Induction cooktops: is it really worth all the fuss?
Induction hobs are all the rage today; sleek, modern, clean and fast. It has become as essential in a modern luxury German kitchen as minimal white handleless doors. Your kitchen designer should be able to tell you everything he needs to know about the suitability of induction for his design. For now I will list some pros and cons below:
advantages
– It’s so easy to clean! Gone are the days of disassembling a complicated series of circular rings, plates, and metal racks after each meal. The combination of grease and oil residue on the stainless steel base of the hob makes it nearly impossible to clean without streaking (not ideal in a contemporary kitchen), not to mention all the sharp points that always seem to poke through the cleaning cloth. and impale your hands!
With induction cooktops, all you need to do is spray a little cleaning product, wipe, polish and dry and you have a beautiful black mirror on your countertop. Some models lie flat and flush with the countertop, and these are the easiest to keep clean. Others may have a slightly beveled or stainless steel frame and require a bit more effort to maintain.
– It is as efficient as gas, if not more. It is true that induction technology did not live up to expectations in the past, but time has given us a versatile and fully functional cooking zone. I speak from personal experience that with the touch of a button (instead of turning a greasy knob) you can bring a pan to a simmer instantly. Some induction cooktops also incorporate a boost feature that focuses all the energy from the magnets under a pan, causing it to boil much faster.
– It’s safer. Nothing in the kitchen is more dangerous than an open flame (except perhaps a dull set of knives!) and with an induction cooktop this risk is completely eliminated.
– If you don’t have a gas supply in your home, you no longer need to house a large and heavy bottle, the induction plugs into the mains and is ready to create the perfect omelet.
– Some of the newer models are zoneless, which means you can place the tray anywhere. This also has the advantage of heating the entire bottom of your fish kettle or roasting pan; perfect for doing gravity!
– All induction hobs are equipped with a child lock so that the little ones cannot accidentally manipulate them.
cons
– The nature of induction means you either have to change all your pans or buy an induction cooktop converter, but to be honest, if you’re looking to install a new cooktop, chances are your pans are all so old that they need to be replaced. much like its original kitchen. Ask family and friends for induction-compatible pans as gifts; Helpful tip, make them their favorite treats as a thank you!
– It is not seen that the heating is on as with gas. However, with certain induction cooktops there is a slight hum when the magnets are activated, giving you some indication. You’ll usually also find some sort of indicator light or icon (if your board has a display) that will tell you which ones are active. Also as a safety precaution, the zones on an induction cooktop only work when a magnetic connection is made to a pan.
– Cooking with a wok is not that efficient. Little can compare to the sizzling heat of using a wok on a gas wok ring. The flame extends up the sides of the wok, giving you full heat that’s great for practicing your chef skill at stirring vegetables without using a spatula. There are a couple of solutions on the market when it comes to induction compatible woks. Some manufacturers have introduced a dedicated wok domino, consisting of a rectangular induction hob with a submerged bowl-shaped indentation into which a specific induction wok fits. The downside to this design is that you can only use that pan with that wok. The other solution uses a circular metal stand that sits between the flat induction of the wok. Not recommended for vigorous shaking and tossing ingredients, to say the least.
– Safety, it should be noted that an induction hob could cause interference with pacemakers and, therefore, it is recommended that people equipped with one do not use an induction hob.
There you have it, a brief overview of induction cooktops that I hope will help you choose the right appliance for your beautiful new kitchen.
