Gas or Induction Hob? A Trade Supplier’s Honest Answer

<p>Let me start by saying something that might upset a few traditionalists — the days of the gas hob are numbered. </p>

<p>If you are planning a new kitchen right now, one of the biggest decisions you have to make is what to put in the worktop. For decades, gas was the undisputed king of the kitchen. It was what professional chefs used, it looked the part, and it gave you instant, visible heat. </p>

<p>But over the last few years, the market has shifted dramatically. I have been supplying kitchens to the trade and public across Greater Manchester for over 20 years, and I can tell you that induction is rapidly taking over. If you are a developer fitting out a new build, or a homeowner planning a renovation, you need to understand exactly what you are buying.</p>

<p>No sales pitch, just the facts as I see them. Here is the honest truth about gas versus induction.</p>

<h2>1. Speed and Performance</h2>

<p>If you have never cooked on a modern induction hob, you are in for a shock. They are incredibly fast.</p>

<p>An induction hob uses electromagnetic fields to heat the pan directly, rather than heating the air around it. According to independent tests by Which?, it takes just 4.6 minutes to boil a large pan of water on an induction hob, compared to over 12 minutes on a standard gas hob [1] [2]. </p>

<p><strong>The Reality Check:</strong> Gas gives you a visible flame, which some people prefer for visual feedback when simmering or using a wok. But for sheer speed and power, induction wins comfortably. It is also much more responsive than an electric ceramic hob, dropping the temperature almost instantly when you turn it down.</p>

<h2>2. The True Cost of Running Them</h2>

<p>This is where it gets complicated. Right now in the UK, electricity is significantly more expensive per unit than gas. Because of this, a gas hob is currently cheaper to run day-to-day [2].</p>

<p>However, you have to factor in efficiency. A gas hob is terribly inefficient — around 40% of the heat energy escapes up the sides of the pan and into your kitchen. An induction hob transfers up to 90% of its energy directly into the food [1]. </p>

<p><strong>The Reality Check:</strong> While gas is cheaper per unit, you use far less energy with induction because it cooks so much faster and wastes almost no heat. As energy prices shift in the coming years, the running cost gap between the two is likely to close entirely.</p>

<h2>3. Installation and Future-Proofing</h2>

<p>If you are a builder or developer reading this, you already know the score. The UK government is committed to phasing out gas in new build homes to meet Net Zero targets. We are moving towards an all-electric future.</p>

<p>If you are replacing an existing kitchen, sticking with gas means you need a Gas Safe registered engineer to handle the pipework, which adds to your installation costs. Switching to induction usually just requires a qualified electrician to run a dedicated 13-amp or 32-amp cable from your consumer unit [1].</p>

<p><strong>The Reality Check:</strong> If you are planning to stay in your home for the next 10 to 15 years, induction is the future-proof choice. If you are fitting a <a href=”https://sjball.uk/do-you-need-a-kitchen-island/”>kitchen island</a>, induction is also much easier to install than trying to route a gas pipe under the floor.</p>

<h2>4. Safety and Cleaning</h2>

<p>Let’s be honest — cleaning a gas hob is a miserable job. You have to remove the heavy cast iron pan supports, take off the burner caps, and scrub around the awkward raised sections to get the grease off. </p>

<p>An induction hob is a completely flat sheet of glass. When you finish cooking, you spray it, wipe it with a microfibre cloth, and you are done in ten seconds.</p>

<p>More importantly, induction is vastly safer. Because the hob only heats the magnetic pan, the glass surface itself remains relatively cool. If you remove the pan, the heat stops instantly. There is no open flame to catch a tea towel, no risk of a gas leak, and no hot cast iron grates for a child to touch.</p>

<p><strong>The Reality Check:</strong> If you have young children in the house, or if you simply hate cleaning, induction is the only logical choice.</p>

<h2>5. The Pan Problem</h2>

<p>There is one catch with induction: your old pans might not work.</p>

<p>Induction hobs require cookware with a magnetic base — usually stainless steel, cast iron, or enamelled iron. If you have expensive copper or aluminium pans, they will not heat up at all [2]. </p>

<p>You can easily test your current pans by holding a fridge magnet to the base. If it sticks, you are good to go. If it doesn’t, you need to factor the cost of a new pan set into your <a href=”https://sjball.uk/kitchen-planning-mistakes/”>kitchen planning</a> budget.</p>

<h2>The Final Verdict</h2>

<p>Gas is trad