I’ve been writing about kitchens for more than 25 years and was smashing out my first bylines just as induction started edging into the mainstream. Back then, they felt a bit mad and futuristic — all kinetic energy and magnetic magic. Clever, yes, but not compelling enough to crush gas. I was happy with my flame-throwing hob and didn’t see a pressing reason to switch. Admittedly, I was mostly living on caffeine and instant noodles at the time.
Over the years, induction hobs have steadily improved, becoming more powerful, more convenient, and far less noisy. I covered the technology as it evolved, visiting cutting-edge appliance factories across Europe, reporting on the science, trends, and weighing up the arguments, including the now-familiar induction hob versus gas debate. But when I renovated my first home, I stuck with gas. It worked, and I liked the theater of cooking over an open flame. Plus, induction hobs were still insanely spenny.
