A kitchen renovation or a new home build is one important decision after another regarding all details about one of your biggest investments you’ll ever make. It can be daunting, stressful, and downright exhausting. With that in mind, I wanted to share some information with you that could help when it comes to choosing your stove – gas, electric, or induction.
We’re all familiar with gas and electric stoves and while not a new concept, induction stoves have only become mainstream in the last 10-15 years. Using electromagnetism, induction stoves very precisely heats just the pan that sits on the stovetop (not the cooktop and everything around it), resulting in a quicker, more efficient, and safer experience. Meaning you could literally touch the cooktop next to the pan and not burn your finger! So, what are the pros and cons and what’s the best choice?
Let’s break them down:
Gas Stoves:
Pros – better control over heat, easier clean-up, longevity, can still use even during loss of power, all sizes and types of utensils OK.
Cons – the open flame could be dangerous, production of high amounts of CO2, can be expensive.
Electric Stoves:
Pros – A Wider range of styles and sizes, portable, safer due to no open flame, more energy-efficient than using a gas stove, least expensive option.
Cons – it takes way longer to heat up, no ability to cook in loss of power.
Induction Stoves:
Pros – Fastest to heat up, most energy-efficient, only heats up the utensil on the cooktop (no more hot kitchens), safest option (automatic shut down), temperature control, easy to set up.
Cons – Limitations to size and shapes of pots and pans being used, most expensive up-front option, no means of cooking in loss of power, cannot use if you have a pacemaker.
Now, if you know me and my views on making sustainable choices, then you know which I like to recommend. Induction is my first choice due to its energy efficiency (84% compared to 74% for electric stoves and only 40% for gas). But, that being said, I realize it may not be the best choice for everyone.
I reached out to my contact Chad Bartholomew at Specialty Appliance in Denver to get his input. He uses induction in his own home “for a combination of speed, precision, energy efficiency, and cleanability.” Regarding induction stoves, he goes on to say, …” because the technology is the same across the board, I feel the decision usually comes down to the layout from brand to brand for how clients decide which brand to ultimately go with but I find the most popular brands layout-wise are Jennair/ Kitchenaid, Monogram, Thermador (the freedom model), and Wolf.” This is great information from someone who has plenty of experience dealing with high-end appliances on a daily basis.
When researching and shopping make sure and take long-range energy cost savings into account. This will add up, but the main reason to choose induction when it’s feasible for your space and budget is the overall sustainability and safety of the product.
I hope this information is helpful when making your stove choice. Let me know if you’ve had this decision to make recently and which you chose and what the biggest factor in your decision-making process was. I’d like to hear about your own experiences!
For more information, read The Case for Induction Cooking from the New York Times.
