Induction cooktops use powerful magnets to heat pots and pans. They're delicate enough to melt chocolate and powerful enough to bring six cups of water to a boil in three minutes. And while that's going on, you can touch the cooktop because it doesn't get hot.
Induction has been gaining ground in the U.S., although it remains pricey.
Kitchenaid and Whirlpool now offer 30-inch induction cooktops at prices ranging from $1,200 to $1,350.
Kenmore, Samsung, Frigidaire and GE offer stand-alone stoves ranging in price from $1,500 to $3,000.
Because it's far more efficient to heat cookware without heating the stovetop, they use less energy.
Robert McKechnie, quoted in USA Today, says "It's an instantaneous reaction in the cookware." A product developer for Electrolux, he says, "And with radiant you don't get that."
Cookware has been an issue. Because induction relies on electromagnetism, only pots with magnetic bottoms (steel and iron) can transfer heat. But if a magnet sticks to the bottom of any cookware you have now, it will work with induction.
McKechnie says there's a lot of cookware in homes right now that supplies that demand, but you can also use those pans with other fuels.
Induction ranges and cooktops might look identical to their radiant electric competitors. They cost more, though the gap has been closing. Ranges are available for $1,500, which has helped induction triple its market share since 2008.