When you add an induction cooktop and matching cookware to your kitchen, you gain many benefits. What would you do if your stovetop stopped working? Do you have a plan for how you would cook while choosing a new stove and getting it installed? Most people don't and it causes a huge interruption in their life when their stove goes out.

Even losing one burner or one side of your stove can cause issues. What about cooking for larger groups around the holidays? Do you have the space and the ability to do host family parties with groups of 10 or more? If not, adding an induction cooktop might be the answer. Here is what you get from the right induction cooktop.

The Benefits of Choosing an Induction Cooktop for Your Kitchen

1. Speed

Most induction cooktops have proven they can cook food faster than gas or electric stoves. Induction cooking takes advantage of nearly 90% of the heat / energy created, whereas gas and electric stoves only take advantage of 30% to 40%. The heat from gas and electric stoves escapes to the sides of the pan, but with induction, cooking this doesn't happen.

With the ability to cook faster, you can prepare better meals in less time. This is a huge advantage and many people become hooked once they discover how to properly use their cooktop.

2. More Cooking Surfaces

With a one or two burner induction cooktop, you will gain more space to cook in your kitchen. This allows you to cook for larger groups or prepare more courses. It is an easy way to add a few extra burners or just one extra burner to your kitchen.

3. Portability

The right induction cooktop will be very portable, which allows you to take it with you anytime you need. If you need to keep a dish warm for a potluck dinner or you want to take it with you camping, you can. Those that travel in an RV will love the flexibility they get with it. As long as you can plug it in, you can cook with it, which makes it a great tool for anybody to own.

4. Easy to Clean

You won't need glass cleaner or any special cleaner for most of the induction cooktops on the market. They are made with a surface that is very easy to clean after you are done. Just a washcloth, soap and water are about all you really need to clean most of the cooktops available.

5. Safety

With a gas stove, you cannot avoid releasing toxins into the air you breathe and even some can escape with electric stoves. However, when you add an induction cooktop to your kitchen, you don't have to worry about any safety issues. No toxins will be released and the surface will remain cook, so that you don't burn yourself.

6. Less Heat

Even with the efficiency of cooking food faster, these cooktops don't emit as much heat into your kitchen as a gas or electric stove. In the summertime, you won't have to worry about cooking and heating up your entire house, and this can actually keep your air conditioning bill down because there will be less heat in your home.

What to Expect from a Top of the Line Portable Induction Cooktop

When you choose one of the better brands for your cooktop, you can expect to get a product with the ability to do everything you are hoping for. Most of the best choices will give you a variety of heat settings and some even allow you to set a specific temperature, instead of just low, medium and high. This gives you extra flexibility, but this feature is not found with all of them.

You can also expect to buy new cookware made for the induction cooktop. To figure out if you need new cookware or not, just use a magnet and see if it sticks to your pan or not. Cast iron is great for induction cooking, but if you do have to get a new set of cookware, there are some great sets out there that are made specifically for these cooktops.

All in all these cooktops are a great addition to any kitchen and can add flexibility to your cooking style. It will take a little time to adjust to the speed of the cooking, if you have never used this type of cooking, but once you get used to it, you can cook many things fast and easy.