Induction seems to be the hot new technology especially for people who don't have gas in their house. For people who do have gas, some think induction is safer and/or more energy efficient. The smooth top is also more attractive than big grates to some people. Also, isn't induction faster at things like boiling water - I know regular electric is. I think some people go with both induction and gas burners as a way of hedging their bets.

I'm curious - since you're familiar with induction in a professional setting, why wouldn't you choose it for your home?

I've been wondering the same thing. I can see using induction if gas isn't available and one doesn't want to deal with LP, but what other reasons are there?

Are they considered greener than gas? I guess less CO2 emissions, and you can buy renewable electricity (if your area has that option). What else?

>I'm curious - since you're familiar with induction in a professional setting, why wouldn't you choose it for your home?induction doesn't pack the same power as gas, for one thing. also, the need for specialized cookware, the slow response time when adjusting temperature, having to learn what temps to set it at for various tasks, and the big one is the *feel* of using it. that flat-on-flat feel is annoying when sauteeing anything.

The higher temperature of the powerful burners on various induction units allow for much faster boiling and searing--not to forget flat-bottomed pan stir frying.

Induction cooktops are infinitely easier to clean. While gas advocates say that you have immediate heat turn-off with gas, that isn't as completely true as induction. Induction hardly heats the cooktop surface at all, while the grates on a gas burner get scorching hot. Hence, even if you turn off the gas on your food, it will continue cooking--not so with induction.

For the people that like lifting their pan off the burning and can get a powerful gas hob capable of doing great stir frying, I would recommend a separate hob situation. Get a wok hob and a long burner gas hob for poaching fish, pancakes, etc. Then get one or two Cooktek Apogee 3500 watt built-in units with 100 level temeprature change. They have models that come two burner deep, two burner horizontally, or just one burner.

In a cost no object kitchen cooktop getting two or three specialty hobs from Gaggenau (or someother company) and getting one or two double induction units from Cooktek Apogee would seem like the ideal scenario.

For the average or even more expert cook if you have to get one I would get induction. It is far more energy efficient and is superior at simmering sauces and boiling water (among other things). It is definitely safer with children around, as the cooktop almost never gets hot enough to burn anyone and cleaning is a breeze. Also there are no CO2 & CO (Carbon Monoxide) emissions from induction. No potential for a gas leak.

I use my outdoor Kalamazoo stainless grill with the 60,000 BTU powerful side-burner for grilling and wok stir frying. It also keeps the kitchen clean. Gas outside and induction inside is also a great plan.

Greg

In this house, we had to go electric.

I am delighted with our induction (dedietrich) cooktop. It's been so easy to adjust to it, it has more power than we'll probably ever need, and it's a breeze to clean.

I don't understand the comment from edlakin about "the slow response time when adjusting temperature". To me it seems lightning fast.

However, I am a gentle cook. I lift my saute pan from the surface to shake it (the unit will allow me to do this for a few seconds), and I don't slide pots and pans around a lot. I can see how a maestro chef would prefer those cast iron grates when things are apace in the kitchen!

It is amazing how some people need to hang on to the technology they know and, at the same time, try to make new technology look bad. This is not a new thing; it happened when they implemented the steam locomotive and of course it happened when the car replaced the horse.

In Europe, many professional kitchens use induction. There is a simple reason for that. With gas more than 60% of those highly acclaimed BTUs go to heat the surrounding air and not the pot; what a terrible waste. Induction is way more efficient!

And contrary to what some here said, induction is as quick reacting as gas if not quicker. Temperature control is a breeze and extremely accurate, from simmer to searing. Last but not least, nothing burns into the cooking surfaces, so clean up is a breeze.

Yes, you have to use pots that have magnetic material in the bottom to make induction work. What's the big deal about that? Replacing a pot is still much cheaper in the long run than wasting energy every time you turn on a burner. Or spending thousands on a "professional" gas range that has essentially the same technology as a gas range costing hundreds: a gas pipe, a burner, and a control valve. Yes, a gas cooktop uses much simpler technology than an induction cooktop, but so does a horse buggy.

I have been using induction now for over 15 years and will never go back to gas if I can avoid it.

I could have had either gas or induction. I chose induction because:

1) Time to boil contest between induction and commercial style Viking gas - Induction won hands down.

2) I like to heat my food, not myself. Even in winter, standing in front of a goes cooktop gets uncomfortably warm.

3) Induction is sleeker.

4) Temperature control is more precise.

5) Temperature control is faster.

6) Cleanup is WAY easier!

7) No more burned potholders, or towels or sleeves (don't ask).

thanks to those of you who answered my question without getting all judgemental and feeling the need to psychoanalyze me just for asking.

perhaps part of my issue with induction is that i'm comparing what we have in the restaurant to what i'm used to using in restaurants. maybe these units would compare more favorably to residential equipment.

or, it's quite possible that we just have low-grade not-adequately-powered induction units where i work.

i've never tried any of the residential induction units that have been mentioned in this topic. thanks again for sharing your views.

I think you just answered part of your own question :). In the home, we are saddled with low power gas cooktops. Even the best of the best put out much less than what you use professionally. For wok cooking, one can get 100K BTU burners for commercial use. Yet the giant, pro-looking Viking 24 inch puts out only 27K BTUs!

So for us at home, Induction has the appeal of putting out more heat to boil things faster. We cook crab often and it is a pain to wait a long time for things to come to boil, and then sit there while heating up again, after the crab is added. You want to cook crab quickly, not let it sit there for 30 minutes because the buner is too weak to handle it. Same for cooking Cioppino.

I for one, have no use for the easy clean up, glass surface and such in Induction. We are getting induction with gas and these things make the two appliances look different which we don't like. And we are perfectly fine with gas wrt to cleaning and such. So it is all about getting more performance. So while these are advantages to others, they are not for us. Ditto for super slow simmer. Or frankly, perfect temp setting. And electronic controls do seem slower to us to use than a knob. Ditto for LEDs vs flame level.

In our short summers, not heating the kitchen is also nice. We only cook outside if it gets too hot and it is nice to have the option of doing smaller cooks inside using induction. Again, you don't have this worry in a professional setting.

Slow response time?
-> If indeed induction is slower than the difference can only be measured in a fraction of a second. To me it feels immediate.

Not enough power?
-> I hardly ever cook on full power because for most everything I do it's too much power. For quick boiling nothing beats induction, not even gas.

Having to learn what temperature to set?
-> Well, there is a learning curve with every new appliance. I would have to learn what setting to use with a new gas stove as well. I don't think the learning curve with induction is worse than with any other appliance.

The one disadvantage that would hit especially a professional kitchen is the fact that you cannot use copper cookware. It's not an issue for me since I've never ever used copper in my style of cooking at home. I don't miss it at all. This might be a case of "not knowing what I miss".

And with induction I truly don't miss
- the amount of time and elbow grease takes to clean gas grates or a traditional electric cooktop
- the environmental heat going into the kitchen and NOT into your pot
- burnt on milk on my burners when the pot boils over - I still have milk boiling over, even quicker than before, but it cannot bake on because the cooking surface stays much cooler
- burnt hands because the handles overheat when a pot sits on a burner that's slightly smaller than the burner

My reason for choosing Induction is ease of cleaning (smooth cooktop) and efficient use of electricity. I got rid of the liquid propane that the previous owner put in. The cooktop was a HUGE chore to clean. Stir fying was impossible because the pan would cool down as soon as I add in an ingredient. I had to cook each ingredient separately or else if I added it all in together, it becomes a stew. I need high, high, heat for stir frying. I was so elated when the LP ran out... no more sooty pots and pans!

After originally planning on gas, we chose induction (Windcrest 30") in our new kitchen for aesthetic and practical reasons.

I didn't like the look of the big gas cooktops for our small, modern kitchen. I love the flat, sleek surface of the induction cooktop.

I LOVE how easily it cleans up (a gazillion times easier than the dreaded smooth top electric stove I once had). No more stuck on guck -- ever!

Temperature adjustments are INSTANTANEOUS from the cooktop - obviously it takes a little time for the temp of the pan itself to adjust, but MUCH shorter than gas or electric (not talking commercial here).

It boils water amazingly fast, and has more than adequate power for my needs. I very rarely use the higher settings.

I like that I can layer paper towel or newspaper under my pots and pan WHILE frying to make cleanup even easier. (A tip I read here - thanks!).

The cooktop surface and the kitchen itself stay nice and cool when cooking. More comfortable and safer for us with young kids.

The unit is very energy efficient.

I have never understood the comments about not being able to stirfry or saute properly because you can't lift the pan off an induction unit. This is not true with our unit. I can lift the pan off for about 10 seconds before the burner shuts off. I often saute and make popcorn with no issues.

We've had our induction unit for about 6 months now. I will never go back to gas or standard electric.

I just wanted to comment on what happens when a pan is removed from a hob while cooking. I've seen this mentioned in other threads as well, and have gotten the impression that you can only lift the pan for a few seconds or so without the stovetop automatically turning off. Since my experience has been longer than 10 seconds, I decided to test it to see how long it goes before turning off. My Kenmore takes 3 minutes. It flashes the power setting alternately with the letter F, and if you return a pan to the hob within 3 minutes, it just continues cooking where you left off (minus any heat the pan you're using has lost, of course). I wonder if that is common with other brands?

We are rebuilding after losing our home to Hurricane Katrina. We have purposely built this house to try and utilize energy saving techniques whenever possible - geothermal heat pumps, concrete walls floors ceilings, dual flush toilets, bamboo floors, etc. We had planned to use gas for cooking, even though I love the sleekness of electric cooktops. Induction was the perfect compromise for us. We are installing a 36", 5 burner induction cooktop inside, but outside we are putting in an outdoor kitchen which will include an FireMagic infared searing station, a Primo barbeque, and a FireMagic 60,000BTU wok cooker. I am thrilled about our choices......

My reasons for switching from gas to induction:

I live in Phoenix. Keeping excess heat out of the house is a huge priority. I don't use my oven in the summer because its just too hot.

I hating cleaning the gas grates. Even with diligent cleaning, they developed "crusty" areas.

I have 2 small kids who love to help and I feel the induction is safer.

Less indoor air pollution.

So far I like it very much. It heat up pans really fast and has a nice range of low settings. I haven't tried the boost feature yet - haven't needed it.

I am an "analog" person and prefer dials to digital controls (less stuff to break) so that is one drawback. Also, I am still scared of breaking the glass cooktop, so I'm cooking a bit more carefully than before. But I sure don't miss cleaning gunky dials, and I like my new cookware =)

NEWS FLASH oskiebabu,

Cooking with induction is Induction will win where it is hot year round or on the safety issue when children, the elderly or mentally challenged are involved but otherwise this is a moot point in the hands of responsible and competent people.

Gas is just so damn versatile, you can roast peppers right on the burner, you don't have to baby the cooking surface, you can cook when the power goes out, you don't have to pull out a match to flambé, you get all the romance and theatrics of the flame, you don't have to get rid of your beautiful copper cookware and when your gas range breaks you actually stand a chance of fixing it yourself - try that with induction. Cleaning my Bluestar is a breeze, I just put the grates in the dishwasher and throw my drip tray foil liner in the recycle bin. Last but not least I can use my round bottom wok with gas and the star shaped burner of the Bluestar give even and effective flame impingement to my other pots and pans.

My experience with glass tops is that they don't age gracefully. They can and do scratch and will show even the slightest trace of oil/grease. I used to own one and whenever I used my cast iron cookware(quite frequently) I had to really watch that I did not scratch the surface. You are hosed if the glass top breaks while a problem on a gas unit is usually user serviceable and only affects one burner. I say that induction may win in some narrow circumstances but for true versatility gas is the way to go. I wouldn't trade all gas has to offer just to boil water faster but that's me. Is induction a feature for feature replacement for gas? Absolutely not.

Question and comments.

Edlakin: Which induction unit(s) does the restaurant use?

Beatrix in Canada: "I don't think the learning curve with induction is worse than with any other appliance." I personally find the learning curve to be longer compared to the visual effects of coil or gas.

Although I still prefer a glass surface I still havenÂt found the best product to get rid of grease. Guess I have to start using paper underneath the pots/pans more often. Otherwise the cleaning is a breeze.

Lindawink: My Fagor turns off after 60 seconds without a pan on the burner. Ten seconds seems very quick and three minutes seems awfully long. The latter isnÂt going to improve overall energy efficiency ... unless the unit also temporarily reduces the output! Offhand, I would think 30-45 seconds is optimal. A quick search of most 30" units at TheInductionSite results in shut off times of 90 seconds (Bosch), 60 seconds (Heartland, Viking), and 30 seconds (GE, LG, Windcrest, Wolf). Some units temporarily reduce the electrical supply when the pan is removed and restore the setting if a pan is placed within the time limit. (Something to consider when researching induction units for purchase.)

dbaguy; we have multiple dual-hob cooktek units, some built-in, some portable.

dbaguy wrote:

"Lindawink: My Fagor turns off after 60 seconds without a pan on the burner. Ten seconds seems very quick and three minutes seems awfully long. The latter isnÂt going to improve overall energy efficiency ... unless the unit also temporarily reduces the output! Offhand, I would think 30-45 seconds is optimal. A quick search of most 30" units at TheInductionSite results in shut off times of 90 seconds (Bosch), 60 seconds (Heartland, Viking), and 30 seconds (GE, LG, Windcrest, Wolf). Some units temporarily reduce the electrical supply when the pan is removed and restore the setting if a pan is placed within the time limit. (Something to consider when researching induction units for purchase.)"

The induction system transfers power via an electromagnetic field to the pan. When the pan is removed, the power doesn't get lost in the air, or slag the electronics, any more than a power transformer on a pole fries itself when you stop pulling power from it. In other words, without a pan having the proper hysteresis loss, the induction hob doesn't transfer power. It will, of course, continue to dissipate some power within its circuitry and magnetic coils due to internal losses. This can be reduced by the designer cutting or reducing the hob supply power when the pan is removed, but users should not fear that pulling a pan for two minutes is allowing the hob power that was going to the pan to be somehow lost.

kas

"i am a professional chef who has to deal with induction cookers at work because my restaurant is in a large high-rise building and we cannot, under the terms of our lease, use gas."

And why is that? Because their insurance company will not allow it. Another reason why you shouldn't have it in your house. It's inherently dangerous.

BTW, everything that Alice said is dead-on correct.

And why is that? Because their insurance company will not allow it. Another reason why you shouldn't have it in your house. It's inherently dangerous.

no, actually, it's because using gas would require a separate ventilation system and running black iron ducting up to the roof per city code, and since the roof is some eighty stories above, the management company simply doesn't want that.

why some people seem to have an attitude and a chip on their shoulder about this issue is beyond me. it's a way of generating heat for cooking, people, not a lifestyle choice. try not to become so emotionally invested.

again, thanks to those who have answered the question i asked sans attitude. very informative. i now see some of the advantages to having induction in a home kitchen, even alongside gas.

"no, actually, it's because using gas would require a separate ventilation system and running black iron ducting up to the roof per city code, and since the roof is some eighty stories above, the management company simply doesn't want that."

So, how do you ventilate?

everything goes through the building's HVAC system. we don't use any deep fryers or grills, the ovens are all electric, and the cooktops are all induction, so, really, not a whole lot of ventilation needed, other than what can be achieved by a normal HVAC system.

we have an electric pizza oven with a hood that draws smoke and a run with some accordion filters to clean up that air a bit before it enters the main system, but that's really it.

Thank you, edlakin, for your posting. Just because we're all anonymous on the Net is no reason for people to be impolite. We can politely agree to disagree, if we try.

I think induction is a wonderful technology. But here, electricity is considerably more expensive than gas. Also, our electrical panel, although upgraded in 1989 to code, is completely full. Putting in a subpanel will cost us over $2K according to a recent estimate. So not viable for us - plus, I simply like those gas flames!

I do think about it though, on our rare summer heat spells. Our kitchen gets daylong sunlight and without AC it's too hot to cook! Fortunately in the SF Bay Area such high summer temps are rare where we live - it seldom gets above the mid-70's.

I think some folks here have talked about the various wattages of the Diva and other induction cooktops they are using. It would be interesting to compare those to the induction units you are using in the restaurant.

"everything goes through the building's HVAC system. we don't use any deep fryers or grills, the ovens are all electric, and the cooktops are all induction, so, really, not a whole lot of ventilation needed, other than what can be achieved by a normal HVAC system."

Oh my...

oh my?? oh my what??

With gas I invariably get scorch marks that are hardto remove on my pots and pans. With induction I never get scorch marks. If I want to roast veggies I use my gas grill. In inclement weather I have an electric rollout canvas covering so there is no need to get wet.

At the CIA (Culinary Inst.) in NY they use lots of induction cooking units.

Neither gas or induction is the perfect cooktop. For most people induction hits more of the high notes however. As I said earlier, if I had to do my kitchen all over again I would get a gas hob with high BTU's for "wokking" and a long gas hob for poaching fish and breakfast cooking (as no such thing exists yet for induction). Then I would get two 3,500 watt Cooktek Apogee built-ins that are 2 burners deep.

But considering budget, convenience, safety, speed, and space I am happy with my 36" induction.

Greg

Greg, we never get scorch mark on any of our pans. Perhaps that is less of an issue with our Viking.

However, we are more or less doing what you suggest. We are getting a gas griddle and cooktop and augmenting with Cooktek Apogee line (a wok and a single hob). Did not realize they made double hobs though in that line. Do you have a part number for that?

EdLakin,

What is the power level of the Cooktek units you use? I believe they range from 1800 to 3500 watts, which is quite a difference at the high end.

Greg, Amirm,

I'm a little confused about the built-in Cooktek Apogee cooktops you're referring to. Are these the "Buffet" units? All the normal Apogee units I find on their web site are portable, not built in.

And I too find no built-in double Apogee units.

Oh yes, I had to deal with that confusion too :). Sent email to Cooktek and got a great response back. They have reprogrammed the buffet units to also act like a regular cooktop. Before, you could only set the temp to keep things warm (i.e. buffet applications). Now they work just like their other units. So you get a nice touchpad with 100 levels, instant access to any temp in between by touching the slider bar, timer, etc.

The model number for the 3500 watt unit (most powerful, 240v) is MBC-3500G. We are also looking at getting the companion wok which is model number MBW-3500G. I am waiting on a quote on them. Hopefully, they are not too expensive relative to the older generation.