As a home cook, the ultimate success or failure of a dish depends upon the way you cook and what you cook with.
One of the most important pieces of kitchen equipment you have at your disposal to influence these two factors is your cooktop. Control the heat exerted by your cooktop in an efficient manner and you’ll give yourself a good chance at creating a cracking dish.
An upcoming episode of gets to the heart of the hot debate and considers the difference between induction and ceramic cooktops. SBS asks which one is better.
Ceramic cooktops
To the untrained eye, ceramic and induction cooktops look quite similar. But there are big differences in their construction and way they work.
Ceramic cooktops have a visible red element that is hot to touch. Source: Moment RF
According to , ceramic cooktops have a continuous surface with few to no dirt traps, so they're easy to clean. “They're particularly useful for cooking foods that require very low temperatures, like melting chocolate,” the consumer site states.
Ceramic cooktops are usually cheaper than induction cooktops. However, the elements of a ceramic cooktop cycle on and off during use. That means you may have less control over heat.
Ceramic glass also holds heat, so you need to be careful about burning delicate foods or parts of your body on the glass after you’ve turned off the heat.
Induction cooktops
On the other hand, induction cooktops utilise electromagnetic energy to interact with compatible pots and pans, turning them into a heat source of their own.
Visually the two stoves are very similar Source: PxHere
Watson tells SBS that induction cooktops produce heat directly in the cookware, rather than heating the air around it. “This results in faster, more precise, and more efficient cooking. Induction cooktops heat up quickly, allowing you to get dinner on the table faster. Additionally, the surface [of the cooktop] remains cool to touch, making it safer and easier to clean.”
The downside here is that induction cooktops often cost more than the ceramic variety.
Liaw weighs into the hot debate adding a warning about induction-compatible equipment: “induction works through a magnetic system, so things like clay pots, aluminium pots and copper pots that are copper-lined tin won't work on induction.
“However, most modern pots should work on everything from ceramic to gas to induction. So, any pots that you buy that are more modern are probably going to be okay for that.”
One simple way to test if you pan is compatible is by using a fridge magnet. If it sticks to the bottom of your pan it's good to go, if not, it won't be compatible.
One simple way to test if you pan is compatible is by using a fridge magnet. If it sticks to the bottom of your pan it's good to go, if not, it won't be compatible.
On the balance of facts, Liaw concludes that an induction cooktop is the superior product. “Depending on your induction system, you should be able to set it very precisely to, not the temperature you want, but the pace that you want.
“Induction is, I would say, faster: period.”
