Last Updated on April 16, 2026

Which way to go when choosing a cooktop for Israel; gas, electric, ceramic or induction?

Hebrew: ?איך בוחרים כִּירַיִים

Sometimes, when making Aliyah, it actually makes more sense to leave your old small kitchen appliances behind and buy new ones in Israel. Brand availability, smaller kitchens, and limited countertop space all play a role in what will work here. These factors can really influence your choices, so it’s worth doing thorough research—and getting advice from friends—before making a purchase you might later regret.

Symbols for gas, electric, ceramic or induction as they would appear on customer information material

Gas ranges

Gas is the preferred choice for most professional chefs, offering convenient, quick, and instantly responsive heat. In Israel it’s also the most economical option. Cleaning a gas range according to Halacha, before Pesach, is a huge mission, labor intensive and time consuming. Another drawback is that gas is not piped, but supplied in set quantities in steel balloons, so there’s always the risk of forgetting to reorder or miscalculating and running out just as guests arrive. For reference, in our household of four, a 5‑kg gas cylinder lasted roughly three months.

Gas balloons are sometimes stolen (for their copper connections and empty balloon resale value) and in older buildings you might need to keep your gas balloons chained and locked up which means coordinating with the gas company if you have ordered a refill – sitting at home waiting for the gas man to arrive is a nuisance.

Price point: the retail starting price for a four-burner gas range is around 700 NIS while the absolute top-of-the-range Miele five-burner costs in the region of 16,000 NIS.

Electric cooktops

Electric ranges with coiled or solid plates were common when I was growing up abroad. The coiled elements heat up quickly, offering a responsiveness similar to gas, while the solid plates excel at slow, steady cooking.

In Israel, ovens with integrated coiled or solid plates are uncommon; the few I’ve seen are small, countertop models.

Price point: A single-plate electric range starts at around 150 NIS, while a four‑plate range can cost up to 4,500 NIS. If you’re looking for a temporary and inexpensive solution, the basic models do the job. You can also opt for a convenient two‑plate ceramic countertop unit for about 250 NIS.

• Electricity rates
• Israel Electric Company digital services
• Household electric appliances – free word sheet with Hebrew, English and transliterations

Glass/ceramic range

We used to call them “glass tops,” but in Israel they’re referred to as “ceramic.” Both terms are accurate, since the heating element sits beneath a layer of ceramic glass. After about 25 years of cooking with gas, I switched to ceramic and have never looked back. It took me a couple of months to adjust to the different heat distribution, but once I got the hang of it, it felt completely natural. The ease of cleaning is a huge advantage—especially at Pesach—and I never have to worry about running out of gas or waiting around for a delivery again. As for power outages, they’re rarely an issue in Israel; most interruptions last only a few minutes, so the electricity‑versus‑gas debate is largely irrelevant.

After switching to a ceramic range, our electricity bill increased by about 70 NIS per month. By comparison, our monthly gas costs used to average around 50 NIS. In other words, the running costs are slightly higher with electricity, but for us the convenience and reliability have more than justified the difference.

Price point: the retail starting price for a four-plate ceramic range is around 800NIS and can reach as much as 12,000NIS for a top-of-the-range Siemens or Miele with five-plates and other appealing features. We paid 2,500NIS for our four-plate, AEG cooktop close to 10 years ago and it has never needed repair.

Induction range

An induction cooktop works by using an electromagnetic coil beneath the cooking surface to generate a rapidly changing magnetic field. This magnetic field passes through the ceramic glass and into the pot or pan placed on top. If the cookware is made of a ferromagnetic material, such as cast iron or certain types of stainless steel, the magnetic field creates tiny electrical currents within the metal. Because metal resists the flow of electricity, these currents generate heat directly inside the cookware itself. As a result, the pot becomes the heat source rather than the cooktop, allowing for extremely fast, efficient, and precise heating. The surface of the cooktop stays relatively cool, warming only from contact with the hot pot, and because induction relies on magnetism, cookware made of aluminum, copper, or glass won’t work unless it has a magnetic base. This means that you might have to replace your pots and pans which could add another 1,500NIS or even more, to the total purchase price.

In most cases, an induction cooktop does not need three-phase power but if you have lots of high powered domestic appliances and a few air conditioners you may require three-phase power in your home which could be an issue in older buildings in Israel.

Price point: A top of the range Siemens induction range retails at over 15,000NIS but the starting price of an induction range is upward of 600 NIS while a mid-range cooktop costs around 3,000 NIS.

Like a ceramic cooktop, an induction model is very easy to clean. It also cooks faster, thanks to the way it heats the pot directly rather than the surface. Another major advantage is safety: shortly after you switch it off, the cooktop becomes cool to the touch, which is especially reassuring if you have small children around