Induction cooktop

An induction cooktop is a type of kitchen stove that uses electricity to heat your pots and pans directly, without using a flame or a red-hot electric coil. Instead of getting hot itself, the cooktop uses a magnetic field to transfer energy into your cookware. That means the cooking surface stays relatively cool to the touch, and only the pot or pan gets hot. For it to work, you need to use pots and pans made of magnetic materials, like cast iron or stainless steel—if a magnet sticks to the bottom of your pot, it will work on an induction cooktop.

People choose induction cooktops for a few key reasons. First, they heat up incredibly fast—often much quicker than gas or traditional electric stoves. This saves time when you're boiling water or heating oil. They're also very energy-efficient because almost all the heat goes directly into the food, not into the air around the pan. Safety is another big advantage: since the cooktop itself doesn’t get very hot, there’s less risk of burning yourself if you accidentally touch it, and it’s easier to keep clean because spilled food doesn’t get baked onto a hot surface. Many models also offer precise temperature control, which is great for tasks like melting chocolate or simmering sauces.

Imagine you're making pasta for dinner. You place a pot of water on the induction cooktop, turn it on, and the water comes to a boil in just a couple of minutes. While the pasta cooks, you can use another zone to heat up sauce in a separate pan. If some sauce bubbles over, you can simply wipe it off the cool surface without worrying about burnt-on mess. Later, if you want to keep something warm—like soup or gravy—you can set the cooktop to a very low, steady heat without fear of scorching. Even making morning coffee becomes quicker, as you can boil water for pour-over coffee in almost no time.