What is your favorite type of cooktop? Gas, Electric coils, electric smooth top, or Induction?
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If you have not had a demonstration of induction cooking you should find a place to see them work. They are so much more efficient than any of the other types and are easy to maintain. I think many people think they are the same as the other smooth top cooking which is very slow.
Image of a Gaggenau induction cooktop. I went from gas to induction and would never want to go back. It is so much faster, efficient and controllable than gas.
35 answers
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This would make a great video.
SawHorse Design Build
on Feb 24, 2012
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I am a forever fan of gas or campfire!!!
WallsTreat Studio/ Kass Wilson
on Feb 24, 2012
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I just noticed that solar over and microwave were not options. I actually prefer a charcoal grill so I can hang out with my sons outside while I am cooking. To answer @Pedini's question- My wife (the indoor chef) prefer electric smooth top. The only problem is when you don't have a smooth "bottom" pan.
SawHorse Design Build
on Feb 24, 2012
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Definitely charcoal as my preference followed by a gas rage. We currently have a ceramic top electric surface & I hate it.........especially cleaning it. One day soon I'm investing in a Green Egg....
LandlightS
on Feb 24, 2012
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Smooth top may be slow to some but it is beautiful and mine looks as good as the day it was installed many years ago. Cleaning is extremely easy compared to any other stove I've had. I thought all ceramic tops were the same for cleaning purposes. Maybe not.
Sherrie S
on Feb 24, 2012
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We have a smooth top. It looks nice, but I agree that it is slow. I really wanted gas and love gas, but my husband did not want the cost of converting our electric to gas.
Lin R
on Feb 24, 2012
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Induction as shown in the picture above is so much faster and efficient than the older smooth top cooktops. If you want a demo come by the showroom and I can show you.
Pedini of Atlanta, LLC
on Feb 24, 2012
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I do most of my cooking on the outdoor gas grill. My wife does most of her cooking on our gas stove-top inside. I am intrigued by induction cooking we may try it next time around.
Tri-Lite Builders ~ Homework Remodels
on Feb 24, 2012
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Are they as difficult to maintain as other smooth tops?
360 Sod (Donna Dixson)
on Feb 25, 2012
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Induction glass tops are easy to maintain. Since the burners to not actually heat up things do not burn on like with the older glass surface cooktops. With induction the pot itself is the only thing that heats up. The glass surface will only get hot from heat transfered from the pot to the glass. They are amazing to work with, you can get things hotter quicker than with gas cooktops and the heat is much more controllable than with any of the other cooking types.
Pedini of Atlanta, LLC
on Feb 25, 2012
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The only concern that I would have is the limitation of the cook wear. As I recall you must use induction type cookware.
LandlightS
on Feb 25, 2012
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The pots and pans must be a material that will hold a magnet. All aluminum will not work nor will glass. I had this concern when I bought my induction cooktop so I bought one that has 3 induction burners and three regular glass surface burners. In the 5 years I have used this cooktop I have turned the 2 non-induction burners on two times. I would rather give up a few pans and have the speed and control of the induction burners than wait for the others to heat up. The next cooktop will be all induction for me.
Pedini of Atlanta, LLC
on Feb 25, 2012
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The prices are higher than the traditional electric but they use much less energy, and all of the energy goes to heating the pot not the kitchen.
Pedini of Atlanta, LLC
on Feb 25, 2012
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Pedini, I purchased a new stove with a convection oven because I was told that it would save energy and also cook faster. Maybe so but the savings is not discernible. Both convection and induction are new words to me so I need to know how much energy does the induction method save?
Sherrie S
on Feb 25, 2012
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A convection oven will cook slightly faster than a traditional oven. The advantage of the convection is the even cooking as the oven. The efficiency of induction cooking relates to where the energy goes. Gas cooking is about 30% efficient as 70% of the heat generated goes around the pot and into the kitchen. Induction is 95% efficient as the energy used goes directly to heating the pot not the cooktop or the kitchen. The link below gives you a good bit of info on the way it works. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqXbsGpBu5k
Pedini of Atlanta, LLC
on Feb 25, 2012
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electric smooth top
Tonya H
on Feb 26, 2012
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gas
Michelle I
on Feb 26, 2012
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I believe that induction cooking is the way of the kitchen of the future. Even though it was introduced at the World Fair in 1936 if I recall correctly, it has not taken over, but I think it will because it is compatible with technology. All of that said, I have an electric glass cook top that I just bought because I love it!! It is soooo easy & I have a turbo boil eye that is sooo fast. I love my glass top. I have used the glass top for the past 15 years.
Culpepper Carpets and Interiors, Inc.
on Feb 26, 2012
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I have one of the first glass cooktop stoves (bought in '93) and I love the easy cleanup it provides. When it finally retires I will look into the induction stoves as well as the convection ovens.
Dee W
on Feb 26, 2012
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Gas all the way....it allows me to regulate the heat better....an electric oven is ok...haven't been real impressed with ceran or glass cooktops.
HandyANDY - Handyman & All Repairs, LLC
on Feb 26, 2012
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Andy, this is the thing that Induction is so much better at. The regulation from induction is more precise than gas.
Pedini of Atlanta, LLC
on Feb 26, 2012
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Induction for sure!
Lynette R
on Feb 26, 2012
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Induction can sway even the most strident gas fan.
Pedini of Atlanta, LLC
on Feb 27, 2012
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We also use our outdoor grill almost year 'round. I don't know the difference between induction and convection??? I had to replace old gas stove last spring and decided to go w/dbl gas oven and variable BTU burners. Ideally, if I could have redone counter tops as well, I would have preferred a gas cooktop and electric ovens which would have required 2 separate units. Not in the budget since fridge had to be replaced as well. I considered "CONVECTION" but was told by everyone in the know that one practically has to learn to cook all over again because it's a lot faster. Dunno but I just wasn't willing to learn HOME EC 101 all over again!! Good Luck!!
Susan S
on Feb 27, 2012
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Convection ovens do not require you to learn anything again, they are a bit faster but not so much that you would need to learn to cook again. Their main advantage is even cooking as the hot air is circulated around the oven instead of radiating from the coils or in the case of gas the burner elements.
Pedini of Atlanta, LLC
on Feb 27, 2012
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def. gas!
Jennifer S
on Feb 27, 2012
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Oh well, too late now. Looks like I was informed by UNinformed sales personnel who should've known better. They're supposed to be the professionals and in this case I was the consumer. I did do my homework and tried to make a buying decision based on my research but when several people say essentially the same thing that's probably what swayed me to go with what I knew. When I win the big lottery and completely redo the kitchen I'll probably reconsider a lot of things! Thanx for your input though.
Susan S
on Feb 27, 2012
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Love the induction. But all my pots/pans are aluminum and don't conduct. :(
AA Marble & Granite, LLC
on Feb 28, 2012
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i rented one year in between buying and selling homes and was introduced to induction. since then, i sold all my pots and pans and converted to induction when i renovated my kitchen and added 2 convection ovens. i have 5 kids and love to entertain and cook. water boils in seconds!!! love love love induction
Patricia C
on Nov 20, 2014
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My absolute favorite cooktop is gas. But as we didn't have gas to our home (we're all electric) and live on a slab. We chose inducing when remodeling our kitchen. I love how quickly induction works (almost like gas). But I HATE the black smooth glass top, it's an absolute pain to keep looking clean.
Lynette R
on Nov 25, 2014
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We bought an LG electric all smooth top cooktop earlier this year and love it. It replaced a perfectly good modular down draft, with grill and coils (as I preferred cooking with cast iron), but it was in black and never, ever, appeared clean. The one product I found that worked streak free, Fantastic Orange, could no longer be found. I wish I'd have let hubby talk me into a smooth top earlier. It not only cooks wonderfully, but it's super easy to clean. And it looks clean!
Z
on Nov 26, 2014
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I have to say coils, I have a flat top now and hate it...cooks to hot. Replacement will be gas, unless I can find coils with downdraft. Never considered induction ??
Lagree Wyndham
on Mar 25, 2015
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I've used all except Induction. I've always preferred electric coils over gas but found that natural gas cooks cooler than propane so I actually like natural gas. I did like that when you turn it off, it's off and you don't have the cooling off period that comes with electric. Don't have that option being in the country (would be stuck with propane) so I went back to electric when we remodeled our kitchen last year. Maybe I'll try Induction if we decide to get a new stove.
Lois Franklin
on Jul 11, 2015
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In order of favourites in our household...we currently have #2 and a crappy old coil stove. 1- Induction 2-electric ceramic top with turbo boil 3-gas
B. Enne
on Jul 11, 2015
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As a Chef I would prefer Gas, then Induction, then coils, then smooth top. Induction is really nice and you can really control the temperature. But it's expensive and you have to have special cookware. Nothing beats a flame...
Nicholas St Nic DeMuth
on Nov 30, 2015
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