A homeowner considering a new induction cooktop turned to the internet for help untangling the truth behind a common online myth. Specifically, the homeowner wanted to know if it was true that the electromagnetic fields, or EMFs, generated by induction cooktops could pose a risk of cancer or other health problems. 

Posting to the r/appliances subreddit, the homeowner titled their post, "Induction range – should I be concerned about EMF?" 

"I have been looking into Induction Ranges and came across websites and posts about the high amount of EMF … that they emit," the original poster wrote. "Is this a valid point that I should be [concerned] about?"

Many Redditors jumped into the comments to debunk such concerns as a mere myth unconfirmed by available science. 

"No it is not a concern," replied one commenter. "There is no scientific literature that shows any kind of harmful effect."

"Be more concerned about the emissions from your gas range," added another Redditor. "This is a proven issue." 

The views expressed by these Redditors were supported by the available scientific research. While induction cooktops do indeed work by generating low-frequency electromagnetic fields, they have considerably lower energy levels than any that have been proven to impact human health. 

"With induction stoves, these fields are produced by the cooktop's electrical currents that heat up pans and, then, cook the food," according to a 2023 article in Atmos. "Governments regulate these appliances – and the EMFs they emit – through safety standards that ensure the fields aren't strong enough to cause harm."

To demonstrate this point, Yessenia Funes, the author of the Atmos article, used a simple comparison.

"The strength of magnetic fields is measured in units called teslas," she wrote. "The tesla is a large unit, so magnetic fields generated through household appliances are typically only a few millionths of a tesla (microteslas).

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An MRI machine, by contrast, creates a magnetic field of up to 1.5 teslas, according to Funes, or several hundred thousand times more than an induction stove, and MRI machines are still considered safe.

"Scientists haven't found adverse impacts in strengths of up to 8 teslas," Funes wrote in the Atmos article. 

In other words, there is no scientific proof that even electromagnetic fields millions of times stronger than those produced by an induction stove pose any risk to human health. Remember, too, that we are always being subjected to EMF from the sun, and adding to that with an induction stove is trivial by comparison — though some experts suggest caution if you have a pacemaker since there is a small risk that the magnetic field could temporarily affect the settings. 

On the other hand, the health risks posed by gas stoves are not temporary and have been scientifically proven. 

"Gas range use has direct health effects – beyond those from climate change related to fossil fuels," wrote the authors of a 2024 study. "If kitchens are not well ventilated, benzene, nitrogen dioxide, and other VOCs may reach levels known to harm health."

According to a 2024 Stanford Report article about the study, the mix of pollutants from gas stoves has been estimated to have caused as many as 200,000 childhood asthma cases. 

In addition to being safer than gas stoves, using electric appliances like induction stoves and heat pumps is better for the environment, resulting in less planet-heating pollution. Using heat pumps for your home's HVAC can also save up to $400 per year. To find out which affordable heat pump option is right for you, check out Mitsubishi's free website. 

To take those environmental benefits and cost savings even further, you can power your electric appliances from a home solar system. Installing home solar panels can drop your electricity bill to practically zero, while also powering all of your electric appliances, from induction cooktops to heat pumps, with cleaner, renewable energy from the sun. 

If all the information available on home solar systems makes your head spin, EnergySage can help simplify the process. EnergySage offers free, easy-to-use tools that let you do everything from comparing quotes from pre-screened local installers to seeing the average cost of a solar installation in your area to finding out what tax credits and other incentives are currently available. 

If home solar panels or a new induction stove are not in your price range, there are plenty of budget-friendly alternatives. For example, Palmetto's innovative LightReach program allows you to lease solar panels for no money down, allowing you to lock in low energy rates while gaining all of the environmental benefits of owning your own solar panels. 

Similarly, if upgrading to a full induction cooktop is not for you, plug-in induction burners are available for as little as $50, giving you the cooking power and energy efficiency of a full induction stove at a fraction of the cost.

With federal tax credits, you can save up to $840 on the cost of a new induction cooktop. However, tax credits for home solar and energy-efficient electric appliances end Dec. 31, 2025, so you must act fast to take advantage.

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