# Gas range v induction home use



## veganhunter (Feb 26, 2017)

The finish line on my future home has now reached the kitchen cabinet phase and its time to make a decision about the oven which has to happen before the cabinets are built.

We own a decent induction range. Its only 30” wide which isnt enough area for our needs we utilize two portable induction burners often. Im ok with this as the performance and consistancy of them is great. But I do wish I had a large and powerful wok. 

I have a buget in mind of about $4000 for a replacement range if I were to make the switch to gas. Id love to have a 42 or 48” induction range but there more money than some of the exotic gas ranges out there. And way out of my budget. One option would be to buy a commercial 220Volt wok there not cheap but this could be a simple solution to my delima. 

A week ago I was content with my induction stove but I cooked a 4 course dinner for 6 on a friends new gas stove. With no prior experience on it I worked that stove like I had been using it for years everything came out perfect. It was only a 30” stove but it had a center griddle which I liked a lot. I doubt it would have ran a wok to the level i would have liked but it was also a low end stove. I would like to think in the $4000 range there would be a stove that had the BTUs I want. But i dont know. Ive got about a month to figure this out thought maybe some of you could throw some tips my way thanks.


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## chrislehrer (Oct 9, 2008)

A 5-burner Wolf costs less than your budget. Pretty great.


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## sgmchef (Sep 30, 2006)

The only question is in the thread title so-Not even close for me. Gas only. I was forced to cook on induction and was very upset that the burner turned itself off when I needed/wanted the heat to sear mushrooms. It stayed powerless for almost two minutes and the shrooms started to puddle, of course. When internal protection overrides the knowledge and desires of the Chef, I deem that equipment substandard.

If they have developed induction burners that will never shut themselves off, I would consider trying again...

Good Luck with your choice!


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## veganhunter (Feb 26, 2017)

My portable induction burners do time out if you remove a pan for a while not sure how long probably two minutes but Im using them for boiling pasta or cooking something that doesn't need constant attention but my oven however is flawless it does not shut off that burner a ring lights up around the digital display for that burner to remind you its still on. I am actually concerned that I will not like the precision of its controls of a gas stove? And am reading that many professional chefs are moving to induction because of factors like this. There is also a lot of other great features in an induction cooktop or range starting with the fact that the surface makes no heat it does get hot but you can literally pull a pan off from a scorching hot heat level and in less than a minute its cooled off to the point youd have a hard time burning yourself. The surface cleans up with no effort my stoves about 7 years old now and it looks great. 

One other thing I did not like about cooking with my buddies gas stove a week ago. There is so much hot air that comes off the flames not at all the case with induction the heat is only from your pan. Not a big deal in the winter months but in the summer im not sure. 

Ive been looking at Wolfs as mentioned above, there pretty basic looking but stout all things I want. I should have mentioned we cook homemade pizza on a thick steel plate and often. my current oven on broil hits close to 800 degrees I have a temp gun and have not found many ovens that will hit 700. I dont know if many ovens can hit those temps. 

I should repost with more questions about a commercial induction wok. I have never used ones but have read a little on them, their in use in a lot of places I would have though gas would have been the choice but it sounds like they may perform as well as commercial gas woks do. Im looking at units priced about $2000 it sounds like a lot of money for just one tool however i think a large wok that actually performs as a wok should might be everything I need combined with my current oven. This also would mean more counter space and thats also a factor. If i go with a 48” stove we lose some valuable realestate.


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## Pat Pat (Sep 26, 2017)

Induction wok are great for most people, especially home cooks.

I have used it before, and the only down side I find is that you cannot flip your food using the lever method (see video).

However, I rarely see any people (even Chinese chefs) using this awesome technique, so it's not that big a deal.

Other than that, the induction wok unit works great. You get the intense heat that can be turned off in a snap (useful when adding ingredients) just like the traditional wok, minus the extreme heat radiating everywhere heating up the entire kitchen.


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## sgsvirgil (Mar 1, 2017)

Comparing gas to induction is a rather tedious issue because they really aren't an apples to apples comparison. Its like comparing the space shuttle to a jet airplane. They both essentially do the same thing; fly. However, they both go about it in very different ways.

Like anything else, there are pros and cons to induction stoves. For commercial purposes, the greatest benefit IMO is the fact that induction stoves can dramatically reduce the amount of heat in the kitchen and they can dramatically reduce cook times as well. Not to mention they don't need to be vented. These advantages can be pure gold, especially in smaller and busier kitchens.

However, the biggest con, which is a deal breaker for me, is if they break or malfunction, they are very expensive to repair or replace. I don't need to explain the serious complications created by a broken stove in a commercial kitchen.

For home use, however, induction has some very good pros. Two of the biggest pros are safety and ease of cleaning. The safety factor is especially beneficial if there are small children around. Since the burners themselves don't get hot and therefore, don't bake any spilled food, cleanup is easy and fast.

However, some big cons for home induction use is the cost of the unit AND the fact that not all cookware can be used with it. Even some digital thermometers won't work with them. Quality induction ready cookware can be rather pricey. Cookware made of lighter gauge metals can vibrate rather annoyingly when used on induction stoves. Also, repairs can be expensive and if you lose power, you can't cook with it.

In the end, I agree with both @sgmchef and @Pat Pat ; induction can present irritating issues and it can also work very well, especially in the home.

Good luck!


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

I have gas now. I plan induction as my upgrade.


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## sgsvirgil (Mar 1, 2017)

phatch said:


> I have gas now. I plan induction as my upgrade.


There's a pun in there somewhere.....


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Probably. But involves ferrous metals as digestive aids.


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