The traditional cooking styles available are fire, gas, electric and microwave. Another choice in cooking style is the idea of induction cooking. When conducting a remodel, it is best to understand all of the choices that you have available. In this article, we will discuss the idea of induction cooking along with the pros and cons related to it.
What Is Induction Cooking?
Induction cooking uses an electromagnetic field to cook the food. With this type of cooking method, the food becomes hot, the pan becomes hot, but the heating element itself is not hot. Since the element is not hot, it is safe to touch while cooking. An added bonus to this is that spills while cooking are easy to clean up. There won’t be baked on food. This form of heat delivery is considered more energy efficient than gas or electric.
What’s The Rub?
With this type of magnetic cooking, you will need specific cookware. Since glass, aluminum, and ceramic are not magnetic, they will not work correctly on an induction cooktop. If a magnet will stick to it, then it will work. So steel and cast iron cookware will work with this type of heating element.
Appliances
There is the ability to have an induction cooktop separate from the stove and one with an oven attached. The choice would be a personal preference based upon what you are looking for, the space available, and your current budget restrictions. Some appliances have safety features which will recognize when a pan is no longer present. When this occurs, the burner will automatically shut off so there will not be wasted energy.
Pros/Cons
Similar to electric cooking, if the power goes out, the cooktop will not work. We’ve discussed previously that this type of cooktop will be easier to clean because baked on food will be a thing of the past. If you would like any of your food flame-broiled, this will not happen though. There is no concentrated, intense heat to produce the char that some desire for their steaks and burgers. This type of appliance will be more expensive than the traditional gas or electric variety. The size of the appliance could be affected as well. It would be best to sketch out where you would like this appliance in your available space and make sure it fits comfortably while adhering to all of the safety standards for your local area.
