What is an induction cooktop?
Updated August 2026
An induction cooktop is the built-in, oven-free version of induction cooking: a glass surface with coils beneath it that heat magnetic cookware and nothing else. It drops into a countertop cutout above a cabinet, a drawer stack, or a wall oven, which gives you induction physics without buying an oven you did not need. Standard widths are 30 and 36 inches, with 4 or 5 elements and a boost setting near 3,700 watts on the largest one.
Where it is
The unit sits in a countertop opening, roughly 28-3/4 by 19-1/4 inches for a 30-inch model, with the electrical junction box mounted in the cabinet below. Separating it from a radiant glass cooktop takes two seconds: put a pan on an element and turn it up. Induction leaves the ring of glass around the pan barely warm and never glows, while radiant lights orange and stays hot for minutes after you shut it off. Induction also runs a small cooling fan you can hear from inside the cabinet.
What it does
Because the pan is the heating element, response is immediate in both directions and cleanup stays easy: anything that lands off the pan does not bake on, since nothing under it is hot. Three constraints come with that. Cookware has to be ferrous, so a magnet decides which of your pans survive the move. The unit needs a dedicated 240V, 40–50A circuit, the same service a full range draws. And the glass is structural, not decorative, so a dropped cast iron pot that stars the surface takes the cooktop out of service until a $300–700 glass replacement arrives. Thin lightweight pans also buzz audibly on the top settings, which is the pan flexing, not a defect.
Maintenance
Wipe the surface with a damp cloth after every use, then work in ceramic cooktop cream with a non-scratch pad weekly. Lift melted plastic and boiled-over sugar with a razor scraper while they are still soft; leave them until tomorrow and they pit the glass, which is the expensive way to learn the rule. Twice a year, clear whatever has drifted in front of the cabinet vents so the cooling fan can breathe, and check that the sealant bead around the cutout is intact. The rest is on the induction checklist, and a well-kept unit runs 10–15 years.
What it costs to replace
A replacement induction cooktop runs $1,000–2,500 for the cooktop, $150–400 for an electrician to land the circuit, and $300–700 for a replacement glass top.
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Frequently asked questions
How do I know if a pan works on an induction cooktop?
Stick a fridge magnet to the underside. A firm snap means the pan will heat well, a lazy pull means it will heat slowly and unevenly, and no grip means the element will refuse to switch on. Cast iron, carbon steel, enameled steel, and magnetic stainless all pass; bare aluminum, copper, and glass do not. Interface disks that sit between pan and glass exist for $30–60, but they heat sluggishly and give up the responsiveness you paid for.
Should I buy a cooktop and wall oven or a single range?
Run the numbers first. A cooktop at $1,000–2,500 plus a wall oven at $1,500–3,500 lands well above a comparable range at $1,000–3,000, and separates need two cutouts, two circuits, and cabinetry built around the oven. What you buy for that premium is an oven at chest height instead of knee height, a cooktop you can place on an island, and repairs that take out one appliance rather than both.
Is a cracked induction cooktop safe to use?
No. Live 240V wiring and the induction coils sit directly under that glass, and a crack gives spills a path down to both. Cracks also spread with every heat cycle. Shut off the breaker, stop using the surface, and price the fix: a replacement glass top runs $300–700 with labor, which on an older unit gets close enough to a new cooktop to argue for replacing it. A surface scratch with no crack through the glass is cosmetic.