Happy Friday, NWA mamas! Here’s some kitchen news you’ll want to know. If a gas stove and an electric got together and had a beautiful, super-smart baby, it would be an induction cooktop. As a mom of three who has used both electric and gas cooktops over the past several years, I’ve already decided that my next cooktop is going to be induction. Here’s why:
Power
Most of us want a cooktop that gets things done. Parents don’t have all day to sit around and wait for water to boil to make that macaroni. When you use a standard electric glass cooking surface to boil water, you have to turn on the burner to heat it up and then fill the pan with hot water. Typically, it can take at least 5 minutes.
But with modern induction cooktops, the water will boil in LESS THAN A MINUTE! (Mac and cheese, here we come!) Our friend Judy Bilyeu (who has worked at Metro Appliances & More for more than two decades) told us an induction cooktop can immediately scale back to a simmering heat (just like gas cooktops). So, if a pot is boiling over, you can turn down the heat to make that pot stop boiling in an instant with induction cooking. Electric glass tops can’t do that.
Cleaning
With a typical gas cooktop, you have to pick up and clean under the heavy grates — definitely my favorite chore. Then you have to wipe down the grates before you put them back on the clean stove.
For electric glass cooktops, a spill or splatter means scraping off burnt liquid and then scrubbing it with cooktop cleaner. But with induction, it’s the pan that heats, not the surface. So if you spill, it wipes up quickly and easily with a damp cloth. Genius!
The photo below illustrates how induction works. The half-pan shows that the surface does not get hot, so you can literally touch the raw egg where there’s no pan because it will never cook. It will cook only where the pan is hot.
Keep in mind that induction cooktops do require compatible cookware, which you may already have. (If a magnet sticks to the bottom of your current pots and pans, they’re compatible!) Brently Howell, who works at Metro Appliances in Lowell, said that some brands offer promotions (like this one) for shoppers who also need compatible cookware.
Safety
Because the surface of an induction cooktop does NOT get hot — only the pots and pans do — accidental burns are less likely to happen, especially in houses with kids and/or grandparents. And because no gas line is needed, there’s also no risk of gas leaks or exposure to higher levels of carbon monoxide.
If you accidentally leave a pot or pan on an induction cooktop, the appliance will turn off the heat to that burner when it gets abnormally hot. Some units are even equipped with Wi-Fi that will let you turn off the cooktop remotely if you want to double-check it after you’ve already left the house.
Induction cooktops are also ADA-compliant, which makes them a good choice for disabled cooks and those with decreased vision. According to an article published in May of 2023 by Wirecutter, some induction cooktops will even respond to voice commands via an app! (Wouldn’t it be fun to tell your stove what to do from across the room? It’s such a great feature for parents who are busy chasing toddlers or carrying a baby while they’re busy in the kitchen.)
Our takeaway
We’re so intrigued by the cool things induction cooktops are offering these days. We love how induction combines the best of electric and gas stoves and goes a step further with new safety features, increased speed, and better efficiency.
But we’ll definitely want to see one in action before we buy. Metro Appliances & More in Lowell has three live induction cooktops so Northwest Arkansas shoppers can see a demonstration.
How much does an induction range cost? The one pictured above — the Frigidaire 30-inch Front Control Induction Range with Convection Bake — usually retails at $1949.99, but we found it at Metro Appliances for $1,099 right now. That particular range won an Editor’s Pick award from Food Network and CNN’s review experts. Metro offers several different options for brands and styles of induction ranges and cooktops.
For people who are house hunting or who will be moving into a different house this year, you may want to check out induction cooktops before deciding whether or not your new house needs a gas line installed. You can save the cost and hassle of making that change and go with an induction cooktop that’ll give you more power, better safety, and easier cleaning.
Be sure to confirm with your Realtor of contractor if you plan to install an induction cooktop in your new home because there may be minor electrical upgrades needed before installation.
For more information on induction cooktops — or to see one in person — check them out on the showroom floor at Metro Appliances & More in Lowell. Or call to get more info from a sales team member. (They have actual humans with great customer service skills who will help you find whatever you want to see in their enormous store. We love that!) Happy shopping!
