Is It Time to Switch to an Induction Stove?

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Gas stoves can cause dangerous levels of air pollution in homes beyond the kitchen — especially smaller homes — according to a recent study by researchers from Stanford and Harvard

universities. The study, published in the journal Science Advances, found that gas stoves emit nitrogen dioxide, which can cause respiratory issues such as asthma.

Does this mean it is time to switch to an induction stove?

There are definite pros to going with an induction range — which has a smooth cooktop with an electric oven beneath — even beyond the health concerns. An induction range can provide more

precise and even heat when cooking. It’s more efficient, environmentally friendly, safer and easier to clean, says Neil Holyoak, senior director for the Anolon brand, which has a line of

cookware specifically designed for induction ranges. (For more about stoves and ovens, see Ranges and Stoves and Ovens, Oh My sidebar below.)

But there are some things to consider before you switch, including cost. Here’s a rundown of what to know before you drop your gas or electric stove and start cooking with induction. 

Understanding how they work  Ranges and Stoves and Ovens, Oh My

Choosing a new stove can be confusing. Typically, a freestanding appliance with a cooktop and a built-in oven underneath is referred to as a range. Alternatively, it’s commonly called a

stove, indicating it includes a stovetop and an oven. In such a configuration, an induction range uses induction on the cooktop and has a standard electric oven underneath. There are often

additional options and features.

Electric ovens may include an air fryer feature, convection cooking (which circulates the air) and even steam cooking. Models with all these features usually cost a bit more. You can also

purchase induction cooktops that can be installed in a countertop, then get a separate in-wall oven. Your preference — freestanding or built-in models — will probably depend on the size

of your kitchen and how much you have to spend on the installation.

Gas stoves heat pots and pans using a direct flame. If you’ve got a gas stove, it’s probably hooked into a utility’s natural gas line, making it relatively convenient. (In rural locations,

an external propane tank may be the gas source.) Gas stoves are prized for how quickly they heat up.

Traditional electric stovetops, by contrast, have coil elements that heat up, usually concealed under a smooth glass cooktop. They first have to heat the surface of the stove, which then

heats a pan, which then heats the food in the pan. Consequently, electric cooktops take longer to heat up and stay hot long after they are shut off, making it difficult to adjust the heat

when you’re cooking.

Induction cooktops work differently. They use electricity but not to directly heat the stovetop. Instead, induction elements under a cooktop’s ceramic surface create a magnetic field that

doesn’t heat the cooking surface but rather generates an electric current when a pot comes in contact with the cooktop. The electric current excites electrons in pots and pans that contain

ferrous metal (more on this below), which is what creates the heat in the cookware — while keeping the stovetop cool. 

The way induction works means it heats faster — even more quickly than gas — and can be more precisely controlled by instantly reducing or increasing the amount of current in the pot or pan.

Boiling water, for example, takes induction about half the time it takes a standard electric stovetop to accomplish the same task.  

Better still, induction stovetops are inherently safer than either gas or old electric stoves. The open flame of a gas stove can quickly light up any nearby inflammable material, and an

electric stove that remains hot even after it’s turned off can burn your hand. Induction doesn’t present any of those dangers. The reason is that without a pot or pan on the burner to

complete the electromagnetic circuit, it won’t get hot. The cooktop remains cool (aside from the warmth created by the pan).  

“And if you remove the pan, some induction stoves have a sensor that can automatically turn it off,” so it won’t even waste electricity, points out Anolon’s Holyoak.