The world is increasingly electric, from our cars to our homes, making our lives more efficient and sustainable. Electricity overtook natural gas as the leading home heating source for the first time in 2020, and natural gas consumption hit a five-year low in January and a four-year low in February. This shift toward electrification is especially prevalent in the kitchen, a central hub of energy use. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates 15% of energy consumption in the average American home happens in the kitchen between cooking, refrigeration, hot water heating, and dishwashing.
Architects and homeowners looking to increase efficiency and sustainability are finding the benefits of induction. According to ENERGY STAR, gas cooktops are only 32% efficient at transferring heat, and traditional electric stovetops are 75-80% efficient — induction is even better at 85% efficiency.
Adoption of induction cooking is growing as more people see its potential. The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers reports that induction cooktops accounted for one-third of all electric cooktops last year, a 6% improvement from 2021. Recent innovations have made induction cooktop ranges increasingly popular and compatible with modern kitchen designs, creating an even starker difference between induction, traditional electric, and gas stovetops.
Health and safety
Glass stovetops were initially great alternatives to a coil range because they are easy to clean, but the benefits go much further than that.
Induction cooktops are far safer than the open flame of a gas range or even a traditional electric cooktop, where a burner could be accidentally turned on and harm a user. Because the current goes directly to the cookware on induction cooktops, the glass surface doesn’t get as hot, reducing the risk of accidental burns or food burning onto the surface.
Induction cooktops also allow more precision and control. Users can put cookware on any part of the cooktop surface, and the system recognizes where it is and cooks in that area, eliminating the need for the circles that have long been printed on the surface.
Aesthetic
Electric cooktops used to have a simple black piece of glass-ceramic, limiting the colors that could shine through control panels to a few shades of red. New induction technology and glass-ceramic composition give manufacturers flexibility in design, look, and performance.
SCHOTT’s CERAN Luminoir™ glass-ceramic composition is more translucent, allowing uniform light transmission so other colors in the visible spectrum can shine through. No coatings are needed to maintain the sleek, true-black look we’ve come to know. The new composition enables a more sophisticated user interface, including a high-resolution, full-color screen.
The advent of high-end induction cookers with modern user interfaces presents new opportunities for users. It allows them to understand which burner activates which piece of cookware and provides more context by displaying a specific temperature instead of a simple readout of low, medium, or high heat.
Interior designers should be aware of induction cooktops as a preferred option for clients that want an all-electric home, given the sleek aesthetic and environmental benefits they provide. Manufacturers are creating more options for the market, making it more likely induction will be a staple in the home of the future.
Where it’s all going
As more homeowners become interested in electrification’s economic and environmental benefits, induction cooktops will only grow more popular, and the technology will continue to advance.
Some products already include the ability to connect to WiFi networks as smart appliances, giving the user precise temperature and duration control from their smartphone. Soon, we may see interfaces that walk users through recipes step-by-step. More brands are starting to invest in induction technology, making this kind of appliance accessible to more homeowners than just those that can afford a high-end kitchen.
As the world looks to increase sustainability efforts, induction cooktops are a transformative force in modern kitchen design. With superior energy efficiency, safety, and performance, they’re improving culinary experiences and helping the planet.
Learn more about how SCHOTT CERAN® has evolved across more than 50 years and creates a new era of cooking with the kitchen of the future.
