I like gas because it's so easy to use when the power goes out--all I have to do is set up my propane camp stove on my induction cooktop and I can cook! :P

Actually the only time I've had enough of a power outage to be concerned about regular meals, I had a gas cooktop and still used the grill. It was several days, it was HOT, I didn't want to open windows and get hotter inside, etc. We were boiling drinking water and didn't want gallons of steam in the house.

It doesn't get hot or cold where I live now, so after the earthquake I'll cook outside.

LOL.

Yes, I thought about it but I am afraid to store too many propane tanks for the outside grill. Aren't they potentially flammable?

Also, it gets very-very hot here in summer and could be pretty windy/chilly in winter. I really don't feel like cooking outside then. And I will hate to have to run outside just to boil 2 cups of water. :-)

Any "true" gas lovers here?

I live where there a frequent lengthy power outages! 'nuf said, gas was my only consideration. Since I always run my vent hood, heating the kit in the summer isn't an issue. I was concerned about going from electric oven to gas but no problems with baking and roasting is better. I love the infrared broiler! I prefer a range because I broil a fair amount of fish and the vent takes the odor out. I have seen and heard some posters have done 2 induction burners & 2 gas burners which seems like a good option.

I have propane and ALWAYS will. In 1998 I was without electricity for 15 days after a major winter storm. I had an electric range (and no heat or woodstove either).

I now have propane, I love the responsiveness of it, the flexibility of it, and the fact that it is always available, even when the power is out. My range is fabulous for roasting, and baking is also great and I bake a lot. I recently made Meyer Lemon Pavlovas for a dinner party, I cook pizza almost weekly, and frequently roast veggies or make enchiladas or casseroles.

With my gas burners I can roast peppers or garlic, and warm tortillas in a flash. I have thought off and on about trying a portable induction module, but would have to augment or replace a lot of my cookware and really don't want to as I like my cookware.

I have had both electric(glass top) and gas and I can't imagine not having gas. Like mabeldeingeldine said, I like the flame to roast peppers, tortillas and get them all nice and toasty. I can't picture using an induction top even with the speed in which it cooks. I am switching to an electric oven this year (both convention) and I am terrified. I know it is going to be a HUGE learning curve.

I've never used induction, and I am certainly intrigued. It solves a lot of the "issues" with electric - it heats up quickly and not only is it off when it's off (no residual heat) it doesn't feel hot at all to anything but the metal pan.

However, I like the way that gas lets me actually see the heat level and adjustment doesn't have anything to do with "hi" "low" or "med" - it's based on actually looking at the height of the flame and being able to adjust even by very small amounts. That's always been the primary draw of gas for me.

FYI: this has been discussed ad-nausem (don't know if spelled correctly) on here and the appliance forum...just do a search and you will find lots of threads.

there is a ton of info/reasons for people loving gas or induction, so you will get a better idea of their likes and dislikes. and hopefully it will help you make your decision.

personnally i have induction and would never go back to gas or elertric coil/ceraminc. its is so precise/easy to use/ridiculously easy to clean, no grates, no scrapping/ just bliss as far as i am concerned. OTOH, i totally understand the reason if people lose their electric alot, then i agree with the gas option. 15 days is a looonnnnggg time with no power. luckily we don't have that issue for now and i hope into the future.

so, best of luck on your decision and check out the past posts on this topic, lots of good info!!

Eleena,
I cannot compare the 2 since I have never even considered induction until I started reading this forum, so I will let the induction people speak to that part of it. I do know that there are people that have gone from gas to induction and love it.

For the last 15 years I have only used gas and once I got used to regulating the flames, I have never cooked better. I find it to be much more consistent and more forgiving than electric. I have no idea if the heat you get from induction is steady or if it cycles like the electric stoves do. Again, I feel sure someone on here can tell you if that is an issue or not.

Like mabeldingeldine, I already have a full set of Calaphalon and All-Clad (pre-magnetic era) so the cost of pots and pans alone makes it a no-go for me. But you already have the pots and pans so it is not an issue for you. I also roast peppers and toast tortillas on my gas burners. One of my favorite things is to roast marshmallows for a quick indoor s'more.

I wok at least 3 times a week. I am sure that there is a way to wok using induction, but I am pretty sure that the pan is not a hand hammered traditional wok. The same thing goes for paella. So if you are into using the traditional vessel (note I did not say better, just traditional) to cook different cuisines, then I would think that gas would be much better because you do not have to wait on someone to make a specialty pan to suit that cuisine for induction. I am happy to find out that my pressure cooker will work on gas or induction so the pressure cooker/canning issue has already been addressed by the manufacturer.

Every time I begin reading about induction, the first thing they talk about it how fast water boils. I have a hot water dispenser (about $250-$300) and I can boil a large pot of water in about 5 minutes or less...yes, I realize that is a lot longer than the 90 seconds it takes the induction, but I rarely have the pot of boiling water dictate when dinner is ready, there is always something else that takes longer.

I cook every day, when I am not traveling, and in 11 years I have spent less than $600 on LP for my stove. The induction uses less in electric cost but as other have pointed out, my gas stove works when the power is off.

I know a few chefs and have been in more than a few restaurant kitchens. None of the chefs I know have even considered switching and I have not seen induction ranges in any of the restaurants I have been in. Not to say that there are not any (Europe seems to have adopted the technology far more than we have in the US), I just have not run across any. Now, is that because they learned to cook on gas and do it well so there is no need to spend the money to make the change, I do not know. I do know that most restaurant kitchens will spend the money to have the latest and greatest (Sous-vide anyone?)and there has not been a rush to make the switch. It may happen in the future as the next generation of great chefs make their way out of school and into the kitchens of the future.

Gas stoves are a simple system and parts are usually very easy to come by. Even if the technician has never seen your particular gas stove, he can generally read the basic schematic to get it working again. Induction is much more complex since it is an electrical/magnetic system and requires specialized training to work on. The specialized tech is generally going to cost you more than the general gas tech. Electrical systems in general have more "fail" points so it is not always easy to tell what is causing the problem. That may result in more than one service call to fix a problem.

Does an induction stove cost more or less than a gas stove? We are not talking about Aga, Wolf, Viking, etc, just basic to basic system.

For me, it is not really a question of whether gas is better or induction is better. They both have positive things going for them. If I was just starting out and the cost for a gas stove and induction were the same, I may give induction a try. At this point in my cooking life, there is no real benefit that induction provides to make the cost and the learning curve worth it for me.

This is the long way to say...go with what works for you. Good Luck

There is nothing wrong with either and neither is better than the other. It's a matter of preference. One thing I do know that that electric radiant just plain sucks. If I were limited to electric it would only be on induction. That said, my preference is for gas. I like to wok and not flat bottom either. For the home, that's where gas shines. I also have frequent power outages in my area and I used to use a portable butane stove as a backup. But it is nice to not worry about it anymore.

I am just beginning planning my kitchen remodel. I just assumed I would have a gas cooktop but my brother recently put in induction and loves it. After researching it I am sold on it as well. I love the easy cleanup, fast cooking, and the fact it will turn itself off if accidentally left on. I also have cast iron pots so will not need to purchase new pots and pans. Where I live the power rarely goes out for longer than a couple of hours and the outdoor grill is always available if needed. If we had a long term outage it would most likely be due to an earthquake and in that case we would have our gas shut off too. Both gas and induction have their positive aspects. Make a pro and con list for both and figure out what is most important to you. Have fun with your decision!

Thank you!

Yes, I know that it has been discussed "ad nauseum", I have read many of those discussions. That is why when it was time to replace my cookware, I got everything induction-compatible.

I know the general "pro's and con's" but I do not have a strong preferrence as I am comfortable cooking on either. I grew up with gas and it feels "natural" to me but I had no problems getting used to induction (though I cannot stand regular electric rangetops). I like that induction tops are easy to clean - among many other things.

But after being w/o electricity for 5 days due to a major hurricane (and we were the lucky ones to have it back in 5 days instead of two weeks), I am going to keep at least one gas burner. :-)

I do know that many (or all) chefs prefer gas. I am not a chef (nor I intend to ever cook like one, LOL) but I really wanted to understand the reasons. I feel like I may be taking gas "for granted", kwim?

I was only asking about subjective "feelings", why (the general) *you* preferred gas.

And what would be a better place than GW to ask?

P.S. No Sous-vide for me, I don't want to cook in plastic, thank you very much. :-)

So with you on the plastic! I don't even like to store food in plastic, let alone nuke it in the MW.

If you live in an area where there are outages, it would not surprise me if things get worse as the costs of line maintenance increases. Just sayin'!

We also lose electricity on a regular basis, and our furnace fan system is electric, so the natural gas is better both for cooking and for using our large vintage gas stove to keep some heat in the house at those times (it's often during cold windy snow storms that we lose electric).

I considered induction seriously, but the verdict is not yet in as to its longterm safety, and we have a close family member with an implanted cardiac defibrillator device (like a pacemaker). We didn't want to risk the danger to him. So that's a rather obscure reason to do more research on the induction, if applicable.

Happy choosing!

Thank you!

I have also read (on GW, I think) that young children cannot stand being around induction as they hear what the adults cannot and it really bothers them. Something to think about...

And what am I supposed to do with my Demeyere cookware now? JK!

Who said it was good to have choices?