Kitchen Renovation Dilemma: Highlight vs Induction In today's kitchen appliance market, induction and highlight cooktops are commonly compared as the two major types of electric ranges. Though they look similar, they differ significantly in how they operate, their performance, safety, cost, and cookware compatibility. This article breaks down the key differences to help you choose the one that best fits your needs. 1. Difference in Heating Mechanism Highlight: Uses an electric heating element beneath a glass surface to heat the cooktop and then the cookware. A traditional radiant heat method. Induction: Uses high-frequency alternating current to generate a magnetic field, which directly heats the base of magnetic cookware. 2. Heat-Up Speed and Efficiency Induction is faster and more energy-efficient because it heats the cookware directly with minimal heat loss. Highlight takes longer as it transfers heat from the coil to the glass top and then to the ...