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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
Induction and electric stoves may look similar from the outside, but they operate on different principles. This affects the speed of cooking, electricity consumption, safety, and ease of use.
This is written about by UNIAN.
A regular electric stove works thanks to heating elements beneath the surface. After turning it on, they heat up, transfer heat to the burner, and it then heats the cookware and food.
Because of this heating principle, some energy is wasted not only on cooking. The burner itself, the surface of the stove, the surrounding air, and partly the cookware all heat up.
An induction stove works differently. Under the glass-ceramic surface there are no traditional heating elements—instead, special coils are installed that create a magnetic field.
When suitable cookware is placed on the stove, eddy currents form in its metal bottom, heating the pot or pan directly. The surface itself remains almost cool.
The main advantage of induction is speed. It heats the cookware much faster because heat is immediately transferred to where it is needed. For example, one liter of water on an induction stove can come to a boil in roughly 2 minutes, whereas on electric it takes about 5 minutes.
There is also a difference in electricity consumption. According to manufacturers, the efficiency of induction stoves is about 90%, while for ordinary electric models this indicator is lower—about 60–70%.
The reason is simple: an electric stove first heats the heating element itself, then the burner, and only after that the cookware. Induction loses almost no energy to unnecessary heating.
For everyday cooking, speed of temperature change is also important. An induction stove responds more quickly to changes in power, making it easier to control the cooking process.
In electric models, the burners need time to heat up or cool down. Because of this, changing the temperature instantly is more difficult.
In terms of taste, there is no difference between the two stove types. The quality of the dish mainly depends on the ingredients, cookware, and cooking skills, not on the heating method.
In terms of safety, induction has an advantage. Its surface does not heat up as much as a regular electric stove, so the risk of accidentally burning is significantly lower.
Modern induction models can also automatically detect the presence of suitable cookware. If you remove the pot from the burner, some stoves stop heating immediately.
Maintenance of an induction surface is also simpler. Since it does not heat up as intensely, food and grease are less likely to stick, making it easier to clean.
The main drawback of induction stoves is the price. They are typically about 20–25% more expensive than regular electric models because of their more complex construction.
Induction also requires cookware made of a material that responds to magnetic fields. Not all old pots and pans are suitable for this type of stove.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Індукційна чи електрична плита: яка готує краще та витрачає менше світла". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: Expert.
