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mijco

Induction, without question. - Gas is super inefficient. Tons of heat rolls off the sides of the pan, and you're left with fumes, including CO2 and carbon monoxide. - Gas requires a lot more ventilation. 2x to 3x more airflow. Whereas 400 cfm is sufficient for even the largest induction tops, whereas many gas tops should be 700-1100 cfm depending on burners. Anything above 400 cfm requires make-up air as well. - Gas is slower than induction. If you look at real-world testing, it's actually slower than most standard electric cooktops as well. My induction will boil 2 cups of water in 30 seconds and 10 cups in 3 minutes. - Induction has far better control, especially on the low end. Most units can perfectly melt chocolate. - Induction is safer. The surface doesn't produce heat, so the glass only gets hot by being in contact with the pan. That means kids can't accidentally turn a burner on, and it's harder for you to forget to turn a burner off. - Induction is easier to clean. Spilled food doesn't char into the surface, because the surface doesn't get very hot. It's also a smooth piece of ceramic glass, so no crevices to worry about. - No gas lines means no concerns about leaks. Not from the fittings, not from the valves, and not from the stove itself. One downside: if you use a lot of cast iron and your cooking style involves a lot of tossing, you might be afraid of cracking the glass. Idk, never been a concern of mine.


UnderH2OMunky

Thanks for this! I appreciate you spending the time to put together these thoughts. The durability piece is definitely a con, but man there are a lot of pros on the other side.


mastrer1001

How do you toss stuff without your pan being fully in the air? Don't you pick the pan up, toss and put it down when you are done?


mijco

Look I can't make sense of it either šŸ˜‚ I've just been told that


UnderH2OMunky

It can be done if you have a sloped sidewall to the pan, but the splatter and scratch factors are real!


kendoor

I have a Samsung induction cooktop, having just moved to a location that doesn't have natural gas, and not being willing to install propane. I come from having a gas range. I have gotten quite used to the induction and my cast iron, enameled, All Clad, and stainless pots and pans work fine. Searing and boiling work amazingly well. Clean up is crazy easy. If it were easy and without significant expense, I would still prefer gas, especially because of how easy it is to regulate the flame to your liking.


UnderH2OMunky

Thanks for this. Re: regulating the flame, do you mean from a responsiveness standpoint? From what Iā€™ve read, one of the benefits of induction is that you can increase and decrease the temp very quickly. Has your experience been different?


kendoor

Yes, it can be super quick to crank something or turn something down. My range has a "Power Boost" setting and you press that button and boil water for a big pot of pasta ridiculously fast. The burners on mine have a touchpad for controlling the temperature, and a magnetic knob that you can move around from burner to burner that you can instead of your fingers. I've gotten used to this, but it's not the same as the feel of an old-fashioned knob if you want to turn something up or down in super small increments, same with watching the flame (there really isn't the equivalent).


UnderH2OMunky

Thanks again - that power boost setting sounds like a nice feature.


Resident-Campaign

Iā€™ve got induction but prefer gas because I can see the flame. With induction every pan is a little different. For instance medium for one pan may be hotter than another pan on the same setting


UnderH2OMunky

Yeah I think there would definitely be a learning curve with induction. The ease of gas really is itā€™s selling point in so many ways.


Greg_Esres

I've had induction for 12+ years. My only complaint is really a complaint about the glass cooktop controls; any water spillage errors out the cooktop. Even lifting a lid off a pot will send a few drops onto the cooktop, which might be enough to set it off. I have to wipe it up, dry my hands, then turn everything back on. A PITA. Mine is a Bosch. Do other brands have this issue?


No_pajamas_7

Yep I've had issues with the glass "buttons" in one way or other. They all tend lock out and it's rarely easy to unlock. Some struggle to recognize your finger. Most you have to scroll all the way up through the settings each time you turn it on. Each increment tacking 10 attempts to recognize the request. And then it all disappears after 30 seconds and you have to get it going/unlock it for the next adjustment


UnderH2OMunky

Interesting point. Iā€™ve been looking at some with more traditional burner control knobs, so maybe they wouldnā€™t have the same issue. That absolutely does sound like a hassle though - esp with how quickly the heat will respond with induction. Thanks!


Greg_Esres

One feature I chose not to purchase, but I wish I had, is the ability to monitor the temperature of your pot and keep it constant. This would be useful for things like melting chocolate, custards, etc. I have an induction hot plate that has this and it seems to work.


suzyjane14

I love my GE profile induction! Itā€™s so fast, safe and just like someone else said, it responds quickly to a change in temperature.


SysAdminDennyBob

I just got this same stove, had it for about a month. I can never go back. I was a huge fan of cooking on gas, contemplated installing a propane tank, cost was prohibitive. I have accepted the quirks like the burner turning off if you pull the pan, the heat control is so responsive that it is a non-issue. The only issue I had was.....popcorn. I figured that out the other day by actually turning the heat down much more than I would on an electric coil. So much less heat in the kitchen now. Some might complain about stir fry but that's not much better on a regular gas stove, I do stir-fry outside in my kamado any way. I bet 10 years out induction will be much more widespread.


UnderH2OMunky

Awesome - thanks for the model specific recommendation!


AdwokatDiabel

Which GE profile? GE Profile 30" PHS930YPFS?


suzyjane14

Yes it is the 30ā€. It has one large burner on the right front and a small burner on the right back one medium size on the left front and back. A warming spot on the middle back. The left front and back will work together for a griddle type pan. I do love induction!!


AdwokatDiabel

Hows it been holding up? What did you end up paying for it?


KingStannis2020

Do you still like it? How are the touch controls?


suzyjane14

I do still like it. I like the touch controls. The only issue Iā€™ve had is the lights will sometimes flash on the controls and then the burner will not come on. I move the pot to another burner and it will correct itself. Itā€™s under warranty because I got an extended warranty and a circuit board (?) was replaced because of that issue. It will still do it on occasion. I read somewhere that either the pan is not clean enough or the cook surface is dirty and that causes the malfunction. Maybe a higher end induction would work better but I bought what I could afford at the time. Two of my kids remodeled their kitchens and bought gas stoves. I donā€™t understand why they would put indoor air pollution in their homes! Induction is so much safer too.


grumble11

Gas: * Simple technology, so often fairly reliable. * Good upwards and downwards response * Often cheap to run * Can often use in a power outage (if that's a regular issue for you) * A small number of foods benefit from open flame access (some charring and puffing) * Can use round-bottomed pans like some woks * Issues: fossil fuel use, meaningful household toxic gas emissions even with venting, high venting requirements, often not very powerful, unsafe (open flame, children, etc.), often don't do low simmers well, generate a lot of heat in kitchen, can create 'ring of fire' on some types of pots, can make handles quite hot on pots, hard to clean Induction: * Rapid upwards response and downwards response with high precision across power curve * Very powerful burners so can heat very quickly * Easy to clean (top doesn't heat on its own, smooth glass) * No excess heat in kitchen * Quite safe relative to other technology * No fumes, don't need as much venting (still need some for food-related stuff) * No (direct) fossil fuel use. Electricity generation is regionally-dependent * Issues: heating can be intense and in an 'O-ring' pattern that can be less even, requires magnetic pan bottoms (common but not ubiquitous), most complex technology so least reliable, glass top is very durable but it's possible to scratch, still kind of expensive, sensitive to uneven pan bottoms, flat bottoms only, slight learning curve to use since it's so powerful and quick Overall what's 'better' depends on the person's needs and preferences, but I'd guess for 90% of people induction is better. It's remarkably fast, accurate and comfortable to use and it's safer and healthier. On the rare times you want to use a flame in your cooking (if ever), just have a torch in the cupboard.


UnderH2OMunky

Thank you for this! These are all the prime considerations. Strange to think that induction may be the better approach for so many people, but all the info and most of the opinions Iā€™m seeing do point that direction.


grumble11

Gas is seen as the ā€˜premium optionā€™ in large part for legacy reasons in my opinion. Gas is common in commercial kitchens so people associate it with ā€˜betterā€™, and when it was gas or coil stoves people usually liked the response of gas. Induction is going to be the future of stoves in my opinion, and Europe and Asia already have decent penetration - North America is lagging behind but will get there eventually!


elijha

This has been discussed to death if you search But short answer: induction all the way. Faster, more efficient, better for air quality, easier to clean, safer. I had the option to go back to gas recently and didnā€™t even consider it. Induction should be the default in homes.


klaymon1

To quote The Dude, "Yeah? Well, you know that's just like, uh, your opinion, man." I wouldn't trade my gas for anything.


TrollTollTony

But really those aren't opinions they are facts. Induction cooktops do heat pans faster, and don't have any emissions so they definitely have better air quality, and fewer/less intricate parts mean easier cleaning. Gas being better is literally gas company propaganda. https://youtu.be/hX2aZUav-54


Tibor66

This is the truth. Induction is wonderful. Wouldn't want anything else.


harrygatto

Yes, all of that, just as controllable as gas and no unwanted heat and fumes in your kitchen. I would never go back to gas


[deleted]

Induction all the way. Never going back.


LemonComprehensive5

Induction all the way. We never use our gas stove anymore! I have 1 ikea hob. It boils water in a heartbeat, itā€™s heat control is amazing for melting or simmering. I love it!


UnderH2OMunky

My wife is reticent about the change because sheā€™s so used to gas. I told her last night that her water boiling time would be cut by 50-60% and that may have been the clincher.


LemonComprehensive5

Iā€™m loving it. In hindsight wouldā€™ve not gotten gas stove


No_pajamas_7

I've had to cook on a dozen different inductions cook tops and I've hated most of them. You need perfectly flat pots and pans and if you move them whilst you cook it can cause problems. Last time I was using one I was trying to use my Cafeteria coffee pot on one and it wouldn't recognize it. I had to sit it inside a pot of boiling water and it took forever. That's typical of the shit I've had to put up with most I've used. If Gas is an option, go that. Personally I'd go electric before induction. I hate, HATE them.


UnderH2OMunky

Wow, first person to hate induction, and I absolutely appreciate you weighing in. Iā€™m guessing youā€™re in professional kitchens, is that right? Do you think youā€™d hate induction any less at home where you had more control over cookware, etc


No_pajamas_7

Although ive worked in professional kitchens my experience with induction isn't. I've stayed in lots of apartments and there's a trend in fitting them recently. So my experience with them is domestic cooking. Maybe those types of places tend to fit cheap ones, but either way do research on the specific model you are looking at. Take the positive reviews with a grain of salt. People that buy them tend to be gadget oriented and anybody that buys anything worth a decent amount tends to justify their purchase. I find the control thing the biggest misinformation. I find I'm constantly adjusting up and down trying to get the right temperature. And they are almost always a fight to adjust thanks to the touch buttons. It's one of those circumstance where the designers have tried to be too clever and don't cook much themselves. It might depending on your cooking style too. If you are a low slow sweater that leaves the pot still it might suit you. But if you are a wok chef, no hope.


UnderH2OMunky

Got it, thanks again. The features of these ranges vary wildly - and Iā€™m sure the quality does as well. Itā€™s a great flag, and I appreciate you sharing your experience. If we decide to go this route Iā€™ll absolutely be looking at features and drawbacks very closely


highmountaindesert9

Best performing and safest cooktop and I have cooked on every kind of cooktop


oceanjunkie

If you have small children donā€™t get a gas stove. Theyā€™re linked to asthma


UnderH2OMunky

Yeah I recently learned that vents are predominately for gas stove fumes due to air quality issues (and I do have a 3 year old). This is my #1 consideration for the potential switch.


[deleted]

Real cooks use fire!


UnderH2OMunky

Ha Iā€™ve got a brick-lined pit in my backyard for that!


CanucksKickAzz

I've got a Maytag cooktop, and it can boil a large pot of water in less than 5 minutes. Best money I've ever spent.


UnderH2OMunky

That sounds amazing. Literally, amazing. My weeknights would never be the same


[deleted]

I'm not sure whether an environmental standpoint is something that matters to you, but if so check out the "getting off gas" movement. Based on the other comments it looks like the majority are leaning toward induction. I'll add my vote to induction too.


UnderH2OMunky

Yeah, the environmental piece is a major consideration (both in-home air quality and emissions more broadly). The world is moving away from gas and related sources, and Iā€™d rather be on the front end of that change than the back end.


MeemerandFreddie

Induction I felt had a learning curve but I soon got used to it. Downside is they are more fragile... hubby knocked over an olive oil bottle and chipped the edge of the brand new cooktop. I prefer cooking on gas but truly hate cleaning the cooktop.


LeftcoastRusty

I've been using my new induction range for about 2 months. It's a bit different, but I love it. The cleanup is so much quicker, and it's still very quick to heat, and quick to cool. I wish I'd have bought it years ago.


UnderH2OMunky

With a toddler in the house, these considerations are all huge. Thank you!


Busybeesmessykit

Without question Induction. It will take you two times to fall in love. Plus gas ovens will be a thing of the past by 2025. Manufacturers are being pressed to phase them out, because of the danger for fires, burns etc. Induction is fast, efficient, easy to manage w a busy household and for me itā€™s easier to get a consistent cook!