I love induction cooking. Yeah, I'm an amateur chef, both by desire and by need.
I served a kind of apprenticeship as a boy cooking in the kitchen of what is now call the Omaha Home for Boys - it was a Masonic home many years ago. This was not a Michelin operation, but I still learned some basics about cooking that would serve me later in life when it became a hobby. So, what's the big deal with induction cooking.
1) There is no fire. You don't have to worry about leaving a dish towel too close to the burner and getting on the evening news
2) It's infinitely adjustable and controllable - with a slight exception
3) It's very Eco friendly - less power and no noxious fumes from gas flames
This is basically the unit I use. Mine is about five or six years old, and may be slightly different, but mostly the same. It sets on top of the electric range that came with our apartment. You can buy complete stoves with built-in induction.
There is no fire, no hot elements, and no chance of flames. It works with magnetic energy. This from Martha Stewart, and if you can't believe Martha... actually, she has a lot of good ideas. I wonder if she learned any hacks when she was inside? 😂 Okay, so here's part of what she says at her site https://www.marthastewart.com/7982499/induction-cooking-explained
"Induction cooking uses electromagnetic energy to create heat right inside your pots and pans. When cookware is placed on the glass cooktop surface, the magnet below the glass is triggered, resulting in friction and heat generation. Pans essentially become burners. Induction cooking is available in a single "burner" or heating zone, a cooktop with multiple heating zones, or via a range.
"Induction cooktops revolutionize your cooking experience compared to traditional electric ones by directly heating cookware through electromagnetic induction, ensuring lightning-fast and super-efficient cooking," says Mike Williams, vice president of sales and marketing at Kenyon, which manufactures a specialty line of induction cooktops."
I love the simplicity of induction. You aren't always peeking under a pan or pot and trying to adjust the flame to just the right level, only to find out you're burning the food. My unit defaults at 300 degree F when I turn it on, and I find that works really well for most things like sauteing. Here's the minor irritation for me. You can adjust the heat level, but it only moves at 20 degrees, so I can have either 320 or 280. There are times I'd like finer adjustment, maybe five degree adjustments.
Also, the pots you use - they do have to be ferrous or magnetic - aluminum won't work. Depending on the thickness of the pot and the heat loss through the sides and out of the top of the pot (if no lid is used), you will want to adjust the heat levels. For instance, if I want to simmer a sauce (between about 175 & 200 ℉, I might have to set the temperature to 200 - 240 ℉. I have glass lids with a vent hole that is just the right size for a digital thermometer so I can fiddle until I get a good simmer.
You have a timer, so you can set it for up to - I think it's about 2 or 3 hours. Another nice thing is if you forget a pot and it boils away, the unit will shut itself off at a point where the pan is getting too hot. Another great safety idea.
One work of caution, and this seems to be unclear, but because it uses electromagnetic energy, there are some cautions about having a pacemaker, but that seems still in doubt. Check with your cardio guy or gal if that's the case.
If you're curious, you can learn more by searching the Internet - I recommend Duck Duck Go because I'm boycotting Google, but whatever you like, search on induction cooking and read all about it. You can also get complete ranges with induction ovens for about $1,000 to $2,000. Here's the Chicago Tribune's take on a few of those: https://reviews.chicagotribune.com/appliances/ranges/best-induction-ranges?cid=650117176&acid=10&aid=1246846834953220&eid=&tid=kwd-77928297511774%3Aloc-4132&ul=111320&mt=p&n=s&d=c&dm=&dt=&sn=&adid=&k=induction+ranges&p=&pc=&ap=&chtrb=1&msclkid=4512891725b71d6ff1a7eea7d27daa38&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Tribune+-+Appliances+-+Bing&utm_term=induction+ranges&utm_content=Best+Induction+Ranges
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