Coming home to a nice, warm meal is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Whether you’re a pro chef, or just looking to make a good dish for you and the family, it’s nice to have a good kitchen setup. And these days, the biggest debate running around is whether you should have a gas or an induction stove.
Both stove types are popular and have their strengths and weakness. So, this article should help you answer the question: is a portable induction hob better than a gas stove?
Gas Stoves
Gas stoves, or gas cooktops, are part of the most conservative method of cooking. Most households own gas stoves, whereby the heat source is provided through various flammable fuels like gas, propane, butane, or liquefied petrol.
Nowadays, plenty of contemporary gas cookers have inbuilt extractor hoods included in their systems to aid in the extraction of specific fumes and gases. These modern machines have their specific advantages and disadvantages:
Pros
Zero Power Loss
A more obvious benefit of the gas stove in comparison to its new portable rival is that you don’t lose power while cooking with it. Even if the power goes out, cooking food for the entire family goes smoothly without interruptions.
Reduced Heat Emission
Most gas stoves work colder, keeping your kitchen cooler. The heat instantly scatters when you turn the gas stove off. Unlike induction hobs that spread the heat around the appliance, gas stovetops don’t waste heat that’s emitted by the air around its surface.
Precise Cooking Temps
The temp need for your cooking is precisely and efficiently attained via gas cookers. Whether you lower the flame or increase it, the temp change is immediate. Induction stovetops, meanwhile, need more time to change the temperature as their burners get hotter or colder.
Low Initial Cost
Gas stoves are usually generally more affordable than induction ones since they aren’t as feature-filled and complicated.
Better for Professional Use
Most, if not all, pro chefs will more likely opt for gas cooktops, since they provide more flexibility in a busy kitchen schedule.
Cons
Messy
Using a gas cooktop can get pretty messy since it comes with metal grates covering every burner to keep utensils over the flames. Food can spill around these grates so end up having to clean them with each use so that they remain clean. If you don’t, you’re left with a dirty stove that collects a lot of bacteria, etc.
Needs Professional Installation
Any time you purchase a new gas for your gas cooker, you’ll need professional help to install it for you.
Potentially Dangerous
Cooking with gas stoves can be hazardous, particularly if the installation or cooking method is faulty. Gas leaks can spread throughout the house, resulting in breathing issues and fire hazards.
Portable Induction Hobs
Induction cookers got their first patent back in the early 1900s. Unlike gas stoves which use flames to induce heat, induction hobs heat things via magnetic induction, using electricity. This induction is done using a copper coil positioned under the pot and passing sporadic currents through the wire.
Thanks to their design, you need to use cooking utensils specifically constructed from ferromagnetic metal. These include cast iron or stainless steel pots and pans.
Pros
No Heat Waste
While gas stovetops convert energy to heat which then heats your pots and pans, induction stoves directly provide energy to the utensil via its magnetic field. Inductions stoves utilize 84% of their electric energy, while gas cookers only use 40% of it.
Cooler Top
The heat of the induction stove only stays on the actual utensil and doesn’t distribute around the top of the stove. So, the area remains cooler to prevent any hazards for you or any other people around, especially children.
Safer
Speaking of preventing hazards, induction cookers don’t produce flames as a heat source and the energy is only transmitted to specific EM utensils. In this way, you can use your induction hob on its max setting and even place your hands on the top without burning them.
Even jewelry pieces are safe since the stove’s sensors can find ferrous material in the vicinity and so it won’t work with such items nearby. So, induction hobs have fewer instances of fire or heat hazards as compared to gas stoves.
Saves Money in the Long Run
Induction stovetops are cheaper to use than gas ones. For one thing, electricity is cheaper than gas, and they also provide heat more effectively.
Portable
As the name implies, a portable induction stove can be used in any space as long as there’s a power source nearby. You can coo outside on your patio, or inside on the kitchen counter. You can even take these stoves out for camping trips or road travels if need be.
Easy to Clean
Since induction stoves don’t come with metal grates over their tops, any spills or messes can be easily cleaned. You also don’t have to wait for the tops to cool down as you would with a gas stove, so there’s less risk of injury while cleaning in a hurry.
Cons
Only Works with Specific Utensils
The primary drawback of an induction stove is that it only works with utensils made using magnetic materials. These cookware items are more costly, unlike regular pots and pans.
Can’t Working During Power Interruptions
If there is a power outage, you can’t cook with an induction hob. That’s why most people who own these cookers have backup generators.
Can’t Use Near Pacemakers
A huge flaw of this stove is that people with pacemakers can’t cook thanks to the stove’s magnetic field.
Conclusion
So, is a portable induction hob better than a gas stove? Well, there’s no right or wrong answer. It all depends on the type of cookware you use, what your budget is if you’re a professional or home cook etc. Ultimately though, it does appear that induction cookers are far more efficient in terms of energy-saving and safety than gas ones.
Hopefully, this article will help you decide what the right answer is.