I loved cooking with gas until last March 14th.
I always thought nothing would be better than a good and powerful flame under the pan.
It was my sister's birthday and I decided to offer a lunch to our family and some closer friends to celebrate. Italian food, served with gourmet style. small bits of many different recipes, served on different dishes. actualy 5 entry dishes, 3 different salads, 4 main dishes, 4 desserts, coffee, Nocello and Frangelico .
Preparation begun on Friday 12th. I was really busy on friday and saturday nights.
On Sunday morning my kitchen was looking like on fire. Since 7am there were 5 people running against the clock to make everything not less than perfect until noon. The 4 burners gas cooktop that looks commercial, all stainles steel and cast iron and relly powerful wasn't enough (imagine 2 people cooking on the same cooktop and my mom literally stepping on my toes every 30 seconds). It got on my nerves and I decided to take out of the box the 1 burner portable induction cooktop that Electrolux gave me a few years ago and see if that chinese crap would do something to help. My life changed forever!
When I realized how powerful and accurate it was, I called my mom. she repeated "oh my God" dozens of times, amazed with it. That little crap is accurate, fast, responsive, amazing, fantastic, fabulous, excellent! (more words?)
She always complained when new appliances arrive here "Oh no, spending money again?" but when I told here there's a built in cooktop with 4 induction burners she didn't think twice "Order it! I'll pay."
So in a few days, my 10 months old gas cooktop will be donated to the first that asks and a brand new induction cooktop will be installed. I'll buy a 1 burner built in gas cooktop and place it next to induction because we have some vintage pans (alluminum, ceramic, glass and stone) that don't work with induction.
I never trusted induction. I always thought it was good for those "weekend cookers" that can't make a simple rice without a recipe book of for those stupid very rich women that don't know how to spend the husband's money to impress their friends.
Of course after everything calmed down, I decided to make the test to see if the famous Kelly Ripa's tv ad was true. I filled my pasta cooker up to the top with cold water (really cold, from the fridge) and it really boiled in less than 5 minutes.
Since then, the gas cooktop looks like a toy. I'm using the portable unit for everything. Ever day a different surprise. It's wonderful to seal steaks, even better for french fries that are now always crispy. Now I can prepare a steak without that horrible "water" on the bottom of the pan. and I can also use the lowest temperature to melt chocolate without using the pan inside another pan with water (How is this technique called in english?)
Is there something better than induction? I'm starting to believe induction came to change our lives forever. It can be more expensive (specially here in brazil, where gas is cheap and electrocity is really expensive), but the results make it worth.
Before I forget... When I bought my apartment, I got a fancy 4 burners vitroceramic halogen cooktop. It was another gift from Elux. Thank God I decided to install it above the counter and try it for a few days before installing it permanently.
Come on, that crap doesn't work. it's good for a slow cook, it's easier to clean, but it's horrible when you need real power. After a week I gave it to one of the building's cleaner and I got a Bosch gas stove that I used until last year. It was excellent, but it didn't resist our very heavy use. Well, I can't complain... It lasted for 12 years. It's oven was wonderful.
