An induction stove is often considered a power gurgler. This is because when calculating the power consumption, you consider its peak power and multiply it by the duration it runs for. However, the fact remains that you often don’t run it at its maximum wattage. Moreover, many induction stoves come with auto mode that optimizes energy consumption too.

Let us take a detailed look at how much power an induction cooktop consumes, how they work and all other essential aspects you need to know about the power consumption of an induction stove.

How Does Induction Stove Work?

Contrary to popular misconception, induction stoves do not have a heating element underneath the ceramic plate. Rather, it has an induction coil. When current passes through this coil, it gets converted to magnetic energy. As it is alternating current that passes, the magnetic fields change from positive to negative and back rapidly. This creates Eddy currents which can heat metal without touching them. As you would have understood by now, this is why you can only use iron-based metals like stainless steel and cast iron on induction cooktops. Else, they need to have an induction base.

Significance of Power In Induction Stoves

So, why is everyone obsessed with the power of an induction cooktop? It is simply because power is the most important aspect that you should consider when buying an induction stove. The higher the power, the quicker the cooking!

A 2100-watt induction cooktop can boil 1 litre of water in just about 4 minutes, while a 1300-watt cooktop takes about 7 minutes. Considering that most people buy induction cooktops for their convenience and speed, power is an aspect that you need to give due importance to. This brings us to the next section…

What Manufacturers Don’t Tell You!

Unfortunately, in India, manufacturers play around with home and kitchen appliances that do not have mandatory BIS requirements. And induction stoves are one such appliance.

Many induction stoves fail to achieve the peak power consumption that manufacturers claim in the product description. This especially happens with budget-friendlier models. For example, the Pigeon Cruise cooktop claims to have a peak power consumption of 1800 watts. But, when measured with a watt meter, it touched less than 1300 watts. The same was corroborated by the fact that it took around 7 minutes to boil water, while a 1900-watt induction stove took just around 5 minutes. The same was the case with a Prestige PIC 20 too. Both these are among the top sellers on most marketplaces.

It seems that in a bid to attract customers by offering high-powered induction cooktops at budget-friendly prices, manufacturers seem to twist the truth a bit.

One may think- So wouldn’t these induction cooktops with lower wattage consume less electricity? Not really.

For example, as mentioned, the 1300-watt stove took 7 minutes to boil water. To find the per-minute power consumption, we divide 1300 watts ( 1.3 units) by 60. Then, multiply it by the duration to find how much power it consumes overall. So, in this case, it takes 1.3 units/60 x 7 = 0.15 units.

In the case of a 1900-watt stove that takes 5 minutes to boil water, it takes 1.9/60*5= 0.158 units. As you can see, the difference is negligible. But, the time difference is significant, especially during the morning rush when every second matters!

Auto Modes In Induction Stoves

To calculate power consumption, you often multiply the peak power consumption by the duration. But, most of the higher-end models of induction stoves come with auto modes that adjust the wattage on their own to optimize energy consumption.

For example, keep warm and boil milk functions in induction cooktops runs in cycles where power varies from 800 watts to 4 watts. This way, the overall power consumption is optimized. Models like Philips HD4928/01 too come with several auto functions that make maximum use of the residual heat to minimize energy consumption.

That being said, there are many models and functions where the power consumption is steady. In such models, the overall power consumption of the appliance would be higher.

Power Consumption of Induction Cooktops

So now, let us calculate the actual power consumption of induction cooktops depending on their wattage and the duration it runs for.

Let us assume that a 1900-watt induction stove will actually consume just about 1600 watts per hour as it doesn’t always run at its peak capacity. In most homes, induction cooktops and gas stoves are used side-by-side. Mostly, induction cooktops are used for boiling water, milk and pressure cooking. So, let us assume that it runs for just an hour a day. In this case, it will consume 1.6 units of electricity per day. Per month, this comes to 48 units of electricity. Considering an average cost of Rs. 6 per unit, this will come to Rs. 288 per month.

To make things simpler, here is a calculator tool for you. Enter the peak power consumption of your stove, how many hours you use it per day, and the average per unit electricity cost in your city and find the monthly power consumption.

Conclusion

Contrary to popular belief, an induction cooktop can actually save you money. It doesn’t cost as much as running a gas stove. However, for better durability and energy optimization, we recommend buying an induction cooktop from a reliable brand and with sufficient features and functionalities. You can check out our in-depth article on best induction cooktops here.