A true test of cooking equipment in most homes in India boils down to the basic premise: staying drama-free with roti–sabzi every day. It must help make morning chai, prepare tiffin, make phulkas, dal, sabzi, and even occasionally involve deep frying, all share the small kitchen.
Under such circumstances, one of the factors in deciding between a gas chulha and an induction stove is that they aren’t just about looks. It is about taste, texture, speed, running cost, safety, and how easily your family can follow its usual food habits.
What does an Indian roti-sabzi kitchen really need?
A typical day includes:
- Chapatis or phulkas twice a day
- One or two sabzis with tadka and bhuna
- A pressure cooker with dal, rajma, or chole
- Tea or milk is boiling on the side
So the stove should:
- Offer precise heat control
- Work with your existing kadais, tawas, and cookers
- Allow multitasking on multiple burners or zones
- Stay safe, and reasonably easy to clean
With this checklist, the differences between gas chulha and induction become clearer.
Everyday cooking on a gas chulha
The classic gas chulha still leads Indian kitchens because it matches our cooking style closely.
1. Phulkas on direct flame
For phulkas, you half-cook on the tawa, then finish on direct flame. The roti puffs and gets light spots and a faint smoky taste. This is hard to copy on induction, even with stands or plates.
2. Flame control for tadka and bhuna
Sabzis depend on how you manage tadka and bhuna. On a gas chulha, you see the flame and move it from high to low in a second. That quick control is useful when you want your dal fry or aloo sabzi to taste the same every time.
3. No cookware restrictions
Most households are stocked with an assortment of pressure cookers, round-bottomed kadais, and tawas of some considerable weight. All of them work easily on any gas chulha, so you don’t have to buy new utensils.
4. Simple multitasking
With two or three or four burners, you have the capacity to boil dal, fry sabzi, heat milk, and create rotis simultaneously all at once. Such beneficial flexibility counts for families that prepare full meals twice a day.
Everyday cooking on induction
Induction stoves appeal to people who want a modern, minimal kitchen, especially in cities and rentals.
1. Speed and efficiency
Induction heats the base of the pan directly, so water boils, and oil heats faster. In the morning rush, those extra minutes can help.
2. Safer surface and cleaner look
There is no open flame. The glass surface is flat and easy to wipe, and the unit sits neatly on the counter.
3. Limits for roti-sabzi style cooking
The trade-offs show up with roti-sabzi:
- No direct flame for phulkas
- Round-bottom kadais sit poorly
- Some aluminum utensils are not compatible
You can still cook chapatis and sabzis, but families used to flame-cooked rotis may notice a change in texture and taste.
Cost and energy in Indian conditions
To judge the running cost, think about your real usage.
- A gas chulha runs on LPG or PNG. If you cook full meals daily, you know how long a cylinder lasts.
- Induction uses electricity. High power for long periods can raise the bill, especially where tariffs are high.
If your area has frequent power cuts, induction alone is risky. In such homes, induction works best as backup, while the gas chulha stays the main stove. In flats with reliable power and lighter cooking, induction can manage most tasks.
Safety, cleaning, and reliability
Safety
Modern gas chulha designs with strong pan supports, good valves, and toughened glass or steel are safer than old models, but you still need regular checks for the regulator, hose, and ventilation.
Induction removes gas leak worries, yet hot pans and oil remain dangerous, and you must avoid liquid spills into vents or controls.
Reliability in power cuts
Here, the gas chulha wins. As long as the cylinder has fuel, you can cook through power cuts or low-voltage problems. Induction shuts off.
Cleaning and durability
Flat induction tops wipe clean easily. Gas stoves need burner and drip-tray cleaning, but they are simpler to repair locally, while induction may require specialist service.
Which works better for daily roti-sabzi?
If your routine includes:
- Phulkas or chapatis every day
- Sabzis with detailed tadka and bhuna
- Regular use of pressure cookers and frying
- Occasional power cuts
Then a gas chulha is still the more practical and forgiving choice. It fits traditional recipes, works with all your utensils, and does not depend on electricity.
Induction is useful if:
- You live in a hostel or a rented room
- You cook simple, small meals
- You want a compact, easy-to-clean setup
Many homes now mix both. The gas chulha handles full meals, while a small induction unit helps with quick boiling, reheating, or emergency cooking.
How to choose the best gas chulha for your home
Once you decide that a gas stove suits your routine, the next step is choosing the best gas chulha for your kitchen. Focus on:
- Family size and the number of burners you truly use
- Brass burners for strong, even flames and better fuel use
- Toughened glass or stainless steel tops, based on your cleaning style
- Sturdy pan supports and smooth, easy-to-turn knobs
- ISI certification and a dependable service network
It helps to shortlist brands whose products are built in accordance with the Indian cooking patterns and designs for stoves, focusing on roti-sabzi, pressure cooking, and frying. Glen Appliances has been in spaces like this for a long time in the Indian kitchen. Studying their models along with others gives you a realistic feel about features and quality of build. As you sift through your choices, seeing how Glen Appliances and the competing brands deal with points like spacing featured burners, controlling flames, and cleaning up after cooking will help you bring home the best gas chulha for the way your family actually works in the kitchen each day.
