Which stove is better - induction or electric? Detailed comparison to choose the right kitchen appliances

An induction cooktop and an electric cooktop look exactly the same. This is a smooth glass-ceramic surface with painted contours of the burners. So what is the difference between them? How is an induction cooker different from an electric cooker?
And does it exist at all?

Let's figure it out.

Principle of operation

First of all, let’s clarify: both electric and induction panels run on electricity. The difference lies not in the source of energy, but in the way it is used.

An electric cooktop looks modern, but works just like grandma's old stove. Powerful spirals are hidden inside the structure. They heat up and transfer heat to the glass-ceramic panel. A hot burner heats the dishes, and the dishes heat the food.

An induction panel is very similar to an electric one, but its operating principle is different.

High-frequency generators are hidden inside the device. They are located directly under the burners. When you turn on the stove, the generator creates a magnetic field. The induction current warms the dishes, and with it the food.

Energy Saving

Let's count the elements that heat the two types of panels.

Electric stove:

First, the spiral heats up, and along with it the heat-intensive burner.
Then – glass-ceramic surface.
After that - dishes.
And only now – products.

For an induction cooker, the chain is much shorter.

The cookware is heating up.
And then - food.

Two points instead of four.

In addition, the electric stove warms the entire burner, and it doesn’t matter what is standing on it: a large saucepan or a tiny pot with one cup of coffee. If the dishes are small, the heat will escape into the environment. The induction panel does not heat the air, only the bottom of the cookware.

An induction cooker consumes 30% less electricity than a modern Hi-Light electric cooker. If you have an older model with cast iron burners, the difference is up to 50%.

Heating rate

The fewer points in the chain, the faster the result. Do you remember how many elements an electric stove must heat before the heat reaches the food? That's right, 3: burner, spiral, dishes.

The induction cooker heats the cookware immediately. Any liquid on it boils 2-3 times faster.

Please note: you will only save time on heating the stove and boiling the liquid. The cooking process itself will take the same amount of time.

Example: you are making soup. On an electric stove, water boils for 10 minutes, and potatoes and pasta are cooked for another 15. Total - 25 minutes. On an induction panel, water will boil in 3 minutes. But potatoes and pasta will cook for the same 15 minutes, which means that in total you will cook 18. Less, but not critical.

Comfort in using devices

The main complaints about electric stoves are that they take a long time and are energy-consuming. But it is familiar, predictable and reliable - for many users this is an important factor.

The induction surface heats the liquid faster. So quickly that the solid pieces do not have time to warm up. Let's say you're in a hurry and heating up some soup.If you set the burner to maximum, you will get a hot broth, and in it - cold pieces of meat and vegetables. They simply won't have time to warm up. To heat the dish evenly, you need to set the power to medium, which means you will have to cook a little longer.

Inertia

Any heated object cools down over time - some quickly, others take a long time. This process is called “inertia”.

In this regard, an induction cooker is similar to a gas cooker: turn it off and the cookware immediately stops heating. Very convenient if your milk runs out or your pancakes burn.

But what if you need to darken the dish a little?

Expensive high-quality models can operate at “low speeds”. They successfully maintain a low temperature, and the dish slowly simmers. But in inexpensive panels this mode fails: the generator turns on and off. As a result, you will either overcook the dish or undercook it.

The electric stove takes a long time to cool down. This is very inconvenient if your borscht is boiling too hot. But it’s great if you steamed the oatmeal in hot milk.

Safety

The burners on the electric stove heat up to 500 degrees. Once you have turned on the device, do not touch it. And you can’t do it after turning it off either - the burners take a long time to cool down.

Children and pets should not be allowed near electric stoves! It doesn’t matter whether the stove is on or off.

Induction hobs cool down instantly. But even when turned on, they are completely safe:

In operating mode, the panel does not heat up. You can only get burned on dishes.
The burner only works when there is a pan on it. If you rest your palm on the switched-on panel, nothing will happen.
The stove only heats the dishes. Let's say you put a small bowl on a wide burner.Only this plate will heat up, the panel outside it will remain cold.

You can place forks, spoons, and potholders on the panel. They will not heat up, much less catch fire.

Cookware for induction cooker

Some users think that this technique does not work with regular pans. Actually this is not true.

The stove will also “see” an ordinary enamel pan - more precisely, an ordinary pan will heat up under the influence of an electromagnetic field. But the efficiency of such dishes is several times lower. In addition, the bottom of old pans is usually not flat, but curved. When exposed to a magnetic field, they hum and rattle.

Modern stainless pans with a flat, thick bottom are perfect for induction panels. If this is what you have, there is no need to buy new dishes.

To find out if your bowls and pans are suitable for induction cooking, hold a magnet near them. If it sticks, it means they don't fit.

But ideally, containers with a special symbol in the form of a stretched spiral are used for the induction panel. Such cookware is made of ferromagnetic metals, and its efficiency reaches 90%.

If desired, you can buy special steel wheels. They are placed on the burners, and dishes are placed on top. As a result, the stove heats the disk, the disk heats the pan, and the pan heats the water.

But there is little point in such actions. The main advantage of induction panels: high efficiency and safety. By heating a metal disk, you reduce efficiency, and you can get burned on hot steel.

Multifunctionality

An experienced housewife will even prepare a 10-course festive dinner on her grandmother’s stove with cast iron burners. It is possible - but very difficult.

The induction cooker is controlled automatically.The owner simply selects the desired program, presses a button, and the process begins.

The stove will monitor the escaping milk, turn off the burners if a cat stands on the stove, and heat the dish by the specified time. You can increase the power of one burner by transferring energy to it from another, idle one. You can combine two burners into one.

Display, smooth temperature control, touch panels... A high-quality induction cooker is very convenient.

A modern electric stove cannot withstand competition. This technique also has super convenient controls - but there are no programs for preparing specific dishes.

Care and maintenance

The electric stove is heating up - that says it all. If you don't keep an eye on the milk, it will run away and burn - and you will be cleaning off stubborn dirt. But this is not easy to do: ordinary cleaning products scratch and damage the glass-ceramic panel. You will have to buy special products, but they are not cheap.

The dishes on such a stove become “cooked” - the bottom turns black, and dark spots appear on the walls. Another problem that can be fixed, but it would be better not to encounter it at all.

And we repeat again: the induction cooker does not heat up. You can wipe off milk, borscht or dough from it as easily as from the table. And the dishes on it do not darken.

Ergonomics

The induction hob can be placed anywhere on the kitchen counter and blends in with the surface. And the hood is built into the bottom of wall cabinets at the height that is convenient for the owner.

If you have a small table, you can place a cutting board or food that is waiting to be cooked on the induction hob without anything happening to it.

This will not work with an electric stove. It’s a little scary to put food on it - what if you accidentally turn on the burner?

The hood must be located at a height of 550 cm from the electrical panel - this requirement is prescribed by law. Glass ceramics become hot, which means they can cause a fire. A distance of half a meter will separate the potentially hot hood from the flame.

Extraneous sounds and noise

Electric stoves are completely silent. The oldest models may hum quietly when the coil heats up, but this sound is almost inaudible.

Induction cookers, especially inexpensive ones, hum. This is what the built-in fan does - it cools the generators so they don’t overheat. In inexpensive models, the sound is not loud, but still audible. And high-quality branded panels are silent - there is excellent sound insulation.

Harmful radiation

There are legends on the Internet about the harmful radiation generated by induction cookers. The same legends circulated about plasma TVs, microwave ovens, laptops and mobile phones.

In fact, a high-quality induction hob is completely harmless. It does not harm health or damage other equipment. A magnetic field appears only at the moment when you place dishes on the stove - and only under the bottom.

Your smartphone may start to malfunction if you place it directly on the burner... But why put your phone on the burner? At least induction, at least electric, at least gas.

There is nothing to say about electric stoves. There is no radiation there and cannot be.

Price

Have you decided to buy an induction hob? Prepare for expenses.

The cheapest Bosch electric panel for 4 burners costs 10 thousand rubles. The most expensive is more than 100.

An economy option from the same Bosch company, also with 4 burners, but induction, costs 23 thousand rubles. 2 times more expensive. And the most expensive and sophisticated one is more than 150.

What's better? Look at the table and compare

We have collected all the pros and cons of these devices in a table. Look, compare, choose.

Criterion	Electric stove	Induction cooker
Food heating speed	Slowly.	3 times faster.
Energy Saving	Doesn't save.	Consumes 30-50% less electricity.
Safety	Unsafe.	The safest stove ever.
Need for additional purchases	You can use grandma's dishes.	You'll have to buy new pots and pans.
Inertia	Eat.	No.
Easy to care for	Difficult.	Just.
Multifunctionality	Few functions, not very convenient controls. But everything is simple and familiar from childhood	Simple convenient controls. But if you have not used this technique before, you will have to relearn.
Ergonomics	The law specifies restrictions on placement. During cooking, the surface of the stove cannot be used for other work.	Can be placed anywhere. There is no need to worry about hot burners when cooking.
Extraneous noise	Doesn't make noise.	Inexpensive models are buzzing.
Harmful radiation	No.	No.
Price.	Cheaper.