Induction cooking is one of the many ways you can cook your meals today. Because I had no idea what induction cooking was all about, I had to do some research to learn about everything induction cooking has to offer. Let me tell you, I found out it has some great benefits, so read on to see if an induction range is right for you.
What is induction cooking?
Induction cooking is a cooking method that cooks your food with magnetic induction instead of a gas flame or electric heat. The basic idea is that there’s a copper wire under the glass cooktop, and when you place ferromagnetic metal on it, which you’d find in cast iron or stainless-steel pots and pans, it creates heat using a magnetic field.
With electric or gas heat, the heat for cooking comes from the actual cooktop or ring, which is then transferred to the cooking vessel, ie: a pot or pan. The heat in this style of cooking is created first in a ring and then converts over to the cooking vessel.
In an induction cooktop there is no transfer of heat, it’s created right in the cooking vessel. The magnetic field created from the copper wire and the cast iron or stainless steel creates the heat right in the pot. It’s really genius and still baffles me. Since the heat creates right in the pot or pan, it heats much quicker and you can touch the cook top with your bare hands without causing any burns.
Benefits of induction cooking
I was amazed at all the great benefits induction cooking has to offer. So many moms are looking for a few extra minutes in their day, and since induction cooking is a quicker method, your meals will be ready to eat faster too. It may not seem like much but sometimes 5-10 minutes extra in your day can make a huge difference.
The precision of the heat and temperature adjustments in induction cooking is also a great feature. It’s similar to gas in its quicker heating time, but because the heat is from a magnetic field as opposed to a flame, you don’t have to worry about heating up the whole house. I would love this during those summer months when slaving over a hot stove is the last thing I want to do at the end of a long day. Not only is it fast at bringing water to a boil, it’s more precise in keeping foods at a simmer as well.
I think the biggest bonus from a mom’s point of view, is the fact that the cooktop doesn’t get hot to the touch. Since the heat only happens directly in the pot or pan from the magnetic transfer created between the metals, you don’t have to worry about the surrounding area heating up as well. My kids are older now and know better than to play around a hot stove when I’m cooking, but I can remember the days when I was chasing them out of the kitchen when I was cooking. This is also a great feature for pet owners if their pets jump up on the counters.
Having energy efficient appliances has also become very popular, in fact it seems like most new appliances on the market offer energy efficiency. An induction cook top is more efficient with its energy use and transfer than both gas and electric heat. Because it creates the heat right in the cast iron or stainless cookware, there’s less heat wasted in the surrounding areas such as into the cook top and into the air.
Last but not least, I have to mention that because the cook top doesn’t heat up, any food spills or splashes won’t get baked on. If you have a flat top stove, you know what I’m talking about. They take a lot of muscles and scrubbing to get off cooked on foods and back to clean and shiny. For this alone I would buy an induction cook top.
Limitations of induction cooking
There are only a few limitations to be aware of with induction cook tops. Of course, if you don’t own stainless steel or cast-iron pans, you would have to factor in the cost of purchasing new pans with your induction range.
Good cast iron can last a lifetime, so it would be a onetime investment with your cook top purchase and will probably save you money in the long run. I’m pretty sure my husband and I are on our 4th set of pots and pans already. Now that I’m writing this, I’m seriously questioning why I’ve never bought cast iron?
A quick consideration for anyone with a pace maker or other electronic implant—you should always check with your doctor before using a cook top with a magnetic field. There has been some medical research on the subject, so do a little digging before you buy one, and it’s probably a good idea to also ask your doctor if induction cooking is safe for you.
After learning all about induction cooking and what it has to offer, I know when my stove top heats it’s last pot I will most definitely consider buying an induction cook top. Even with my kids getting older I love that the range top doesn’t heat up. I have plenty of nieces and nephews that come over for visits and I have been known to burn myself a time or two, so this is a huge selling feature for me.
Since we eat at home a lot and have family and friends over often, I love the ability to have an easy to clean cook top without having to spend so much time scrubbing off my baked-on spills after cooking. That is one of my biggest frustrations I currently have with my electric cook top.
Induction cook tops have been popular in Europe for many years and since they have become more reasonably priced, their popularity has quickly picked up worldwide. With all they have to offer I can see why more people are purchasing induction ranges for their homes.
You can see an assortment of great induction ranges at bestbuy.ca.
Image 4 @ www.sousvideaustralia.com
I have an Induction cooktop, I like how instant the heat is, and I also use it with a cast iron skillet. For some reason my Induction cooktop gives me an error message periodically when I use the cast Iron skillet, it stops then starts again.
Great reminder to those that have implants, to avoid stray magnetic fields from such devices. If anything, just have to be careful about the glass top, not to drop anything on it.
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