While planning to move and considering upgrading your cooking device, a question always comes to mind is induction stove vs gas stove and which cooking appliance should I buy – induction stove or gas stove.
Even if you are unsure whether to go for an induction cooktop or to retain cooking on the old gas stove, this informative article is for you.
In this article, we will introduce you to gas stoves and induction cooktops, along with their pros and cons, that will help you weigh your decision.
So, before deciding about an induction stove vs a gas stove, you must know that both ways of cooking have their advantages and disadvantages.
Also Read – Best Gas Stove in India
Induction Stove Vs Gas Stove
In a detailed format, we will discuss the differences between a gas stove and an induction cooktop. After that, you will get your answer on induction stove vs gas stove very clearly. This section will clarify all your doubts about gas stoves or induction cooktops. Here we will discuss the pros and cons of the gas stove and induction cooktop in detail. It will help you clarify all these cooking machines’ major points.
Gas stoves and induction are good in their way. However, gas stoves can be dangerous if not used carefully. Carelessness while using a stove can even lead to disasters like your whole place being burnt down. When we see an induction cooktop, it’s comparatively safer, but everything has its pros and cons.
Some people might find induction stoves a little difficult under the circumstances, such as frying or anything which requires constant temperature change. The gas stove’s initial investment is high but in the long term is very affordable. In contrast, we see an induction it works on electricity making it very expensive.
Usually, not-so-professional cooks prefer gas stoves instead of induction cooktops because it makes their cooking process smoother and easier. For instance, when we cook, there are times when there is a need for constant temperature change in gas stoves. All you need to do is turn the knob and adjust the flame accordingly. The moment you move the knob temperature changes immediately, whereas, with induction, you must wait for the temperature to rise or fall. This is the main reason usually stoves are preferred more.
What is a Gas Stove?
A gas stove is a cooking appliance that uses inflammable gases as a source of fuel. These stoves are very common in every Indian household. Moreover, these stoves are very easy to use. Hence, many professional chefs also prefer using gas stoves for cooking rather than any other type of appliance.
What is an Induction Cooktop?
An induction cooktop is a cooking appliance that uses electricity to generate heat for cooking. It uses magnetic induction technology rather than using flammable gases like gas stoves.
Benefits of Gas stove
Electricity Not Required
The basic difference between a gas stove and an induction is that a gas stove doesn’t require electricity. In contrast, an induction cannot function without electricity. For using a gas stove, you must ensure that your cylinder is filled with gas. If someday you are at home and suddenly the power goes off, and you are hungry, you don’t have to worry because you have your stove to rescue you. Also, you do not have to worry about your electricity bill going up.
Lower Heat Emission
Gas stoves are made in such a way that it is heat efficient. If we talk about induction, cooking becomes difficult here because it heats the surroundings quickly. Standing and cooking becomes a tiring job. However, the gas stove emits less heat, and the environment cools down immediately after switching it off.
High Speed
The gas stove cooks the food slightly faster than induction. You do not have to wait for a utensil to heat up and start cooking as you do on induction. You can instantly start cooking after you switch the gas stove on. It makes sure that the food is cooked uniformly.
Precise Temperature
You can always control the temperature of your gas as per your requirements. For example, if you want to saute the onion at a low flame, you simply have to switch on the gas and adjust the flame to low. But in an induction stove, changing temperature is time taking and not instant.
Durable
The gas stove is way more durable than any induction because it does not require anything like sophisticated buttons or anytime. Any cookware can be used here while cooking. The gas stove is waterproof and shock-resistant, whereas induction isn’t. Moreover, research shows that a gas stove works without any major problem for 15 years, which is a huge time.
Drawbacks of a Gas Stove
Installation
The biggest drawback is that you must keep changing the cylinder each time after emptying the previous one. So you always need an expert to fix it and ensure everything is fine and safe to use. In some cases, this is also not so budget-friendly and nerve-wrenching as gas stoves are expensive, and the fuel used is also expensive. In this case, induction fits in perfectly because it doesn’t require any fuel but electricity.
High Risk
We require a liquid fuel cylinder to cook on the stove. So we need to be extra cautious every time we are around. And always make sure the gas is not leaking. Because if, by chance, someday the gas starts leaking through the cylinder or if you forgot to turn the stove off, it could lead to an accident. For example, the gas starts to leak in a room, and if somebody switches on the lights, the cylinder can blast.
Benefits of Induction Cooktop
Environment Friendly
Cooking releases a lot of heat and energy. Specifically, the gas stove releases a lot of heat and energy because it is released from two places: first from the cooking food and second from the burning flame of the stove. In induction, the heat and energy are only released from the cooking food.
Modern Technology
The induction cooktops are produced with the help of modern technology. Consequently, they have more modern features compared to gas stoves. What you have to do is touch or tap any button. After that, it will handle all the work automatically. But this automation requires electricity for cooking. Cooking food on induction is one of the fastest cooking methods as it involves the fast movement of electrons.
Easy Cleaning
Cleaning an induction is much easier than cleaning a gas stove. You can always keep your induction clean and hygienic almost every time you use it because it cools down quickly. You can wipe it with a piece of cloth.
Safe To Use
As you already know, the consequences of fuel leakage while cooking in induction don’t involve such risks as it only requires electricity. However, it is the best and safest option if you have kids or pets. This is because the pan and the burner cool down quickly once it is turned off.
Easy Control
As we have told before, an induction cooktop is manufactured with the help of new technology. That’s why so many setting options are provided in an induction cooktop, and by using these options or buttons, one can easily control them. It allows for being more precise to control. Therefore, one can easily control it and save time.
Drawbacks of Induction Cooktop
Expensive
Using induction daily is still a growing technology. Therefore it is available in the market but is expensive for most of us. Also, what adds more to it is you need to buy separate utensils with felt back to cook on them.
Electricity Interruption
The biggest drawback of an Induction cooktop is that you cannot cook if the power goes off. In this case, gas stove cooking can be the saviour. For example, if you have organized a dinner party at home and are preparing for it, the power suddenly goes off. In this case, you could not do anything.
Makes A Noise
Every time you cook on induction, it makes a buzzing sound. This sounds dependent upon the cookware. For example, a lighter stainless steel pan makes louder noise, but using heavier iron pans will make less noise.
Special Utensils
Some people observe that the heating is localized and mostly happens at the centre of the utensil. This makes it important to put the right-sized utensil on an induction cooktop; oversized ones should not be used.
Therefore, one of the major drawbacks of an induction stove is that flat-bottomed utensils are required to use while cooking on it. This can be a headache since most consumers do not use these special utensils, so you will have to purchase a few utensils when setting up your induction stove.
In the case of gas stoves, you can use almost any type of utensil for cooking.
Induction Stove Vs Gas Stove: Frequently Asked Questions
What is induction stove power consumption?
On average, the power consumption of an induction cooktop is somewhere between 1500 watts to 3000 watts, which is way higher than most household appliances.
Can we prefer a gas stove over an induction cooktop?
Yes, if you are a person who has a family with 5-6 members, then a gas stove is the best cooking device for you.
What is the average life expectancy of an induction cooktop?
The average life expectancy of an induction cooktop is half of the gas stoves, around 7-8 years.
Does induction cooking need special utensils?
Yes, you will have to use flat bottom steel or iron (ferromagnetic) utensils to cook efficiently on the induction stove.
What is the average life expectancy of a gas stove?
The average life expectancy of a gas stove is 15 years. This is because they are durable and developed for long time usage. Hence, you can use them for long years.
Are gas stoves more expensive than induction stoves?
No, if we see an induction stove vs a gas stove, we will see that gas stoves are not more expensive than induction stoves. You can get almost all the premium cooking features in a gas stove at a low price.
What are the types of gas stoves with induction?
Some gas stoves have the same properties as induction stoves: Electric Stoves and Gas Ranges.
How much does a gas stove cost?
A gas stove costs around 2K-8K depending on the features. More features mean more prices.
What is an induction stove price in India?
An induction stove price is around 2K-5K in India. But as we know, they require some special utensils to cook. So, you will have to purchase the induction stove cookware. Now, if we calculate the final price of an induction stove, then it is around 5K-8K.
Conclusion
Now, we hope you have known all the pros and cons of the gas stove and the induction cooktop’s pros and cons. We have discussed the differences between a gas stove and an induction stove.
We are sure that now you can easily choose the best cooking appliance for your home. Both the gas stove and induction cooktop are good to use. It depends on you how you look for one during cooking.
We have done our work by making an in-depth comparison between both of these cooking devices. Now, your work is to share this guide with your friends and family. And, if you have any doubt in your mind, then do comment. We will solve your problem as soon as possible.