When you want to move to a new house or renovate your kitchen, the first thing that you need to take a good decision is on buying a cooktop. There are so many varieties of cooktops that are available in market namely induction cooktop, the traditional gas stove, or electric cooktops. Let us see how each of them differ.
Induction Cooktop
An induction cooking heats a device through electricity by magnetic induction. This is achieved by the coil of copper wire placed under the cooking device and alternate electric currents pass through the wire. Because of this type of arrangement, cooking devices made of ferromagnetic metal like cast iron or stainless steel is preferred. This type of cooking is introduced in 1900s.
Gas Stovetop
The most traditional way of cooking is by using gas stoves. Even today, many of them are comfortable using gas stoves. The heat source for gas stoves come from different flammable gases like propane, liquified petroleum gas, natural gas or butane. The modern gas stoves ae coming with in-built extractor hoods which extracts certain types of gases. They are introduced in 1800s.
Based on your taste, budget you have to choose among them. Every thing in this world comes with pros and cons. Hence, it is important to know them before you decide on buying a cooktop for your home.
Induction Stove Vs Gas Stove
| Feature | Induction Stove | Gas Stove |
|---|---|---|
| Heat Source | Electromagnetic field created by a coil under the glass surface | Flame created by burning gas |
| Energy Efficiency | More efficient as heat is directly transferred to the cookware and less heat is wasted | Less efficient as a lot of heat is wasted due to the open flame |
| Cooking Time | Faster cooking time due to faster heating of cookware | Slower cooking time due to slower heating of cookware |
| Temperature Control | Precise temperature control as it can be adjusted digitally | Temperature control is based on the flame intensity and can be difficult to adjust precisely |
| Safety | Safer as the stove surface doesn’t get hot and there is no flame, reducing the risk of accidental burns or fires | Can be potentially dangerous due to open flames and hot stove surfaces |
| Cleaning | Easy to clean as the surface is smooth and there are no grates or burners to clean | Can be difficult to clean as the grates and burners require regular cleaning |
| Compatibility | Only works with cookware made of ferrous materials, such as cast iron or magnetic stainless steel | Works with most types of cookware, including non-stick and aluminum cookware |
| Cost | Generally more expensive than gas stoves | Generally less expensive than induction stoves |
In this article, let us know the factors in which these cooktops excel and based on that you can make a decision.
- Power Loss
One of the main differences between gas stove and induction cooktop is the utilisation of power. The most obvious advantage of using gas stove is that there wont be any power loss while cooking. Also, if for any reason power goes off, the cooking will not be interrupted. On the other hand, the induction cooktop uses only power to cook food. Hence, whenever there is a power off especially for hours, you cant cook anything. So, if you don’t have the problem of power loss, you can opt for induction cooktop.
- Heat Loss
While using the gas stovetops, once you turn it off, the heat disperses which makes the gas stovetops cooler. However, for the induction cooktops, the heat doesn’t disperse and it stays around the cooking vessel. In this way, the stovetop stays cool immediately after switching off the stove. This is safer if you have kids around the home and even if they touch the stovetop it wont be a danger. In this case, both the gas stove and induction cooktop have their own advantages. You can choose based on your need.
- Temperature change
With the gas stoves, the flame is visible and you can easily change the flame from high to low or vice versa. Also, the temperature changes quickly with the flame and you can accurately decide the temperature that your recipe needs. On the other hand, the induction stovetop takes time to change the temperature as it needs the burner to get warmer or cooler. If you know your recipe well, then this shouldn’t be a problem. If you are a person who wants perfect temperature for all the recipes, then gas stovetop would be an ideal choice.
- Safety
There will be maximum safety while using induction stovetop. This is due to the fact that it wont have flames and only use electromagnetic energy which is only transferred to electromagnetic materials. Even your ornaments like rings, bracelets or any other kind of jewellery are safe to be placed on induction cooktop as it detects that these doesn’t contain the ferrous material required. The gas stovetops, however, are not that safe and if you by mistake place your hands, they will burn in fire and is very dangerous compared to induction cooktop. There is also potential gas leaks that might happen which cause fire at home or breathing problems which is very dangerous. You can choose whether induction/gas stovetop suits you better based on this factor.
- Heat Distribution
Induction cooktop directly supplies the energy required for the cooking utensil through magnetic field. While cooking on induction cooktop, 84% of energy can be consumed while cooking which makes it energy saver and a faster device to cook food. On the other hand, the gas stovetops need to convert energy to heat and then distribute it to cooking vessel. This reduces the consumption to 40% only. If you want maximum usage of energy for cooking and not wasting it, you need to choose induction cooktop.
- Installation
The induction cooktop is easy to install and once installed you can use it continuously. It only needs power. However, for the gas stovetops, whenever gas is completed, you need to order a new one and you need a professional to install the gas which is uncomfortable. If you are a person who do not like to install frequently, induction cooktop is better choice for you.
- Special Vessels
Any type of vessel can be used on gas stovetops. This makes it convenient to use. But, for the induction cooktop, you need to separately purchase pots, pans and vessels which are made of magnetic material. Otherwise, they wont get heated. These are more expensive than normal cookware. This is the major disadvantage of using induction cooktop. If you are a person who do not like to spend much money on cookware, then gas stovetop is a better choice for you.
- Cleaning
Another factor that needs to be considered is the cleaning of the cooktops. With the gas stovetops, metal grates are present on each burner to hold the vessels. Food normally spills around the burners and it becomes very messy. Maintenance is hence difficult with gas stovetops. Induction cooktops can be easily cleaned compared to gas stovetops.
Final Verdict
You have now gone through the factors which helps you decide the cooktop you prefer. We have outlined which one is better for you based on your usage. Go through these and make a good decision on these stovetops.
Santosh Kumar is a Professional SEO and Blogger, With the help of this blog he is trying to share top 10 lists, facts, entertainment news from India and all around the world.