The many benefits of induction cooktops are leading to a surge in their popularity in the United States. Users love their energy efficiency, precision cooking, and safety features. As an added bonus, the government is now helping new owners get theirs for free.
Traditional electric stoves and gas ranges heat up the surface of the appliance, which then heats the pot or pan on top of it. Induction stoves, however, use electromagnetism to directly heat compatible pots and pans, as Whirlpool explains.
This process is safer and more energy-efficient. Induction stoves are up to three times more efficient than gas stoves, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, and about 10% more efficient than other electric stoves, helping to cut down energy bills.
Induction stoves heat up quickly and can maintain consistent temperatures, helping home chefs make their meals faster and with more precision.
Safety-wise, because induction cooking heats cookware instead of the stove surface, users are much less likely to burn themselves on a hot stove.
Induction cooking also cuts down on methane pollution. Gas stoves leak the dangerous gas into your home, which can exacerbate asthma inside your house and contribute to rising temperatures worldwide. Induction stoves are safer for you and the environment.
With all these benefits, it's easy to see why so many people are switching to induction cooktops. The good news is, the government wants to help you get your own at a fraction of the cost, or for free.
The Inflation Reduction Act is a groundbreaking policy enacted in 2022. It's already helped more than 3.4 million families save money on home clean energy and efficiency upgrades, the Department of the Treasury reports.
Many incentives are already in place, and tax credits will be available soon to help consumers get up to $840 back for their purchase of an induction cooktop.
Full ranges with an oven can cost around $2,000, according to Forbes, but there are much more affordable options. In particular, installing a countertop cooktop with no oven can cost under $840, like this $589 Frigidaire model, which is Energy Star-certified.
And while they may not be eligible for the IRA tax incentives, portable induction burners from brands like Duxtop are easy to use, avoid the dangers of gas, and have all the other benefits of a full induction range — at a fraction of the cost. A portable induction single burner is only about $83.
For more information regarding tax incentives for induction cooktops, visit Rewiring America. Their easy-to-use calculator and other tools can help you find the benefits currently available to you and those that are on their way.
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