If you are still wondering what induction cooking is and how an induction surface can give you smarter, safer, faster cooking, then read on for a re-introduction to this innovative technology. Induction cooking works by heating the element located under the glass, in turn this heats the cookware while leaving the actual glass surface with a cooler temperature; thus, smarter, safer, faster cooking.
Traditional cooktops and ranges offer a set of four coil burners for cooking. Even today, coil burners are still manufactured and easily available in a wide range of cooktop and oven styles. In recent years, manufacturers have begun utilizing a glass ceramic top that places these traditional coil burners below the surface of the glass. The move to glass ceramic cooktops and ovens has made cleanup easier and has created more safety when moving a hot pot or full skillet to different burners. While the glass surface has improved the cooking experience, the actual safety issues related to hot surfaces still exists. Before we explain how induction creates a safer cooking environment, let’s first explain the greater details of how induction cooking works.
Induction delivers a smarter way of cooking based on proven cooking technology. You also gain a safer kitchen with burner surfaces that remain cooler and cool quicker. And, faster cooking saves you time.
An induction cooktop has unique copper elements under the glass ceramic surface that use electricity to produce a magnetic field. The magnetic field reacts with the iron in metal cookware (including cast iron and magnetic stainless steel pans) and transfers the heat directly to the cookware. The bottom line performance of induction is based on your cookware. If your cookware has a stainless steel, iron, or metal base, then the induction element below the glass will react with your cookware and heat it up. An easy way to see if your current cookware will work is to do the magnet test. If a magnet will stick to the outside bottom of your pot, it will work!
Now let’s dig into the greater benefits of induction cooking.
It goes without saying that one of your greatest concerns in the kitchen is safety. The frustration with older coil burner styles is that it’s sometimes difficult to detect if the burners are still on. Coil burners continue to be a good cooking surface, yet too many safety issues still exist. Induction cooktops create a better safety environment for the family because the glass picks up heat from the pot, but cools quickly once the pot is removed. The cooktop remains cooler, and most units automatically turn the burner off if the pan is not returned to that same burner within a certain time frame. Now that’s safety!
An additional bonus that most homeowners don’t know is that induction cooktops save valuable time when cooking. The induction element technology heats up the pan faster while using less energy. Since the induction technology only heats the pan, you won’t waste energy heating up the traditional coil elements that are larger than your pan. The best example of induction’s speed is the time it takes to boil water. With induction, your time to boil water is reduced by at least 40%; you can boil water in 90 seconds! Food gets to the table faster, so you can spend more time enjoying the food and less time cooking.
One reason homeowners may choose a gas range over electric is because gas ranges have better control; they can turn on and off instantly whereas electric cannot. A great feature of induction cooking is that an induction cooktop offers the same benefits of gas, but without the cost of installing and maintaining a gas line. Plus, with an induction cooktop, cleanup is quick and easy because the glass surface only provides heat to the pot. Therefore, when food spills, it doesn’t burn or stick to the cooktop, which makes for a fast clean-up.
Induction delivers a smarter way of cooking based on proven cooking technology. You also gain a safer kitchen with burner surfaces that remain cooler and cool quicker. And, faster cooking saves you time.
A range of induction cooktops and ranges are available from many manufacturers. If you want to see a live demonstration of these cooktops in action, just visit the Appliance Gallery showroom and we’ll give you the surprise of your life!
