Philips Viva Induction Cooktop is the best induction cooktop in India. It offers the best combo of features, brand, and price among a sea of similar-looking options. If you’re looking for something more specific like a budget induction stove or a favourite brand, check out the rest of my list.
You can also browse the guide for some helpful pointers.
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Best Induction Cooktops in India
This electric stove from Bajaj comes at an affordable price without skimping on the features.
With a Wattage capacity of 1900 Watts, this one can reach high temperatures in a short time. So, small tasks like boiling water and milk, are done in almost no time.
For more complex recipes, the cooking time is still shorter compared to gas stoves. And you can even choose from the 8 pre-set menus if you don’t want to guess the suitable temperature.
However, users find themselves sticking to the temperature buttons labelled ‘+’ and ‘-’. Just like the gas stove’s knob, its simpler to adjust temperature with the two buttons as and when you need it.
You can cook in the range of 700C to 2700C (which you can clearly see from the temperature scale given on the induction panel. Other than these features you also get a delayed start timer and the power switch (which indicates the power consumed).
If you have a child at home, you might prefer an induction cooktop with a child lock. However, this Bajaj model doesn’t have one.
The entire surface is a large rectangle without any unnecessary crevices. To clean, you just need to wipe it with a wet cloth (or a soapy one for tough and dried stains).
If you live in a hostel or just away from home, this induction chulha has all features suitable you may need and comes at a great price! And with a brand like Bajaj, you don’t need to worry about its reliability.
- Free kadhai with lid
- 1900 W
- 1-year warranty
An Induction cooktop lets you start cooking anywhere (provided an electric point is near). It is perfect for a mini kitchen or no kitchen at all (in case of dorms and hostels).
This induction cooktop from Philips brings all the important features to your cooking space. And its price will fit anyone’s budget.
The design adds an elegant touch to any surface the electric stove is placed on. And once its ‘on’ you can choose among 6 pre-set menus to start cooking without the hassle of selecting the right temperature.
Alternatively, you can also choose between a scale of temperatures from 70-240 degrees Celsius. Just like the knob on the gas stove, you can adjust the heat with the ‘+’ and ‘-’ buttons.
You can even set a delayed start with the cooktop’s timer, for up to 3 hours.
This induction model ensures there are no accidents while cooking. It does this by turning off automatically if there’s no utensil on it or if the temperature gets too high.
So, don’t worry if you ever forget to switch off the induction stove.
The induction technology has an inherent benefit that protects you from getting accidental burns. Since the cooking is done via the creation of a magnetic field around the induction coil, the surface doesn’t get very hot.
This Philips induction cooktop has the best combination of price, design and features. It sure is the best induction stove under 3000 in India!
- Elegant design
- 2100 W
- 1-year warranty
This Pigeon induction cooktop by Stovekraft brand has a unique feature unlike others. It comes with a completely feather touch panel for operation.
So, the entire surface is one smooth layer without the groovy surfaces of other button-based induction stoves. Although this is great for cleaning, the touch-panel also makes this model unfit for rough use.
If you’re prefer the feel of pressing down buttons, then you can explore other 4 of my recommendations.
With a soft touch you can turn the induction cooktop ‘on’ and get cooking. You can choose between 8 pre-programmed menus or select the temperature yourself from the scale on the panel.
You also get other features like a ‘pause’ option, and a delay timer. The only thing you need to ensure from your side is the use of induction compatible utensils.
Any magnet-friendly flat-bottom vessels work great on the induction top. This includes materials like magnetic steel and iron (most Indian kitchens already have such cookware).
In case you don’t have it, you can check out my cookware recommendations in the guide below. Al-in-all this one is the best induction for users living away from home.
- Easy to clean
- 2100 W
- 1-year warranty
- Feather touch panel
- Value for money
For a budget price you get an induction cooktop with all the necessary features. This induction stove from Usha is ideal for anyone living away from home and who doesn’t want to spend a lot.
With this cooktop you get a stylish induction stove with a button-based operation panel. By turning it ‘on’ you can either select a suitable temperature (from the Wattage scale) or choose a pre-set menu from the 5 options.
You can see the temperature in the induction’s display screen and even pause the cooking if you’ve to attend to the door. With a Wattage capacity of 1600 W, the induction cooktop can quickly heat up within seconds and reduce your cooking time.
Although its Wattage range isn’t as high as other induction cooktops, it can reach temperature of about 200 degrees. This is enough to do most of the cooking.
Overall, this one is a good buy if you don’t wish to spend much on your induction stove.
- 5 pre-set menus
- 1600 W
- 1-year warranty
If you’re looking for the best induction cooktop under 2000 Rupees, then look no more! This induction stove from Prestige offers a great combination of features and price.
This model is best suited for users who cook once-in-a-while or those who live in hostels.
You can choose the temperature with the plus and minus buttons provided on the operation panel. Or you can choose from the pre-set menus.
With 8 pre-set menus this one is at par with the costlier models. With pre-set menus, you won’t have to experiment with the temperature settings while cooking rice, heating milk, frying etc.
The flat surface makes cleaning easier. However, the grooved operation panel can be a bit harder to clean especially for touch stains (but its still easier compare to a gas stove).
As the surface hardly overheats (even after cooking) you can rest assured that there won’t be any accidental burning while you use the induction cooktop.
All-in-all this induction cooktop is a great budget buy!
- 8 pre-set menus
- 1200 W
- 1-year warranty
- Budget buy
How to find the ‘right’ induction cooktop?
If you compare induction cooktops online, you’ll find that most have similar features like a number of pre-set menus, timer and temperature scale. All have smooth, levelled surfaces with minimum grooves and crevices to facilitate easy cleaning.
Other than the plus-minus in the number of features, the only main points of difference (and factors for your decision making) are the cost and brand. (And Wattage too, but keep reading to find out why it isn’t as important).
The Cost factor
The cost difference between the most and least expensive induction cooktop amounts to a few thousand Rupees. If you are especially sensitive about the cost due to a tight budget then it should play an important role in your decision making.
In such cases, going for budget models with the most basic features is the best option. (Don’t worry, even the basic models come with temperature scales and pre-set menus, just the number of choices will differ).
Another feature tightly related to cost of the induction cooktop is the Wattage.
The induction’s Wattage indicates how quickly it will heat up and how high can it go. The available range is between 1200 to 2100 Watts.
As you can guess, budget models have low Wattage capacity compared and this increases as the price goes up. So, even if Wattage is an important consideration, it depends on how much you’re willing to pay.
Brand
Other than cost, the brand of the induction cooktop should make or break your final decision. Since there’s not much variation in the features, the reliability and durability of the induction stove becomes important.
And both are indicated by the brand’s reputation and performance record.
Brands like Bajaj, Philips, Havells, Prestige and Pigeon are trusted and favoured in India. Buying an induction cooktop of any one of these brands is a matter of choice and your personal preference.
I’ve already shortlisted the best induction models from these brands above. You can check them out.
What to expect from Induction Cooktops?
- Speedy Cooking
Induction cooktops reduce the wastage of heat and keep it focused on the task at hand that is ‘cooking’. This significantly lowers the cooking time.
For example, with an induction stove you can make 2 minutes maggi within in 2 minutes!
Another aspect that contributes to faster cooking time, is the sensors and temperature control that come with induction cooking. Induction stoves are efficient at maintaining the set temperatures, thanks to sensors and thermostat they come with.
Although they may not be accurate all the time (i.e. not as precise as thermometers) induction cooktops do a thorough job of cooking your food like an expert!
- Portability
Gas stoves and microwaves can be a hassle to move around. This gives induction cooktops a natural edge over them.
To move an induction cooktop, just unplug it and pack it. It will fit even in most laptop backpacks. This portability makes induction a great option for users that frequently change homes.
- Easy maintenance
Another advantage induction stoves have over gas stoves is how easy they are to clean and maintain.
On gas stoves, getting rid of tough and dried stains can get tricky since there are so many grooves and corners on it. Sometimes even a good scrub won’t do it, you have to repeat twice or thrice to completely clear the stains.
But that’s not the case with electric stoves.
A damp cloth is enough to clean the surface including the operation panel. For some greasy or dried stains, a soapy cloth will do the job.
- More safety
Induction cooktops don’t get hot (they may get warm due to the utensil’s heat). There’s also no flame involved.
As there’s no flame, the hostel room or your kitchen doesn’t get smoky at all.
All the above three factors make induction chulhas safer than gas stoves. But that’s not the only safety parameters ticked by induction cooktops.
Almost all of the models come with automatic shut off function. Due to this the induction shuts off if there’s no cookware on top or if the temperature gets too high.
So, even if you turn on the induction cooktop and forget about it, it will switch off after a few minutes, preventing any mishaps.
Induction Compatible Cookware
Induction is a method of heat transfer, that happens via the creation of an electromagnetic field. Any object within this field’s range experiences the force of induction.
Heat is generated within the vessel and focused on the task at hand i.e. cooking. But, this force of induction doesn’t work on every cookware within the magnetic zone and the reason lies in its material.
Most Indian kitchens have different types of cookware. These include cookware made of stainless-steel Aluminium, Glass, Copper, Iron and so on.
Iron works best with induction cooktops along with cookware made of magnetic stainless steel. But most times cookware come in layers where Iron is in-between Aluminium or is coated with some other material (e.g. pans).
So, how will you know the cookware you already have is induction compatible or not?
Well, you can do this by giving your cookware the ‘magnet test’.
Take a magnet (fridge magnets work too) and bring it near the base of the cookware you want to test. If it sticks, then your cookware is induction compatible.
Since the field generated by the induction coil is magnetic in nature, only magnet-friendly cookware is affected by it.
Another compatibility factor is the cookware must be flat-bottomed. Round-bottom cookware either won’t be detected by the induction stove or will keep turning and slipping from the surface which can cause accidents.
Hence, in terms of induction compatible cookware you just need to keep two things in mind:
- If a magnet sticks to the cookware, then it will work on induction cooktop
- The cookware must have a flat bottom
If you live in a hostel, dorm or a rented flat, and want to stock up on your cookware, then take this opportunity to get some induction friendly ones. Here’s the link to 2 of the best induction cookware combos on Amazon.
Check out this article by thespruceeats to know more about induction compatible cookware.
How to use Induction Cooktop?
To understand how to use an induction stove the ‘right’ way, we must first understand how it works.
How does an induction cooktop work?
Whenever we ‘cook’ food, 9 out of 10 times it involves the use of heat. This heat is passed on through various appliances viz. a gas stove, microwave oven, electric grill, induction chulha and many others.
But no matter what device we’re using, heat is traneferred in either of the 3 ways—conduction (e.g. gas stove), convection (e.g. microwave oven) and induction (e.g. induction cooktop).
Induction is the process by which a target object (like a utensil) is magnetized by an external magnetic field. This magnetized energy gets converted into heat energy (in the target utensil) and the food gets cooked.
An induction cooktop combines the forces of electricity and induction, to generate heat and cook our food. An induction cooktop consists of a coil (mostly a Copper coil) to which electricity is supplied.
Due to the electric current, the Copper coil generates a magnetic field around it. If any magnet-friendly vessel is kept in this magnetic field, anything inside it will get cooked because of induction.
And the cooking happens without heating up the ceramic glass plate in-between the induction coil and the vessel on top.
For example, this gif shows a man cooking an egg on a special half pan. As you can see, the egg on the pan gets cooked, but the half on the induction surface remains uncooked.
This is because the heat is generated because of the magnetic field of the coil which directly affects the cookware. If the vessel is compatible (i.e. made of a magnetic material), it acts like a Smartphone receiving Wi-Fi signal.
The heat is produced within the vessel and transferred to the food inside it. The induction surface remains cool to touch (however, practically, it does get warm because of the cookware’s heat).
So, the Copper coil inside the induction stove, heats up the food inside the utensil even when it is not directly touching the utensil (as the surface is made of ceramic or glass). In fact, this is one of the advantages of using an induction cooktop.
This unique working mechanism of an induction stove lead to some differences in how to use them when compared to a gas stove. Here are a few important tips for using induction cooktops the right way.
- Be aware of the cooking time
Unlike gas stoves where more than half the heat is lost to the surroundings (turning your kitchen into an oven), induction cooktops don’t waste heat.
Since induction works only within the magnetic zone created by the induction’s Copper coil, the heat is remains contained within it. This shortens the cooking time.
Keeping this in mind, you might want to gather the ingredients beforehand (so that food doesn’t burn). Or keep the temperature low to avoid any sudden boiling-over of milk.
- Experiment with numbers
A major part of learning to cook on a gas stove is understanding the ‘flame’. When to keep it high and when to turn it low can make a huge impact on how your dish turns out.
But in case of induction stoves, there’s no knob to turn the heat ‘up’ or ‘down’. You can either select from the pre-set menus or choose from the temperature menu that you’re given.
However, you’ll have to experiment with the numbers. Once you’re comfortable using the induction cooktop, you’ll instinctively know when to shift to a higher temperature and when to lower it.
- Let your induction stove breathe
There’s an air vent at the back of induction stoves to let the heat pass out. If the hot air is unable to escape, it can damage the induction and you’ll have to dump the cooktop instead.
Hence, locate where the vent is on your induction cooktop and leave atleast 4 inches gap between the vent and any obstruction (like a wall or wardrobe).
Here’s a general step-by-step process on how to use induction cooktop by hunker.com
Limitations of Induction Cooktops
Although few, induction cooktops do have some limitations that you can’t ignore. Here’s what they are:
- Cookware: As mentioned in my guide above, induction cooktops work only with induction compatible cookware that pass the ‘magnet test’
- Round bottom cookware: Again, a point I’ve clarified above, induction cooktops are compatible only with flat bottom cookware and not round bottom ones. This can be a disadvantage if most of the cookware you own is round bottomed
- Power cut: If the area you live in sees frequent and long power cuts then maybe you should rethink about getting an induction stove