Meet the 6 Companies That Will Change Your Mind About Induction Cooking

While a simmering debate around induction threatens to boil over in the kitchen, innovation in the space is heating up more than ever.

By

Melanie Hansche

Published on June 5, 2023

An illustration represent induction cooking — Photo:
Mark Wang

Nothing has created hot air in the past six months quite like the great gas-versus-induction debate. Everyone, from home cooks and chefs to pundits and politicians, has an opinion. In some parts of the country, consumers will soon have little choice: Cities like New York City and Berkeley have already banned (or attempted to ban) the installation of gas stoves in new builds due to health and climate concerns. (Studies have shown that gas stoves emit pollutants that can cause respiratory problems, while using gas for fuel contributes more carbon emissions.)

Regardless of whether you’ve made the switch, are thinking about it, or are holding tight to fire cooking, there’s been a tremendous amount of innovation in induction cooktops since the technology made its debut in consumer kitchens in the mid-1980s. Here are some of the most compelling developments.

An easier switch

For some, switching to induction can be complicated: Induction ranges require a high-voltage plug and enough amps on a home’s existing electrical panel. Electrical work and rewiring can be very costly, which is where the new startup Impulse Labs comes in. The company will be releasing an incredibly smart-looking induction stove with a battery that can be plugged into a standard wall outlet.

Cool & controlled

Earlier this year, GE Appliances introduced Precision Temperature Control to its new range of induction cooktops across three of its brands: Monogram, Café, and Profile. Together with a smart pan and GE Appliances’ SmartHQ app, the tech enables cooks to determine the exact degree of their burner (instead of just low, medium, or high), affording laser-sharp precision and control. There are even common food types loaded in the app that you can select to cook a recipe at the optimal degree.

Time to flex

While some budget-friendly brands like LG (LG Studio Induction Cooktop) and Samsung (Smart Induction Cooktop) have nifty “flex zones” on their induction cooktops that allow cooks to heat larger pots or even rectangular baking or roasting trays, high-end brands like Thermador’s Freedom—which currently has the largest usable cooking surface on the market—and Gaggenau’s Vario Flex cooktops allow you to place multiple pots or pans of varying sizes and shapes anywhere on the surface of the cooktop.

Counterculture

Probably the most game-changing development is the induction cooktop that can be installed under a stone kitchen countertop, heating the pans right through the surface. (Goodbye, stove!) U.S.-based Invisacook’s hobs are installed under ceramic or porcelain slabs (such as Caeserstone’s new Porcelain collection). Together with the heat-diffusing Invisamat, Invisacook converts your counter to a cooktop. Regular cooking leaves the counter cool to the touch once you remove the mat.