We try Side-by-Side Induction Cooking
When we moved into our new house in June of 2021, the kitchen included an electric stove. I also brought a single unit induction cooktop with me, which I placed on the counter next to the stove. We just plugged it in.
Since then, we have:
• cooked on the induction cooktop whenever possible, using cookware that works on it
• used the stove burners for cookware that's not induction compatible
By doing this, we used less energy because the induction cooktop is significantly more efficient than the stove. We also enjoyed the very quick responsiveness of the induction unit, easily as fast or faster to change heat levels as a gas stove.
• cooked on the induction cooktop whenever possible, using cookware that works on it
• used the stove burners for cookware that's not induction compatible
By doing this, we used less energy because the induction cooktop is significantly more efficient than the stove. We also enjoyed the very quick responsiveness of the induction unit, easily as fast or faster to change heat levels as a gas stove.
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• Electric stove burners take longer to heat up, and longer to cool down when you adjust the heat setting. This wastes energy and makes cooking more difficult than it should be and risks burning the food from excess heat. Cooks often have to lift pots off burners to prevent boiling over, etc.
• Electric burners also let excess heat escape below, around, and above the cookware. This also wastes energy, often heats pot handles unnecessarily (a risk to the cook!), and makes the kitchen a hotter place to work in, which is especially undesirable in the summer. The burners also stay dangerously hot right after being turned off. |
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The induction cooktop unit causes only the cookware itself to heat up. It uses a magnetic field of rapidly varying intensity to generate an electric current within the metal that forms the bottom of the cookware.
• This conserves energy, as only the pot itself heats up. • It's more responsive because there's no heating element to heat up or cool off when changing heat settings; the cookware itself is the only thing that retains heat. • Circuits within the unit automatically shut down if the pot is removed or overheats (such as if water boils away). Also, the risk of fires or burns caused by the burner itself are eliminated, as there is no exposed heating element or flame. This makes it safer than any other burner type. |
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What about people who cook with gas? My partner Cathy had a gas stove in her last house. At first she wanted to replace our electric stove with a gas stove because she thought she'd never give up gas fired cooking. Then she tried a stir fry on the induction cooktop using her favorite large carbon steel frying pan. She was able to get a higher temperature, yet maintain exact control of the heat at all times. Now, she has found it as easy or easier to cook with induction for everything.
Lately, we found even more reasons to avoid gas. There was a fatal gas explosion in our town recently due to a leak in the pipes under the street causing gas to seep into the basement of a house. Then, we saw an article about the health effects of the NO2 gas emitted from open gas flames. People with asthma and other breathing problems are often have more symptoms in high levels of NO2.
Lately, we found even more reasons to avoid gas. There was a fatal gas explosion in our town recently due to a leak in the pipes under the street causing gas to seep into the basement of a house. Then, we saw an article about the health effects of the NO2 gas emitted from open gas flames. People with asthma and other breathing problems are often have more symptoms in high levels of NO2.
Our conclusion: We definitely prefer cooking with the induction cooktop over our conventional electric stove. And, as we don't have gas service to the house now, we definitely don't plan to have it installed in the future.
For now, we'll continue to use our collection of stainless steel and aluminum cookware on the electric stove when necessary and use induction for everything else.
As for the future, we'll start obtaining more induction compatible cookware and eventually replace our stove with an induction model. As for the remaining cookware we have that is incompatible, we'll donate it to charity.
Our recommendation: We encourage everyone to give this a try. Renters can get in on this since nothing in the kitchen needs to be modified. There's no risk to singeing or scorching the countertop as the bottom of induction units stays cool.
Single and dual burner induction cooking units are available for purchase online or at cooking supply retail shops and department stores for reasonable prices (starting at under $100).
Literature: You can download a PDF document that summarizes Side-by-Side induction cooking (see below).
For now, we'll continue to use our collection of stainless steel and aluminum cookware on the electric stove when necessary and use induction for everything else.
As for the future, we'll start obtaining more induction compatible cookware and eventually replace our stove with an induction model. As for the remaining cookware we have that is incompatible, we'll donate it to charity.
Our recommendation: We encourage everyone to give this a try. Renters can get in on this since nothing in the kitchen needs to be modified. There's no risk to singeing or scorching the countertop as the bottom of induction units stays cool.
Single and dual burner induction cooking units are available for purchase online or at cooking supply retail shops and department stores for reasonable prices (starting at under $100).
Literature: You can download a PDF document that summarizes Side-by-Side induction cooking (see below).
| induction_flyer_4.pdf |
References:
News story regarding the health risks of gas stoves.
The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center has a web page that gives more details.
This web site explains the science and engineering of induction for those who want to really understand how it works.
News story regarding the health risks of gas stoves.
The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center has a web page that gives more details.
This web site explains the science and engineering of induction for those who want to really understand how it works.
Update:
26 December 2021 - New York City - City government has now banned natural gas in new buildings constructed from now on. This is the largest city to do so, so far. The complete story is here. This is great news! Now, there is even more reason to try alternatives to gas for cooking, heat, or for domestic hot water.
26 December 2021 - New York City - City government has now banned natural gas in new buildings constructed from now on. This is the largest city to do so, so far. The complete story is here. This is great news! Now, there is even more reason to try alternatives to gas for cooking, heat, or for domestic hot water.