The case for induction cooktops.

[Packard]

My GE induction cook top heats very fast with carbon steel or cast iron pots. Some aluminum pans have a sheet of 400 series stainless steel laminated to the bottom by pressing the aluminum into (probably) a thousand tiny holes. The net result is a “induction-ready” pot/pan that works at about 50% efficiency (in terms of how long it takes to heat).

Note: 400 series stainless steel is magnetic. But it will form moderate amounts of corrosion and cannot be polished to a bright shine. So stainless steel water kettles frequently have 300 series stainless steel for the upper portion of the pot (so it can be polished and look nice for retail) and have a 400 series base plate that will eventually look quite ugly.

Better quality pots (Cuisinart for example) capture a carbon steel plate between two layers of stainless steel. Those maintain a better appearance and heat quickly, but can cost 2 or 3 times as much.

I appreciate the fact that the induction cooktop will shut itself off if I forget it, and it will do so without damaging the cooktop, the pot, or my house (though the baked on food that is left in the pan can be a chore to clean up).

 

[Neil Lickfold]

6 years ago, looking at induction cooking , the demo ones made high frequency noise that I could not stand. Found through trial and error at the shop that specific pans were less prone to making this noise than others. Most people could not hear this high frequency noise that was most prominent on boost mode. Cast iron pans were the quietest that were tested. Some of the most expensive pots made the most noise.
To keep the stove top clean, place high temp paper/oven paper between the stove top and the pan. Also reduces the top from scratching over time too.
My wife chose a Bosch induction cook top.
6 years latter, there are still noisy induction top combinations. As long as I am about 8m away or more, it does not bother me now. Must be loosing that frequency over time.

 

[mino]

...
I appreciate the fact that the induction cooktop will shut itself off if I forget it, and it will do so without damaging the cooktop, the pot, or my house (though the baked on food that is left in the pan can be a chore to clean up).

Yep.

They also shut themselves off before the food is cooked. Most ones /all i saw/ make it impossible to do long-cooking as a result. Thank you, but no, thank you.

Induction is IMO great as an option - i.e. a two-pot small cooktop to complement something else. Or a four-pot standard kit complemented by a two-pot something else.

Be it gas /ideal/ or even old-style power-regulated cast iron electric.

But induction-only kitchen? Nope.

---
After a lot of discussion, the new kitchen at a parents place will be all three: 2x natural gas + 2x cast iron electric + 2x induction.
Currently there is a classic four-pot natural gas stove.

The induction will be for "normal" cooking and boiling water, one of the pots is to be semi-permanently occupied by a kettle.
The gas is for fast-cooking, pancakes, etc.
The cast iron electric is for slow cooking /it is power-regulated so does not fluctuate/ as one can do sous-wide style stuff at 90C overnight there. Is also absolutely quiet on operation.


The three independent cooktops side-by-side is IMO very much cost feasible and provides the best of all worlds as there are capabilities which are unique to each option.

At our place we now have 4x gas + 2x power-regulated cast iron and found that we would start cooking on gas, then place it on the cast iron plates to continue at a low setting. E.g. rice cooking at a low-power setting that never burns is hard to beat and gets rid of the need for a rice cooker.

Originally we wanted to stick to gas as the "chef option". But the lowest flame is just too strong for some stuff and we prefer not leave gas flame up if cooking something overnight. So that two-pot cast iron cooktop was added and is used about as much as the gas ones.

 

[onocoffee]

I have not had the experience where induction tops shut off during a cook - and I've left them running for hours on end. That said, my experience with induction tops are mostly within the commercial end of things. The most residential version was a relatively inexpensive Waring Commercial induction that they gave me.

Most of what I've used are the larger, commercial cooktops, like those from CookTek - which I think are very capable cooktops. I would love to have the newer Breville Control Freak but for my uses, the CookTek more than suffices.

I noticed some here mentioned a high frequency noise - I have not noticed such a noise either because I can't hear in that range, the units I've used do not put out that frequency, or I don't notice it because I tend to use them in commercial kitchens where that would just be a part of the cacophony.