Induction vs electric stove is a choice I'd make on pans and price. Induction is faster, less wasteful and cooler to the touch, but every pan has to be one a magnet sticks to. On three matched Frigidaire pairs listed by Merit Home Furniture, the induction version costs $300 more than the smooth-top one. A plain radiant range costs less again at the bottom of the market, and it works with any flat pan already in the cupboard.
A radiant electric stove heats a coil or a glass-covered element first, and that heat passes up into the pan. An induction stove is an electric stove whose copper coils make a magnetic field under the glass. The heat starts in the base of an iron or steel pan itself.
Merit sells ranges, cooktops and other appliances for an Island kitchen through our Campbell River and Port Alberni stores. Merit Duncan, where I work, doesn't carry appliances, so what follows comes from our listings, the makers' manuals and public sources rather than from my own stove. Every price was checked on November 1, 2026, before applicable taxes.
What is an induction stove, and how does it differ from an electric stove?
An induction stove still runs on electricity, from the same kind of 240-volt supply a radiant range uses, but it puts the heat somewhere else. Natural Resources Canada says induction cooktops generate heat through electromagnets and heat the cookware directly, not the surface beneath. Frigidaire's use and care guide for its induction ranges describes the parts. A copper coil sits below each cooking zone, and when the zone is on, the coil becomes a kind of magnet that heats metal cookware.
A radiant electric stove works the older way. The element gets hot, glows red and passes heat into the pot through the glass or straight from the coil. Turn it down and the element takes a while to cool, so the pot keeps cooking after the dial moves. An induction zone has nothing glowing under it. With no pan on top, or with an aluminum pot that the field can't work on, it simply doesn't heat.
That last point explains most of what follows in this guide, from the speed to the pan rule to the safety features.
Coil and smooth-top: the two kinds of radiant electric stove
Radiant electric stoves come in two kinds, and Natural Resources Canada counts both: open coil tops and smooth cooking tops. A coil range has exposed spiral elements that lift out for cleaning underneath. A smooth-top range hides its elements under a sheet of glass-ceramic, which looks tidier and wipes flat but holds heat longer once it's off.
On our listings the gap between the two is small. The white Amana 30 in. coil range with self-clean is $849.99, and the Amana smooth-top in stainless is $899.99, both carried at Campbell River and Port Alberni. The smooth-top's front-left dual element is rated 3,000 W, beside an 1,800 W element and two at 1,200 W.
Induction vs electric stove: speed and efficiency in numbers
Induction sends more of the electricity it draws into the food than a radiant element does, and it brings water to a boil sooner. The gap between induction and radiant electric is real, though smaller than the gap between either one and gas. These are the figures I could confirm at their source.
| Measure | Induction | Radiant electric |
|---|---|---|
| Energy that reaches the food, per BC Hydro | Up to 90 percent | About 70 to 75 percent |
| Efficiency, per the US Department of Energy | Up to 10% more than a smooth-top | The baseline |
| Time to boil, Consumer Reports testing cited by the US Department of Energy | 20 to 40% faster | The baseline |
| Largest element, matched Frigidaire Gallery rear-control ranges | 2,300 W, or 3,600 W on boost | 3,200 W |
The last row matters more than it looks. The biggest radiant element on the Frigidaire Gallery rear-control electric range is rated 3,200 W, not far below the boost on its induction twin. So induction's speed comes mostly from where the heat goes. It lands in the pan, with little of it warming the glass and the air around the pot.
Makers publish their own boil claims too, and some appear on Merit listings. Whirlpool's listing for its 30 in. induction cooktop says it boils 12 cups of water on average 25% faster on its Booster setting. That's Whirlpool's own figure, and the listing doesn't say what it's measured against, so I'd read it as a maker's number rather than a lab's.
Is induction more efficient than electric?
Yes, induction is the more efficient of the two by every source above, though the saving on a power bill is modest. Natural Resources Canada says energy use varies so little between cooking appliances that Canada has no ENERGY STAR specification for them. An ENERGY STAR line on a range listing is the maker's claim. What every electric cooking appliance sold in Canada must carry is an EnerGuide label, with its average use in kilowatt hours a year. Whirlpool's smart induction cooktop, for one, lists 195 kWh a year, per the maker. I'd compare that line on the labels of the two models you're weighing, then judge the speed and the cooler glass on their own.
Do you need special pans for an induction cooktop?
Yes. An induction cooktop needs pans with a flat base that a magnet clings to. The US Department of Energy puts it in one line: any pot or pan with a flat bottom that a magnet sticks to will work. Frigidaire's guide adds the catch that some stainless steel won't work at all, so the word "stainless" on the box proves nothing.
The test takes a minute and a fridge magnet:
- Hold the magnet to the outside of the base. Test the centre of the bottom, where the pan meets the glass, not the side wall.
- Feel how hard it grips. Frigidaire's rule is that a magnet clinging firmly means the pan will work, and a weak grip or none means it won't heat.
- Check that it sits flat. Set the pan on a counter and press the rim. A pan that rocks fails Frigidaire's checklist, which asks for a flat bottom and straight sides.
- Look underneath for the symbol. Frigidaire notes that induction-ready cookware often carries an induction symbol printed on the bottom by its maker.
- Match the base to the zone. Each zone has an inner ring marking the smallest pan it will heat. A pan that's too small stays cold while the display flashes, which can look like an induction burner not working.
By material, Frigidaire's guide says cast iron works and holds heat well, and porcelain enamel works when it's on a magnetic metal. The guide says the cookware must contain magnetic iron or steel. Copper, glass, pottery and plain aluminum pans don't, so they won't heat unless their maker has bonded a magnetic plate to the base.
The real cost of switching depends on what's already in the cupboard. Cast iron and most enamelled steel pass the magnet test. If the magnet slides off the everyday saucepans and frying pan, the price of an induction range includes new pans, and I'd count that before comparing range prices.
What cannot be cooked on an induction stove?
Almost any food can be cooked on an induction stove; the limits are about the pan. A round-bottomed wok won't sit flat on the glass, and Frigidaire's checklist rules out curved or warped bases. Very small pots, such as a little butter warmer, may fall short of the smallest zone's inner ring. Glass coffee pots and clay pots won't heat at all. Home canning works on a flat-bottomed canner, and Frigidaire asks that it reach no more than 1 inch past the zone markings.
Control and safety on an induction stove top vs electric
An induction stove top answers the controls almost at once, and its glass stays cooler than a radiant top. BC Hydro's 2024 article on BC chefs who cook with induction praises the instant temperature change, and says heat transfer stops immediately, leaving the surface warm to the touch. A radiant element keeps glowing after it's turned down. A pot about to boil over on one has to come off the element, not just down a setting.
Cooler doesn't mean cold. Frigidaire's guide warns that induction zones can become hot from contact with hot cookware, and burns can happen. The range in that guide has a hot surface light that stays on until the glass has cooled to a safe temperature. Radiant smooth-tops have hot-surface lights too, and the Frigidaire Gallery 30 in. electric cooktop lists them. The difference is how much of the glass gets hot, and for how long.
Pan detection is the safety feature a radiant top can't copy. Per Frigidaire's guide, a zone only runs when its sensors find a suitable pan. If the pan comes off or slides off-centre, the display flashes and heating stops, and a zone left empty shuts itself off after three minutes. On our site, the Frigidaire Professional 30 in. induction range and the Whirlpool 30 in. induction cooktop both list automatic pan detection.
Cleaning follows from the cooler glass. Frigidaire's listing copy on our site makes the point that the area around the pan stays cooler, so spills and splatters can be wiped up during cooking. Its use and care guide adds that spills are less likely to burn onto the surface.
Pacemakers and induction cooktops: what to ask first
People with a pacemaker or another implanted heart device have a reason to check before choosing induction. Frigidaire's guide says such users should take care using or standing near an induction unit while it runs, because the field may affect the device. It suggests asking a doctor or the device maker. Medtronic, a pacemaker maker, lists induction cooktops on its Canadian site among things to keep 24 inches from a heart device.
A 2006 study by Irnich and Bernstein in the cardiology journal Europace put the risk mainly with unipolar, left-sided implants. It rose when the person stood as close as possible to the cooktop and the pot sat off-centre on its coil. Devices differ, so please ask your cardiologist or device clinic before buying, and bring the model number of the range you have in mind.
If I were replacing an electric range, I'd take a fridge magnet to every pot before looking at a single listing. If most of them grip, the $300 for induction on those Frigidaire pairs buys a faster, cooler top. If most of them slide off, I'd price new pans first, or settle on a good smooth-top and not look back.
What is the downside of an induction cooker?
The downsides of an induction cooker are the price, the pans, a little noise and, on many models, touch controls in place of knobs. None of them is a safety fault, but each is worth knowing before ordering.
- It costs more. Across Merit's matched pairs the extra is $300, and the cheapest induction range either store lists is $1,599 against $799.99 for the cheapest coil range.
- It hums. Frigidaire's guide says the field can make cookware vibrate, creating a buzzing or humming noise, more so at high settings and less with heavier pans. It also mentions faint clicking from the switches that hold the temperature.
- Fans run. Frigidaire Canada's support page says different fans cool parts of the range, even when it's off, and calls those sounds normal.
- The glass can scratch. That's true of any glass top, radiant included, and Frigidaire's guide says not to slide metal or glass cookware across it.
- It stops in an outage, like any electric range. Frigidaire's guide says not to run the appliance during a power failure, and to turn it off so nothing restarts when the power returns.
- Many models use touch controls. The LG slide-in induction lists glass touch controls, while the KitchenAid commercial-style induction range keeps front knobs.
Induction stove vs electric: price, circuits and wiring
On Merit's listings, induction costs more for the same oven, and the wiring is usually the same. Four Frigidaire pairs share an oven size and series and differ in the cooktop. In three of them, the induction model is exactly $300 more, before applicable taxes.
| Frigidaire pair and store | Induction | Smooth-top radiant |
|---|---|---|
| Gallery 30 in. rear control, 5.3 cu. ft. (Campbell River, Port Alberni) | $1,899 induction listing | $1,599 |
| Gallery 30 in. front control, 6.2 cu. ft. (Campbell River) | $2,399 induction listing | $2,099 smooth-top listing |
| Professional 30 in., 6.2 cu. ft. (Campbell River, Port Alberni) | $2,799 | $2,499 smooth-top listing |
| 30 in. front control, 5.3 cu. ft. (Port Alberni) | $2,549 induction listing | $1,499 smooth-top listing |
The fourth pair breaks the pattern. Its induction model lists $1,050 more than the radiant one, with the same fan convection oven on paper, so it's one to ask Port Alberni about before deciding.
Across all our listings the spread is wider. On November 1, Campbell River and Port Alberni between them carried 13 induction ranges, from $1,599 to $8,199.99. They carried 45 electric ranges with coil or smooth-top elements, from $799.99 to $4,749.
The circuit an induction range needs
An induction range usually asks for the same circuit as the electric range it replaces. Both Frigidaire Gallery rear-control ranges, induction and radiant, list the same supply on our site. Not every model matches, so the electrical line on the listing is worth reading before the old range goes out the door.
| Listing | Electrical, as listed |
|---|---|
| Frigidaire Gallery rear-control induction range | 240 V, 40 A minimum circuit |
| Frigidaire Gallery rear-control radiant range | 240 V, 40 A |
| Bosch 300 Series induction slide-in | 208/240 V, 40 A, 4-prong |
| LG 30 in. slide-in induction range | 120/240V, 47.5 A at 240V |
| Whirlpool 30 in. induction cooktop | 240 V (208 V compatible), 30 A |
| Frigidaire Gallery 30 in. radiant cooktop | 240 V, 9.2 kW, 40 A circuit |
The LG's 47.5 A is more than the 40 A the Frigidaire listings ask for, so for that one the installation guide and an electrician decide the breaker. Switching from gas, or adding a circuit where none existed, is electrical work. Technical Safety BC says a homeowner electrical permit is required for many kinds of home alterations, including connecting permanently installed equipment such as a dishwasher. Strata owners, non-strata duplex owners and anyone running a business from home can't get a homeowner permit, and use a licensed contractor, who applies for it.
Induction and radiant ranges and cooktops on Merit's listings
Merit lists induction and radiant models from several makers at Campbell River and Port Alberni. These Merit listings cover the span, cheapest to dearest, with prices before applicable taxes.
| Model | Cooktop, price and store |
|---|---|
| Frigidaire 30 in. rear control induction range | Induction, $1,599, Port Alberni |
| LG 30 in. slide-in induction range | Induction, $1,799.99, Campbell River |
| Bosch 300 Series 30 in. induction slide-in | Induction, $2,699, Campbell River |
| Bosch Benchmark 30 in. induction slide-in | Induction with a FlexInduction zone, $5,999, Campbell River |
| KitchenAid 30 in. commercial-style induction range | Induction, $7,999.99 to $8,199.99, Campbell River |
| Amana 30 in. coil range, manual clean | Coil, $799.99 to $849.99, Port Alberni |
| Samsung 30 in. electric range with air fry and griddle | Radiant, $1,399.99, Campbell River |
| KitchenAid 30 in. slide-in electric convection range | Smooth-top, $4,749, Campbell River |
| Whirlpool 30 in. induction cooktop | Induction, $1,299.99 to $1,349.99, Campbell River |
| Whirlpool 30 in. smart induction cooktop | Induction, $1,999.99 to $2,049.99, Campbell River |
| Frigidaire Gallery 30 in. electric cooktop | Radiant, $1,849, Port Alberni |
The cooktops hold a surprise. The one radiant cooktop either store lists costs more than the entry Whirlpool induction cooktop. For a cooktop over a wall oven, induction isn't automatically the dearer choice. To compare prices side by side, every range we list, induction and radiant together sits on one page, and the cooktops to set above a wall oven on another.
A Samsung induction range and cooktop, by special order
Samsung's Chef Collection, the subject of an older post on our site, isn't among the Samsung models we list now. Samsung induction is, as special orders with no store attached. The Samsung Bespoke 30 in. slide-in induction range, model NSI6DG9300SRAC, lists at $1,999.99. Samsung's own copy on the listing describes an anti-scratch matte glass top.
For a separate cooktop, the Samsung 30 in. black induction cooktop is $1,599.99. Its listing describes a sync feature that runs two zones from one control as a single large cooking area. Special-order pages like these show "Call to order (250) 746-5527", and that line takes the order.
Where gas fits beside induction and electric
Gas is the third option, and by every public figure I found it's the least efficient of the three. Natural Resources Canada calls gas perhaps the least efficient method of heating food, and says electric cooktops beat gas because more heat goes straight to the cooking surface. BC Hydro puts the share of energy reaching the food as low as 40 percent for gas. The US Department of Energy says induction is up to three times more efficient than a gas stove. A gas range also needs a gas line to the kitchen, which an induction or radiant range doesn't.
Who should choose radiant electric over induction, and the reverse
- Anyone with a pacemaker or implanted heart device whose cardiologist hasn't yet said induction is fine for them.
- A cook with a cupboard of copper, aluminum or glass pans they want to keep, or one who won't give up a round-bottomed wok.
- A tight budget. Radiant ranges start at $799.99 on our listings, about half the price of the cheapest induction range.
- Someone who wants knobs on a modest budget, since many induction models at the lower prices use glass touch controls.
- A home whose electrical panel can't take the circuit the chosen model lists, with no rewiring planned.
The reverse holds too. Induction's cooler glass and its three-minute shutoff on an empty zone may suit a household with small children reaching for the stove. The same goes for a cook who sometimes forgets a burner.
Where these stove facts come from
- Natural Resources Canada, Cooking appliances, checked November 2026.
- BC Hydro, Safe, efficient, delicious: B.C. chefs embrace induction cooking (May 31, 2024), checked November 2026.
- US Department of Energy, Making the Switch to Induction Stoves or Cooktops (May 11, 2023), checked November 2026.
- Frigidaire, Use and Care guide, Electric Range with Induction Cooktop (A11103204 Rev A), checked November 2026.
- Frigidaire Canada, Why does my induction range make noises when I'm cooking?, checked November 2026.
- Medtronic Canada, Electromagnetic compatibility for heart devices, checked November 2026.
- Irnich W, Bernstein AD, Do induction cooktops interfere with cardiac pacemakers? EP Europace, 2006, checked November 2026.
- Technical Safety BC, Homeowner electrical permits, checked November 2026.
- Merit Home Furniture's live range and cooktop listings, with prices, elements and electrical lines read November 1, 2026.
Asking about an induction or electric range at Campbell River or Port Alberni
Merit sells ranges and cooktops through two stores, Campbell River and Port Alberni. From Duncan and the Cowichan Valley, Port Alberni is the nearer drive. Comox Valley readers have Campbell River closest, as our page on the Courtenay store's closing explains.
It's worth calling first to ask which induction and radiant models are set up on the floor, and bringing the model number from the listing. A fridge magnet in a coat pocket settles the pan question on the spot. The breaker size for the range circuit, read off the panel, or a photo of the old range's rating plate helps the store check the circuit. Appliance delivery terms are for each store to confirm.
Merit's Campbell River store is at 1300 A Homewood Rd, and our Port Alberni store at 2935 Third Ave.
Port Alberni store: (250) 724-6644 or Campbell River store: (250) 286-0868
Special-order models, the Samsung induction range among them, go through (250) 746-5527. All four of our showrooms and the towns they serve are listed on one page. A kitchen plan that includes a wine cooler or beverage centre beside the range has a guide too. If the new stove is one part of a bigger kitchen refit, our guides to choosing the other appliances are gathered on one page.