Does an Induction Cooktop Use More Electricity?

One of the major benefits of using an induction cooktop (over gas or electric) is that these are more energy-efficient.

Given that induction works only when cookware is placed on it and uses the electromagnetic induction mechanism to generate heat, it ends up being a lot cheaper to operate than other types of cooking methods.

Keeping in view of fast catching competitions in the cooktop world, the makers of induction are keeping pace with the trends and demands.

If we talk about the current scenario, most of the induction cooktops are compatible with standard voltage supply.

Being a cherished and popular unit for cooking, induction cooktops gives you excellent temperature and power control along with high efficiency.

Coming to the question of whether the induction cooktop uses more electricity, No it doesn’t. An induction cooktop does not use more electricity and is far more energy-efficient than gas or electric cooktops. With induction cooking, 85-90% of the heat energy generated is used for cooking.

In comparison, with a gas stove or electric cooktops, only 65-70% of the heat is used for actual cooking.

This makes induction cooking a lot more energy-efficient.

If you’re looking for an energy-efficient induction cooktop, I suggest checking out the Max Burton Induction cooktop. It’s a compact and efficient induction stove that comes with the auto shut-off safety feature.

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Why Induction Cooktops Need Less Electricity

An Induction cooktop works on the principle of electromagnetism. It uses electricity to generate a magnetic field.

This magnetic field induces current inside the pots and pans used for cooking. So the electricity is not being used directly to cook food.

Secondly, the induction cooktop cooks food faster. Speedier cooking leads to less electric consumption

Being temperature and power-sensitive, as soon as the induction is switched off, it cools down. Again the electricity consumption is reduced.

Induction cooktops are embedded with smart technology. It cuts off the power supply automatically if it does not detect any cookware or empty cookware.

It also cuts off power if the food is being cooked on high power for a long duration of time.

In 2014, an independent non-profit organization, Electrical power research institute (EPRI) conducted a technical assessment of induction cooking. It found induction cooking is highly efficient regardless of cookware size used on top of it. The efficiency was 76%.

How Much Electricity Does Induction Consume?

To understand how much electricity the induction consumes, let us proceed with examples.

Supposedly your induction uses a maximum power of 2000 watts (2 kilowatts). Now, 1 unit of electricity is based on the number of kilowatts consumed per hour.

Using the maximum wattage of 2000 watts for one hour will lead to the consumption of 2 units of electricity.

The formula for daily energy consumption is :

Wattage multiplied by Hours used per day divided by 1000.

Note that 2000watts is maximum power and for cooking every day we usually do not need such high powers.

An Induction cooktop comes with a control that allows the consumer to change the watts for cooking according to his /her comfort.

Now, the maximum cooking time usually is 2 hours ( split between morning, noon and evening).

To estimate annual energy consumption use this formula :

Daily kilowatt-hour consumption multiplied by the number of days used per year = annual energy consumption

To find the annual cost to run the induction use this formula :

Annual energy consumption multiplied by utility rate per kilowatt-hour = annual cost to run an induction

Alternatively, you can purchase electricity usage monitors. They can measure the electricity usage of any device that runs on 120V.

To do this, just plug in the monitor into the electrical outlet the induction uses and then plug the induction into the monitor.

To measure the energy use of a 240V appliance, install a whole-house energy monitoring system. It will give you detailed data on your home’s energy use.

Notice that the formula for electrical energy consumption involves the time duration used by induction.

Induction reduces cooking time quite efficiently thus saving electrical energy.

Cost Varies with Electricity Prices

The average price people pay in the US for electricity is 12 cents per kilowatt-hour. But there is a huge variation from state to state.

People in Hawaii pay the most for electricity. About 33 cents per kilowatt-hour. Idaho has the lowest price.

About 8 cents per kilowatt-hour. To see the price per kilowatt-hour of your state, check the list here.

The electricity usage of an induction cooktop using, say, 1500W for two hours every day at 10 cents KWH would give 0.1500 as cost per hour, 0.3000 as cost per day, 109.51 as cost per year, and 3kwh per day.

Arguments supporting Induction

With induction cooking acing the cooktop market due to its speedy cooking and even heat distribution, it is highly efficient in terms of energy usage.

Not only does it come with good power and temperature controls, but there is also no heat wasted as it cools down very quickly.

Inadequate power and voltage supply can have an effect on its workings. But apart from that, there is nothing to be afraid of regarding more electricity consumption.

Almost all inductions come with stickers informing how much kWh consumption is going to occur at maximum power usage.

Another test conducted supporting higher efficiency of induction indicated that the induction cooker really saved electricity due to minimal heat loss.

A classic stove took half an hour to boil 5 liters of water. Induction, on the other hand, took 5.5 minutes.

Electrical Requirements Of Induction

Every company manufacturer builds their inductions as per the standards of the country they are doing business in.

A single burner induction of 1800 watts needs 15amps. If you are choosing a model with four to five burners, 40-50amps would be required.

In America, the standard is 100 to 120 volts.

The ideal requirement is 50-60 Hz. many cooktops come with 120 V. If, however, you happen to purchase induction with 220-230 v requirements, use it in states by installing three-wire split-phase wiring.

Related Article: Does an Induction Cooktop Need Three Phase Power?

Summary

Induction cooktops do need electricity to generate a magnetic field.

This magnetic field then penetrates and generates a current inside the cooking vessel which is how heat is produced and food is cooked. Each cooktop specifies its electric requirements.

The electric requirements, however, do not surpass the standard electric voltage supply unless you happen to purchase a really expensive high-class induction.

Due to the less time taken to cook food and minimal loss of heat energy, the electricity used up by induction to cook food is nominal and nothing to worry about.

The pros of using induction far outweigh the cons. This fabulous cooking technology is worth spending a bit of your electricity on. All the rest of the home appliances can wait.

Induction takes a while to get used to. Once adopted, it soon wins hearts.

This highly efficient gadget also comes with sensors in order to save power and switch off automatically in case of something going wrong. It gives complete freedom to do multitask while it takes care of your cooking for you.

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