Changing from gas to induction is more than exchanging one cooktop for another. The new appliance must fit the benchtop and cabinetry, the electrical supply must suit its requirements, and a licensed gasfitter needs to deal with the old gas connection. Extraction, cookware and everyday cooking habits also deserve attention before you buy.
A kitchen renovation is a useful time to make the change because cabinetry and service routes may already be accessible. Start with an electrician’s assessment and the dimensions of a shortlisted appliance. That gives you a practical basis for comparing the whole installation cost, rather than choosing a cooktop first and discovering expensive constraints later.
Separate the cooking choice from the installation choice
Induction heats compatible cookware using an electromagnetic field. It responds quickly to changes in setting and gives you a flat surface to clean. Those characteristics may appeal to a household accustomed to gas, but controls, cooking-zone layout and power sharing vary between models.
The Australian Government’s Your Home guidance highlights electrical capacity, cookware compatibility and cut-out dimensions as considerations when replacing gas with induction. Treat those as early checks. They can affect whether a particular model works in your existing kitchen without extensive changes.
Write down what you actually cook. A household using a large frying pan and two saucepans needs a different zone arrangement from someone who mainly uses one pan. The largest advertised number of zones is not necessarily the most usable cooking surface.
Have the electrical supply assessed before purchase
Ask a licensed electrician to inspect the existing installation and review the shortlisted cooktop’s electrical specifications. The assessment should consider the appliance connection, cable route, switchboard, protective devices and other relevant household loads. Do not assume the old gas cooktop’s ignition power point can supply a built-in induction appliance.
The electrician should identify whether a new circuit or other work is needed and provide a defined scope. In an apartment or multi-level house, access to the switchboard and cable route may be a significant part of the job. Discuss building or strata constraints where they apply.
Avoid specifying electrical capacity from a generic article
Different cooktops have different connection arrangements. Some offer configurable power limits, while others are designed for particular supplies. The correct answer comes from the selected product documents and the electrician’s assessment, not a universal amperage copied from another installation.
Ask what a power limit means while cooking
If a model can limit its total power, ask the supplier to demonstrate how this affects several zones running together. The appliance may share available power between zones. That can be acceptable for your routine, but it should be understood before purchase rather than discovered during a large family meal.
Keep electrical work in the written kitchen renovation budget. A cooktop price that appears affordable may represent only part of the change if switchboard or access work is required.
Check the cut-out, not just the advertised width
A cooktop described as 600 mm wide does not necessarily fit the opening left by another nominally 600 mm appliance. Record the required cut-out width and depth, corner details, overall glass dimensions and installation clearances from the actual model documentation.
The space below matters as well. The appliance body, cooling requirements, cable and any specified protective separator can affect the drawer or oven underneath. Ask for a section drawing through the benchtop and cabinet so these requirements are visible.
IKEA Australia’s MATMÄSSIG information, for example, separately identifies overall dimensions, cut-out dimensions, electrical requirements and a protective separator for certain drawer installations. Those are model-specific details, illustrating why a product name or nominal width is insufficient.
If the existing benchtop needs alteration, have the material identified and the proposed work assessed by an appropriately qualified specialist. Existing engineered stone and other silica-containing materials require particular care and applicable controls. Do not plan an informal on-site cut to make a replacement fit.
Coordinate the gas disconnection
Have a licensed gasfitter assess and safely disconnect the old appliance as required. Decide whether other gas appliances will remain, such as hot water or heating. Removing a cooktop is different from ending the property’s gas service.
If the cooktop is the last gas appliance, ask your retailer or relevant service provider about the process and charges for ending or abolishing the service. Confirm the sequence with the trades before work starts. Do not assume removing the appliance automatically stops ongoing supply charges.
Where other gas appliances remain, the immediate financial comparison should retain the continuing gas service costs. Avoid claiming a saving from removing a daily gas charge unless the household will actually stop paying it.
For a broader transition, connect the cooktop decision with your sustainable renovation plan. Coordinating changes can prevent repeated access work, but there is no need to replace a sound appliance solely to make every upgrade happen on the same day.
Test the cookware you want to keep
Induction needs suitable magnetic cookware. Look for the manufacturer’s compatibility information and inspect the base condition. A magnet test can help identify a compatible base, but size, flatness and the appliance’s pan-detection requirements still matter.
Check your most-used frying pan, stockpot, small saucepan and any specialty cookware. Include the smallest pot you regularly use, as some appliances may not recognise a base below their specified size. A favourite pan that technically works may still be awkward if its handle obstructs another zone.
- Group cookware into confirmed compatible, uncertain and replacement needed.
- Measure base diameters rather than only rim diameters.
- Check whether two large pans can sit side by side on the proposed model.
- Test the position of handles relative to controls and neighbouring pans.
- Budget only for replacements you actually need.
If possible, attend a demonstration with representative cookware or carefully check a full-sized display. This is particularly useful for griddle plates, large casserole pans and wok cooking. A bridging function may help certain pans, but compatibility still depends on the product instructions.
Choose controls that feel natural to the household
Some induction cooktops use a separate slider for each zone; others require selecting a zone before adjusting a shared control. Try changing settings, starting a timer and turning everything off. Small differences can matter when several dishes are cooking at once.
Consider visibility, hand strength and how easily the controls can be reached without leaning over cookware. A sleek control panel may be less comfortable for someone who prefers tactile feedback. Include the regular cooks in the decision.
Ask about child locks, residual-heat indicators and automatic shut-off features, but do not treat them as a substitute for supervision. The glass can become hot from cookware even though induction heats the pan directly. The appliance still needs careful use around children and vulnerable users.
If someone has an implanted medical device, obtain advice from their clinician and the device manufacturer before choosing or using induction. Follow the relevant product guidance rather than relying on a general reassurance from a salesperson.
Keep extraction in the plan
Induction removes the gas flame from cooking, but food preparation still creates steam, grease and odours. Assess the rangehood with the new cooktop and room arrangement. An existing hood may remain suitable, or the renovation may reveal an opportunity to improve its installation.
The ducted versus recirculating rangehood comparison explains why the route for cooking air matters. Do not remove extraction planning from the project simply because the new cooktop is electric.
If considering a cooktop with integrated extraction, assess the cabinet space and complete air route below the benchtop. It can change drawer storage, service access and the installation cost. Compare the whole arrangement with an overhead system rather than comparing only appliance prices.
Compare installation costs using defined assumptions
Ask for separate prices for the cooktop, electrical work, gas work, cabinet or benchtop changes, disposal and any extraction alteration. Ensure GST treatment is clear and confirm which trades are included in an appliance retailer’s installation offer.
An illustrative planning example might allow AUD $1,400 for the cooktop, AUD $1,100 for electrical work, AUD $350 for gas disconnection and AUD $250 for minor cabinet adjustment. With GST assumed included in every allowance, the total is AUD $3,100. These are hypothetical inputs, not a quotation or claim about current Australian average prices.
If a further hypothetical AUD $1,200 of switchboard work and AUD $900 of benchtop-related work are required, the example becomes AUD $5,200. The difference shows why an inspection matters. It does not mean every installation needs either item.
For the full room, use the kitchen renovation cost guide alongside the itemised appliance scope. Avoid counting electrical or cabinet work twice if it is already included in the main renovation contract.
Calculate running costs without promising a fixed saving
Your running-cost result depends on cooking habits, the appliance, electricity and gas tariffs, any remaining gas service charge and the timing of solar generation. An efficiency advantage does not translate into one guaranteed annual dollar saving for every household.
For a transparent arithmetic example, assume cooking uses 0.8 kWh of electricity per day and the applicable energy rate is AUD $0.30 per kWh including GST. That equals AUD $0.24 per day, or AUD $87.60 over 365 days, excluding any allocation of the household’s electricity supply charge. Both the use and tariff are illustrative assumptions, not predictions.
Use your own bills and realistic cooking estimates when comparing options. If cooking mainly happens after sunset, do not assume all consumption will be supplied directly by rooftop solar. A battery changes that calculation only within its actual capacity and operating conditions.
Schedule the change so the kitchen remains usable
Confirm the new appliance is available and undamaged before arranging the final changeover. The electrician, gasfitter and cabinet or benchtop specialist may need a coordinated sequence. Establish who checks the completed fit and who removes the old appliance.
If the installation forms part of a larger renovation, decide the cooktop model before cabinetry manufacture. Its requirements can affect the storage underneath the cooking area and the timing of final connections.
Plan a temporary cooking arrangement if there will be a gap between disconnection and commissioning. A portable induction appliance can be useful when used in accordance with its instructions and the suitability of the electrical outlet, but it should not become an improvised substitute for a properly installed built-in model.
Allow a short learning period for familiar recipes
A responsive cooktop may change the timing you are accustomed to. Prepare ingredients before heating the pan and follow the manufacturer’s operating advice. Start with ordinary meals so you can learn the controls without also managing a complicated menu. There is little value in choosing an appliance solely for a demonstration of maximum power if most of your cooking happens at a gentle simmer.
Notice which settings work for your own cookware and record them if helpful. Different pan constructions can behave differently on the same zone. Keep the preparation area beside the cooktop clear so ingredients and utensils are close at hand.
If the change is part of a complete redesign, review the kitchen workflow with this routine in mind. Comfortable access to ingredients, a stable landing surface and sensible utensil storage remain valuable regardless of the fuel used.
Check the completed installation and keep the records
At handover, ask for a demonstration of the controls, power-sharing behaviour, safety features and cleaning procedure. Test cookware recognition with the pots you intend to use. Confirm that drawers open properly and that required ventilation openings remain unobstructed.
Keep appliance manuals, model and serial numbers, receipts and the relevant trade documentation together. Note any care instructions for the surrounding benchtop so cleaning the cooktop does not damage an adjoining finish.
- Approve the electrical scope before buying.
- Confirm the exact cut-out and below-bench requirements.
- Arrange licensed gas work and clarify service-account implications.
- Test cookware, zone spacing and controls.
- Retain a suitable extraction arrangement.
- Compare the complete installed price, including GST and exclusions.
The most successful gas-to-induction change is one that fits both the house and the way its occupants cook. Resolve the services and dimensions early, then select the controls and cooking layout you enjoy using. That turns an appliance upgrade into a considered improvement to the everyday kitchen.