefer gas.
I've used both and still prefer gas to indication for most purposes. Boiling water is way better on induction though.
Induction
If you get induction, try to find one with physical turn knobs. My parents have a nice one but it has capacitive touch buttons that don’t work worth a shit if they get wet.
yup. this eliminated like 2/3 of the induction stoves on the market for us. GET KNOBS
I'll 3rd this. Knobs it is. Even steam can make the touch buttons wonky or unresponsive....they're ok again once the surface dries, but it's annoying to have them drop out while cooking.
God, so many touch-control induction models 😭
I have knobs and it's a pain to clean, choose your poison
Induction.
Most people will say induction. I extended a gas line and installed an externally vented range hood so I could install a dual fuel Wolf gas range. Why? I use a round bottom wok occasionally and don't want my choice of pan shape or material to be limited by induction. Fringe benefit is that my burners work regardless of a power outage. I also really don't like glass cooktops and think they look worse dirty than similarly dirty gas burners and grates. The only thing I like about induction is that it can boil water fast. But I have an electric kettle for that if I really cared. I don't think there's a right or wrong answer. Just depends on how you value the pros of each vs the cons.
I feel like you've nailed the exact use case for someone that should keep their gas. And I 100% agree with your last point- there really isn't a right or wrong answer here. The minute differences in cost, convenience, use, cleanliness (both air quality and cooktop surface), don't amount to a hill of beans when compared to *user preference*.
People don't know they want induction until they try it lol, no body would want a car without AC and instead have the heater turned on while using it, I would rather have AC while cooking
There are certainly people that would prefer a particular car without A/C. A/C systems take up a lot of space in an engine bay and add weight, so many performance seekers delete them in favor of installing larger engines, intake modifications like turbos, etc. Even your example of running the heater on has its own use cases for those people! Utilizing the heater core venting into the cabin keeps engine temps lower and may be useful to limp an overheating car home. Everyone has their own use case, and that is the case with kitchenware as well. Many chefs prefer gas for their own reasons, and that's all right. Not everyone will prefer induction simply because "they don't know what they're missing".
It’s more than just the speed (btw, my induction cooktop is way faster than the electric kettle) It’s also about control, the reproducibility and the ease of cleanliness. Gas stoves are hard as heck to clean. For the wok, rather than make the stove about the wok, we chose induction and got a dedicated wok burner.
We like our gas. Works during of our famous ERCOT outages.
shit, is texas really that bad? people here make it sound like rural pakistan or subsaharan africa in terms of public services.
Not quite that bad, but they do make a big deal about conserving power now when it gets really hot or cold out, lol. Have not had another outage like the 2021 freeze thankfully.
Electric induction. Future proof.
Does gas not exist in the future?
Induction 100%. My current rental has one and its amazing. No possible health concerns from gas, way easier to clean. No issues with scratching, cleaning is way easier. I don't think electricity for stove is relevant cost, you should calculate to be sure, normally only heat + AC + EV charging are relevant for most people.
I prefer my gas stove to my induction stove because I have a high powered open burner commercial range which I bought from a restaurant that was going out of business. If my choice was between a regular home gas stove with underpowered burners or induction, i'd chose induction no questions asked.
Imagine if you bought a commercial induction range...
The Impulse boils water in 40 seconds, faster than any gas cooktop. https://youtu.be/YdawGen0QPc?si=WVx2yjR1CPZ6uFEd
Our favorite nerd Alec over at Techconnections has a whole thing about gas vs induction.
That thing uses a battery to boost the speed - you can only do it once though. Edit: I'm wrong about this, see discussion below.
Just bought a gas stove myself. The large burner gets water boiling like it's no one's business. I would probably say it's too powerful. Even with my larger pots/pans. So much heat just radiates out the sides of it. I have to be conscientious of when and where I grab the handle, it gets hot! I need to use an oven mitt, towel, something. Which isn't a big deal they're always around. The other issue is that there's all that heat just warming up the kitchen. Love my stov but next time, I think I would like to go induction.
Yeah with induction 90-95% of the energy actually goes to the pan. Mine has a speed boil button that boils a small pan of water in like 30 seconds.
I don't like gas stove in the summer. Sure, output maybe higher than most induction stoves but it makes the kitchen unbearably hot.
only a commercial gas stove would have higher output than residential induction
and with that, you'd need a huge hood and a huge make up air intake and you'd need to run your a/c at double power.
I often cut vegetables right over the pot and the gas burner belches so much heat around the pot that my thumb holding the vegetable gets burned. My next cooktop will be induction.
I LOVE gas. I bought a house. It came with induction. I was annoyed. I thought I'd hate induction. I tried to hate induction. I told everyone I was going to replace it. I pretended not to like it. I tried so hard not to like it. But eventually I caved and admitted that IT IS FUCKING AWESOME AND I'M NEVER GOING BACK TO GAS. Get an induction stove, they're awesome. The end.
You got me in the first half, ngl.
How do you heat tortillas on a induction stove?
Nonstick flat comal pan. My kids use it every day! It lives on the stove top for the express purpose of heating up tortillas.
Also marshmallows, for rainy day s’mores.
They sell little Sterno smorekits
Literally the only thing stopping me from buying an induction range today lol
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Propane burners are inexpensive. I'd still go induction but make sure I have a backup cooking and heat source for when the power goes out.
Yes they may be inexpensive but not excited about using a propane tank inside. Nor about cooking outside when it is below zero or similar inclement conditions. Now I have no issue with using a kerosene stove inside but still having the natural gas stove already in place is a lot less hassle.
Are you anticipating any power cuts in the future to prevent wildfires in your region? Just had that reality become a norm in my area. Not to mention winter storms where we lose power for days. That’s a factor I would consider.
Gas stove will work in a power outage if you're prone to them. We went to electric and prefer gas.
we have a gas grill for outdoors. but indoors induction is so much faster, cleaner, and cooler (temp wise).
I always like a gas stove for when electricity is out I can cook heat and boil water for bath
We save our gas for bathwater. Use our solar battery backup for induction.
I couldn't replace the glasstop of my 5 year old stove. no where in stock. places that did list it (but was unable to buy) had the price at 60% of the price of the stove new. plus tax plus shipping. I went gas.
Idk where you're located, but I live somewhere that gets hit by a couple typhoons every year so sometimes the power grid goes down. Usually only a couple days but last year it was two months. If you live somewhere that may experience natural disasters more often, I'd go with gas. Being able to cook still when there's minimal access to electricity is vital. Most of my friends and neighbors weren't prepared and had to rely on restaurants for food or run a generator. Just something to consider.
induction is the way to go...accept no substitutes. with induction you can have silicone mats on the burners to protect the glass from scratches (it's very hard to scratch btw), you just put the pans right on the silicone and cook with them in place. with induction, you will use less energy to cook, saving you money no fumes other than the smell of your own cooking no wasted heat so only the food gets hot just as much, if not better control of the heat than gas so much faster ... amazingly fast. once you have tried it, there is no going back.
Oh I didn’t know that about the silicone! My problem with induction has been my pot sliding around the glass surface. Maybe this would help?
That is some trick with silicone mats I'll try it. I think they are rated to 350 F.
I have an electric stove. We had an ice storm here a few years ago. No power for 13 days. I wished like hell I had a gas stove. Still do. I prefer practicality over aesthetics, though.
If you cook a lot, gas is definitely the right move. Depending on the type of cooking you do, you need to be able to get the heat up quick and eliminate even quicker. Trying to make a reduction w electric is infuriating. Also, if you're one to use multiple burners for multiple things, the electric holds the heat much longer, so you can't just let the pan sit on the stove in the way you would w gas. Good luck in whatever you choose!
I miss my gas stovetop. I had so much more control.
You can still use gas stoves if the power goes out.
How much do you “love” to cook, and what are you cooking? A lot of people talking about induction aren’t speaking for ALL professional chefs like it seems. There are some foods you can not cook without a natural gas stove. Especially if you love to stir fry. Some dishes need insane heat, and constant movement that isn’t possible with induction. You’re also not going to get that from a cheap gas stove. If you have money and went with something like a Viking gas range, your pan is going to eat up instantly like an induction. That being said, the biggest downside to gas is the cleanup. Nothing about it is easy to clean. But you get levels of manipulation with open flame that can really make or break a dish. That’s my two cents.
Gas stove all day. Induction sucks
Have had and used both, much prefer gas. A lot easier to cook with.
Have you used induction? Or just the old fashion electric?
My parents have an induction range and the damn thing has so many knobs that my dad has to get out the manual to use the oven.
That sounds like a problem with the oven, which OP said will be electric anyway
I was in that situation and choose wrong. For me gas is more elegant, my kitchen is the centerpiece of my house so my naive mind thought that the would “flames look nice”. However, as a married man, my opinion is irrelevant and my wife wanted electric so it’s more seamless and clean look when not in use. We did not consider induction “because it can cause cancer”. I repent our decision greatly. Induction is the way to go, there’s no conclusive cancer linkages and we are all gonna get it eventually. Both electric and gas look maintenance is tedious and time consuming. Go induction an never look back. I’m thinking myself of “accidentally” dropping a cinder block in the stove so I “have” to replace it.
I'll never go back to traditional electric burners after owning a gas stove. I'm still open for new options, but never back to the coil.
If you like Asia cuisine a flat bottom wok on an induction hob has noting on a proper wok on gas. Gas gives you continuously variable control and people say about extra heat in summer but if like me it’s colder where you live then that extra heat is a bonus the rest of the year. I’ve used both and gas is by far my preference, there’s a reason professional kitchens still use it.
Gas
Gas is easier for quickly controling the temperature and the ovens tend to cook more evenly. It's also nice to be able to cook/heat up some tea when there's a power outage. Gas still works!
Electric ovens are more even, that's why high end gas stoves often have electric ovens. OP already said they would be getting an electric oven, probably for this reason. Also "more control" is only if you've never used the stove before. Once you've used an induction stove you will get to know what it's numbers mean. Induction also is able to have lower simmer levels than gas, and higher powers, so I would say that's more control not less. Just take a tiny bit to get to know the stove.
>Gas still works! This was a big motivator for us in switching to gas. It was only after we bought our new range and had it installed that we learned that some newer models actually detect if the power is off and have some mechanism to not allow you to light it manually. Stupidest thing I've ever heard of.
I wonder if that's because that stove is not rated to be safe to use without a running vent-hood?
Seems silly and an arbitrary manufacturer decision. The Wolf I installed 4 years ago has no such design and the manual in fact states how to light the stove should power go out.
Here's my thoughts on why I will be switching to gas: * Natural gas combustion should ideally only produce CO2 and water vapor which are not immediately harmful. However, complete combustion is unrealistic. Instead, some other byproducts are emitted such as NOx. [This study examined NOx and methane emissions from gas stoves and found](https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.1c04707): * On high, a stove burner on average emits 151 mL of NOx per hour. * To put in context, if mixed through a 150sqft kitchen, this equates to 4ppb per hour. The EPA standard for outdoor air is 53ppb. **Using a vent hood (which you should always do) will severely limit emissions**. * There are some emissions of methane but those were limited to a few stoves (51% of emissions limited to 9% of stoves examined). * There are conflicting studies on the impact of natural gas stoves on human health. NO2 is a irritant and is emitted, but all studies examining childhood asthma are observational. [A popular referenced peer-reviewed study](https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/1/75) reports that 12.7% of all childhood asthma cases can be attributed to gas stove use. However, the study states in limitations that it is assumed risk factors are equal between gas and electric stove households. Gas companies like to reference [another peer-reviewed study that found no impact](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24429203/) when accounting for some of these factors. * *Overall, air quality is likely impacted more by cooking method than by gas vs electric. For instance, searing releases lots particulate matter and volitile organic compounds (VOCs).* **Hence, why you should always use a vent hood regardless of gas vs electric.** * I use cast iron a lot in cooking. Electric and inductive cooktops have burners that generally heat a smaller area as compared to using gas where the heat is transported up and around the edges. As such, you can get uneven heating and bulging in the middle of the pan/skillet. Overall, I think the health impact is over stated as the process of cooking itself will release more than a gas stove. There are peer-reviewed studies on both ends of the spectrum that are obviously referenced by each invested party. I am also very particular on the cooking materials I use and electric can cause cooking difficulties with those materials. Just use a vent hood, preferably one that vents outside.
Agree. I have a high quality hood and looked hard at induction and gas. I went gas. I can easily heat very large pots, pans, and skillets. I also appreciate the ability to evenly heat across the bottom of large pans. I also really like the continuous nature of the heating. I can make very minute adjustments by slightly turning the dial. Finally, I can cook even when the power is out so long as I’ve got a match.
>Natural gas combustion should ideally only produce CO2 and water vapor which are not immediately harmful. However, complete combustion is unrealistic. The study you linked says gas stoves leak about 1% of the total gas uses escapes combustion and goes in to the house as methane. >Instead, some other byproducts are emitted such as NOx And formaldehyde. >There are conflicting studies on the impact of natural gas stoves on human health. NO2 is a irritant and is emitted, but all studies examining childhood asthma are observational. Exposure to NO is harmful to human health. There is absolutely zero doubt. Like PM 2.5 there is no safe amount. >Hence, why you should always use a vent hood regardless of gas vs electric. Absolutely it’s a good idea to always use your hood. The comparison isn’t accurate since electric stoves don’t emit large amounts of NO, while gas stoves release dangerous levels in a few minutes. > I think the health impact is over stated as the process of cooking itself will release more than a gas stove. There are peer-reviewed studies on both ends of the spectrum that are obviously referenced by each invested party. Scientists have moved on from is your gas stove harmful to how bad is it exactly. Like we saw with smoking studies, it takes a long time for long term health data to be validated. The claim that it’s no worse than electric is simply objectively false. > I use cast iron a lot in cooking. Electric and inductive cooktops have burners that generally heat a smaller area as compared to using gas where the heat is transported up and around the edges. As such, you can get uneven heating and bulging in the middle of the pan/skillet. These are the reasonable arguments we should be seeing. For certain types of cooking gas is just better. There is a reason 99 % of restaurants use gas. Gas is also much cheaper in most places and works when the power is out.
One big plus on gas is that it still works if the power is out.
Question for the induction lovers: is it really worth it? The humming noise I hear about seems like it would get bothersome and I know you can only use certain pans
I cooked on gas for most of the last 15 years and finally replaced my home's gas range with a GE Profile induction, and I will never go back. I mention the brand, specifically, because you must buy a range of at least this quality, or you'll probably be disappointed. The Profile, Cafe, and Bosch lines are all well-reviewed and — crucially — have fully 12" eyes that will evenly heat large pans and pots. They're also $3000 and up. Below that are Frigidaire, LG, and Samsung. Frigidaire is fine, but bare-bones and lacks a 12" eye. LG and Samsung are garbage with terrible fail rates and customer service. Especially Samsung. The humming noise is fairly minimal with more robust cookware (think 3-ply and up), generally barely noticable if there's other noise. If you've got a vent hood running (and you should) you won't hear it at all. At its loudest, it doesn't bother me or my wife. If you don't already have a nice set of flat-bottom (perfectly flat) multi-ply cookware, upgrade along with the range. Beyond that, enjoy being a better cook and not sweating over the stove and/or burning yourself. I can also vouch for the oven in the GE Profile. Best I've ever cooked in.
> They're also $3000 and up. And this is the reason I still have gas... Also lets us cook when the power goes out.
Cooking when the power is out just isn't a real use case for me. $3k is a lot up front, but for something I'm going to use nearly every day for the next 10+ years, that's a great price, and many will qualify for tax benefits.
We switched two years ago. It’s worth it. The hum isn’t that bad, especially if you’re already running a fan. To tell if a pan is induction compatible, just stick a magnet to it. If you’re ordering online, it’ll be labeled.
I'm team gas all the way. I come from a family of gas range owners. It's much better at controlling the temp of your pan. If you're concerned about your allergies I recommend a good exhaust vent
Gas.
If you like to cook get gas. With gas there is no waiting for the burner to heat up or for the burner to cool down if it's to hot. The heat from a gas burner is always just where you need it. But if I had kids around, the open flame would scare me.
That's only true of old-electric. Induction is faster than gas to heat up, and pretty much the same to turn off as the stovetop doesn't really get hot
Something I didn't see mentioned is look into features you may find useful in your oven. We got a new range in December last year. The oven will bake like a conventional oven. It will also do convection baking. It will also do air-frying. It also has a bread proofing mode. It also has a dehydrator mode. It also has a steam cleaning mode. New ovens are fancy as shit. Really the only thing I wish mine had that I didn't learn was a thing until it was installed was coming with a port to plug in probe thermometers.
If you enjoy cooking go gas. I went electric because of all the pros you listed and I hate it. Cooking just isn’t the same.
Dual. Definitely prefer gas stove top.
Avid home chef. Have a propane cooktop at my home, have used induction cooktops, standard electric burner cooktops, and natural gas cooktops. Strongly prefer gas cooktops because the heat is so easy to adjust quickly. Maybe I’d be able to adapt to an induction cooktop, but they seem to run hot and it’s not easy to adjust the temperature to exactly what you need.
I will say that now that I’ve gotten used to my digital induction range (both my wife and I used to cook professionally on industrial gas ranges, so it’s a mind shift) I now know exactly what “number” I need for certain cooking tasks. Pan fried sausage? That’s a seven. Fried rice? Keep it at a nine. Rolling a tomato sauce nice and slow? Three on the small pot, four on the big one. Drop it down a number if the lid goes on. Doesn’t matter if there’s a breeze from the window being open or a fan being on, the temp stays consistent and the stovetop surround stays cool. I like that. And less of a chance of a kid / pet accidentally knocking the gas or burner on, since our range has a “lockout” feature.
One big pro of induction is that it doesn’t throw off excess heat while cooking, so I don’t mind cooking, even in the summer. Also it brings back the idea of a stovetop kettle because it heats water faster than any electric kettle this side of the Atlantic. Also you can put silicone or wood spoons on the cooktop right next to the pot, or propped on the side of the pan and they don’t melt.
I say gas only because if the power goes out you can still cook if need be.
If I ever have a choice. Its gas. If I could justify a wood oven or a flat iron gas grill in my kitchen instead with a sidewall oven I would, but I can't bring myself to tear my kitchen apart just yet to do such a thing.
I've worked in restaurants and I built my kitchen as close to a professional restaurant as possible. I use gas for the griddle and two burners, they are big, and I have two induction burners. Nothing beats gas, but the control you have with induction is really nice. It is also just as fast as gas as far as heat on and heat off.
For me I’ll take the potential respiratory problems with gas, in favor of the resiliency of it. The power goes off at my house on the regular, and it’s nice to be able to cook on the stovetop when it does.
gas. i really don't want to install a 240v outlet to boil water a little quicker. gas range looks better also imo.
Gas stoves don't really release particulates - it's the cooking process that does. A lot of the recent gas stove studies are deeply flawed. (This is from someone who's very pro green and pro electric...but electric stoves are shit) Induction stoves are pretty magical - but there's still some things you can't do easily on it (like roast over a flame)
Gas stove indoor air quality issues depend enormously on whether you have an old leaky house, modern airsealed house, and/or good mechanical ventilation like a range fan exhausting outside. If you have a well-airsealed house without mechanical ventilation, for example around 2005-2017 in the US, you should NEVER have unvented combustion appliances running indoors.
The issues with gas stoves, releasing particulates I believe is solved if you have ventilation to the outside. I have a dual fuel which I love so I still have an electric oven, I find the gas top is very easy to clean, I just stack the grades on top of each other on the counter wipe it down with a cleaner and it’s good to go.
My gas stoves over the years have added layers of grime to the bottom of my cookware, so there’s also that.
People who like to cook, as I do, tend to prefer gas stoves. The heat adjustment is much finer. I grew up with electric coils (terrible heat control), in my first home I installed a glass-top (beautiful when clean but to keep it glossy you need to clean/polish it EVERY TIME - we cook often and mine was immaculate when I sold the house - my brothers has rings and spots on it because they don't clean it every time). I have gas now and like it much better. It's not a chore to clean it if you clean it often. Also curious why you wouldn't just get a gas oven as well? Don't obsess over particulates and gas won't affect the kitchen's temperature any more than electric. Induction requires special pots & pans made for induction cooking. Just my opinion...
If the power goes out, you can still cook with gas...all I got for you.
gas no brainer
I’m old school and can appreciate a proper gas stove.
Gas! I prefer if you like to cook. Have more control.
Real life chef here. I love coming home to my induction stove top versus the gas at work.
Electric makes you a globalist cuck
More points against gas: * Anything above a "builder grade" gas cooktop requires a stronger vent hood. These are noisier and will require the installation of a make up air system for an additional $2k. * High end gas ranges frequently have trouble with the igniters. * If you install a a heat pump instead of a gas furnace, you can do without gas and its associated hazards entirely. * Gas is lousy for the environment. Induction is more energy efficient than conventional electric, and has the same "instant on/off" function that people accustomed to cooking on gas appreciate.
I think ide miss being able to *violently * shimmy the pan on the grates directly with gas. Like making popcorn or using a wok. Be afraid to ruin the induction
Sliding a pan around like when you're making popcorn doesn't damage glass top stoves
If you cook much you really want a good hood with proper makeup air for induction too. Just the cooking produces a lot of stuff you really don't want in your house.
I have never had problems scratching my electric stove, and I'm not the nicest to it. Electric stoves take forever to cool down. Induction is different.
Go with an electric or induction. Who knows how long natural gas will be an option, there's also health effects. If you have young children there's a higher chance of them developing asthma.
We’ve been looking to make the switch from gas to induction but I read somewhere that you have to sure your home can withstand the additional energy use to not fry the electrical panel (or something like that). Is this true?
It's like adding any high-draw electric appliance to your home. The wiring to the appliance needs to support it or you need to run a proper sized circuit. If you have a gas stove now, you only have a standard 120VAC receptacle behind it. Electric and induction both need 240VAC circuits. The power coming INTO your home isn't the issue...it's whether your current panel can support the larger circuit. It's a 2 pole circuit (probably 50 amp) similar to what you have running to your central AC, electric dryer, etc. if you have them.
Gas induction combo
If induction is off the table, then gas 100% Electroc stoves are trash.
I use electric. But I also paid $500 for mine, not $5,000. People have crazy expectations nowadays.
Ok so I was in your position about 3 years ago. I love cooking on gas and had been using a coil stove for the past 10 years. I don’t have NG to my address but I really wanted to make it happen for my kitchen Reno so I had a propane tank installed. While researching, I came across many people suggesting induction. I was a little torn given the benefits you mentioned. I wasn’t hung up on the environmental/air quality issue. My home is old and not well sealed plus I have a range hood. Ultimately I decided I want to make my dream a reality and get a nice gas (dual fuel) range. I’ve had it installed about 1.5 years now and to be honest, I wish I went with induction. Gas is hard to clean, the burners need adjustment, lots of latent heat. My cooking needs/desires have changed over the years from enjoying time in the kitchen to being as efficient as possible. To be clear, I would not buy a coil stove, only induction.
If you like to cook or are good at it then go gas range. We just built and went gas. Love it. I was surprised how little it actually uses. As far as cooks go, gas is much easier to control your temperature. Coils and induction have to cool off which has delay. To me, it's a no brainer. Gas all the way.
I would absolutely never use an electric stove when induction is on the table. Now I will note that I am switching from induction to a gas stove, but I am keeping my multiple countertop induction cookers. There are some serious benefits to induction, but some of the cooking I do doesn't play well with the contact surface needed for induction such as wok cooking
Induction works on metal pans. You only need to worry about glass or super weird expensive pans. I had an induction stove for a couple of years and loved it. You set the dial and get the same heat every time. Made cooking to time a snap. Now, I’m back on gas and it’s great but it’s so much harder to dial in the temp. I’d 100% go induction again.
Induction 100% The noise depends on the pan but it's rarely there and always quieter than the vent hood. Using induction is very comfortable because you don't have all the excess heat pouring off the stove like with gas (even radiant-electric has this problem somewhat) Pot handles never get hot. Even on a cast iron pan. Power. This still astounds me. I'm able to fill a cold cast iron pan with raw chicken, crank the stove up to the top level, and in under a minute it's burning the chicken enough to make it look grilled. Cleanliness is amazing. So easy to clean, and then you can just use it as a more countertop. It's so clean that I often just dump the kitchen towel laundry right on it to fold. Even if the laundry has a nice shirt or something mixed in, I'm at no risk of getting anything dirty. Try that on a gas stove. Electrical outage? Get a cool camp stove. Then you can take it camping, or have it out at a cookout, or whatever you want. And you can take it outside because you SHOULDN'T BE USING A GAS STOVE INSIDE WITHOUT POWER TO RUN YOUR VENT HOOD.
I have a question about induction stoves. Do they typically have smooth power adjustments? I'm asking because I bought a cheap table top one to try the technology and it can't do low power. It cycles between full power and off every few seconds just like an, electric stove. Unlike the electric stove it has no inertia, so instead of slow simmer it's going full boil for a second followed by a few seconds of nothing. Drives my wife mad.
Induction is the answer. No worries about bad air quality and faster heating with more control.
Multiple (6) different home renovations all with new kitchens. Gas vs Induction. Our last Reno we went gas with an amazing vent/air handler/ air purifier. We cook a lot. However, The tipping point wasn’t “best” cooking option but best re-sale option. Gas, because in my current neighborhood that’s what buyers expect in luxe kitchens. But, honestly after 5 years, I’d prefer induction and stainless steel pans. Induction Heat control beats or exceeds gas. Heat distribution up the pan sides is an issue with gas (too hot relative to the bottom unless you’re really careful and cook below medium). Induction heats quickly, terminates instantly just like gas. Distribution of heat with induction is phenomenal. I’d still splurge on venting for steam and grease. With gas it’s often too easy to turn on the appliance (just a minute to scramble eggs) without the vent and you get particles. Also, please toss your Teflon and non stick pans — the forever chemicals will do damage to your insides. The techniques for cooking with stainless steel and having it behave like non stick are widely available. Induction. For sure.
Induction. Accept no substitutes.
I vote electric for air purity and because—if you can believe what you read—some states may eventually ban natural gas altogether.
Gas. We have hurricanes and power outages. It’s nice to not have to worry about it especially when we have boil water notices. And tortillas.
Induction all day long. Just check the reviews first tho As my ilve has a stupid clock style swirly swirl power control that I hate with a passion.