Induction cooktops are a very popular addition in many modern homes. For many people, they make cooking even more of an enjoyable experience since they allow for faster cooking and easier cleanup.
However, most people are completely unaware that their induction cooktop actually produces high levels of EMF radiation when in use. Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of having an induction cooktop and discuss whether or not they’re safe.
First though, let’s answer the basic question.
Do induction cooktops emit radiation? Yes, induction cooktops do emit electromagnetic frequency radiation when used, and exposure to this radiation can be dangerous if not properly managed. Induction cooktops emit a fairly large amount of EMF radiation, and you are at the greatest risk when near the cooktop, however distance and proper equipment can significantly reduce your risk.
In this article we’ll be discussing what Induction cooktops are, but more importantly, we’ll be going over how and why they emit non-ionizing EMF radiation, and what you can do to protect yourself from it.
What is an Induction Cooktop?
An induction cooktop is a type of stove that allows you to cook your food using electromagnetic energy; the same type of energy that microwave ovens use to heat food. This type of energy works by heating your food from the inside out.
Initially, induction cooktops were primarily used in professional kitchens and restaurants. Many chefs love using induction cooktops to prepare some of their best meals.
This is because induction cooking allows for extremely fast heating of the food while providing precise heating controls. Many of the cooktops are made from a high-performance glass surface.
Induction technology can warm up a pan without heating the area around it, which also makes it more energy-efficient since little to no heat escape into the room.
This is a big plus for professional chefs since keeping the temperature cool inside of the restaurant is very important. Many of these reasons are what have contributed to induction cooktops gaining popularity in the modern home.
How does an Induction Cooktop Work?
So in order to understand how an induction cooktop works, you’ll need to first understand what induction is. Induction is a shortened version of saying “electromagnetic induction”.
Induction means the generation of electricity through magnetism. Electricity and magnetism go hand in hand and are not actually separate. They are both two different aspects of the same phenomenon, which is electromagnetism.
Back in the early 1800s, a Danish physicist by the name of Hans Christian Oersted discovered that when an electric current flows through a wire, it creates a pattern of invisible magnetism all around it. This can also be called a magnetic field.
The very next year, a French physicist named Andre-Marie Ampere conducted the same experiment but decided to take it a step further.
He discovered that if one were to put two wires next to each other that were both carrying an electric current, they would either attract or repel one another just like magnets.
This is due to the fact that the wires each produced their own magnetic field which created a magnetic force between them.
At the time, these discoveries were very interesting, but not of much practical use. It wasn’t until 1821 that this technology was first used in a practical manner with the invention of a very early form of the electric motor.
Much later, in 1970, the first induction stove was manufactured in America and was put into development by Westinghouse Electric Corporation. It was first put on public display in Texas.
Under the cooking surface of an induction cooktop, there is a coil that produces alternating current flows ranging between 20 and 100 kHz. These flows generate a magnetic field that has a circular current, which is known as induction.
The magnetic field generated is a type of electromagnetic radiation, which is also known as EMF. Therefore, induction cooktops are considered to be electromagnets that produce very high levels of EMF induction radiation.
So, when you place a pan onto the induction cooktop ring, it essentially becomes a part of the electromagnetic circuit. This is also why you must use a specific type of cookware when you have an induction cooker.
The type of cookware that will work with an induction cooktop include cast iron, stainless steel, and layered stainless steel. Each of these metals will be able to transfer the current and work with the induction cooktop to heat your food.
If you own copper, aluminum, or glass cookware, these will not work on an induction cooktop.
The pans and cookware for induction cooktops will need to contain iron in order to work. Iron is the only metal that can efficiently produce electrical currents as well as heat from magnetic fields.
How Safe are Induction Cooktops?
Simply put, having an induction cooktop increases your exposure to high levels of EMF radiation, where if you had a normal cooking range of gas or electric, you would not be exposed to nearly as much.
The more EMF radiation you are exposed to, the greater your risk for developing significant health issues. It is highly recommended that a person limits their exposure to high levels of EMF radiation in order to maintain an optimal state of health.
If you’re new to the concept of EMF exposure being dangerous to the human body, I’d encourage you to check out some of the articles in my Knowledge section where I cover the topic in-depth, as well as going over specific EMF Radiation protection strategies.
When an induction cooktop is in use, it is emitting high levels of EMF radiation into your kitchen. This is the case for any electrical heater.
Studies have shown that most modern induction cooktops emit levels of EMF radiation that exceed the maximum exposure limits set by the ICNIRP (International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection) back in 1998.
Besides the fact that an induction stove would be emitting these dangerous levels of radiation into your kitchen, you would also need to be aware of just how close you are in proximity to the cooktop itself.
The closer you stand to the cooktop, which would have to be rather close if you’re the one cooking the meal, the more EMF radiation you’re being exposed to.
EMF Radiation tends to fall off quite quickly (and exponentially) with distance.
When you touch the pan you are essentially making yourself a part of the current of energy that is already flowing through the pan in order to heat and cook the food.
This is a bad thing because you are then taking on any EMF radiation that is circulating through the pan directly into your body. The pan is a conductor of the EMF radiation, and so is your body.
As you would imagine, this makes it nearly impossible to avoid coming into contact with the EMF radiation if you are planning on having an induction cooktop in your home.
The best thing you could do to maintain your safety is to avoid having one altogether. This might mean choosing a home that does not have one pre-installed, or if you already own one, having it replaced with a safer alternative like natural gas or a conventional electric stovetop.
These options may not be as energy-efficient as an induction stove, but they will be a lot better for your overall health and safety in the long run.
If you want to see how much EMF radiation an induction cooktop emits while in use, this video is really helpful for that:
Adverse Health Effects Caused by EMF Radiation
EMF radiation can cause a wide range of symptoms and negative health impacts. One of the main things you may notice when using an induction cooktop are symptoms of discomfort in the hands (to learn more about why; read my article on cell-phone radiation hand pain).
You may hold onto the handle of the pan when you’re cooking on an induction stove. Therefore, you are connecting yourself with the circuit of electromagnetic energy that is flowing from the cooktop, through the pan.
Since you’re absorbing this energy through your hand, you may begin to notice pain or a tingling sensation, especially for those that are more sensitive to EMF radiation.
The symptoms that people experience when exposed to EMF radiation are very real and can be felt by anyone, but particularly those that are more sensitive to the frequencies.
EMF radiation can cause nerve and tissue damage in the hands when exposed to over an extended period of time. It can also cause damage to other important systems within the body at high levels.
The pain and tingling sensation that you experience in your hand can progress into further damage if the issue is not addressed and protective measures aren’t put into place.
The effects that EMF radiation has on the nervous system have been studied since the 1950s. It was found that EMF radiation had an impact on the central nervous system, brain chemistry, the nerves, and more.
Some scientific studies indicate that being exposed to electromagnetic fields can cause damage to nerve tissue and in some cases, the damage can be irreversible.
Whether the damage was acute or chronic, was dependant upon a number of factors, including the amount of time exposed to the electromagnetic radiation, as well as the intensity.
EMF radiation can also have a major impact on many other systems within the body including vision, immune system, reproductive system, and cardiovascular system.
As many of us know, having a weakened immune system can contribute to the development of many different kinds of health issues.
It can result in you experiencing more frequent colds, or even increase your odds of developing an autoimmune disorder.
Over time, if you continue to be exposed to high levels of EMF radiation from electric fields, you may experience chronic inflammation within the body.
This can cause irreversible damage and bring about inflammatory diseases like arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and various thyroid conditions.
The best way to limit your odds of developing these detrimental diseases is to reduce your exposure to EMF radiation.
This is why it’s important to understand how induction cooktops work and why they may pose a serious risk to your health.
Taking steps to reduce your exposure to EMF radiation emitted by induction cooktops will allow you to have more control over your health and protect yourself and your family from the negative health impacts that it can create.
How to Protect Yourself While Using an Induction Cooktop
So, by now you may be wondering what you should do if you already own an induction cooktop. Maybe your home came with one already installed or you had one installed before you were aware of the potential health risks.
Don’t worry, I’ve got you!
First, I do just want to say, that although induction cooktops do emit EMF radiation, they should certainly not be your largest concerns.
If you’re concerned about EMF radiation, as I think you should be, I would first find ways to reduce your exposure to things like WiFi, cell-phones, 5G, and much more. You can check out my Knowledge section or use the search feature to learn more about those things.
It’s not always possible to have your induction cooktop removed or replaced, financially or otherwise. Luckily, there are still ways that you can decrease your risk of exposure while using one.
The first thing you can do is to cook with a pan or pot that is larger than the cooking zone. This will help to decrease the likelihood of having the EMF fields emit from the stove around the pan.
When this happens, the EMF fields are able to go out into the kitchen and potentially be absorbed by the body.
If you use a pan that is large enough, the EMF fields should not be able to escape from the cooking zone as more of the surface area will be covered.
You’ll also want to make sure than the pot or pan you’re using is not damaged or warped in any way, as this will also allow the EMF fields to escape around the cooking area.
The safest thing to do is to use cookware that is specifically designed to be used for induction cooking and is labeled as such by the manufacturer.
These pans are designed to absorb the EMF fields in a proper way that will allow your food to be heated without letting the fields escape. (As long as the pan is also large enough to cover the cooking surface as mentioned.)
To reduce the amount of EMF radiation that your body absorbs, be sure to use the rear cooking surfaces rather than the front ones so that you put as much space between your body and the cooking area as possible.
The further away you are from the cooking surface, the less EMF radiation your body will be exposed to.
Finally, try to stay away from using cooking utensils that are made out of metal. Metals are conductive and can carry the current of the electromagnetic field directly into your hand while you’re cooking.
If you notice that the pan you’re using has a metal handle, try covering it with a silicone handle cover, or even using a silicone oven mitt while you cook. Holding the handle with a traditional cooking towel should be useful as well.
It is important to note, however, that pregnant women and children or individuals that rely on pacemakers, should avoid cooking with an induction cooktop entirely. EMF radiation can be potentially harmful to those in these sensitive or vulnerable groups.
Taking any of these precautions can help limit your overall exposure to EMF radiation emitted by induction cooktops. The best course of action is to avoid moving into a location that already has one or having one installed, if at all possible.
Best Low EMF Induction Cooktop
Although in this article we’ve talked quite a bit about the exposure levels and dangers of induction compared with things like electric stoves or gas cooktops, there are certainly also benefits to them.
If you’re ready doing a good job reducing your EMF radiation exposure from other sources, then having an induction cooktop might be worth it for you.
So, I did some research and testing myself, and found what I think is the best option for an induction cooktop if EMF radiation is a concern.
Duxtop Induction Cooktop
Check the current price on Amazon.
I think if you just want to have the option of induction in your kitchen, then this glass top induction burner from Duxtop is your best option.
First of all, this induction burner, like all others, will still emit some EMF radiation, specifically low frequency electric and magnetic field radiation.
However, I’ll go over a few of the reasons that I think this is the best option for a low EMF induction cooktop.
First of all, compared to a full induction range, this single cooktop is quite small and easily moved around, allowing you to gain a good amount of distance from it while using it, and you can completely unpower it whenever you’re not using it.
Next, it has auto-pan detection, which means that it automatically shuts off if it’s not actively heating a pan, reducing the overall electrosmog released into your home.
On top of those things, it’s also just a fantastic induction cooktop and product.
