Before dismissing an induction hob because running costs are higher (which it may not be as I will show in the calculation today), let’s talk about various other aspects to consider if you can buy an induction hob. Remember - I’m talking about a hob in this case with multiple cooking zones (like a burner in a gas hob), not an induction cooktop (with a single cooking zone).
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Connected load: This is one of the most important aspects which we may overlook. Every home is allocated a sane load or connected load or sanctioned load or contracted load from your electricity department. This is the maximum load that can run at a single time in the house. For example, in my apartment it is 5KW. Induction hobs by themselves take much more than that. For reference, I’m taking the example of a Bosch hob which has 4 cooking zones. This requires an input electrical power of 7.4kw - just for this device if all 4 cooking zones are used. Which means I have to have my connected load increased to much more than this - if I want to run multiple devices simultaneously. In my opinion, this is the biggest factor on whether we can or cannot use an induction hob.
Stability of power: Now since induction hobs require power at all times to run, you will need to have a stable power supply. And if you are using an inverter or generator during power cuts, it needs to support the load required by the induction hob - like in the previous example, needs atleast 7.4KW to run all the cooking zones in the hob. Ofcourse if you run only one zone - then you would need much lower power (e.g., 1.8 - 2.2KW) for this particular example.
Costs: Now I’ll come to the costs - which typically is the only factor people see. For a like to like comparison, I’ll compare a Bosch induction hob to a bosch gas hob.
The upfront cost of a hob is 23500 compared to an induction hob which is 59500. So almost 2.5x.
Cost per unit of an LPG cylinder measured in MJ (Mega Joules) is Rs. 1.6 (number of Joules in a 14.2kg cylinder is 654.6 MJ, as of July 2022 LPG costs 1055.50. So cost per mega joule is Rs. 1.6)
Let’s assume cost per unit of electricity measured in kwh is Rs. 8 - you will need to replace this with your per unit cost.
Let’s calculate the amount of energy required to boil 10L of water. I used a handy calculator to find that out - assuming I’m going from 30 to 100 degree centigrade. With LPG, it requires 2.8MJ and with induction it requires 0.78KWH. Remember - both use different metrics.
So how much does it cost then to boil 10L of water? With LPG it will cost 1.6 * 2.8 = Rs. 4.48 and with induction it will cost 8 * 0.78 = 6.24. If your unit electricity cost is lower than Rs. 6, then it will be cheaper with an induction hob.
If you factor in the efficiency of induction hobs - which I will talk about in the next section, induction hobs are much more efficient than gas hobs - so net costs per unit will be much lower in the case of induction.
So it may not be fair to dismiss induction hobs for their ongoing costs. Yes, upfront costs are much higher.
But I don’t think somebody who is buying an induction hob is buying it for the costs / expense specifically - so let’s take a look at the other benefits.
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Energy efficiency and time taken: The energy efficiency of an induction hob is much better than the energy efficiency of a gas hob. As per a research published by Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), you can see the energy efficiencies of different types of cooktops based on the type of vessel used. Gas is the least efficient. Since induction creates an electromagnetic field, the vessels heat up much faster and hence cooking is much faster in an induction hob. It takes approximately only ⅓ of the time for cooking compared to a gas burner! So if you pay a premium on your cooking time, then yes - induction is the way to go.
Cleaning and maintenance: induction hobs are easier to clean as it’s almost like cleaning glass. But similar to glass hobs, extra care should be taken when handling vessels on the induction hob - avoid dropping vessels, placing weight or heated vessels directly on the surface.
Safety: many of us have a fear of gas cylinders (me included - a new found fear I would say). Induction hobs are much safer in that sense. It heats only when a vessel is placed on it and cools almost immediately after turning off and the vessel is removed. So also results in lesser burn injuries.
Flexibility of vessels: if you already have a heating utensils setup that does not include induction ready utensils, you will need to change most of them to accommodate the needs of the induction hob - which is a flat magnetic base as it uses electromagnetic energy to heat.
Space utilization and aesthetics: induction hobs do not need a gas connection (obviously), so that space is saved. In addition, when using a gas hob, space below the hob can be wasted - which is not the case with induction hob. So induction hob is better in this case. Induction hobs can also be flush with your countertops - so look aesthetically pleasing as well.
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So in summary - if you are only looking at costs, then induction hobs may not be for you at this point in time, until the upfront costs of induction cooking comes down. The more important consideration is whether your power supply can take the electricity load of an induction hob. Induction does score a lot better from a safety, maintenance, space utilization and aesthetics point of view.
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