Glass-ceramic and induction cooktops on solar: how much they pull
Cooking electric instead of gas demands big instant power. How many panels, what inverter, and tricks not to blow anything.
An induction cooktop can pull 7000 W with all zones maxed. More than the average home inverter. Solar-feasible, but sizing matters.
Glass ceramic vs induction
Resistive glass ceramic: 1500-2200 W per zone, 50% efficiency. Heats glass. Induction: 1800-3700 W per zone, 90% efficiency. Heats pan bottom. Induction uses LESS for the same meal (efficiency) but PEAKS higher.
Minimum inverter
Induction with 4 zones max: 7 kW peak. A 5 kW continuous / 10 kW peak inverter works (induction rarely runs at max more than 2 min). Only 2 zones: 3 kW inverter is plenty.
How many panels
Cook 1.5 h/day (typical): 2 kWh/day = 700 kWh/year. Two 410 W panels cover energetically. But the issue isn't the average, it's the peak: you need a big inverter even with few panels.
Hybrid inverter + grid trick
Hybrid system: 5 kW inverter grid-tied. The peak splits between solar (whatever's producing) and grid. Cook at 2 PM 100% solar. Cook at 8 PM 100% grid. No battery needed, minimal bill.
Pressure cooker: hidden ally
Electric pressure cooker (Instant Pot, Crock-Pot Express) cooks beans in 30 min at 1000 W. Glass ceramic with regular pot: 2 hours at 1500 W = 3000 Wh. Pressure cooker: 500 Wh. Smart cooking beats more panels.
Compare with deeper dive on oven and induction and microwaves.
Want to know how much energy your appliances use? Calculate it here.
Open calculator