I am a design geek. For better or worse, I really enjoy items that are designed differently and while sometimes the benefits of that design differentiation are clear, other times the difference in the design can be a hindrance, with the manufacturer choosing design over function. When shopping for an induction cooktop, you are met with rectangles. 98% of them are black and the remaining 2% are grey. Not a lot of design is involved aside from the lights in the display, so when I saw the Nikola Tesla One from Elica, my mind was simply blown.
Whoa! While a traditional downdraft cooktop sets a straight vent down the middle of your cooking area, this cooktop has the downdraft vent as a round fan. Brilliant! It is so eye catching, but does it work? Can something this different, really stand up to the traditional downdraft cooktop set up? Absolutely and let me tell you why.
You might be wondering about the name. At this point in time, when you hear Nikola Tesla, your mind will likely go to electric cars. In this case, it was named after the physicist and electrical engineer because of his work in pioneering the rapidly oscillating magnetic fields that power induction cooking and are driven by alternating electric current. Brilliant name!
First, let’s talk about the induction top itself. Not only is induction cooking technology faster, more efficient and as responsive as gas cooking (See our blogs on induction cooking here, here and here), the cooktop stays cool as you cook. With that in mind, you are not going to have as much heat on you as you cook! With this specific cooktop, it has a bridge function on each site. What this does is open up the length of that side of the cooktop for larger griddles and dutch ovens to be used with even heating throughout. The technology that is integrated into the cooktop will automatically detect the pot that you place on the cooking surface and adjust the size of the heating surface automatically.
All controls of the heating surface are touch controlled, creating a smooth surface that looks great and is easy to clean. You can also set your heating zones to a specific temperature for a specific amount of time. If you need to step away from your cooktop in the middle of cooking, say to answer the door or pick up your phone, you can simply press the Stop & Go area and walk away knowing that all burners turn off so it will be safe while you are away.
The cooktop works in tandem with its built-in aspirating fan. Once a pan has been detected and turned on, the fan immediately turns on and will adjust to the temperature of the cooking surface to increase the speed of the fan. The downdraft fan delivers up to 400 CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute) of suction, which is top in its class of all-in-one cooktops. Given the central location of the ventilation, it gives equal access to all burners, giving you maximum efficiency while also reducing sound.
We would love for you to come into the store and experience this amazing cooktop for yourself. We’ve got it live and ready for you to cook on it! Call or text the showroom with questions at 206-623-8811 or stop by anytime. Our teammates are eager to show you how quickly the Nikola Tesla Cooktop will heat up, and you will be able to experience the downdraft yourself! Our Appliance Specialists will be happy to assist you in your cooktop selection journey.