Buzzword: Induction

What it means. You’ll see the term “induction” frequently used on maternity wards—“Things aren’t progressing. I think it’s induction time, Mr. and Mrs. Smith”—and in conjunction with sports halls of fame—“Slugger Mark McGwire’s induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame is not a sure thing because of allegations of steroid use.”

Today, induction is getting play in kitchens, too. It refers to a cooking technology that uses electromagnetism instead of a conventional cooking surface powered by gas or electricity. Only the pans heat up on induction cooktops, not the elements themselves. That feature makes these appliances somewhat safer to operate than gas or electric cooktops.

Why the buzz? To be fair, the induction hubbub is still more of a hum—just a small fraction of the 515,000 electric cooktops sold in the United States in 2007 have at least one induction burner. But based on the high performance we’ve seen from these appliances in our test labs, sales of induction cooktops could heat up.

We started testing induction appliances three years ago, realizing that the technology could well be the (electromagnetic) wave of the future. This spring, our engineers wrapped up their evaluations of the latest models, and once again the technology has earned excellent marks. In fact, the Kenmore (Sears) Elite 4280[0] induction cooktop, $1,800, set a new standard in our high-heat test, boiling six liters of water in just 8 minutes. (Electric and gas cooktops on average need about 12 to 16 minutes.) The Viking Professional VCCU105-4B[SS], $2,200, a hybrid unit with two induction elements and two electric radiant elements, needed 11 minutes to reach a boil, yet like all the induction models we reviewed, it excelled at simmering tomato sauce and melting chocolate—two of our typical cooktop tests.

There are some downsides to induction cooktops, price being a primary one. But as with any emerging technology, costs are trending downward. Five of the nine induction cooktops we tested top $2,000 (the priciest is $3,500), while the GE Profile PHP900DM[BB] induction cooktop costs $1,700. Our Best Buy noninduction electric and gas cooktops cost $580 and $650, respectively. (Read about the Diva 365 (shown), one of the first induction ranges on the market.)

Also note that induction elements work only with magnetic pots and pans, like cast-iron or enameled-steel cookware, so you might need to add some cookware to your collection. Finally, we don't yet have reliability data for these appliances, though if you’re an early adapter, the technology might be worth a look.—Daniel DiClerico

Essential information: Read our buying advice for cooktops, and see our Ratings of electric and gas models (available to subscribers). Look for more details on induction cooktops in our annual kitchen-remodeling special, in the August 2008 issue of Consumer Reports, on sale and online in July. If you own an induction model, tell us what you think about it. Use our Home Improvement Guide interactive to take a room-by-room tour of the top-rated appliances and most cost-effective improvements you can make to your home.

Comments

[BoschMom]

I remodeled my kitchen and replaced all my cooktops with induction cooktops.

I like it much better!

[Louann]

Help, we need information on what is the best cookware for induction cook tops. I would like lid that you can see through.

[I Love Cooktops]

Louann,

I'm not sure that there is any cookware for induction cook tops with a see-through lid? If you find one, then please let me know.

[Anne]

Louann and IloveCooktops,
Any cookware that is magnetic will work with an induction cooktop. If a magnet sticks to the bottom, you're good to go. There are many brands - just take a magnet with you when you shop. Also, There is a wonderful website that will give you all the induction information you might want, including cookware. Check it out- http://theinductionsite.com

[corrie]

Which one of the induction stove tops have space for a under mount oven. I have heard there is not enough space for one under an induction cooktop.

[michelle]

We have a Kenmore induction cooktop with a Frigidair Pro wall oven below and it works very well. Love it! The issue seems to be the wall oven. Not all models are recommended for under a cooktop. CHeck that out carefully before you buy.