The Advantage of Induction Cooking

Induction cooking needs a pot that a magnet will stick to. That includes stainless steel, stainless steel clad, iron and enamel clad iron. I had enough of these pieces to cook the day the cooktop was installed. All the anodized pans went into the attic. 

On the inside of our new cooktop is a thinly wound copper coil the width of the cooking area. Attached to it is a few electromagnetic components and that is wired to some computer components. Nothing will work till you put your pan on the burner marked areas. Place your magnet ready pan on the burner turn it on and the coil magnetizes and heats only the pan by using electromagnetic energy. This is safe because all the energy is being conducted and contained in the metal of the pan. The pan gets hot then the food gets hot.

We purchased A GE Profile induction cooktop in 2009. It has been trouble free for 8 years. Research other models or brands for more information from Amazon's good review system or go to your local appliance outlet.

The electromagnetic field (EMF) can be adjusted to 18 levels. If the pan is removed the "burner" shuts off. You can immediately touch the burner and it will be cool. There is no waste of energy because none is needlessly lost in transfer from heating coil to pan or flame to pan. It is so efficient two quarts of water will boil in one minute. Gas has 40% efficiency while induction is rated 83-90% per Wikipedia. 

For the 18 levels of heat just press the pad and go up or down, the heat is instantly adjusted under the pot. In the picture below Hungarian goulash is simmering at a level 3 in an enamel clad iron pot. I checked the progress of the goulash. Under the lid I saw tiny bubbles indicating a low simmer, but they were not just in the middle they appeared evenly throughout the stew. I could see that I would not have to check and stir as often because the whole area was getting the benefit of the disbursed simmer. This is an advantage over gas.The beef was tender in an hour.

The safety of induction cooking is a plus when other methods, such as a flame or a hot coil, would not be acceptable. Break rooms, a small vacation cabin or other areas where a hot plate is desired, the induction unit can be used instead.

Restaurants and hotel breakfast venues have adopted the induction unit. Heat can be instantly obtained and eggs cooked to order as the guest watches. I have seen this in action the last weekend I spent out of town. I saw portable induction cookers used in the hotel for my morning eggs. 

Every house has a microwave. Some day every house will have some kind of induction cooking. It is easy to understand and use. I have learned that it is a clean method of cooking. No gas pilot to breathe and control of heat just as superior.

After 9 years of service our cooktop started giving error messages at the controls in the center of the unit. We needed to contact GE for a repairman to come and diagnose the "ER 6" flashing on the controls. The results indicate the left half of the top needs two new computer control boards at a cost of nearly $1200. Two burners are not functioning now. 

So for now, I am making do with the three remaining burners to cook meals. The visit of the repairman cost $100 with a rebate of $100 if we purchase a new GE product before the end of 2018.