If you're renovating your kitchen, or looking for a more efficient alternative to cooking with gas, a new induction cooktop is likely to be on your shopping list.
A little research will clearly tell you that preparing meals on an induction cooktop is one of the safest and most efficient ways to cook.
Not only will cooking on an induction cooktop be quicker and more energy efficient, but your stove will stay cool to touch
An induction cooktop heats your food quicker than any other type of cooktop because it produces an electro-magnetic field between the stove and the cookware to directly heat your cookware.
This means that not only will preparing your dinner on an induction cooktop be quicker and more energy efficient, but your stove will stay cool to touch during cooking too (unless you're cooking on high heat for an extended period of time).
Models that didn't shine in our testing
Induction cooktops generally perform pretty well, even the lowest scorers in our tests give good overall results. But they can also be pricey, so if you're spending the big bucks you want to make sure you're getting the best possible performance.
There are a huge variety of options on offer, each boasting different features such as flexible cooking zones, auto pan detectors, timers and more. The models we tested range in price from $599 to $5549.
Our kitchen experts have put a batch of induction cooktops through their paces in the CHOICE labs, so they're really on top of what to look out for when buying this nifty appliance.
Several of these bottom performers stood out as appliances our experts wouldn't buy for their own kitchens
Although even the worst performing models in our latest test received a CHOICE Expert Rating over 70% (which isn't a bad score, overall), the best performers in our review all scored 90% or above. Which means that the models below are certainly lagging well behind.
Several of these bottom performers stood out as appliances our experts wouldn't buy for their own kitchens. Here we reveal the five models that really didn't impress.
The good news is that alongside these low scorers were several cooktops at different price points our experts would happily recommend – check our induction cooktops review to see the best performers.
The induction cooktops our experts wouldn't buy
We don't want you to end up with a dud buy, so here are the products that scored lowest in our lab tests. Consider becoming a CHOICE member to see the best performers.
This Beko cooktop can't easily accommodate larger cookware.
Beko BCT601IGN 60cm
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 72%
- Cooking performance score: 68%
- Price: $1499
Our testers found several issues with this cooktop.
The manufacturer states that the cooktop can "accommodate any meal" thanks to its 'Indyflex' hob with flexible cooking zones that claims to accommodate either four normal pans or two larger ones.
But our testers didn't find this as convenient as it sounds.
"It's really important when selecting a cooktop to look at the cooking zones that it offers and check if it's compatible with your induction pots and pans," says CHOICE kitchen expert Fiona Mair.
"The issue with this model is the flexi zone is only 18cm wide and the large cooking zone is only 21cm wide. This means that pans with a base larger than 21cm may not work efficiently on this cooktop."
Pans with a base larger than 21cm may not work efficiently on this cooktop
"As part of our testing we also calculate the annual running cost of each model – this model will cost you around $80 a year to run, which is the highest of all the models in our review."
Our kitchen experts also found that this cooktop was a bit hit and miss when it came to the effectiveness of different induction cookware.
"There are plenty of other models around this price point that performed better in our testing, so I would opt for those over this Beko model," says Fiona.
Read the full Beko BCT601IGN review.
It may be cheap, but our experts weren't impressed with this Ikea buy.
Ikea SMAKLIG 59cm
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 75%
- Cooking performance score: 78%
- Price: $799
It might be one of the cheapest cooktops in our test, but this Ikea model unfortunately isn't a great buy.
Its cooking zone is only small, and it's very close to the controls, so your cookware could slide over the controls (causing an error that could shut down the controls).
It does have a flexi zone that accommodates rectangular or oval cooking pans, but the heat distribution across the flexi zone could be uneven.
And you can only use three cooking zones at the same time, which will limit what you can make. Plus, if your pans are larger than 21cm they may not work as efficiently.
In the case of this Ikea induction cooktop, buying cheap isn't the best way to save money on your kitchen reno. But even if you are on a very tight budget, we have tested an even cheaper model ($599) that – although not recommended by our experts – still gives impressive performance results and great bang for your buck.
To find out which model we're referring to check out our review to find the best induction cooktops for your money.
Read the full Ikea SMAKLIG review.
The control panel on this Whirlpool model isn't the most user-friendly.
Whirlpool WS8865NEP 65cm
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 76%
- Cooking performance score: 73%
- Price: $1499
A CHOICE Expert Rating of 76% is certainly not the worst performance we've seen in our kitchen labs, but CHOICE experts say that for that price, there are better buys out there.
Check out our induction cooktop reviews to find out the models we rate much higher.
"Ease of use is really important when you're considering which induction cooktop to buy," says Fiona.
"With this model, we found several issues that made the cooktop more complicated to use – for example, just like with the Ikea model above, the front cooking zones are positioned very close to the controls which runs the risk of causing an error and shutting off the cooktop.
The front cooking zones are positioned very close to the controls which runs the risk of causing an error and shutting off the cooktop
"The controls are also a little crowded which could be annoying if you have larger fingers or an issue with dexterity. There's no written labelling and very small symbols which means it's not intuitive to use, and you will likely need to refer to the manual quite a bit when you first use it."
Although this cooktop received an excellent score (95%) for cooking over a low heat (which means it's great for low temperature cooking tasks such as melting chocolate), there is no large cooking zone, which means the cooktop struggled to achieve the temperatures needed for high-heat cooking such as stir-fries.
Read the full Whirlpool WS8865NEP review.
One of the cooking zones sits very close to the controls on this Westinghouse model.
Westinghouse WHI645BE 60cm
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 76%
- Cooking performance score: 75%
- Price: $1599
While none of the performance results stand out as particularly bad, we expect more for $1599.
"When it comes to using an important kitchen appliance like your cooktop, ease of use can be just as important as performance," says Fiona.
"While this model has a clear digital display and a good selection of cooking zones, there are some annoyances that can't be overlooked for the price you'll pay for this cooktop."
"You're limited to only using three cooking zones at the same time, and if your pans are larger than 22cm in diameter they may not work as efficiently. The heat distribution across the flexi zone could also be uneven."
Our testing also found that there's limited spacing between control settings, so it can be a bit crowded and awkward for someone with larger fingers or dexterity issues.
The right cooking zone is positioned very close to the controls, so your cookware could slide over the controls, potentially causing the cooktop to switch off. And speaking of sliding, Fiona also found that pans can slide easily on the glass surface when stirring.
Read the full Westinghouse WHI645BE review.
Not worth the $3000+ price tag, say CHOICE experts about this Bosch cooktop.
Bosch PXV890DV5E 82cm
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 76%
- Cooking performance score: 75%
- Price: $3299
This Bosch has things a bit back to front: it has one of the highest prices of all the cooktops in our review, but one of the lowest scores.
You could spend hundreds of dollars less and get a cooktop that scores tens of points higher. In fact, three of the five cooktops our experts recommend cost less than this, but score 90% and higher.
So where did it lose marks? It didn't sizzle in our high-heat test, where we cook a veggie and beef stir-fry to see how the cooktop performs on a high heat setting for a short time.
Three of the five cooktops our experts recommend cost less than this one
One of induction cooktops' selling points is their responsiveness, which rivals gas cooktops: when you change the setting, the cooktop responds quickly and adjusts the heat. For the 'turn-down' test, our experts bring the rice to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer – this is a good measure of how responsive the cooktop is.
Ceramic cooktops don't always perform well on this test, but many of the ceramic cooktops we've tested scored far higher than this Bosch – even some models that are far cheaper.
Its ability to melt chocolate and cook white sauce, however, was red-hot: our experts scored it a scorching 95% on this test, which assesses how well it cooks on low heat.
But this skill couldn't save it from an underwhelming overall score. Unless you're a chocolatier or a white sauce addict, you can find better value for money elsewhere.
You could even buy a CHOICE membership, pick up an induction cooktop recommended by CHOICE experts for less than $3000, and still have spent less than if you paid top dollar for this model.
Read the full Bosch PXV890DV5E review.
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