What I love about induction over gas: ease of cleaning, fast boiling, quick reaction to power adjustments, more granular power control, much lower minimum heat (keeping things warm not boiling), option to set temperature instead of power. Room heats up less in summer, and less indoor pollution. Wok cooking works surprisingly well with the right cookware. More useful as counter space when not in use. Would not want to switch back. The main downside was the cost and disruption of installing the new power line required by the unit.

I just purchased a GE Cafe induction stove. It's a big change for me. I'm learning how to use the burners and, of course, the cookware. Luckily, I have a mix of stainless steel pans, a large amount of cast iron, and Ninja nonstick skillets. They all work very well. I had to get rid of one small skillet that was not magnetic. I'm still learning how to use the app on my phone. I made a double batch of brownies today. They cooked perfectly in the oven. I'm enjoying my new stove.

I am SO REALLY VERY, VERY GLAD that you mentioned the 50-amp issue, and the issues of practically in the places where you actually live. As well as the issues of electrical production. It seems that the promoters constantly push "high end induction ranges" and buying very expensive high end items. A basic electric range - coil, radiant or induction uses 50 Amps and 240 volts - a basic requirement. In your case - that's your entire "electrical budget" - you simply can not "afford" it. There are plenty, and I mean plenty of folks in your situation. There are plenty of folks that have 50 or 60 AMP homes, or 100-AMP homes in apartments with gas service, where upgrading the electrical service is simply not going to be happening any time soon or ever. Imagine living in a 140-unit apartment, where each apartment only gets 100-amps of electrical service. Upgrading the electrical service would mean many thousands of dollars of new wiring, replacing junction boxes, ripping out of walls in apartments - the works. The media promoters - typically SAY NOTHING about such issues for just plain regular people. While many newer homes may have 200-AMP electrical service - that's great for them, they can plug in any type of electrical range. Too bad the media promoters - just want to "push product" - and typically SAY NOTHING about such issues for just plain regular people. It's really not about boiling water a few minutes faster.

I agree with Jed about the cooktops. The higher end cooktops do make a difference. I researched this for over 2 years before deciding to go with Wolf. Couldn’t be happier.

That's my whole issue with induction, super hot super fast heat transfer into the cooking vessel, I am always leary of the metal being shocked with that much heat that fast. I do see the draw though to this type of cook top, it just seems too easy for the uninformed or others who are distracted by children, pets, doorbells, etc. taking attention from cooking to mini emergencies to ruin cookware or food. Great video Jed!

Extremely informative video, thank you! I’m considering an induction cooktop on an island for a new build. I’m wondering what is your recommendation for venting. I don’t want a hood above.

Fun discussion. I worry about scratching the top of the induction hob. Do you have to be careful about that? (Currently using my old JennAir downdraft coil cooktop form 1983 ;-). Looking to replace it at some point, but kinda don’t want to given how durable it is!)

I live in a 124 year old home, and currently have a gas stove. I don't know the age of my electric wiring, but there's still knob and tube in the basement. Switching to induction would probably require me to completely rewire my house. I like gas, I know how to cook with it, and my current stove cooks well. I also have good ventilation and a high cfm vent hood. I'm not going to pay tens of thousands of dollars just to switch to a cooking method I'm not familiar with.

One of the things some cooks need to be aware of is that controllable cooktops of all types have a volume control and not an on/off switch. From observation, many people often cook at a far higher setting than is required. Unlike with electricity where no doubt people will argue about whether it matters or not, (so I won't go there,) it really matters with a flame. Whenever you turn an electric source up, you put more heat into the pan. This is not always the case with a flame. Once the flame extends beyond the pan, it becomes significantly less efficient, and can under some circumstances reduce the heat going into the pan. This needs to be considered carefully if you cook for just 1 or 2 with smaller pans. The speed to bring to the boil may disappoint. That smaller ring where the flame is covered by the pan, may perform better than the same pan on a much larger gas ring - especially those with just the outer ring of flame rather than those with additional centre flames. I cooked with gas for over 40 years, however I moved to an all-electric apartment over ten years ago. The first thing I did was to replace the electric cooktop with an induction one. Power supply issues excepted, I would never go back to gas. Quite simply, there was nothing I did on gas which induction doesn't do equally as well or better. I have never hasd a problem cooking rice in a pan, however it was sometimes difficult to get the flame low enough without it blowing out (I needed to watch it carefully) however it is two settings up from mininimum on my induction hob. So more controllable at the lower end, as well as more powerful on my hard-wired powerful domestic hob at maximum.

Hey, love the videos. At 2:12 you mentioned you can’t get induction in a stove, that isn’t true, at least here in the US. Most major brands, KitchenAid, LG, Bosch, Miele, and others sell freestanding stoves with induction cooking surfaces

Great insight Jed. Thank you. I am in the process of gutting my kitchen and made the choice to replace my gas cooktop with induction. Very pleased you support induction. Quick question for you...regarding carbon steel fry pans, do you feel the new Matfer pan with a concave design fully eliminates the warping? I like the Matfer look and optionality vs. DeBuyer, but I know the DeBuyer is bullet proof on warping. Thoughts appreciated.

After being forced to use induction for the first time for a few years b/c I moved, I was then forced to use crummy conventional electric coils after moving again, and I’m now back on gas. Gas isn’t as great as I remembered mainly because it does create a noticeable colder spot in the center, a problem I originally thought was more pronounced on induction. Old electric coils produce more even heating but they’re too slow and annoying to keep clean, especially underneath. I miss induction.

Great info, Jed. So it sounds like cast iron and carbon steel are the best type of pans for an induction cooktop, except for maybe Demeyere Atlantis stainless steel pans. I wonder how All-Clad stainless steel handles induction. We have an electric stovetop, which I don't like because of all the turning on and off of the cooking surfaces. Gas is better at constant heat. You mentioned off gassing of gas stoves. I wonder if there's been any studies on negative effects of electromagnetic fields (EMF) from an induction stovetop. Just curious.

Great video. Have you any experience with cast iron cookware warping on induction? Both enameled and raw?

Great video. Thanks. We are lucky in BC to have hydro. At my house we have solar too, so over time have been "electrifying" our lives to move away from burning fossil fuels. Car, heat pump, water heater, etc. Next will be cooktop. Right now we have a gas cooktop and plan on using it until it fails, then switch to induction. Just a note about the energy you describe inside the pan, it's electric. The cooktop has an electric coil with a high frequency alternating current in it. This produces an alternating magnetic field. The magnetic field then "induces" an electric current inside the base of the pan. If the pan has the right balance between being conductive to electricity, but with enough resistance to get hot, you can cook with it. Again, thanks for this video. I really appreciate the environment awareness you have.

I recently replaced an electric slide in coil stove/oven with a slide in gas range/oven. I like the idea of induction, but at the moment I could not justify the cost of a high end induction cook top/oven. If the technology evolves and there is a means to produce them which would reduce cost I would definitely consider induction.

Can you do a review on the newer de buyer access blue steel pans? I NEED PURCHASE VALIDATION lol

Do you have suggestions for an induction cooktop? I currently have a cheap ikea one which I’m not happy with. It also doesn’t really work well with iron cookware. I’m thinking about getting a induction cooktop with flexspot technology, what do you think about that? Thanks!

I like the idea of induction and many of the advantages. However, I really like my gas stove and how it is infinitely adjustable and “smooth.” (for a reasonably loose definition of infinitely) I have a cheap...er… “inexpensive” or low-end portable induction hob I’ve been experimenting with. It has just 10 power levels that are fairly coarse. My primary “issue” with induction is how the inexpensive induction units work. They really don’t have 10 power levels. Technically it has 10 duty-cycles. All it can do is turn on, full power, and turn off, no power. At low levels it is off most of the time, and cycles on briefly every few seconds. At higher power levels it cycles on most of the time and off for a few seconds. The net result is variable temperature in the pan and food - I’ve seen this in a pan of water as it approaches the boiling point, it will boil briefly, then stop, then boil… A secondary issue, again with an “inexpensive” induction unit, is the coil size. Mine only has one coil, relatively small. With a relatively thin low-end pan it develops a very pronounced hot ring. To mitigate these issues with an inexpensive induction unit you need to have higher quality cookware. Something that has more thermal mass, and better thermal conductivity. That way it can smooth out the heat pulses, and spread the heat more evenly. I would love to see the capabilities associated with higher end induction cooktops become more widespread - multiple coils of good size and real variable power levels rather than on/off cycling. What are some good brands going that way? Are there any? I believe to get to a really good setup we’ll need better cooktops (at affordable levels) and good cookware. Actually, good cookware will probably lead the way, since it helps regardless of what cooktop you’re working on. Great info, thanks!

Viking 30" gas range is $5K. Viking 30" induction range is $8K. Twenty years ago, I purchased a Viking 30" gas range. I sacrificed other things for that range (which 20 yrs ago was $3600 and I have been extremely happy with it). I would have to sacrifice a whole more for the induction. It is difficult to justify an additional $3K on ONE appliance. I am not a millionaire. I have heard nothing but bad reviews about the lower to even moderate range of induction cooktops. If I couldn't afford a high end induction appliance like Viking, Wolf, Thermador or Miele, I would pass on induction. And since my cookware is mostly older French carbon steel, I would likely have to update those well.

If I get another stove it'll be induction (we currently have the old fashioned electric coil) because we can't even get gas here. But I loved using gas ranges when I lived in cities. I will say that at the very least you need a gas burner if you're cooking with a wok, as a wok really requires that flame IMO.

What about the EMF? Are there associated dangers?

Induction is a bit tricky with wok cooking. But still manageable. My issue is that I can't throw away my gas stove and replace it with induction yet. Can anyone recommend a good induciton cooktop? All the ones I see recommended, have very very small circle range? Seems usually 6 inches, which doesn't work for the usual 10 inch skillet.

I hated the stop start nature of cheaper induction hobs, and would love gas for wok cooking, but as I suffer from confusion and intermittent short term memory, naked flame just seemed like a bad idea.

hi excellent video. Induction has many advantages. We are renovating our kitchen now and even though we have a gas line in the house we chose to install another induction cooktop , specifically the Thermador Freedom 36". The entire cooktop is a burner, in otherwords no fixed burners. Only wish it was larger than 36". So we love induction for its consistency, responsiveness and above all the ease of cleaning it is unbelieveable. What do we find as cons? Well you cant char things over the fire like a pepper for example. So we use the broiler or outdoor grill for that stuff. that's it. And Demeyere Atlantis and proline cookware has been by far the best on the induction cooktop. Thanks agian for the video.

Just pulled the trigger on demeyere industry stewpot for my induction stovetop from Cook Culture. Although not the Atlantis line, I figure it’ll be a step up from my existing All-Clad. Thanks for your thorough video, Jed, and sharing your beautiful tiny home with us!

Still prefer gas over induction - I coukld easily live with induction, but so far my preference is for gas.

The ring cookers are extremely inefficient- they waste a load of energy heating the ring and way less on actually heating your pots and pans.

As a sidenote we humans have been impacting the environment for a couple of thousand years. I'm a hardcore gas user, but I have watched videos where induction cook tops have warped carbon pans. I'm confused because you say they are perfect for induction.

Cooking with gas is the most dangerous way to cook. Gas is also the slowest when it comes to boiling water.