The New York Times - Considering induction?

Hi, I’m Rachel Wharton, a senior staff writer here at Wirecutter. I cover large kitchen appliances—like stoves, refrigerators, and ovens.

It’s rare on my beat for something to be seriously trending, or even mildly controversial. (Refrigeration isn’t really known for its drama.) But earlier this year, induction stoves became a star player in the heated conversation around the safety of gas stoves. 

Now, I’m cornered at parties by cooks who want to know how induction stoves really work, and my phone has become a hotline for friends as they’re shopping for stoves. Which is fine by me, because I can talk about induction All Day Long.

I have spent the past two years immersed in this topic, producing guides like how to buy the best induction cooktop, or why a smooth-surface cooktop is a kitchen designer’s dream. I have made dinner with induction almost every day, road-tested dozens of styles, and talked to product engineers, architects, sales folks, chefs, and regular cooks (some of whom I met while perusing the stoves at Lowe’s). We even installed an induction cooktop in Wirecutter’s Long Island City test kitchen.

Here are the five biggest things I’ve learned so far about induction cooking.

You don’t have to replace your stove to experiment with induction. The Wirecutter portable induction cooktop pick has been parked on my kitchen countertop for the last two years, right next to my gas stove.

Portables are great because they cost around $100 or less, plug into a regular outlet, and they come with features that are super-expensive on full-size models. For example, I can set it so that the the cooktop will shut off automatically when it’s reached a target temperature. Portable induction cooktops turn any pot into an Instant Pot, as in I am no longer tethered to my stove.

Because of the way induction works—electromagnetism!—splashes and spills just don’t get baked on the way they do with any other kind of cooktop. I’ve actually found I’m cooking more, because I know I’ll be cleaning less.

Everyone likes to talk about how much faster induction cooking is—induction creates heat in the pan itself, instead of first heating a cast iron grate or wire coils.

Super-quick is super-cool, but I’m more impressed by how much control you have at the lowest settings. Because there is no hot grate or coil, induction is more responsive when you lower the temperature. It’s also better at maintaining a low temperature than all but the most expensive kinds of gas or radiant electric stoves. This makes the tricky parts of cooking—warming, simmering or melting without burning or overcooking—so much easier.

When I started researching induction in 2021, you were on your own to figure out which pots and pans were compatible—their bottoms need to be magnetic—and many weren’t.

But I’ve found the vast majority of new cookware works with induction (here’s our short list of the best). Better still, those that do are now usually clearly labeled, so you don’t have to carry a magnet to the store.

Many folks are concerned that if they switch to induction, they'll have to shell out for all new cookware. I found most of us have at least a few pots that work, plus you can often still use your abuela’s heirloom aluminum caldero—or your favorite glass, copper and non-magnetic stainless steel pans—with a diffuser.

Induction still only makes up 5% of electric cooking, and as a result, it is still expensive—it costs almost $1000 to buy the cheapest cooktop we recommend.

But my research shows interest and sales are up year-over-year. That traditionally means that as supply rises, prices go down, and formerly fancy features (like setting a precise temperature, or full-surface cooking so you can put a pan down anywhere on the cooktop) become more accessible.

• Before you shop: Here’s how to buy the best induction cooktop.
• Is an induction stove for you? Here are the pros and cons.
• The majority of new cookware is compatible with induction—the hard part is finding pieces that are worth the investment.
• Redesigning your kitchen? A cooktop could be a better option than a range.
• A portable induction cooktop makes an excellent, flexible option for people just getting started in the world of induction.
• Cleaning ceramic-glass cooktops is easy work with this $1 tool.
• Find out if you are eligible for the federal High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate Program, which should take effect next year.