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I have an oven with a gas stovetop. Can I close the lid and place an induction stovetop on it, or does the induction stovetop need to be on a different (non metal) surface?

EDIT: Just to clarify, I'm referring to a stovetop that is meant to be portable. I can see several manufacturers have such models, usually with only one or two heating surfaces.

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Stand-alone stovetops I’m familiar with want to be supported at the edges, basically hanging in a hole above the oven (or whatever). I would be surprised if they could be damaged by being placed directly on a flat surface, but it is possible that doing so while actively using them would hamper cooling.

I would suggest looking at the installation manual for the particular stovetop you’re thinking of. Specifically look for required bottom clearance. If it’s more than the depth of the thing below the countertop, then you’d be using it in a way it wasn’t intended to be used… it might work or it might not. If it doesn’t require a certain clearance distance on the bottom, or if that distance is just the distance from the lip to the lower extent, then you’re presumably fine.

Incidentally, there are induction cookers which are explicitly standalone and intended to be placed on a flat surface. You’ll recognize these by how they come with plugs fitted, don’t have a flared top surface, and have rubber feet on the bottom. I would suggest looking for one of these.

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    Re the last paragraph, that's exactly what I do, with a single burner induction hob on a glass "chopping board" on my gas hob (to make better use of solar electricity). The downside is that anything with a plug is quite limited in power (3kW where I am) so you're talking 1, or at most 2 weak, rings
    – Chris H
    Commented Nov 21 at 16:58
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I don't love the idea, but you could do this. You'll want to build a supporting frame for it to sit on, for the following reasons:

  1. Every induction cooktop I've seen has fans on the bottom for cooling, or an air intake for fans blowing out the sides so if you place it on a flat surface you'll be blocking the airflow needed to keep the appliance cool. You would need something to put space in between. This doesn't have to be a frame, you could do it another way, you'll want a frame for other reasons
  2. The metal on the bottom of these appliances tends to be thin, it's not designed to take the weight of the appliance and pots. These appliances are designed to sit in a hole in your countertop, it's the frame around the edge that has structural strength, so you need to make something that's going to support it's weight around the edges
  3. The bottom of the appliance is smooth, as is the cover of your stove (probably), so it would have a tendency to slide around - not good if you have a big pot of boiling water on the stove! A well designed frame will keep things in place
  4. The cover of your stove may not be designed to take the weight of your induction top, and the pots, water, etc. you will be putting on it. Most of the covers I've seen are glass, which could shatter, or thin metal, which could bend. This could ruin your day. A frame would distribute the weight to the counter, which is designed for it

You'll want to consider whether the extra height of the appliance on top of the stove would work for you before you do this.

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    "You'll want to consider whether the extra height of the appliance on top of the stove would work for you and anyone else you share a kitchen with before you do this." (I do something similar; it works better than standard height for me but is a little too high for my daughter)
    – Chris H
    Commented Nov 21 at 20:47

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