For cooktops, both electric and gas are capable of delivering decent performance. But you may find it easier to judge heat by the appearance of the gas flame, and when you turn the knob from high to medium on a gas model, the pot and the food in it experience that change in temperature almost immediately.
Electric elements tend to heat faster and maintain low heat better than gas burners. But burners need time to react, so pots and pans take longer to adjust to changes in temperature.
Induction cooktops use the same hookup as a regular electric model, but they use an electromagnetic field to directly heat pans, offering quick response and control. In our tests, induction tends to be the fastest to heat water and the best at maintaining a steady simmer. But you’ll need magnetic cookware for the induction elements to work.
