Induction Speed and Controllability

[Marky_Mark]

I've just shot this video here in Dublin showing the time taken to bring exactly one litre/one kilogram of water to the boil from 20 ℃ (71 ℉) on this particular hob.  Spoiler alert: it took just over 2 minutes.  I also test how quickly it reacts when adjusting the power level.

 

I will be back in Palm Springs next week and will make another video of the same test on my gas cooktop.  Will be interesting to see what the difference is.  Anyone care to hazard a guess?!

 

Mark

 

 

[joeekaitis]

I recently boiled a gallon of water on the Frigidaire . . .

 

. . . using the Power Boost setting on the largest zone in a 6-quart pressure cooker bottom with its glass lid.  The water hit a full boil before the 10-minute Power Boost timeout.  Under 10 minutes is pretty darn fast.

 

Control response is the same as in the video.  If a pot of pasta is about to foam over on High, it immediately settles down on 9 and keeps boiling without foaming.

 

[sudsmaster]

I found this video to be helpful. I actually worked for about a year for a cabling outfit and we did some electical stuff as well.

 

 

[foraloysius]

Gas will be slower for sure.

 

[combo52]

Nice demonstration Mark.

Keep us posted went you try that on your gas cooktop back in California.

Hi Rich, reply number two, what does the proper way to wire receptacles have to do with a discussion on the speed of induction, lol

John

 

[foraloysius]

I guess Rich was con”fused”. ;-)

 

[joeekaitis]

Some may look at the bubble ring and yell . . .

 

"Hot spot! Uneven heat!"

 

Redo the test with pancake batter like Consumer Reports did before the advent of FLIR (Forward-Looking InfraRed) cameras.  I believe they still double-check with pancake batter.

 

[48bencix]

Coil vs Induction

Can someone compare a coil electric vs induction? Induction cooktops are still quite expensive here in the US. I have a GE coil cooktop which I plan on keeping until it fails. Hopefully the coil units and controls will be available for a while. I replaced one control which took quite a while because all suppliers had the wrong numbers and I need the control for the large element and they kept sending me the small element control.

 

[vacerator]

The electrician?

in the video doesn't say why a reveresed polarity wired outlet is dangerous.

 

[sudsmaster]

Reversed polarity outlet danger

Mike,

 

I can think of at least one reason why a reversed polarity outlet could be dangerous.

 

And that is because if the on/off switch in an appliance only controls the "hot" wire, then the appliance might not shut off when the switch is put to the off position, if the hot and neutral wires are reversed, and there is another path to ground.

 

Also, if another electrician comes along and starts working on a circuit with reversed polarity, that electrician could get shocked by the neutral wire if it's connected wrong.

 

Another problem would involve light sockets. Normally the hot circuit is attached to the little electrode at the bottom of the socket, and the neutral circuit is attached to the outer part of the socket, which is usually threaded to match the light bulb. But if the polarity is reversed, then one could get a shock from the outer portion of the socket.

 

I remember when I worked for a year for an electrical contractor. One of the kids he hired kept on wiring the outlets wrong, reversing hot and neutral. The contractor wound up firing the kid.

 

 

[mattl]

One other thing I've noticed with older appliances with non-polarized plugs is a slight sensation as I run my hand over the metal casing. I have a waffle iron and a sewing machine I notice this with, and have marked the plugs with red tape for the "hot" side to correctly orient it.

 

[sudsmaster]

Huh, never noticed that.

 

OTOH, I think all my appliances have polarized plugs.

 

[rinso]

The 1960 IronRite I rebuilt and rewired had the same slightly "buzzy" feeling mentioned on this post. Replacing all of the old cloth-covered (It may have been asbestos-wrapped) with new high-temp wiring with a three-pronged plug, I grounded the metal cabinet. It now works perfectly without the looming threat of electrocution.

 

[Marky_Mark]

Cooking with gas

And now for the same test on the largest burner of my Viking gas cooktop.  It took around 3 times as long to boil the water.  

 

I also tried using a medium-sized burner.  This spread the heat across the pan better but took slightly longer to boil.

 



 

 

[sudsmaster]

So what? The key to good cooking is not speed, but what I would call gentility. That is, gentle heat, applied judiciously, yields better results for most foods. And for those where a lot of heat is desirable, there are countertop appliances that work well, like rice cookers.

 

Not saying induction is bad, but it does require a cooking utensil that responds to magnetic impulses. So it would require replacing most aluminum cookware. Gas works with anything.

 

[rayjay]

Induction Cooking

I have my LG Induction range over a week now and I love it. It cooks so fast, nothing gets burned on the cook top=. Just wipe it up. I have been re-heating leftovers in a nonstick frying pan and I think it is even faster than the microwave. Melt butter and chocolate in a pot and it starts to helt in 5 seconds. No splattering etc like in the microwave. I am not a fan of the microwave and I only use for reheating and melting. Maybe its just me, but the food I reheated on the stove top tasted so much better.

 

[DADoES]

 
Perhaps someone can oblige a real-time video of preparing something delicate that requires a low-level heating profile.

 

[joeekaitis]

The consensus among many cooking professionals . . .

 

. . . is that the lowest 2 settings on an induction cooktop, portable or fixed, are the equivalent of using a double boiler.  Some folks buy a portable just for that purpose.

 

[norgeway]

Induction

Is something i will never have because Im not giving up my aluminum cookware, All my cookware stainless and aluminum is vintage and Im used to it.