Comrade WeezWho has an induction cooktop? Impressions?
Bud Talbot@weezmgk we recently switched to induction from gas, and we love it. We had used induction for ~6 months when on sabbatical in Oz, and since then had wanted to switch at home. It responds very well to settings changes
@bud_t Thanks for that! By chance did you get to use it with an ordinary cast iron wok?
@weezmgk yes it works with our cast iron. One thing to note is that the surface of ours (Bosch) can scratch easily so take care with cast iron. A trick is to put a paper towel between the pot and the surface.
@bud_t great tip, thanks for that. Did you need a non-ferromagnetic wok ring?
@weezmgk we haven't used it with a wok, but rather a pan and dutch oven that are cast iron.
The unit we used in Oz had an induction cooktop with one gas hob, which was ideal for the wok
@bud_t Gotcha, thanks for that. It's time to shut off the fossil gas here. The only thing I think I would miss is my 50ish year old well seasoned cast-iron wok. Most appreciate your info!
@weezmgk yes we had to change a few pots/pans that we liked, but it is totally worth it. Like you, we are also trying to get off the gas as much as possible. Home heating is the big challenge for us. Converting to electric heat pumps will be very expensive when we get there.
@bud_t This house is open plan so we have got just one split system reverse cycle Daikin heat pump for heating. It's brilliant. A couple of minor repairs, in 8 years, indoor unit fan motor, vane swing motors. Wasn't cheap but well worth it. Glad we didn't go cheap.
___I have a non-standard configuration, and love it!
I bought a $40 stand-alone induction cooker from K-Mart (ex-display, marked down to $20 😂) to see what they were like, and was an instant convert. My kitchen now has 2 of these side by side sitting on top of whatever was built-in.
The fine control of temperature, the instant response, the fact that the cooktop doesn't heat up, the power saving, and the timer are what I like.
@Havenite Excellemt, thanks for that. The date stamp on the gas cooktop is 1994, I've had to repair it a couple of times, and the recent reportage about CO, NOx etc emissions from fossil gas combustion prompts us to retire it. I hope it will work with my old cast iron wok.
Kudra 
@weezmgk I started using an induction cooktop years ago when they weren't that good (over a decade ago), and very picky about what you put on them. Didn't like. Got a second one much more robust and was used for several years, on and off. Now on my 3rd. It's even better, and crazy efficient. Has a timer so can put something on it and not worry about forgetting it & burning, my main complaint about older hobs of any kind.
I love this, so I@weezmgk me, love it for everything except cooking in a wok, where it’s merely “good”. Buy a $50 portable one to see for yourself
@jpm Great suggestion. However, we're certain to replace the gas cooker- there's no viable electric alternative but induction. Ceramic radiant is still electric resistance and si slow as ordinary resistance coil types to change temp. I fear that I'm just going to have to get a flat bottomed ferromagnetic wok, though....
@weezmgk the other option is to go “the other way” - get a portable wok burner (100,000BTU for the flames of hell) and hook it up to your BBQ’s LPG cylinder.
Budget about $750 for sparky and gas plumber to do the gas disconnection and install the new 32A circuit, but be prepared to spend $2500 in case you need a full switch board rebuild.
Blacksmith@weezmgk
Apart from having to replace some pots and pans to be suitable (I'm going to miss the giant aluminum stock pot), it's pretty straightforward.
We have a 20amp circuit for the cooktop. It manages power so that the circuit isn't overloaded (you can't run all 5 "burners" at full tilt), this isn't an issue with normal cooking.
The main thing that is annoying, is our touch screen controls are a bit sensitive and can turn off accidentally and you may not notice.
Cooking behavior wise, just like gas, maybe a bit faster.
@Blacksmithoz Brilliant, thanks for that!
Reselsnark@weezmgk love it, but we’ve always had a Bosch. Some I know not liked the cheaper brands.
When we left the last place, this place had gas and everyone insisted that gas was better and we’d never go back. We changed it to induction in a year.
As others have said woks can be an issue, but we have a flat bottom one that works well.
Comrade elronxenu@weezmgk I had one long ago in 1999, and it's been devolution since then. Can't understand why they keep building homes with gas.
@elronxenu you had an induction cooktop in 1999? 🤔
@weezmgk Yeah. Since then it's all been downhill.
@elronxenu OK! Weird!
MrJoshua@weezmgk Me, we’ve had them at two houses now and they’re just ace!