The induction versus gas argument used to be about cooking feel. Today it is mostly about installation and running cost, because the best induction hobs respond as quickly as gas and most cooks who switch do not go back. Here is how to decide.
Speed and control
Induction heats the pan directly through a magnetic field, so a litre of water boils in around three minutes against five or six on gas. Turn the power down and the pan responds instantly, as it does with a flame. Gas remains better for woks, where the flame climbs the curved sides, and for charring peppers or tortillas directly on the burner.
Cleaning and safety
An induction surface stays cool enough that spills do not bake on, so cleaning is a wipe with a damp cloth. Gas hobs have pan supports, burner caps and crevices to clean. Induction only heats when a pan is present and switches off when the pan is lifted, which matters with children and in rental properties.
Pans
Induction needs pans with a magnetic base: cast iron, enamelled steel and most stainless steel. Pure aluminium, copper and glass do not work. A fridge magnet that sticks firmly to the base of a pan is the test. Replacing a set of non-magnetic pans is the hidden cost of switching.
Installation
A gas hob needs a gas supply at the hob position and must be connected by a Gas Safe registered engineer. An induction hob needs an electrical supply, usually a dedicated cooker circuit of 32A, connected by a qualified electrician; some models offer a 13A power-limited mode for kitchens with a smaller supply. If your kitchen has gas and a modest fuse board, gas is simpler. If you are rewiring anyway, induction is straightforward.
Running cost
Induction converts around 85 percent of the energy into heat in the pan; gas manages about 40 percent, the rest warming the kitchen. With electricity at roughly four times the price of gas per unit, the two end up close on cost per meal, with induction slightly cheaper for boiling and simmering and gas cheaper for long slow cooking.
The third option
A mixed fuel hob puts two gas burners and two induction zones on one 80cm or 90cm surface. It needs both connections but gives a wok burner alongside the speed and cleaning of induction.
Compare induction hobs, gas hobs and mixed fuel hobs.