First, it’s useful to clear up the common question about the difference between a cooktop and a range. A cooktop refers just to the area where you’ll place your pots and pans on burners whereas a range (also called a stove) combines the cooktop with an oven or ovens.

You might be wondering why an induction cooktop could be a better choice for you than a traditional gas or electric stovetop. One reason is efficiency. Instead of having to heat up a burner and then heat up a pot, induction cooktops heat up the pot or pan directly, cutting down the time and energy it takes to cook. In fact, induction burners will boil water 2 to 4 minutes more quickly than gas or conventional electric burners do.

Additionally, unlike gas stovetops, induction cooktops do not introduce harmful chemicals into the air inside your house. And while induction stovetops can get hot due to the heat transferred from hot pots and pans, they cool off quickly because they are not actively generating their own heat. If you want to take extra precautions, you can find induction cooktops with hot surface indicator lights to warn you of warm or hot glass.

You might be choosing an induction cooktop in order to minimize your carbon footprint or simply because cutting-edge induction technology cooks faster and responds more precisely to temperature controls. Either way, you’ll want to consider what your kitchen can accommodate. Do you want to place your induction cooktop in the counter? If so, you will need to pair it with a wall oven, and you should consider professional appliance installation. Alternatively, you can opt for an all-in-one induction range.

If you’re cooking in a smaller space or need an option that’s transportable, the best induction cooktop for you will be a plug-in countertop induction burner. You can find these portable induction cooktops with one- or two-burner designs to meet your needs.

Remember: you must use your induction stovetop with induction-friendly cookware. Fortunately, many popular kinds of cookware, such as cast iron skillets, are induction safe. If you are new to induction cooking, you should also keep in mind that pots and pans will heat up more quickly with induction. For materials like cast iron, it is best to start at a low temperature when preheating the pan and increase gradually to maintain the integrity of the material.