Why induction stoves are better than gas

A few years ago I upgraded from gas to induction. This sentence might confuse you. 

Gas stoves have a reputation as being the best, mostly because of marketing, so you might think I’m only saying I “upgraded” to induction because of environmental conviction. And I’ll admit using less energy motivated the switch (I like saving money) but efficiency alone is not why I’m saying that induction is better. 

No, I upgraded because induction is simply better at cooking food than gas. Induction stoves cook faster while producing less waste heat. Pots quickly get up to temperature, and you can adjust the temperature instantly. You can even clean up your stove right after cooking, because the surface itself doesn’t get hot. Induction is, to paraphrase Arthur C. Clarke, indistinguishable from magic. 

Now, it’s not technically magic. Induction stoves generate a magnetic field in order to induce heat directly in pots and pans. This means induction only works with ferromagnetic metals, meaning metals that interact with magnetic fields. Iron cookware, including stainless steel or cast iron, work fine; aluminum cookware does not work at all. The quickest way to find out is to try to stick a magnet to your pot—if it sticks, you can use it with induction. 

Once you’ve got the right cookware, induction works far better than both traditional electric stoves and gas. Here’s why. 

Induction is faster than gas

Gas stoves have a reputation for being fast, and it is true that they put out a lot of energy. But induction stoves make gas look downright slow by comparison. 

According to Consumer Reports, induction stoves can boil a pot of water 20 to 40 percent faster than the best gas stoves. Boiling water is seen as a proxy for how fast a stove can cook in general, meaning this is a pretty good way to compare the two stove types. 

The expression “now we’re cooking with gas” is hopelessly outdated. It should be “now we’re cooking with magnets.” 

Induction is more efficient than gas

Induction stoves use a lot less energy than gas ones, even though they offer better performance. This is because of the staggering amount of energy wasted by gas stoves. 

Gas stoves, according to the EPA, transfer energy with an efficiency of approximately 32 percent. That means most of the energy you use while cooking with gas doesn’t end up heating your food. Anyone who cooks with gas knows that the area around the burner, and even the room that burner is running in, can get quite hot quite quickly. That ambient heat is the almost-70 percent of energy wasted by gas stoves. It’s an even worse problem if you air condition your house, because then you’re also using energy to offset the heat you’re releasing into the room. 

Induction stoves transfer energy with around 85 percent efficiency, which is almost three times higher than gas. The effect is noticeable while you’re cooking—you basically don’t feel the same ambient heat while working over the stove. I find this a lot more comfortable, especially on hot days. 

Induction pollutes your home less than gas

Most people have an intuitive understanding that it’s not good to breathe in exhaust. Natural gas isn’t any different. Burning it releases nitrogen dioxide (NO2) among other gases, and those gases affect your health. A 2024 study published in Science Advances estimates the nitrogen dioxide from gas stoves accounts for 50,000 current cases of childhood asthma, which is about 12.7 percent of the total. That estimate has been called conservative because it doesn’t account for carbon monoxide, another by-product of gas stoves that is likely causing even worse problems. There’s also growing evidence that gas stoves emit the carcinogen benzene and other pollutants, even when they’re off.

There are ways you can offset the health risks of gas stoves. It’s a good idea to always have the hood vent on while cooking, which is not always an option if you’re a renter. You could open windows and run a fan (or even a portable HEPA filter) every time you cook. Or you can just switch to convection and never think about these gases again. 

Induction is safer than gas

As mentioned before, induction cooktops are cool to the touch after use, and they heat pots directly. This has a secondary safety benefit—if you forget to turn the burner off, there’s no risk of blowing up your kitchen by accident. Plus, since there’s no gas, there’s no chance of gas leaks, which is always a terrifying possibility for those renting older homes or apartments.

If you leave a gas burner on after removing the pot, it keeps burning, meaning there’s an open flame in your house that could catch something on fire. It’s also far too easy to leave a gas stove on without a flame being lit—a surefire recipe for making your kitchen into a danger zone. Traditional electric stoves also remain hot after you remove the pot. 

What happens when you leave an induction stove on and remove the pot? Nothing. No heat is generated unless there’s a pot there, meaning the cooktop remains cool. Most stoves turn off a little while after the pot is removed, meaning you’re not even using up any energy. It’s a small thing, sure, but if you’re forgetful (like me) it can reduce the risk of that forgetfulness. 

The downsides of induction stoves

Now, there are a few downsides to induction stoves. The biggest one, for me, is that staying in any Airbnb with a gas stove is annoying because of how much I miss my induction stove. Another, arguably more important downside is that you might need to buy new pots and pans. That can sincerely be challenging, especially if you have emotional attachments to a cookware set that isn’t induction compatible. There’s a workaround here called an induction adapter, which is essentially a piece of induction-compatible metal you can put under your old pots. This is going to cook much slower than an induction-compatible pot but is worth keeping in mind. Induction stoves can also scratch easily, thanks to their glass cooktop, and some users may find they have a slight learning curve to get used to. There’s also the initial price of the unit if you’re a home owner. 

It’s faster, more efficient, pollutes your house less, and is a lot safer. Make the switch and you’ll be glad you’re cooking with magnets instead of gas.

 

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