3. Pros and Cons of Induction Cooktops

By Paul Hope

Updated by Daphne Yao

Unlike electric cooktops, induction models use an electromagnetic field to cook food evenly and efficiently.

Some home chefs say induction cooktops are the way of the future, offering a safer and more energy-efficient way of cooking.
An induction cooktop is a special type of electric cooktop that gets its power and precision from induction technology. This means it generates energy from an electromagnetic field below the glass cooktop surface, which then transfers current directly to magnetic cookware, causing it to heat up.
Induction cooktops generally outperform every other kind of range in Consumer Reports’ tests. In fact, every induction cooktop and induction range tested through our range lab delivers fast cooktop heat and superb simmering. What’s more, if you buy a new induction cooktop or range, you may be eligible for financial incentives created by the Inflation Reduction Act.
What Induction Is—and What It Isn’t
Induction cooktops and ranges look and function a lot like typical glass-top electric models, except that they cook via a magnetic field. On most 30-inch induction cooktops, the field is concentrated into four spots (or elements).
As for the ovens in induction ranges, they broil and bake just as other electric ovens do, but their capabilities differ from model to model. High-end options, for instance, might have features like convection, WiFi connectivity, and even in-oven cameras so you can monitor whatever you’re baking with a smartphone. Entry-level options will have many of the same features you’d find on regular electrics, like storage or warming drawers, adjustable racks, and a self-cleaning mode.
Induction Cooktops and Ranges: the Pros
There are plenty of things to love about induction ranges, whether you’re obsessed with perfectly prepped food or interested in energy efficiency. Here’s how they compare with gas and conventional electric ranges.
They’re more environmentally friendly. An induction stove is 10 percent more energy-efficient than conventional electric stoves and about three times more efficient than gas stoves. And unlike gas, it’s better for indoor air quality. 
They have a built-in safety feature. If you turn on an induction burner with no pot on it by mistake, it won’t get hot. That’s because the heat is created from within the cookware itself; as soon as you remove it from a burner, that heating stops.
So the glass surface never gets as hot as it would on a traditional radiant electric range, and you’re not at risk of burning yourself if you touch it. That surface might merely feel hot in the way a kitchen counter feels hot if you put a pot of just-cooked soup on it.
Food cooks faster. No other technology we’ve tested is speedier than induction. It cuts out the intermediate step of heating up an element and then transferring the heat to the pot. Compared with electric or gas, it cooks more quickly when you turn up the heat and responds faster when you dial it back down. You’ll find that 6 quarts of water will approach a boil 2 to 4 minutes sooner than on a gas or electric stove, which can definitely be helpful when you’re making dinner on a busy weeknight.
Meal prep is easier. With heat generating from within your pot or pan, induction ranges cook more precisely and evenly. No more simmering sauces that break into a splattering boil or chicken thighs that emerge from the pan scorched.
They’re easier to clean. Like other smoothtop electrics, induction surfaces are easy to wipe down.
Induction Cooktops and Ranges: the Cons
Before you shop for an induction cooktop or range, consider your budget and your cooking habits.
Here’s what you need to know.
Induction cooking feels very different from cooking with gas. Some avid cooks really love cooking on a flame and the immediate visual feedback they get from it at the turn of a knob. Noon, even induction, caelectric optin replicate that feel. In fact, because the electromagnetic field on an induction cooktop doesn’t create a glow, you won’t even know it’s on. That’s why manufacturers have started adding virtual flames and other lighting cues.

You need the right cookware. While most of the cookware in our ratings is induction-compatible, some pans—including those made of aluminum and anodized aluminum—won’t work on induction. Most others, including stainless steel and cast iron, will. If you’re shopping for cookware for induction cooktops, look for pots and pans marked “induction-compatible.” To determine whether your existing arsenal of cookware will work with an induction range, see if a magnet strongly sticks to the bottom of your pots. If it does, they’ll work on an induction burner.