Wirecutter called it the ‘Tesla of induction stoves.’ Now it’s taking physical retail for a spin

So dedicated to her gas stove was Julia Child that she vowed she’d “take it to [her] grave,” although it ended up in the Smithsonian instead. But while gas stoves were once non-negotiable for serious cooks, their flames may be flickering amid concerns about their impact on indoor air quality and the environment. New York state has enacted a ban on the installation of gas stoves in most new buildings, as have dozens of cities in the US.

Induction stoves heat food up quickly without turning kitchens into cauldrons, and have gained traction with foodies. But most full-size induction ranges require a 240-volt outlet that many homes and apartments lack—and that can be expensive, or impractical, to install.

Now startup Copper has a workaround: The Charlie, an induction range with an internal battery that allows it to plug into a standard 120-volt outlet. The outlet recharges the battery, which supplies the power used for cooking.

The range scored a sizzling endorsement from the New York Times’s Wirecutter, which called it the “Tesla of induction stoves” in 2025. Copper has sold what the brand called “a few thousand” units through DTC and to rental-building operators.

Now the Charlie is making its debut in retail, with distribution in seven Royal Green-network showrooms in New York, New Jersey, and Florida. (Royal Green operates stores in Florida under the Good Deals banner.)

Extended range: Sam Calisch, CEO and co-founder of Copper, said diehard gas-stove users are finally coming around to induction.

“There’s pretty strong interest from people that have been loyal to gas for a long time, [saying], ‘Oh wow, induction is here, and induction is ready now,’” Calisch told Retail Brew.

Although the Charlie’s battery allows the range to use a standard outlet without electrical work, Calisch said that it has more going for it than that.

“I would push back a little bit on that workaround narrative,” said Calisch, adding that another advantage is that the battery-assisted stove works during power outages.

Because Charlie’s cooktop draws first from its battery rather than directly from the outlet’s alternating current, Calisch said it avoids the “weird buzzing noise” of some induction cooktops.

“Induction cooktops can hum loudly when you cook,” as Wirecutter explained in its review. “You can get used to the noise, but many people really dislike it. The Charlie did not hum.”

Because it can run unplugged, the company does cooking demos in unlikely settings, a plus for the previously DTC-focused product.

“We can go out to farmers markets and music festivals and street fairs and actually put people in front of it,” Calisch said. “That’s been an extremely powerful tool for us.”

The power of in-person demos also is why the brand has undergone its own sort of induction—into the world of retail distribution.

“People want to feel it, touch it, get a sense of it before making a purchase, so we’re really excited to partner with Royal Green,” Calisch said.

Plugged in: Royal Green has seen induction ranges grow from about 20% of range sales at its tri-state stores three years ago to 40% today, according to Stuart Stone, chief commercial officer at Royal Green Appliance Companies.

Unlike conventional induction ranges, Charlie can run at full power with the electrical setup already in place at Royal Green’s Manhattan showroom. “It was a no-brainer to put it live when I don’t need to do any work,” Stone said. “We just plug it in, and we’re ready to roll.”

He said he plans to keep the floor models busy, regularly baking cookies in them.

At $5,999, the Charlie sits between mainstream and luxury induction ranges.

It’s more expensive “if you compare it to a GE Profile” but “if you compare it to a Wolf or a Thermador, it’s underpriced,” he said.

The partnership also gives Copper a seasoned last-mile operation for delivery.

“It’s much easier for me logistically to take care of delivering, installing, [and] taking the old customer’s product away,” Stone said. “They’re my guys. They work for me so if they don’t do the job they say they’re going to do, they’re not going to be delivering anymore.”

Stone was recently in a Royal Green showroom on Long Island just days before the Charlie had arrived. He overheard a salesperson with a customer who wanted to replace a gas range with an induction range, but only had a typical 110-volt outlet, not 240-volt.

“The salesperson said, ‘No, there’s nothing you can do. There’s no such thing as 110 induction,’” Stone recalled. “I go, ‘Oh, but there is.’”

Stone pulled up the model on a computer and invited the shopper back to see it in person a few days later.

“It fit their bill, and they bought it right there.”