A chef’s choice, a builder’s opportunity: Why induction belongs in modern homes
Every builder knows that the kitchen can make or break a home. It’s where homebuyers picture family dinners and everyday routines. While finishes and layout are still important, today’s homebuyers want a kitchen that can perform and keep up with modern living.
One of the biggest opportunities that builders have to differentiate their homes may be sitting right on the countertop. Induction has surged in popularity as both home cooks and professional chefs embrace its cleaner, faster, and more precise cooking experience. Celebrity chefs like Alton Brown, Samin Nosrat, and many others are choosing induction cooking and helping put this technology into the spotlight. So, who better to ask than a professional chef?
Meet the chef
Grace Zhou is a professional chef, caterer, and culinary consultant with more than 14 years of experience cooking professionally in the U.S. and Europe. Chef Grace’s culinary background is rooted in Shanghai cuisine, with influences from Asian, Mediterranean, and California cooking.
All-electric kitchen tour
Let’s explore Chef Grace’s all-electric kitchen in her home. Chef Grace spends her days professionally cooking delicious meals for hundreds of people, so when it came time to outfit her own home, she chose induction.
A cooking experience that buyers will love
Her decision to go with induction cooking reflects a growing shift among homeowners too.
Homes with induction cooktops sell for about 1.9% more, and the U.S. induction cooking market is projected to grow from approximately $16.5 billion in 2023 to nearly $25.8 billion by the end of the decade. In the National Kitchen & Bath Association’s 2025 Kitchen Trends Report, two-thirds of kitchen designers and professionals said that induction will be the most popular cooking type in the next three years. These trends reflect a growing interest in kitchens designed for modern living.
To explore what makes induction the top choice for a modern home, we asked Chef Grace about her cooking experience, the benefits that induction brings to the kitchen, and why it has become an essential feature in her home that provides lasting value.
Disclaimer: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
"As a chef, I spend a tremendous amount of time in the kitchen, so I wanted my home kitchen to be beautiful and efficient, but also healthier and more comfortable to cook in every day," she said. "An all-electric kitchen, especially with induction, was a natural choice."
- Chef Grace Zhou
Three things stand out to her:
- Precision: Induction responds instantly to temperature changes, which makes delicate cooking much easier to control. She can melt chocolate directly in a pot over low heat, and no double boiler is needed.
- Safety: With no open flame, cooking is safer. Pot and pan handles also stay cooler longer, which means less risk of an accidental burn in a busy kitchen.
- Cleaner air: Cooking with induction means no gas combustion in the kitchen, helping reduce indoor air pollution, an important benefit for someone who spends hours there each day.
“Cooking stops feeling like a chore and starts feeling more comfortable, which makes people want to cook more, not less.”
- Chef Grace Zhou
Stand out with induction
Induction cooking is becoming a defining feature of the modern kitchen, offering the performance chefs rely on with the comfort, convenience, and design flexibility today’s homeowners expect. As buyer expectations continue to evolve, incorporating induction into new construction is an opportunity to create homes that stand out while delivering lasting value for the people who live in them
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