If you asked me a few years ago about switching to an electric or induction stove, I would have scoffed. I grew up working in restaurants and kitchens. Professional chefs, many of whom I looked up to, largely regarded anything but gas as a joke.
Cut to last year. As a new homeowner with concerns about air quality and fire safety -- adulthood comes for us all -- I began to consider the inconceivable. I labored over the decision to go with gas or induction. Ultimately, I decided on induction. Hey, I test kitchen appliances for a living; it's only fair that I give induction a shake, having used gas my entire life.
I was a gas stove purist... until I wasn't. Alessandro Citterio/Getty Images
After many hours of digging into specs and features, I settled on Samsung's feature-rich Bespoke Smart Induction Range. The oven has app compatibility, Wi-Fi connectivity, a host of cooking modes and other features you won't find on the average range. Some I find useful and others not as much -- but more on that later.
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I'll admit, there are times when I miss the tactile nature of cooking with a gas burner. That said, after more than a year of use, I'm happy with the switch to induction. It's faster, safer, cleaner and more energy-efficient. I have no intention of going back.
Here are four big reasons why.
1. Air quality and peace of mind
There's legitimate concern about the effect of gas stoves on air quality. Brett Tyron
What pushed me to move on from gas has nothing to do with cooking. Study after study has shown that natural gas stoves pose a real risk of environmental contamination. While the scuttlebutt over whether gas stoves are safe and what regulatory guardrails should be in place has largely quieted, the science remains.
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