With Thanksgiving this week, we are fully in the holiday season!
This year, some are spending time with their closest loved ones, others are getting takeout, and others are cooking their very first holiday meal at home.
Whatever your style, good food and time with family is hard to beat. For those who are thinking about upping their cooking situation, take a look at the pros and cons of three different types of cooktops below!
Induction Cooktops
Induction cooktops use electromagnetism to produce heat and cook food. When magnetically reactive cookware (cookware made with iron) is used, a magnetic field induces electrical currents inside the pan, turning the cookware into the heater.
Pros of Induction Cooktops
- Precise heat. Magnet technology heats the cookware rather than the air surrounding it. This means that 90% of the heat produced goes into the cookware, compared to 40-55% with gas and 65-75% with electric. With more of the heat going directly to the food, this speeds up cooking time and keeps the kitchen cooler.
- Safety. If there is not a pan containing iron on the cooking zone, no heat will be produced, making it safe to touch. Flames and fumes are both nonexistent with induction cooktops.
- Easy to clean. The cooktop is a flat surface that is cool to the touch when cookware is removed. Cleanup is fast and easy without having to wait very long for the cooktop to cool down.
Cons of Induction Cooktops
- Cost. Induction cooktops are generally the most expensive of the three, making this choice the most costly to install.
- Limited choice in cookware. With heat produced by magnetic induction, certain cookware must be used to function properly. Cooking vessels must be made of or contain iron.
Gas Cooktops
Gas cooktops use natural gas or propane gas. Each burner works by creating an open flame to cook with. As you turn the cooktop knob, you increase or decrease the size of the flame.
Pros of Gas Cooktops
- Precise control. With the flame from the burner creating instant heat and temperature change, gas cooktops are both precise and efficient. In addition, the size of the flame produces a visual cue for the temperature setting.
- Versatile. A controllable open flame and the ability to use any type of cookware means chefs can use a variety of cooking techniques, including browning tortillas and using a traditional wok.
- No electricity needed. In the event of an electrical outage, gas cooktops still work.
Cons of Gas Cooktops
- Hard to clean. Grooves and crevices around burners and burner grates make gas cooktops more difficult to clean than cooktops with a flat surface.
- Inefficient heat transference. With only 40-55% of heat from the flames going to the food being cooked, gas cooktops increase the temperature in the kitchen.
Electric Cooktops
Electric burners consist of coils of electrical wires enclosed in metal. Electricity runs through the wires to heat up the metal coils. Increase the temperature by increasing the amount of electricity running through the wires.
Pros of Electric Cooktops
- Flat burners. Flat burners allow the heat produced to come in direct contact with the bottom of the cookware. With up to 75% of the heat going directly to the pan, the kitchen remains cooler.
- Easy to clean. Smooth electric cooktops are especially easy to clean once they have cooled down.
- Cost. Electric cooktops are usually the least expensive option.
Cons of Electric Cooktops
- Poor temperature control. Temperature changes happen more slowly than with gas or induction cooktops. This makes switching from boiling to a simmer more difficult.
- Retains heat after cooking. The electric coils retain heat even after burners have been shut off. Cooktops remain hot to the touch and require a cool down period after cooking.
What’s your cooktop of choice? Let me know in the comments!