Cooking-on-Induction-Heat-Article



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Get ready, a cooking revolution is at the kitchen door. What the cell phone did for the
telecommunication industry, induction cooking is now doing for the food industry. While
the technology has been around for decades, in recent years it has been greatly
improved upon, already taking hold in Europe and Japan.

There can be no doubt that magnetic induction promises to be the most attractive cooking
option on the market. In this article we will discuss how induction cooking works, how it
differs from electric and gas stovetops, and explain the advantages and disadvantages of
the new technology.

Up until now, there have been two basic methods of cooking food. Both methods follow the
same basic principles. In the chemical method, a combustible material—such as wood,
coal, or gas—is burned to generate heat; while the electrical method accomplishes the
same thing by running a current through a coil, or more recently, a halogen-filled bulb. (A
third, oven-only option for generating heat needed for cooking is microwaving, which
generates the heat within the food itself.) Magnetic induction is a completely different
technology.

A crash course in basic physics explains how it works. When a conductor is placed in the
presence of a changing magnetic field, electricity is produced in the conductor. The result
is an electromagnet. In induction cooking, an electromagnet is placed under the cooking
surface. When turned on, an alternating current runs through the electromagnet,
producing a magnetic field. A large metal object on the surface will pick up the current and
generate heat. Voila! Now we’re cooking!

The biggest difference between induction cooking and its counterparts is where the heat
is generated. Gas and electric stovetops produce heat on a burner. The heat is then
transferred, more or less efficiently, to a cooking vessel and its contents. In contrast,
induction cook tops generate heat in the vessel itself, while the burner stays cool. Since
there is no transfer of heat from burner to pan, there is virtually no wasted heat. Studies
have shown that induction cooking may be up to 90% energy efficient, compared to
electric and gas cooking, which are 47% and 40% energy efficient respectively. In addition
to efficiency, induction cooking is the superior choice when it comes to safety issues.
Because the cooking surface stays cool (i.e. room temperature) there are no more burned
hands or hot pads and there is no open flame sending potentially dangerous fumes into
the air. Best of all, with the heat focused in the right place, the kitchen–and the chef–stays
cool and comfortable.

But the real luxury of induction cooking—the things that sets it apart as the Porsche of
cook tops—is the precision and control it gives the chef. By varying the strength of the
magnetic field, the heat generated in the pot responds instantly. This means water boils in
half the amount of time it takes electric and gas stoves. Low temperatures work as well as
high ones—meaning you can toss out your double boiler! One experiment showed
chocolate chips melting at such a low temperature they held their shape until spread with
a spoon. Induction warmers are great for caterers as well, since they hold low
temperatures and keep food warm better than any of the alternatives.

Unfortunately there are a couple big disadvantages to induction stoves. For the pan to
conduct energy it must be magnetic—that is, it must contain iron. Therefore, cast-iron and
steel pots and pans are necessary. Test your cookware by passing a magnet across the
pan. If the magnet sticks, the pan will work. Some cookware, made with layers of aluminum
and copper for distribution, will still work beautifully on an induction cook top, as long as
the surface of the pan is steel.

The second disadvantage is unavailability. For some reason, induction cooking has been
slower to take off in America than it has across the Atlantic. Therefore, it’s still hard to find,
and models are more expensive. (Prices start well above a thousand dollars.) However, as
the market increases, look for prices to steadily fall. If you can’t wait, there are several
websites where you can order an induction cook top and have it delivered to your home.
Installation is relatively easy.

After using an induction cook top, it’s easy to imagine the day when we will look back on
electric or gas ranges with the same astonishment and nostalgia as we do grandma’s old
wood stove.

Gourmets Get Ready for Induction Cooking

By: Emma Snow