The Kitchen Reno Decision I Thought I’d Regret But Didn’t

Anyone who has survived a kitchen renovation knows there are a million tiny decisions that need to be made. Cabinet hardware? Lighting voltage? Faucet finish? Sure, some of them are fun, but decision fatigue hits real fast. And so when I renovated my kitchen last year, I wanted to make things as easy for myself as possible. Same layout as our last house and same appliances, too. Or so I thought.

You see, in our last place we had inherited a very fancy six-burner gas range from the previous owners. So what if I only ever used two of the burners? Lighting up the flames made me feel like I was in an episode of The Bear and I figured we’d just go gas again. That is until our contractor casually asked: gas or induction?

Hmmm… you know, cleaning my stove was kind of a pain. One splash of water in the flame pockets and suddenly that burner would be out of commission. And while high-end chefs love gas, I admit that I never really got the precise heat that I wanted. Whether due to too much use or design, I only seemed able to toggle between “low” and “high” flames (great for slow-cooked scrambled eggs, not so great for frying frozen fish fingers). Not to mention the fact that cooking over a live flame with kids made me nervous.

A quick Google search sealed the deal—New York City is already banning gas stoves in most new buildings. While we don’t live there, it got me thinking about resale value. And so, we opted for an induction stove (specifically, the Bosch 800 Series Induction freestanding range cooker).

And let me tell you, I love it. It’s a dream to clean (just a quick spray and a wipe and the whole thing is gleaming), boils water exceptionally fast (key when there are three hangry kids waiting for mac and cheese) and gives me extra peace of mind when little hands are helping (not only are there no open flames to contend with but the stove won't turn on unless a magnetic pot is placed on the surface). Plus, with nine power levels to choose from (not including the three additional settings: keep warm, melting and simmering), I am able to get the precise level of heat I need.

We did have to replace some of our cookware since an induction stove only works with a magnetic base, like cast iron, carbon steel and stainless steel. But truthfully, it was the push I needed to get rid of my old nonstick pans. And I haven’t missed them at all…except when cooking eggs. Stainless steel and eggs do not get along but TikTok taught me the trick—simply heat the pan for about five minutes first, then add your fat and then the eggs. No sticking!

But otherwise, no complaints. The induction is a keeper.