Induction vs Infrared Cooktops

News: West Asia conflict and fuel disruptions caused LPG shortages and price rise, leading to surge in electric cooktop adoption in India.

About Induction vs Infrared Cooktops

• Induction heats vessels directly use electromagnetic fields, while infrared cooktops use radiant heat from a heated coil beneath glass.
• Working Principle:
  • Induction Cooktop: It generates a rapidly changing electromagnetic field, which heats the vessel directly through electrical resistance and converts energy into heat.
  • Infrared Cooktop: It uses electricity to heat a coil or halogen element, which emits infrared radiation that heats the vessel.
• Heat Transfer:
  • Induction: Heat is produced directly inside the vessel due to electrical resistance.
  • Infrared: Heat passes from coil to glass and then to the vessel through radiation.
• Energy Efficiency:
  • Induction: It converts 85–95% of electricity into heat, making it highly efficient and consuming less electricity.
  • Infrared: It operates at 70–80% efficiency, with energy loss during multi-stage heat transfer.
• Cookware:
  • Induction: It requires ferromagnetic cookware like cast iron or magnetic stainless steel.
  • Infrared: It works with all types of cookware such as steel, aluminium, glass, and ceramic.
• Safety:
  • Induction: It is safer as it does not use an open flame and heats only the vessel.
  • Infrared: It involves a glowing hot coil, which may pose higher surface heat risks.
• Impact on Grid: Infrared cooktops distort current and reduce power factor, causing inefficiencies and infrastructure stress.