Dania
Are you here to know the pros and cons of Induction cooktops for Indian cooking in 2023, if yes you are on the right page.
With the growing urbanization and new time saving kitchen tools, the demand for Induction cooktops have increased exponentially.
In fact, as per a recent market research, the demand for these cooktops will further increase by the end of 2025.
Having said that, a lot of people still have doubts on the usability of induction cooktops. Concerns have been raised whether induction cooktops are suitable for Indian cooking or not.
Through this post, we aim to cover the main pros and cons of induction cooktops for Indian cooking in 2023, so as a consumer you are able to make the right investment.
You can also check out our post on Induction Cooktop vs Gas Stove – Which is the best? and What are the Pros and Cons of Ceramic Cookware?
What is an Induction Cooktop, How Does it Work?
In simple words, Induction cooktop is a modern kitchen appliance using which you can cook food through the help of electrical induction. Induction cooktop can heat pots and pans directly instead of using the traditional gas burners.
As a matter of fact, Induction cooktop can boil water upto 50% faster than the conventional gas stove. Its ability to maintain a consistent and precise temperature helps to cook the food faster and in a more efficient manner.
If you back to the Science books, you will find out that Induction refers to a specific method for generating heat. Just as a microwave uses small waves to heat the food, an Induction cooktop uses electromagnetism to cook the food faster.
In case of a gas stove, the heat is transferred from the burner to the pan or pot, but in case of induction cooktops, the heat takes place inside the pan which makes the cooking more efficient and cost effective too.
For a pot or a pan to be compatible with Induction cooktop, it has to be Stainless steel or Cast iron. Induction cooktop has a coiled copper wire through which an electric current is passed beneath the cooking pan. This creates a magnetic current through the pan to produce heat.
The transfer of energy is at least 15-20% more than what the gas stovetops produce. Also, there is no open fire similar to the gas stove, which is why, induction cooktops are considered safer.
Pros and Cons
It’s not that Induction cooktops are made in heaven, so they have their own pros and cons, which is why it is important for you to check customer reviews as well as the pros and cons of Induction cooktops for Indian cooking before you decide to buy one of these products for your kitchen. Let’s start with some of the advantages, before we move to the disadvantages of Induction cooktop.
Pros of Induction Cooktops for Indian Cooking
1. Keeps the Kitchen Cool :- When you cook your food on a gas stove, the heat from the gas stove is rotated in all the directions. As a result, only 40% of the heat is directed towards the pan sitting on the stove and the rest 60% is rotated in the kitchen. This makes your kitchen very humid and unbearably hot.
In comparison to the gas stove, around 80-90% of the heat is directed straight towards the pan when you are cooking in induction cooktop. Hence, the efficiency of induction cooktop is much higher and it helps to keep the kitchen cool as well.
2. Boils Water super quick :- Water is an integral part of our Indian cooking style. No matter what you are cooking, you are always going to need water to prepare the food. In order to start food preparation, boiling the water is a prerequisite. Now, when you boil the water on a gas stove, it can easily take 3-4 minutes. The same happens when you are making tea as well.
On the other hand, boiling water on an induction cooktop is comparatively easy and super quick. You can boil the water in an induction cooktop in less than 60 seconds.
3. Safety :- Safety is one of the most important aspects when you are cooking food in the kitchen. There are all kinds of risks associated when you are cooking on a gas stove. There is also a chance of toxic gas fumes, which can be harmful to your body.
This is why, all modern kitchens have chimneys installed. Also, considering the fact our Indian kitchens are not very well ventilated, which creates more chance of harmful gases getting into your lungs. Safety is not an issue when you are cooking on an induction cooktop.
4. Ease of Cleaning :- Gas stoves are very difficult to clean as, first of all, you have to wait for the burners to cool down. Even if the burners have cooled down, you will remove to remove the burners so that you can have some ease in cleaning.
Cleaning an induction cooktop is a breeze, you do not have to wait for it to cool down as the surface of the induction cooktop is already cool even when you are cooking in it. This makes the cleaning super easy on the induction cooktop.
5. Portable :- If you are travelling to a new location for a vacation, can you imagine carrying your gas stove, no, right? This is just not possible as even if you are somehow successful to carry your gas stove, you will still need a gas connection.
At the same time, the weight of an induction cooktop is 1.5 kgs on an average whereas the weight of a gas stove is more than 5 kgs, which makes induction cooktops more portable than anything else.
6. Auto Operation :- If you are cooking your favourite food on the gas stove and you have just completed the last part. Do you think simply removing the vessel from the gas stove will turn off the gas,no, right? You will still have to turn the knob to switch off the gas. There is also a potential life risk if you forget to switch off the gas.
With induction cooktops, these machines have an auto cut mechanism. So, as soon as you are done with the cooking, the machine will automatically switch off, hence no risk and saves energy as well.
7. Indian Cooking :- If you think you cannot make rajma chawal, chicken biryani, paneer masala, or even your favourite kheer on an induction, then you are horribly wrong. We, Indians, are not very adaptable to a change, and it is understood that a lot of people think cooking can only be done on conventional gas stoves.
India is a huge consumer market for brands, and after seeing the massive potential of profits, all induction cooktops have been moulded in a way that they can perform all sorts of Indian cooking just as your gas stove will do for you.
8. Saves Time and Energy :- Not only you can save a great deal of time when you are cooking on the Induction cooktop, you can also save a lot of energy. Imagine, you have to go to the school to pick up your kids in the afternoon. Can you do that while leaving your gas stove on, absolutely not.
However, if you have an induction cooktop, you can preselect what you are going to cook and leave the induction cooktop to do its job. The auto cut feature will ensure to switch off the cooktop once the food has been cooked.
9. Looks :- Let’s accept the fact that gas stoves are not very good-looking, and it’s not something you can show off. Even though technology has changed a lot, but gas stoves are still pretty much the same, even if they are glass tops. Induction cooktop on the other hand is sleek and elegant.
10. Space :- Gas stoves are bulky and they can take up a lot of space in the kitchen. As a matter of fact, gas stoves can take almost half the countertop space if you have a small kitchen. Induction cooktops are incredibly sleek, almost as small as a 13 inch laptop.
Cons of Induction Cooktops for Indian Cooking
1. Needs Electricity :- The biggest disadvantage of having an induction cooktop in the kitchen is that you need electricity to cook your food, this is a bummer, honestly. Cooking on a gas stove does not need any electricity and you can literally cook 24*7 at your convenience. But, imagine the electricity is not there due to heavy rains in your area, you are literally stuck.
2. Needs Maintenance :- Gas stoves are easy going and that’s why they last for decades as well. You can use them in any way and they can withstand rough usage too. Unfortunately, that’s not the case with induction cooktops as they need regular maintenance and upkeep.
Induction cooktops have a smooth glass surface, and one scratch or dent can pretty much ruin the looks of your induction cooktop. Also, repairing costs can be expensive too.
3. Compatibility :- With gas stoves, you can use aluminium, cast iron, copper, stainless steel or literally any material to cook your food. This is not really possible with induction cooktop as you need a magnetic iron or steel to cook your food on it. The size of the utensil cannot be too small to cook on induction stove. The utensil should have a flat bottom, unlike a kadai. The good thing is there is no limitation on the induction safe cookware in the Indian market.
4. Makes Noise :- Cooking on a gas stove is a noiseless operation. However, when you cook on the induction cooktop, it tends to make a lot of noise. The noise can be sometimes disturbing too. As you increase the temperature on the induction cooktop, the sound will increase even more.
5. Takes Time to Learn :- Cooking on a gas stove is simple and easy. Naturally, we are used to cooking on it. However, it can take a bit of time if you have just bought an induction cooktop. There are lots of buttons and functions along with some preset settings. At the start, you might have to do some hit and trial to cook the perfect dish.
We hope this comprehensive guide on the Pros and Cons of Induction Cooktops for Indian Cooking in 2023 was useful and informative to you. Should you have any questions on this, feel free to leave a comment. If you want our team to review a product you are interested in buying, you can reach out to us at askus@betterchoices.in, and we will be happy to review it.
