Induction is the fastest cooking technology.
I am not the most patient person especially when cooking. We live in a time where we are moving at a faster pace. If all the other technology we use in our daily lives is getting faster then why shouldn’t cooking?
Induction solves the waiting problem. Most induction products boast that water will boil in 90 seconds. Now, 90 seconds may not sound like a lot, but what this means is that Induction heats up faster than the hottest professional gas range. Magnetic induction technology may seem like the newest and fastest cooking technology, but it has been around since the 1980s.
Now, I could go on and on about exactly how induction cooking works, but I think I could possibly bore you. I found this great video that does an amazing job of explaining the process in about a minute.
Induction cooking surfaces are easy to clean.
I have never met anyone who enjoys cleaning (myself included!). Traditional gas and electric cooktops are too hot to touch after you are done cooking. You must wait a long time before you can safely clean up after use. Induction cooktops have a glass ceramic finish which is easy to wipe down after cooking.
Not only are induction cooktops easy to clean, you don’t have to wait to clean either! With induction technology only the pot or pan is heated, not the cooktop. After cooking with induction I can comfortably place my hand directly on the burner. The burner is a little warm because the bottom of the cookware was hot, but again you can touch it comfortably. You can actually eliminate cleaning altogether by placing a dish towel over the cooktop surface before placing your pot or pan on the cooktop. When you are finished cooking you can throw the dish towel in the laundry. Paper towels work in the same capacity to eliminate cleanup after cooking.
Induction cooktops are very energy efficient and can be more flexibly vented.
There is a giant cultural push toward saving the environment (for good reason). The appliance industry caught onto this trend several years ago. Most appliances sold in the North American market are Energy Star rated. Induction is the most energy efficient technology because the pan is your cooking surface. There is very little heat that escapes your pan saving you time and money. Induction has the added benefit of contributing the least amount of heat to your kitchen relative to traditional electric
radiant and gas burners. If your home is air conditioned, this further translates into energy savings in that the cooking that you are doing doesn’t impact ambient temperatures as greatly which in turn requires less air conditioning to maintain temperature.
Induction technology does not produce a lot of residual heat like traditional gas cooking where heat escapes the sides. Because there is way less residual heat, you do not need a professional hood, and unlike professional gas cooking, you can also downdraft an induction product.
If your cooktop is not releasing much heat to be vented out, and not using so much power that the additional heat warms up everything, you’ll stay much cooler. Remember, since only your pan is heated up, your stovetop is not radiating all that excess heat to your body. It is comfortable to use in warmer summer months when you wouldn’t think about turning on a traditional range in the summer.
Induction cooking requires induction-compatible cookware.
Your cookware needs to be magnetic in order to work properly on an induction cooking surface. I hate to use the word “limitation” because there are not that many types of cookware out there that do not work. In my kitchen, when we replaced our old electric range for a new Bosch induction top range, I did not have to transition that many pieces of cookware out. Sadly, my beautiful Mauviel Copper pan no longer works, nor does my cazuela or my Chilean Clay pot. I will keep these, as they will still be useful in my oven to create beautiful dishes. You can also purchase an induction converter disc, which is essentially a piece of thicker, ferro-magnetic, stainless steel, that you can place on the burner and use a non-ferro magnetic item on.
For the most part, a lot of cookware companies are aware of the change in the market as more people are moving toward induction and are imbedding stainless steel discs in the base of their less expensive pans made of aluminum and other materials. This allows more and more pans to be used on an induction top range. Starting with AllClad’s clad aluminum and stainless steel cookware popularity in the 1990’s, more companies are producing that type of cookware. Generally, it is a layer of ferro-magnetic stainless steel on the outside a conductive layer of silver, copper or aluminum (of some combination) in the center, and another layer of ferro-magnetic stainless steel on the interior.
For the most part, a lot of cookware companies are aware of the change in the market as more people are moving toward induction and are imbedding stainless steel discs in the base of their less expensive pans made of aluminum and other materials. This allows more and more pans to be used on an induction top range. Starting with AllClad’s clad aluminum and stainless steel cookware popularity in the 1990’s, more companies are producing that type of cookware. Generally, it is a layer of ferro-magnetic stainless steel on the outside a conductive layer of silver, copper or aluminum (of some combination) in the center, and another layer of ferro-magnetic stainless steel on the interior.
When shopping for cookware to use on your new induction range or cooktop, you will want to look for the induction compatibility symbol that will be displayed on the bottom of the piece of cookware as well as on the packaging. This will ensure that your new cookware will work on your old range. For your existing cookware, you can use a magnet on the base of your pot or pan and if it is magnetic, it will work on your cooktop!
Awesome Induction Products
We have great success in offering induction ranges and cooktops over the past decades. With time they have gotten so much faster and more efficient.
One of our most popular, and the one that I use in my kitchen, is the Benchmark® Induction Slide-in Range 30” Stainless Steel, HIIP056U. What makes this induction range unique is that it has what Bosch refers to as FlexInduction®, which allows two side by side cooking zones to merge into one, making it a perfect space to use a griddle. What I use to amaze my friends the first time they see my range, is the SpeedBoost® option. You simply place your pot of water on the range, hit the SpeedBoost® button and within 90 seconds you have a boiling pot of water. It blows my mind every single time. After owing this range for a few months, it looks as good as new and nothing has every burned or stuck to the cooktop.
While the Bosch is amazing, the price can be out of some consumer’s price range. Frigidaire has a great induction range for less than $1249.00. Look for Frigidaire 30” Freestanding Induction Range, model FFIF3054TS. This range has auto-size pan detection, precise temperature holding for melting and holding delicate sauces and chocolate, as well as being completely immediate and responsive when it is turned down.
If you are looking for a professional induction range, we have you covered there as well. When people think of professional ranges, Wolf immediately comes to mind. Wolf offers this 36” professional range with an induction top. It has the look and feel of a professional gas range, but the quickness and easy cleanability of the induction. The best of all worlds.
Whether you are planning to remodel your kitchen or replace an existing 30’’ range there is an induction product out there for you. Previously, induction was only available in the high-end brands. However due to its popularity, many affordable luxury brands developed induction products too. Prices of induction products have fallen as induction has become more common in the American market. If you’re considering replacing your electric cooking product, you owe it to yourself to consider induction. For cooking responsiveness, cleanability, speed, energy efficiency and flexibility it is the superior choice and now the difference in cost to enjoy all of those benefits is minimal.
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