Hey Drew/Gryg, you got an opinion on induction cooktops?

Post #420,960 by crazy 10/21/17 11:33:42 PM 10/21/17 11:33:42 PM Reply	Hey Drew/Gryg, you got an opinion on induction cooktops? Just got a pan with an induction bottom and considering picking up a hot plate.
Post #420,961 by Andrew Grygus 10/22/17 12:11:53 AM 10/22/17 12:11:53 AM Reply	Induction cooktops? In general, I do not favor these, because they severely restrict what kind of vessels you can use on the stove top. Shape must be such that it presents a wide flat bottom, which pretty much eliminates woks. These vessels must also be of magnetic material, or a plate of iron has to be put beneath them to heat them, which can be less than satisfactory. Of course, these things do exist, so manufacturers of cooking vessels do compensate for them where possible. Most multiply cookware has a highly corrosion resistant 300 series stainless liner, but on the outside of the aluminum or copper plate they use a 400 series stainless, which is less corrosion resistant, but is sufficiently magnetic to heat on an induction range. I suspect induction tops provide better heat control than conventional electric elements, which have a lot of heat latency within themselves, but they just can't approach the convenience, universality and responsiveness of gas burners.
Post #420,962 by boxley 10/22/17 1:09:09 AM 10/22/17 1:09:09 AM Reply	if it aint gas it aint shit "Science is the belief in the ignorance of the experts" – Richard Feynman
Post #420,968 by drook 10/22/17 9:39:56 AM 10/22/17 9:39:56 AM Reply	Gas reacts faster, but electric can get way hotter Other than charring peppers I can't think of anything I used to do on gas that isn't easier on electric. In a restaurant I'd still go with gas so I wouldn't have to worry about breaking the glass surface. -- Drew
Post #420,969 by Another Scott 10/22/17 11:23:32 AM 10/22/17 11:23:32 AM Reply	We need to remodel our kitchen With its ~ 50 year old push-button drop in electric range. The oven temperature fluctuates ~ +/- 50 degrees, there are only 5 heat settings on the top burners, etc., etc. I hate it. J hates when I bake anything because there's a big buildup of splatters and spills that smoke enough to make her cough (there's no vented range hood either). I love the flexibility of gas, and the lack of burning of the bottom of cookies (a big problem in this thing even with double-bottom cookie sheets) in a gas oven, but I've read that gas is bad for baking because it's a "moist heat" (water's one of the byproducts of combustion). I dunno how much of a problem that really is though - we don't make french bread or other things that are intended to shatter like crackers... Oh, and our coiled electric burners aren't flat, many of our skillets aren't flat, so they don't heat evenly on the electric burners. Even a glass (non-induction) cooktop has trouble with pans that aren't flat while gas doesn't care anywhere near as much. We'd have to run a gas line to our kitchen as part of the remodel, so that means ripping up the basement ceiling (stapled ceiling tiles), etc., etc. I know there are combination gas cooktops/electric ranges, but I dunno if it makes sense to go that route. Doubles the amount of things that can go wrong... I've got lots of CorningWare pots and pans that are handy for some things (cooking on the stove, popping in the microwave to keep warm or to reheat), so induction hasn't been on my list even though it does (apparently) boil water very quickly. So, dunno. Maybe we'll just get one of each when we win the lottery and retire. ;-) Cheers, Scott.
Post #420,971 by hnick 10/22/17 12:23:39 PM 10/22/17 12:23:39 PM Reply	We now have a new kitchen. It wasn't planned... About 3 months ago, we had a major electrical fault: the neutral wire coming into the house burnt out or disconnected for some reason. Long story short: it started a fire, but the arcing punctured a hot water feed for the dishwasher and put out the fires started by the arcing. Refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, all the televisions in the house, and a lot of wiring burnt out. We now have all new Whirlpool appliances in the kitchen including a stove, refrigerator, microwave, and dishwasher. I haven't gotten to use the stove much because all my cooking equipment is still in the garage in boxes. The oven is rather nice; much better than my older electric stove. The stovetop heats up more quickly than the older models, but I don't know yet how long it takes to cool down. Seems usable anyway. "Religion, n. A daughter of Hope and Fear, explaining to Ignorance the nature of the Unknowable." ~ AMBROSE BIERCE (1842-1914)
Post #420,972 by Another Scott 10/22/17 12:31:14 PM 10/22/17 12:31:14 PM Reply	Ouch. Reminds me of the gas light at my dad's house getting hit by lightning. It did all kinds of damage inside the house (ice maker caught on fire, blew up a bunch of TVs, etc.), but yours was much worse. I hope insurance took care of much of the cost, and that you enjoy your new kitchen after all that! Cheers, Scott.
Post #420,973 by drook 10/22/17 12:40:44 PM 10/22/17 12:40:44 PM Reply	Crappy old appliances are crappy (and old) Your mid-last-century relic isn't comparable to modern stuff. I get what you're saying about potential hot spots with non-flat pans, but other than a wok I haven't had any trouble with my stuff. Maybe I'm more careful with mine and they stay flatter? Dunno. The glass does stay hot longer than the grid over a gas burner, which matters when the stovetop is full and you can't move a pot off to the side as easily. As far as safety, gas burner grids hold plenty enough heat that you don't want to touch them. tl;dr I wouldn't spring for the expense of running a gas line or a 220v circuit that isn't already there just so I could choose one or the other. But if they were both there and I were in the market, I'd prefer electric oven with something like this. -- Drew
Post #420,974 by Another Scott 10/22/17 12:55:36 PM 10/22/17 12:55:36 PM Reply	Interesting. And zooks! It's cheap! (If one is willing to buy 100 of them. ;-) Thanks. Cheers, Scott.
Post #420,976 by malraux 10/22/17 2:30:38 PM 10/22/17 2:30:38 PM Reply	We have a Jenn-Air ceramic It's about 16 years old now and no problems. One nice thing is that there's room for a cupboard below it (we have a separate double oven). Regards, -scott Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson.
Post #420,977 by Andrew Grygus 10/22/17 2:51:58 PM 10/22/17 2:51:58 PM Reply	Some old stoves may be crappy . . . . . but I get along just fine with my late '40s Wedgewood chrome top. It has a lot of space due to the griddle in the middle (which I have never used as a griddle). It is really easy to clean because all the top surfaces lift out without effort (well, the griddle is a bit heavy) and can be easily cleaned in the sink. Wedgewood Stove Yes, it would be nice to have restaurant level BTUs, but as a home stove this one does great. Production stopped by the mid '50s, but today Wedgewoods sell for $1000 and up.
Post #420,982 by Another Scott 10/22/17 3:51:22 PM 10/22/17 3:51:22 PM Reply	Very nice. Ours seems to be a 1963 "builder's special" GE. It's one of these, including the delicious "rare, lemon yellow" color. :-/ All it needs is some tail fins and some fake jet engine air intakes to be perfect!! When we moved in only a couple of the burners worked, but it was easy to get replacement elements and drip pans and trim rings and replace them without a tech visit. I may have checked the connections at the switches too - it's a pretty simple beasty. The clock doesn't work, but the timer still does. Cheers, Scott.
Post #420,980 by boxley 10/22/17 3:24:53 PM 10/22/17 3:24:53 PM Reply	with gas I can see what the heat output is, on an electric I have to guess "Science is the belief in the ignorance of the experts" – Richard Feynman
Post #421,005 by Ashton 10/23/17 5:24:00 PM 10/23/17 5:24:00 PM Reply	Ha! ..agreement (but I ain't no Chef-grade end-user.) Modrin gas-tops/or other ... provide a vernier fine-control at low-end also-too. Electric: it's ALL 'numbers' == as Bad a thing as those numbers about 'I.Q.', I Wot.
Post #420,967 by drook 10/22/17 9:35:38 AM 10/22/17 9:35:38 AM Reply	I used an induction hotplate once It seemed to be much less hot than my electric stovetop at home. It could have been a lower range version; I've never researched how hot they can theoretically get. -- Drew
Post #420,991 by a6l6e6x 10/22/17 10:19:21 PM 10/22/17 10:19:21 PM Reply	Wiki says you can melt metal in an induction furnace. Induction furnace An Induction Furnace is an electrical furnace in which the heat is applied by induction heating of metal. Induction furnace capacities range from less than one kilogram to one hundred tonnes capacity and are used to melt iron and steel, copper, aluminium and precious metals. Yes, there's a difference between a furnace and a stove top! :) But, it's that reversing magnetic field that gets those atoms excited. In case of the furnace the metal has to a conductor of electricity and have the eddy currents give the metal magnetic properties. And naturally, electrical resistance to the currents play a role in generating heat as well. You probably did use low wattage unit. Alex "There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge." -- Isaac Asimov
Post #420,993 by drook 10/22/17 11:28:26 PM 10/22/17 11:28:26 PM Reply	Yeah, I wonder how heating matches up to power use -- Drew
Post #420,996 by CRConrad 10/23/17 3:55:41 AM 10/23/17 3:55:41 AM Reply	Where I grew up, lights in the whole village flickered when they started up the steel works oven.
Post #420,990 by a6l6e6x 10/22/17 9:54:59 PM 10/22/17 9:54:59 PM Reply	My wife has one and likes it! It's a Fagor 1800 Watt unit. It's neat to heat up the pot and not much else. We got it when we lived in Charlotte and didn't have a gas appliances. But, now that we has gas stove/oven she does not use it as much, but wouldn't part with it. Induction heating sure beats the glass top electric stoves! She said the only problem with them that she's heard about is that people buy units that don't have sufficient wattage and have to wait forever to get things cooked. She won a Fagor cookware set at a Good Sam camping event so she was ready in that way. The pots themselves can be heated all other ways just as well. Alex "There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge." -- Isaac Asimov
Post #420,994 by drook 10/22/17 11:34:55 PM 10/22/17 11:34:55 PM Reply	Answering my own question above http://powersaving.co.za/appliance-tests/kitchen-appliances/induction-hob-test/ In that test, at least, the induction is a third more efficient, so it will heat the contents faster at the same wattage. The one I used must have been under-powered. -- Drew

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