Cooking with Induction
There’s no time like the present for switching from gas to induction cooking. In addition to all of the advantages of cooking with electricity, such as lower carbon emissions and health and safety benefits, the Inflation Reduction Act is offering rebates of up to $840 if you replace a gas stove with either an induction or traditional electric stove.
What is induction cooking? An induction burner heats the base of the pot on top of it using a magnetic field, unlike an old-fashioned electrical resistance burner which heats the stove element and transfers heat to the pot by contact.
Gas stoves use fossil fuel methane, one of the main drivers of climate change. The entire natural gas industrial complex is dangerous, leaky and polluting. The pollution extends into homes as well, since a gas stove adds particulates, toxic gasses, and benzene to household air, contributing to childhood asthma risk.
Cooking with electricity is efficient – an induction stove is 85% efficient in converting energy to heat, compared to 75-80% for traditional electric or 32% for a gas stove – and electricity is increasingly low-carbon and renewable.
Cooking with induction has advantages. Induction has the quick responsiveness of gas when heat is increased or lowered. There are no combustion fumes to breathe in while cooking, no extra kitchen heat from gas flames; the cooktop is a smooth glass sheet which is easy to clean, and there is no resistive element to stay hot long after it is turned off. More home cooks and professional chefs are endorsing induction stoves as they realize the benefits.
Induction stoves cost more than traditional electric or gas stoves, starting at around $1,000 for a cooktop and $1,200 for a range. See this Consumer Reports article for a summary of what's available. Also, in order for cookware to work with induction stoves, it needs to be magnetic, such as cast-iron, steel and enamel-coated pots and pans.
Still not ready to replace your old stove? Try out a small portable induction cooktop for $60. Any cooking that uses electricity rather than gas is a win for the planet.