Induction cooktop--fun new addition to the kitchen

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Malcolm,
I have a very large vintage Fry-Daddy. Don't fry all that much these days.
I have never found a better way to fry anything! Especially Fried Chicken! It keeps the oil at a consistent temp that I have never found with any other method.
Do you know if you can still buy them new? I need to look next time I go to Walmart or Target.
Brent
 
Got a Westinghouse 4-Hob system from late 2011. 

 

Its a huge improvement over the 1980's Westinghouse stove it replaced - which unfortunately suffered from warpage, and a blown ring around the heating surface (That metal ring which surrounded the hotplate). 

 

Boiling anything is merely a matter of moments, even in the largest skillets/pots. There's no wasted heat, a huge improvement in efficiency, no burning and very precise heat control. 

Those who still advocate gas should give these a try - As a "Gas Man" myself before the switch, I became a convert. Cooking on Gas always meant being "burned" from the heat of a burner on high, CO2 fumes in a well-sealed home (very important today), burning food and of course waste heat. 

 

Unless you live in the middle of nowhere, and have intermittent electricity, or prefer a vintage range for any reason, these are the best choice hands down today. I'm not sure about the electronics, but I guess even ceramic cooktops will be electronically controlled today. Not sure about gas - but again, a good quality top should last many years. 

These induction things are almost too good to be true. Lets hope all that magnetism doesn't turn out to be dangerous to one's health... 
 
I have used induction, have to say that didn't experience quicker heat up or cooking compared to my old westinghouse double crown, but I see how they can be faster than cooktops made today that are much weaker of how they used to be....

Also, do not know why but food cooked up on them tasted different, not as good as when cooked on a conductiomn method, but maybe it's just me....
I do see an improvement to efficiency though, this is especially because I can see many folks out there who cannot use gas or electric as they should anymore, many times I see people including my granma putting small pans on larger fires or coils, thinking that this way they will speed up things, what they get is flame not smashing in the surface but on the corner and heat going up instead of the base of the pot as it is supposed to...also many people do not center pans well on the heat source and you have sides of the pans where flame goes totaly out heating nothing but the air...
With induction you obviously do not have this problem as it heat only the pot.....
I see them being a good thing in this sense.....
 
Interesting comments, Freddie. 

 

I guess our old stove was just "knackered." However, even the newer electric cooktops can be pretty hopeless, as you pointed out. Perhaps due to energy constraints. 

 

It probably doesn't have to do with energy usage, but more effective utilisation of electricity being inputted. The "device" that magnetises the cookware might be rated up to some W or kW value, but due to its efficiency, can heat perhaps with the same ability as an electric or gas device of much higher capacity. 

Sorta like a heat pump, I guess. Not sure how much efficiency, but I think the actual value becomes somewhere around 84%, according to the figures posted by Wikipedia (from the U.S. EPA). For regular electric cooktops, a value of 74% and for Gas, read this JUST 40% efficiency... *LOL* I guess Gas won't be around much longer!

 

Edit: Here's an image reposted from Wikipedia (See Link). Looks pretty nice. 

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en.wikipedia.org

washer111++5-3-2014-07-06-48.jpg
 
Yes, electricity is imputted to the pan base that is the only thing that heats up, and as pointed out this is a great advantage over gas that for how correctly you'll use it, because of it's nature of flame, will inevitably disperse some of the heat around being a flame and needing space to "breathe", and a little more toward electric conduction, because of these reasons pointed out before.
Anyway, despite induction of course offer more "energetic efficiency" because of reasons above,I see conduction still going strong in many houses where you have a more "elaborated" way of cook, as they offer a flexibility that induction will not offer for certain preparations.
As a chef, I know many "tricks" that you can do with a gas burner or electric one but no with the induction that I would never give up doing....that is why in many professional kitchens most of the times you will find a couple of gas burners whenever the other are induction....
For certain kitchen "tricks" gas is irreplaceble...
Also...
I see them replacing conduction in households in countries where electricity does not cost much also, but for countries where electricity cost so much than the gas costs, and where you have limits of kwh like Italy, gas will remain the favourite choice....
But without doubt induction is an easier and more efficient method....
 
Gas still used by 98% of the consumers here in Brazil.

It's much cheaper than electricity and there's also the ridiculous fear of new technologies.

 

1% use standard electric cooktops (probably because their kitchens have some kind of limitation, like employee lounges  in companies)

and only 1% discovered the wonders of induction.

The first models available were the electrolux and the Brastemp 1 burner portable cooktops. Just like me, people liked the idea of placing the stove outside (balcony or yard) to fry without messing up the kitchen. (nobody likes greasy cabinet doors and floors.)

Thanks to those little wonders, people started to love induction and comment with their friends and relatives... Soon, the manufacturers launched 4 burner cooktop units.

But anyway, cooktops aren't too popular in Brazil. People still prefer regular stoves. I just can't understand why the manufacturers didn't launch a magnetic indution stove with an electric oven. Well, in parts I understand. Electrocity in Brazil is so expensive that consumers are afraid of almost everything that has a plug. I strongly believe that after I saw a costumer asking a saleswoman how was the power consumption of a Samsung Galaxy S3 charger and in several homes I've seen people using electronic bulbs weaker than the necessary for the ambient only to save maybe less than 5w.
 
With the way things goes I cannot blame people for being "fearful" of new technologies..... Rather...just the opposite...
But at times there is something good,or not completely bad, among them coming along ,well, they have good aspects and bad aspects as everything...you just have to decide if you prefer renounce to good aspects of the old or the good ones of the new, so what you care more about to have...
For some people naturally to renounce of good aspects of the old is a HUGE problem, and it all relies in how much important are for you personally among old and new ones....
Taking in exam a stove, you may have a more efficient heat source with an induction,or even a quicker heat up if you use one of those modern weak ones, but you can say goodbye to the flexibility and results conduction gives for certain preparations,induction respond to heat control just like gas does, yes, but you can say goodbye to flaming, oblique cooking, constant sauteing etc... and all the flexibility in cooking procedures that gets better from a conduction method like gas... with the induction you have to have a more "static" cooking, you have to keep pots in constant contact with the surface, that may matter less or more to one personally, and may result in one not being happy with it....

[this post was last edited: 5/3/2014-09:49]
 
@ kenmoreguy89

The point of induction tops is that they do NOT heat the pot. They heat the contents inside the pot and that is what, by conduction, makes the pot hot.

In my life I have used every type of cooking top except wood or coal fired stoves and I can say that (in my 56 years) induction tops are the best I have ever used and I would not change to anything else how, even if I could. And I have not found they make the food taste funny either. And its is just as versatile a method of cooking than any other, probably more as it is possible to get very strong heat or very gentle heat.

Like IEJ above I have a full size De Detrich induction top since 2006

vacbear58++5-3-2014-12-43-39.jpg
 
In your opinion.....

Anyway, again, regarding versatility and heat control, I found heat control and response to be as versatile as with gas, you can control temperatures just the same way, but for versatility in cooking what I meant is that you cannot do all what you do with gas or convention...ie what said before, and have no other words to describe it.
Regarding food tasting differenf, again, maybe it's just me...but found it being different, not funny but different...it was cooked differently, tasted differently, probably the same way I find food cooked on a wood stove to be better than one cooked on gas...but I swear it was different to my mouth!
Do not know the type of cooking you do and how you do anyway, so I do not expect every one to understand what I mean....
Regarding pot heating, really I knew it very different, if it was just "pot content" ie supposed to be food, heating up, you would not be able to roast ,toast or brown....
And would be a kind of microwave no? , i have always known, and heck, could see with my eyes it is the pot or pan getting hot! Radiation heats up the pot base and of course thanks to it food in it contained to be cooked. Am I wrong?

[this post was last edited: 5/3/2014-15:50]
 
About frying and greasy surfaces

One of the advantages of frying or making popcorn with either my resistance or induction units is that I can place a paper towel between the rim of the pan and the splatter screen I use. When deep frying, I lift both to add the food and then quickly replace them as the steam and oil vapor come up. I remove it as the cooking nears completion to judge color and completion of cooking. When popping corn, I cover the pan as soon as I add the corn to the oil. With no flame to come up the side and the pan covering the element, there is not a danger of fire. When the process is through, the paper towel is almost transparent with oil and there is a small amount in the mesh of the splatter screen, but nowhere else.

In the winter, I make frozen French Fried potatoes under the broiler element since with the magnetron, they only take 4 minutes once the element is red. In the summer, to save heating up the broiler and the kitchen, I fry them in oil on the induction unit. I much prefer them fried and prepare onion rings then also. I use a 2.5 qt. Cuisinart stainless pan that is induction capable because it is deep enough for safe frying, but also wide enough to allow the French Fries and onion rings to spread out without requiring a lot of oil to get the necessary depth. The induction heats the oil quickly and the thermal control is good to have, too. I used to use my SensiTemp unit for deep frying. I liked to cut potatoes into the almost match stick size with the French Fry disc for the Cuisinart. I should try that again; it has been a long time.
 
Sorry Vacbear, but induction units work on the principle of "exciting" the electrons contained within the metal of your pots/pans via the large magnet seen in my previous post - they heat the food inside like a Microwave does by exciting water molecules, but the process is very similar, it seems. 

 

This is why you might hear a "buzzing" sound when these are in operation, as they actually vibrate the pots - vibration causes heat and voila! A hot pan. 
 
Induction cooker-the unit works by the transformer principle-the coil in the picture of a taken apart induction burner acts as a transformer primary-your pan acts as the "secondary"--yes this DOES heat the pot or pan.The circuitry shown in the picture of the induction burner converts the low line frequency to a higher one so the induction cooker will work with a small item like a pan.Industry uses very large induction furnaces to melt metal and semiconductor materials-the "secondary" container can be placed a vacuum or gas chamber for keeping the materials heated pure or for other treatments.In induction cooker "burners" for safety-the circuits can shut down power to the induction coil prevent empty pan problems-and the burner won't activate unless a pan is on it.The primary circuitry in the burner can sense the change in "loading" on the primary coil if a pot burns dry or is not on the burner coil.
 
There's absolutely no way it could make your food taste funny. All that's being applied is heat.
The induction system basically turns your pot/pan into an element by inducing rapidly alternating currents in the metal.
 
Vollarth Induction Cooktop - latest thrift find

I'm late on reading this thread.... I have never used induction and always wanted to try it out. Two days ago, I spotted a well-used Vollrath Intrique(model)69500 model at the thrift, but they said it wasn't working properly and they were thinking of just discarding it. The next day(today), it was still there and through some discussions, I bought it in question of its reliability, for the incredible sum of $4. I tested it at the thrift by using a tea kettle, and it did warm the bottom. The thrift warned me, "it works, but it turns off..doesn't stay on." So I took a chance, dragged it home, dis-assembled it to clean, and tested it -worked fine boiling water. Other than the scuffed surface, it's missing two button labels (to control heat and turn off heat). Vollrath's website shows no parts available for this model 69500, so I'll try calling the company. If I don't have success, I will need to find a waterproof/greaseproof label that I can paint the symbol onto - must be something out there, but what?

While I plan to "play" with this and decide how best I can use it, does anyone have one of these single induction burners and do you use it for special occasions? I'd like to know how this Vollrath was used - there is a lot of pot/pan scuff marks on the surface.

Thanks again for the thread and comments. If you have photos of your induction equipment and can post a photo, I'd enjoy seeing it.

Phil

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Those Vollrath models sell for over $500. You made a great find. I have a different model with a dial and continuously variable power levels from 1% to 100% power and temperature levels that have 10 degree steps in both C & F. It had an internal fuse blow, but Jeff fixed it and there has been no trouble in the 5 years since. Like this one, it is 1800 watts and 120 volts.
 
Tom -

What is your model number, if you wouldn't mind checking? Vollrath makes quite a variety of models, so I'd like to refer to the model you own and check it out.

I haven't priced a formal four-burner induction cooktop for home use, but a two burner Vollrath retails at $2537 at tundra.com to $3752 from Amazon(free shipping). Eeeks!
 

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