Having bought an induction powered stove recently, I am genuinely surprised by the popularity of gas powered stoves. It’s just so incredibly efficient and fun to cook with induction stoves
In other words it really depends on the cookware you have today - it may require new cookwar, but it may not.
https://www.batterytechonline.com/trends/why-a-battery-assis...
> One barrier to their widespread adoption, however, has been that they require a 220-volt electrical hookup, which means for most buyers the cost of an electrical panel upgrade on top of the price of the stove itself. But now a startup called Channing Street Copper Company has created a battery-assisted induction stove that can be plugged into a standard 120V outlet.
Char peppers for peeling.
You do need to preheat the wok a bit longer, though, to make sure the sides are hot.
That said, gas or a wok cooker will undeniably work better.
I have a lot of experience in this what with me being Dutch - where Nasi Goreng (Indonesian-Chinese stir-fried rice) is somewhat of a national fare - and having cooked on:
- gas: one of the best options for stir-frying, you can use any type of wok/wadjang you want. Use the largest burner you can find so you can fry larger batches at the same time while keeping the heat up.
- resistance-electric (whether cast-iron or coil or ceramic or halogen): not what I'd choose for this, you need a flat-bottom pan which does not warp under high heat -> cast iron or heavy aluminium -> slow to respond. Generally not enough power for keeping up the heat while stir-frying larger batches.
- induction-electric: also needs a flat-bottom pan which needs to be ferromagnetic, many if not most domestic induction cookers lack the required power (4 kW or above) for a good result. Avoid 2 kW indiction cookers without 'boost' function as those are simply too weak for even small batches
- wood-burning stove with removable rings: together with gas the best option since you can sink the wok/wadjang down into the fire by removing enough rings and stoke up the fire to whatever heat you require. I can easily stir-fry 8 portions in a single batch in a large wok on the wood burner (nominal power 4.5 kW but it can go higher if needed).
So, gas or wood, take your pick. If you have to choose electric and you really want to be able to stir-fry you'll want to get an induction wok cooker.
That said I'm looking to buy an induction stove
It doesn’t seem like it’s frequently enough to worry. If this is a concern, there are several ways to cook that can be stored in an emergency kit.
Sure, freezing doesn’t happen all that often, but we’ve had two big freezes in the past twenty or so years that we’ve lived here, and ERCOT has had multiple long power outages in that time.
So, don’t just worry about freezes. You also have to worry about your power supply/distribution company being made up of incompetent fools who are just out to line their own pockets and those of the other billionaires in the state.
I’ve been without heat in the Midwest in the winter (furnace died in a rental). It’s actually not that hard to keep a single room or two warm enough with simple painters plastic. Staple/tape them up and hang out in that room. By limiting airflow (don’t entirely cut off outside oxygen), you keep an amazing amount of heat in the space. Not warm, but certain manageable with a few layers of.
Propane heaters can also be used relatively safely.
But if you can’t safely get out of the house to go buy the nonexistent butane or propane heaters at the store because all the roads are frozen over and all the stores are closed, then that idea isn’t going to help you very much.
The thing I like most are the levels of safety from the toddler- there’s a “lock” feature on the control panel that disables the controls. And if I forget that and he turns it on, nothing happens unless I also left something ferromagnetic on the cooktop. I haven’t tested yet what would happen with my keys or a fork but it could be good to know.
If you force me to use an electric stove then I will buy a wood-fired stove and use it. I will burn the (free) wood from trees downed by the storms and the (free) wood from homes downed by tornadoes. You will eat my pine resin smoke the remaining days of your life and I will give you my stove when you pry it from my cold, dead hands.
On top of this, gas is cheaper than electricity, and gas ranges are cheaper than induction ranges.
Though, you can get an "induction adapter" to fix that problem. You are better off with induction friendly cookware.
As far as costs are concerned, I have no clue. Since I am not in the US, basically every home here in Germany has the electric wiring required for an induction stove.
I would like an induction range, and a pair of professional gas burners next to them.
Below folks are talking about charing peppers and wok cooking. Candidly these are two places where a gas range stands out. A flat bottom wok sucks, and I have torches but not one that is as complete burning as a range. From smores, to toasting tortillas to power outages gas some advantages!
While im doing the planing I have been wondering if I could get a 220 outlet and a UK plug for a proper kitchen kettle. What other counter top appliances would benefit from extra power?
I also want to keep the high flow gas line for outdoor grill/griddle combo because never having to buy propane again sounds like an upgrade.
I recently bough a counter-top induction hob and the cheapest option with physical controls I could find was 5x more expensive than one I've bought (which doesn't make me hate touch controls less).
So most folks moving into a place with "contractor-grade" appliances already installed are going to experience a very functional gas range or a barely usable electric.
Most folks don't replace appliances just for the hell of it.