Although cooking accounts for only a small amount of energy consumption in a home, induction cooktops are marketed as much more energy efficient than gas or electric because they cook food faster and lose less heat in the process.

Lately, price has been less of an obstacle. Although a Viking induction range can top out at $6,000, some models now cost a little over $1,500. LG recently introduced a cooktop hybrid with two induction and two electric elements for $800.

Not everyone is sold. After living with an induction range, Christopher Peacock, the kitchen designer, has his doubts about induction cooking. He installed one in his house in Cape Cod, drawn to its modern look, promise of performance and the ease with which the sealed ceramic top could be cleaned.

The problem? The actual cooking.

“What’s wonderful about it is that the pot heats up very quickly, but what I’ve had problems with is controlling it and understanding which setting will provide the right amount of heat,” he said. “The most basic forms of cooking, a stir-fry or searing, I actually find rather difficult to do. I’ve certainly had many a pot boil over.”

He also had to buy new pots. All that lovely copper and the Calphalon from your wedding? Out.

Companies that sell induction units sell pans specially designed to transfer the energy. But there are less expensive solutions. Cast iron, even enamel-coated cast iron, are suitable. So are many stainless steel pans.

Ms. Simpson’s fancy pans from France work as well as her Ikea stuff. Since induction is quite popular in Asia and Europe, it’s not hard to find pots and pans that work, but just to be sure Ms. Simpson takes a magnet with her when she shops for cookware. If it sticks to the bottom, it will work on her stove.

Wide acceptance of induction will likely come down to whether it makes cooking that much better and how fearful customers are of new technology, said Lynn Dornblaser, who studies new products for Mintel.