# Induction cookers vs. Gas



## dc sunshine

We're looking at changing our electric stove top from electric (yuk) to either induction or to gas. I personlly prefer gas but my husband (not a cook by any description!) seems to think the induction style is comparable.

What do you think? I've never used the induction style - wondering if anyone out there has, and how well it goes, i.e. can you do asian style cooking on top, and how fast is the heat up & cool down time as compared to gas.

Any advice/comments would be very helpful - thanks


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## jenyfari

Just responding to this so this post gets bumped to the top as I would also like to hear from others with advice on this topic. I have an electric stove top at the moment but much prefer gas, but would like to hear from others regarding an induction cooktop.


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## dc sunshine

Jeny,

I don't think its working 

DC :crazy:


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## hollysmother

I researched Induction Cooktops when I decided I wanted a portable single burner while the kitchen was being renovated top to bottom. My still-not-finished kitchen will have a Bluestar range (gas), but I expect to use this pricey little unit even then.

Sticker shock aside, these are the greatest things since sliced bread.

Some people factor in the fact that you can't use your Copper Pots and Pans. Me, I expect to use mine when the Bluestar goes in, meantime I'm happy using my magnetic pots.

My first induction unit was a used Cooktek 3500 watt. I bought it from a bankrupt caterer in Manhattan in December who posted it on Craigslist; she donated an old cast iron fry pan and a pot that she didn't need, which was incredibly nice of her, and lowered the price of the Cooktek so I could afford it. I had looked for about 3 months at that point (new technology to me, and I research everything thoroughly before I ever make a move) and I could not believe how lucky I was. Then I got it home and realized I would need special wiring to use it (220 volt). Contractor explained the house electric situation and I reluctantly put it in storage, then went a-hunting again, this time for a 110-volt portable unit with the max 1800 watts.

The 3500 watt unit boiled a saucepan of water in under 3 minutes. I don't even think my gas stove would have done that. This 1800 watt unit took 8 minutes to do the same thing. I am pleased as punch with that performance; my old White Westinghouse radiant electric unit took 3 HOURS to boil water for spaghetti. Now I don't have to wait for the kitchen to be done (years away, that finale) to make my first lobster - before my daughter graduates from high school. Yippee!

These units are so badly marketed I can't believe it. They are amazing in their energy efficiency (all those prototype houses of the future use induction technology). They heat up in a flash. What you can't do: roast Red Peppers (my favorite Corn Chowder recipe calls for Red Pepper Puree).

Downside: These do not come cheap in the U.S. Go figure. I'm told they are common in Europe; here, no one knows what you're talking about. The used Cooktek I bought (above) for $300 from the very sympathetic and rushed ex-Caterer retails for around $1500 new. Viking sells one for about $500. My cheaper one I purchased on Amazon.com and it WAS 1800 watts. I am going to buy another one -- one for each floor.

Bottom line: You'll be very happy with a high watt induction unit. If you can "install" a 3500 watt unit, get that one; if 1800 watts is your max, don't buy a 1200 watt unit (these are a lot cheaper than their wattier counterparts, but the counterparts don't heat water so well). Because they are so misunderstood, used models of portable inductions are put up for sale all the time; last winter, Sears had their only model on sale (too big for my kitchen). If however you have money to burn, the fact one of these costs more than my last car won't faze you a bit.


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## siduri

I've used induction cookers at other people's houses and if you like to cook don;t get one. They are not flexible. You have to use a specific kind of pot, you can;t toss the pot as you cook, you have to be too careful. 
So it boils water quickly, a good gas fire, when the person installing it knows how to set the fire to its best efficiency, (and if you get a stove where there are, say, 5 burners and one has a double ring) you can boil water quickly enough. 
Don't get it if you like to cook. 
There are so many inventions and gadgets out there designed by people who really don;t use them. My brother has a huge kitchen, about four times as big as mine or more, with all the highest technology items in it. But he and his wife don;t cook. Sure, the induction stove looks pretty, in a high tech sort of way (not my taste but i can see the appeal) and his island is so big you could do the prep for a whole army there (but it takes ten minutes to get to the other side). All designed by an architect (who, himself doesn't cook either). 
The only thing they use is the microwave.
So, if you're a person who likes to cook don;t get an induction stove. get gas.


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## andyg

I've used induction stove tops and gas. Induction is great for keeping clean, but gas has a more instant response when you turn it up or down.


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## andyg

I prefer a gas stove.


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## buzzard767

I disagree.

First of all, my wife and I always had gas cooktops and loved them. They work great.

Ten years ago we moved from Wisconsin to a part of Florida where there is no natural gas distribution. I was too cheap to install a big propane tank so we cooked on an electric top for eight years and hated it every time. Two years ago we installed a compromise cooktop. It's a Viking with two induction burners and four radiant burners.

It is not inexpensive. These cooktops come close to three grand with custom installation and, at least in our case, several hundred more in All-Clad SS pots and pans.

How well does induction work? It's fantastic! It will boil ANY quantity of water faster than gas, and unlike a previous post or two, it is much more responsive when you want temperature change. This is because the gas grates are both slower to heat and slower to cool. There is a learning curve but it's no big deal.

We are planning on building a house in Wisconsin in the next two years and have decided to have two cooking stations in the kitchen we will design, a four burner gas and a two burner induction. In our opinion, the best of both worlds. 

Buzz


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## jigz369

I had the pleasure of working in Europe a few years ago. At that time (1995) there were virtually no gas burners to be found anywhere in commercial kitchens. The industry has moved to Induction and Combi-ovens almost exclusively. The best advise I received when I was starting to use the Induction was: cover your induction top with cloths so it will be easier to clean until you get used to the speed. It was so true! Product was finished in less than 1/2 the time that gas took, and we won't get into electric (useless in my opinion). The cloths were a huge plus as I had several pots boil over before I had a chance to turn back to the induction top. Two years ago, my former chef came to Canada for a visit and came and saw me at work. He was aghast at the "stone age" conditions of the kitchen as we were still using gas. 'Nuff said.


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## haggis

Good Morning Dc Sunshine. I have used both Gas and induction over the last 8 years mostly on a small scale .The best advice i can give is ,you must give it a go yourself have you a friend ,or will they give you a go down at Harvey Norman ? ( some of the shops are set up to do cooking demo's)
Here are a few things to make it more confusing !

Pro's 
Easy to clean , if you get one you will think why did i not get one years ago .
Looks sexy and updates your property .

Instant heat

Heats super fast ,cools down quicker ie stove top

Won't give of heat ,unlike gas thats heats up your whole kitchen ( When your in a kitchen with 8 gas stoves you'll know what i'm talking about)

No naked flames 

Cleaner fuel ? 

Con's

People (alot of chefs ,included won't even consider it because its not Gas !) Style over content etc

You need high quality stainless steel pans ,which is not a bad thing ,the thicker the bottom the better .I think the pans are just as important as the knives ( almost )

I had to replace the induction pad on a stove it cost $500 bucks this was on a meile top ,meaning gas tops parts are cheaper .

I have a niggle about saftey , remember when microwaves fiirst came and everybody though you would get cancer ! Induction uses some sort of elecro-magnatism .Worth a bit of research.
Neeless to say i have one anyway.

My wife also a chef loves it and actually cooks more which is a bloody miracle! 

hope this helps h


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## andyg

I hate to admit, but

I confused induction stoves with smooth-top electrical.

Perhaps that was obvious. Error noted on my part for sure. I know what induction is, studied college physics for a year, and didn't know this thread was referring to that. I've never even seen an induction cooker. OOPS.


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## neil

Since my new condo (currently being remodeled) has no gas, I've opted to go all-induction (since I dislike regular electric immensely). My understanding is that normal stainless steel cookware will NOT work with an induction cooktop. The pot or pan must be magnetic, and unless it's some sort of clad, SS pots and pans won't work. Does anyone have any recommendations (maybe a brand) for cookware? Is there any made specifically for induction cooking?


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## just jim

I want to second what Haggis said, the quality of pan is important.
You don't want a pan that becomes slightly warped.
It's very important to have good contact for the stove to work properly.

We used to have a fine dining restaurant here, which was later remodeled to become a Poker Room.
Whatever.
Anyhow, it was a small kitchen, and my second would stand and wait to plate food, as they couldn't get near the stoves.
So I picked up a portable induction unit, and they got to do the vegetables.
Free'd up one of my 4 burners, and made them feel more useful.
I loved it, but it was tempermental.
You know in a pro kitchen sometimes the pans get abused, and we had a couple of pans in the rotation that didn't always maintain good contact with the stove.
We figured out which were the offending pans in short order, but at first, during service, it was a pain.

Get one, you'll like it.


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## buzzard767

Disagree. When I have a full pot that might boil over and make a mess I insulate it from the cook top with a dish towel or paper towels. This action does not affect the heating of the cookware.


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## just jim

Hmmmm....if that's true, then we must have picked up an inferior model.
Thanks for the info.


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## neil

Buzz, you obviously have an induction cooktop. (I’ve even heard of people putting a dishtowel under their pots to keep the cooktop from getting scratched). So what kind of cookware do you use? Anything specific? Or can I figure on using anything as long as it’s magnetic?


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## buzzard767

The stove top is a Viking 36" with 4 radiant burners and 2 induction burners. I use All-Clad stainless steel pots and pans and Lodge cast iron. I have one Lodge pot that does not work, apparently because of its small size. The top is 5" in diameter but the bottom is only 2 1/2" and it does not work on either induction burner. The larger Lodges and all of the All-Clads are a joy to use. Temperature control is better than natural gas.

I'm hooked. :smoking:


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## ajoe

I have an induction cooktop and that is exactly what the manual states---as long as a magnet will stick to the bottom, you are good to go. But there may be a minimum size--mine is a minimum of 4.5 inches bottom diameter.


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## haggis

I am a huge fan of induction and will sing its praises , but now find my self hoping to build an enviromentaly friendly house and one of the many many conditions of planning are that it must be all gas ! (kitchen oven and stove)
Even with the fact that electricty is generally a cleaner full ( except here in Australia where most of the power comes from coal ,which i suppose makes it a coal powered stove !) After years of wiping down gas stoves ,then finding how easy an induction stove is to clean ,even when it boils over all the time .
I used a top end viking in the US on a number of occaisions and found it to be a monster ,it was just so powerful .


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## dscheidt

Who imposes that requirement? It doesn't make sense, from an energy consumption point of view. The efficiency of gas range tops is pretty poor. About 50 or 60 percent of the heat they produce ends up directly heating the room, and not the pot. So a 15,000 BTU/hour burner (probably what was on that viking) is dumping 7500 BTU/hour into the house, that does nothing except cause heat (and 7500 BTU/hour worth of work for the air conditioning in the cooling season.) Induction is much better, about 80 to 90% efficiency. (A bit more than 90% is what you'd get if what you cooked were perfectly flat lumps of iron. Not very tasty!) To get 7500 BTU into the food, you'll need about 9375 BTU/hr from the induction cooker. There are about 3413 BTU in a kW, so a 2750 Watt burner is the same effective source. The gas burner will require a substantial fraction of those 2750 watts to remove its waste heat, in the form of an air conditioner. 

When you're not cooling, the gas range isn't quite as bad, as the heat it produces is heat the heating system doesn't have to provide.


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## gstarr

I had an Elan (Ilve) gas cooktop for 10 years. It had the same burner set-up as the modern Ilve 90cm with one 18,300 BTU wok burner, 3 other gas burners, and a long middle burner for poaching and grilling. It had big and heavy iron grates as opposed to the recent Ilve flimsy system. 

After visiting Europe and befriending and visiting a chef's house in Belgium I noticed he was cooking on a De Dietrich DTI309x induction cooktop. It had 5 burners: 2 x 2200 watts, 2 x 3200 watts, and a large center burner at 3,600 watts.

I asked him if his restaurant used induction and he replied-"We use both gas and induction". 

He anticipated my next question and I'll put into my words what he said----"Greg, as far as residential cooking and a couple of minor issues, a good induction hob kicks gas to the curb". "It keeps the kitchen cool, it boils water far faster-hence steaming veggies and cooking pasta is a snap". "It simmers wonderfully with no danger of the flame going out, it pan fries far faster and since the pan is the only thing that gets hot the kitchen stays cool and drips don't bake on the ceramic surface". "With gas, you can turn it down but the grates stay very hot---not so with induction, the temperature changes when you change it". Now obviously the pan at 400 degrees with gas or induction takes the same time to cool down, but only if you put the gas heated pan on an unused and unheated grate. " 

"I'd still rather stir fry on a 50-60K BTU gas flame and roast veggies and grill on gas". "But as you see I have an extra gas hob for grilling and a big gas burner I put outside under the overhang for stir frying" Unless you are cooking for one or two an induction wok burner just isn't big enough, but the performance for one or two people is just as good." 

"In the near future they will have large 5K and more induction hobs that don't back-off on heat for stir frying due to new fuzzy logic controls coming out that will allow the hob to get over 600-700 degrees for about 5 minutes, which is all you need for a great stir fry". "I also hear it won't be long before there are not only bridgeable burners, but that you will be able to use any size pan or pot and the cooktop will automatically circumscribe a lit circle around the pot and the red light will get brighter or dimmer depending on how hot you are cooking."


"Greg, you must understand in the restaurant we pay people to clean up the mess of gas cooking and the scorch marks on pans". "With induction, people at home don't have to suffer with all that clean up and polishing"

After cooking a few things at Jacques house I got sold. 

I live in the south where you can always grill seafood, meats, and veggies outside and I already have a turkey fryer (very southern and inexpensive) set-up that gets up to at least 50K BTU's which does stir frying quite admirably.

For many people in a colder climate and with the room I would get at least a 2 burner induction hob (if not 4) and install an indoor gas grill hob and either a gas wok hob or an induction wok hob from Cooktek or some other reputable company.

Greg


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## haggis

Thanks for the reply .Very informative ,We won't have air conditioning either (not allowed ) but we will build so as not to need in the first place ,even if it is sub -tropical here. Its all to do with passive solar ? my wife can talk for hours on the subject.The house we are hoping to build has to go threw very strict design codes and meet very rigerous green construction codes .


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## oregonyeti

Air conditioning is my biz

In Australia, if you want to keep a building cooler with no A/C you might consider a light coloured roof and perhaps light coloured outside paint, attic venting for sure, night time air venting, bias your window area to the south side rather than north, and a slab concrete foundation (though probably too late for that if you don't have it already).


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## oregonyeti

You might even consider a water sprinkler system on the roof--it doesn't take much water to make a difference.


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## yankchef

One thing you must also bear in mind is the "special pots" that must be used on an induction burner. There has to be a concentration of at least 13% iron in order for the pot to be able to be used on an induction burner. Now this is not a bad thing if your pots meet this standard, OR! best case scenario is if you have some cast iron pots in your arsenal that is pretty much awesome. Actually here is a little tip, if you have one large cast iron pan you can use it on an induction burner to heat it up and use it as a heat diffuser.
Since cast iron distributes heat so evenly (although this is also why it takes longer to get hot) you can then put other pots/pans inside of it and use it like that if your pans have hot spots which many do. Just some food for thought:chef:


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## tazdad

my restaurant has just been refitted with the new drop in bench induction cooktop in place of 6 burner gas cooktop. the heat in the kitchen has dropped dramatically. the cooktop turns itself off if there is no pot on the sensor. you can have a very not pot on the go take it directly off the element then put your hands straight on the element and it is warm to touch but not hot. the heat up and cool down is instantanious at least twice as quick as gas. 1 litre of iced water takes about 1min 30secs to boiling point and instantly to simmer. after only 1 week of using this new equipment i recommend it to anyone it will pay for itself in no time.


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## buzzard767

After using gas all my life I moved to Florida 10 years ago and all we had was radiant electric and I hated it. I switched to induction last year and it's all I'm ever going to use in the kitchen. It's the best. Period.


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## dscheidt

While I'm all for green building, and energy efficiency -- the house I live in has 16 inches of fiberglass insulation in the walls, and twice that in the roof, which is three times what's typical in the area, and 10 times what was code at time of construction -- mindless rules like "no electric cooking" are just that, mindless. It's a very tricky thing to get right. The carbon cost of cooking with gas is fixed, more or less. A BTU of gas now is going to generate the same amount of CO2 today and in the future. With electricity, that's not the case. A BTU from electricity today, which in the US at least, don't know about oz, is likely to come from coal generates a certain amount of carbon. In the future, that cost can change. If you manage to source your power from a carbon neutral or carbon negative source, it goes down.


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## oregonyeti

The source of any electric power is very important.

For example, if you have an electric car, you may be charging it from a coal plant. Looks clean on the road, but the source of the power isn't clean at all. So you are using "dirty" power, even though the dirt isn't coming out the tail pipe. It might be coming out a smokestack somewhere else.

If your power source is natural gas, it's pretty much clear what your "carbon footprint" is. It is often better than electricity.

Electricity can be one of the cleanest power sources, depending on how it's generated. Consider the geothermal electric plant as at Chena Hot Springs in Alaska--that is about as clean as it gets.


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## gstarr

As far as Carbon footprints, a big advantage of induction is that since it mainly heats the pan it is between 80-90% useful and efficient heat. Regular electric or radiant and gas are far less efficient, more than 50% of gas heat goes out into the kitchen, so you need roughly twice the Natural gas for the same heat output of induction. On a 15,000 BTU gas hob i would imagine only 7,500 BTU's get absorbed by the pan and the rest gets deflected out into the kitchen air or up the hood vent. Also you will never get Carbon Monoxide generation from induction--only from faulty or incomplete gas combustion. 

Any magnetic pan will work on induction. Obviously the best will be cast iron (such as a whole range of Lodge or Wagner pots and pans) along with enamel coated La Creuset, will also be excellent. But Demeyere, All Clad, Sitram, and a bunch of other companies make stainless pots and pans that are either suitable for or designed for induction. You can even buy pre-seasoned Lodge cast iron cookware now. 

Some induction units make slightly more noise than others, but I find what really quits them down is a heavy Lodge cast iron fry pan or pot. Anything fairly heavy, which makes me think it is a high frequency pan-oriented buzz. Le Creusets have also been very quiet and even many of the stainless models. 

These noises usually only occur at very high heat and aren't a bother for most people. 

To really lessen your carbon footprint a couple of solar water heating panels are fairly inexpensive and I find in South Carolina I almost never have to turn on the back-up gas tank--maybe 5 times a year. And this is with baths, showers, washing, dishwashers, heating the house, etc. And most governments give a considerable tax break on these too.

Obviously photovolatic solarpanels that generate electricity are far more expensive and for most people would require at minimum a sizable tax break and more likely have the government paying for a considerable portion for you being mostly off the grid. They could make a deal where you sell excess electrical generation to the grid (which happens in many places) and the government gets 50% percentage of the money until they recoup a substantial amount of their investment. 

Geothermal is also great and lasts far longer than heat pumps and usues far less electricity. In most of the world in you drill down 4-6 feet the soil temperature is about 50 degrees fahrenheit. To lay the amount of pipe you need if your property is fairly small requires drilling about 200 foot holes (about 2) for every 1,000 sq. feet of heated and cooled house. This will usually cost 3 times more than a very good HVAC heat pump system that operates using the outdoor air. The cheapest form of geothermal is if you live on at least a1/2 acre pond or larger--then you just lay the pipes on the bottom of the pond about 10 feet apart. The pond or lake has to be big enough so you don't have cooked fish, or at least sufficient water for efficient heat and cold transfer without effecting the body of water severely. These geothermal systems are are maybe 25%-50% more than standard heat pump HVACS --and they keep much better humidity control, much less electric use and last far longer than HVAC heat pump systems. 

Pardon my digression from cooking into "greenery". But remember, when going green, get at least 3 quotes from different companies for the same type of systems. 

Greg


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## om3n

I am a poor college student and just got a single burner induction plate for christmas (2000 watt). I must say that it beats the pants off my old electric hot plate, it is a bit finnicky in certain ways though, namely the temp. controls. 

It can be adjusted via wattage or Celsius, each setting raises or lowers by 30 C. I am now making a mulligatawny that calls for a 1 hour simmer. The induction does not seem to stay at a constant simmer, rather it boils for 10 seconds, then detects itself and stays cooler (no simmer at all) for about a minute.

So while it may have some hitches, it is a great option for those who need functionality in a small space.

By the way, my first post here, I look forward to learning and contributing here.


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## buzzard767

I believe it depends on the manufacturer. I have a Circulon and there is no issue at level 1 (simmer).


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## adaml

This sounds like a problem with the temperature controller rather than the induction itself - It`s my primary issue with radiant electric stoves that heat in that manner, the heat is not constant, and Ì`m not in control.

I really like induction cooktops, and if I ever for some reason have the money to install one in my home kitchen, I would do so in an instant.


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## oldsubman

Gas cooking has long been recognized as superior to electric when considering the control you have in the heat input to the product. In order to debate the merits of induction over gas one must use the technology properly. If you use induction properly, objectively compare the pro's and con's of gas and induction, you will become an advocate for induction. Unless you eat pasta every meal, the comparisons of how fast water boils is not the most important consideration. When using a 3500 watt induction unit, which can be found on most residential cook tops today, induction boils water considerably faster than a 16,000 BTU/hr gas burner which is typical for the residential gas cook top. At the end of the day the use of compatible cookware is the only real requirement for induction cooking to excel over gas.

In my opinion, the most compelling reason not to use gas has not been mentioned in any of the previous posts. Gas consumes oxygen and gives off toxic byproducts which you breathe. Lung disorders have been attributed to using gas stoves. Just search the net for health concerns related to the use of gas.  As an asthmatic, I have found  the I am even affected by the pilot light in our gas fireplace.


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## eydie

You can use any cookware that a magnet will stick to on the bottom of the pan.

All Clad, Caphalon, Cast Iron all work


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## troy thorpe

I own a restaurant and have been using induction cooktops for over 5 years.  Originally I went to induction because I did not have a gas line into my space.  But I believe when I open my next place, I will go with induction there as well.  They are much cheaper to operate than gas, they do not heat up the space, they perform as well as gas (these are commercial units), and are easier to keep clean.  The only significant drawback is that you cannot use a lot of the common cookware.  However, since induction is heavily used in Europe, international cookware is often induction compliant.


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## kostendorf

i am canadian and worked on gas my whole carear  now i live in austria and almost everything is induction.  dont know if i would go back to gas.  if you have the money to spend induction is the way to go.  quick, clean, and safe to use.  in a busy kitchen with all the equipment on the induction gives of no heat itself just the pans are hot.  but at home i am not sure what the quality is like. i know some induction are slower than others but mine at work will smoke oil in a cold pan in 10 seconds on high heat.  the slider system lets you move the pan along a induction plate from left to right to get more heat or less heat.  so many options here in europe to choose from not sure what it is like in north america now with the enduction.  gas is very expensive here and austira has almost all its energy from water so it is the cheaper way to go.


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## chefedb

Both have their place. Induction is good at the station, in other words if the Garde Manger needs to cook something he can stay at his own area and do it quickly as some inductions are portable.  Only think I dont like about electric  or induction is its hard to control heat  you have hi /med/ lo  also if you have a blackout you are in the weeds

True you could run out of botteled gas in some places, but most refill companies check and fill for you weekly.

It is cleaner and less expensive to use as it cooks so quick . same as microwave is less costly to operate because it draws power a shorter time. .


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## kostendorf

since moving to ausrtria and seeing the induction systems they have here i would never want to go back to gas unless i had too. they have a slider system it is 1 meter long or longer or shorter depending on your line and the futher you move the pan to the right the hotter it gets.  a cold pan can smoke oil in 15 seconds and catch on fire in 20 i know because the learning curve for me caused some smoke outs in the kitchen.  it is clean safe no hot handles no burnt hand hair from the gas flame and easy to clean.  they have put much effort to the enduction systems here because gas is expensive and energy saving is important.


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## magnusfl

I live in Tampa florida so whe I needed a new roof I chose a hurricane grade white metal that had 4 inchs of marine foam in them and had a heat exchange on my AC system that use to provide 100% of my hot water from march to october but after the roof went on it only worked 100% in july and august as the air conditioner ran so much less.

as far as cooking I curently have a soild surface electric oven which I not found of and a small brevile oven which I love as it does not heat up my kitchen like my oven does and cooks 30% faster but now looking for gas or induction to replace my full size stove


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## phatch

When I'm next in the market for a cooktop, it will be induction. I have gas now which I like and would go with Induction over gas. Costs quite a bit more though for induction.


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## french fries

I recently had to purchase a new range and tried cooking with induction at a few places (friends and family). I decided against it after I realized it was nearly impossible to, say, poach or simmer something. Even though there are digital settings allowing 12 different positions with 1/2 position increments - so really 24 different settings - at some point one setting was too weak and the next one was too strong. For example trying to simmer a chicken stock, I'd get one position which wouldn't create any bubbles at all (below simmer) and the next would boil too hard. 

I can adjust my gas range exactly as I need it to get the exact amount of simmer I want. This, to me, was the deal breaker.


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## chrislehrer

French Fries:

This is THE big issue with induction, I've found, after a great deal of research. For the home cook, the options -- especially in the US, but to some degree in Europe and Asia as well (don't know about elsewhere) -- tend to be limited on this crucial thing, the heat settings. Basically we normally get X number of settings; pros, especially in Europe, get an open-ended dial or slider. There is in fact no special reason why an induction burner can't have a dial, rheostat, potentiometer, etc., but apparently the manufacturers think that the home cook who's considering induction doesn't want this. So it's hard to find.

For me, that's a deal-breaker: if I can't have the heat the way I want it when I want it, then I'm dealing with an electric range, and I don't care how clever the technology is. An induction range becomes just an electric range with a high price-tag and weird limitations on what pans you can use. But if you can have a proper open-ended setting, well, that's quite a different matter.

HOWEVER there is a saving grace.

In many, possibly most jurisdictions in the US, the code limitations on installing professional cooking equipment in private homes have to do principally with fire safety. Thing is, this isn't an issue with induction: to cause a fire, you have to work at it, and you can do the same thing with any home range if you try equally hard. So you can have professional equipment if you want it, and nobody can say it's not code-legal. It's not going to be cheap, but you knew that with induction, right?

So what you have to do is to buy professional in-set tops, and install the sliders or dials someplace convenient. Don't get the freestanding things: they're hideously ugly and, more importantly, not built with the measurements of a home counter in mind. But an in-set top is what it is: you cut a hole in the countertop, drop the unit into it, and then plug it in below. There are no special high-voltage outlets, no fancy tricks, no fire-safety issues. In fact, this is one cool thing about induction: you don't have to buy a 4-top or 6-top range. Buy individual or paired units (in the latter case, get "bridge" units that allow you to put a long pan over) and install them where you want them. As to installation, if you're handy and have the right (expensive) tools, you could do this yourself. You might possibly need a second circuit-breaker if you're installing a lot of burners, but that's a very small thing to have your electrician do.

Full disclosure: I currently rent, and my landlords, who plan to retire to the apartment, are very leery about anything new, so I can't install anything, but I use small freestanding induction burners when I can. Otherwise I have a glass-top electric, which is horrible beyond belief -- simply the worst cooking surface I have ever used in my life, and that's saying something. So I do this research in order to plan out what I will do when I'm given the green light or move to a place I can change.


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## chefedb

Living here in Florida I am forced by my community to use electric which is the worse form of cooking. I grew up with and learned everything on gas. To me it is still the best. A one burner self contained induction is good to have.


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## scubadoo97

Chef, can you not get a propane tank in your neighborhood to fuel a gas range? This is what I had to do since no natural gas lines are in my subdivision


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## chefedb

I live in a condo  and it is illegal to store propane inside or out. If I could have I would have.


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## lizardwoman

I took delivery of my first induction burner today, a Duxtop 1800 watt single burner that runs on 120V current, which I bought as an alternative to gas because I dislike gas for its fumes and explosion hazard, and the kitchen in my rental has no 220v cable for an electric stove. The Duxtop cost $75.99. 

I immediately tried it out and all I can say is WOW- I have never, ever experienced such fast cooking. My hot chocolate heated to the desired drinking temperature inside 3 minutes with the temp set at 360 F. The only downside to induction is that half my cookware did not work, including 3 Cuisinart stainless steel pans, which unfortunately have aluminum bottoms. Newer models of Cuisinart and All-Clad stainless cookware are induction ready. My enameled cast iron works great with it, as do a couple of cheap stainless pots I have on hand. Unfortunately, my collection of lovely copper does not, but there is a solution for that. Rather than buy all new cookware, get an Induction Disc or "template"- a round , heavy stainless disc with a pot handle specifically made to allow you to use otherwise useless cookware on your induction cooktop. Max Burton, another manufacturer of fine induction cooktops, makes one that sells for a little less than $50. You might want to get two. I'll be getting one of these with my second burner.

Even considering the cost of the disc and/or more cookware, these little 120V beauties are great and make electric more than equal to gas in the speed and precision of cooking. I'm hooked and never want to cook any other way ever again.


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## lizardwoman

Induction is so much safer than gas, there can be almost no discussion.

I had my landlord pull my gas stove out because there was ALWAYS gas leaking, giving me headaches and endangering my cats. Well, one less explosion hazard in the world now.


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## deputy

French Fries said:


> I recently had to purchase a new range and tried cooking with induction at a few places (friends and family). I decided against it after I realized it was nearly impossible to, say, poach or simmer something. Even though there are digital settings allowing 12 different positions with 1/2 position increments - so really 24 different settings - at some point one setting was too weak and the next one was too strong. For example trying to simmer a chicken stock, I'd get one position which wouldn't create any bubbles at all (below simmer) and the next would boil too hard.
> 
> I can adjust my gas range exactly as I need it to get the exact amount of simmer I want. This, to me, was the deal breaker.


As Chris mentioned, this isn't always the case with induction. You were, apparently, using inferior equipment. I don't have an expensive induction range - just a Kenmore that I picked up a the Sears Outlet for a reasonable price. It has a couple of design flaws, but lack of ability to adequately control temperature is NOT one of them (burner placement is a bit annoying and can make juggling four burners a bit difficult due to sizing).

I don't have one of those infinite scale/dial types, either. Mine starts at Low, then 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8, 2.0, 2.2., 2.4, 2.6, 2.8, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0, High, and PB (Power Boil - it's exactly what it sounds like). I can't imagine and have not yet run into any situation where I wasn't able to adequately control temp. This Consumer Reports review of my range is pretty accurate in the gripes (including the intermittent inverter sharing/buzzing):

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/...kenmore-elite-9991-with-induction-cooktop.htm

I paid less than half of that in March 2011.

I also only lost four pieces of cookware when I switched, two of which were non-issues:

1 & 2 - cheapo non-sticks for eggs - just replaced them with some Ikea ones that did work (at a slightly higher cost but noticeable improvement in quality, too)

3. Calphalon Commercial Everyday Pan - hard anodized doesn't work - I replaced it with a Denby enameled cast iron braiser

4. Woflgang Puck S/S 5'ish qt Saute Pan - odd that it didn't work, as all of my other S/S pieces did. That being said, it was $39.99 so wasn't irreplaceable. I most used the above noted Denby but have now just added an All-Clad to the arsenal.

I already had simple Lagostina encapsulated base pots and some other pans that all worked just fine. I dealt with the shift just fine and at very little cost. I was also able to get the induction range for about the same price as it would have cost to run natural gas to the kitchen. And then I still would have had to buy a range. I'm pretty sure I came out on top and now love induction.

My parents both have gas ranges (one propane and one natural gas) and I often cook at their places and I actually find it harder to get just the right flame than to get the right setting on my induction.

No regrets here at all.

Actually, just last night, I said to my wife how I was reminded of why I love induction...I braised some chicken thighs and, when I took the pan out of the oven to reduce the liquid down into a sauce, I put it on a cold stove top and turned on the burner and it was boiling in about 3 seconds because the liquid and pan were already both hot. Unlike gas or electric, where the grates or element would have had to heat up, this was ready to go right away. Truly a great system.


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## acyberchef

I love Induction I have Lp where I live and I was disappointed with its performance compared to natural gas.

I bought my induction cooktop and have been thrilled ever since I cannot believe how long it takes to cook on a restaurant stove compared to my induction cook top. melt chocolate without a double boiler or sear several pieces of fish without them sticking. At first you will have problems with burning food and  boiling over and such however once you become used to it you will find it hard to go back to gas.


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## mano

We have an induction similar to Deputy's and the only range top that's its equal is at the restaurant. Setting it to simmer for stocks is one of the many places it shines. We had to replace over a dozen pots and pans, but it was worth it. Induction is a breeze to clean, quick to cool down and with 20 settings, easy to control.


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## troy thorpe

I own a restaurant.  I went from Gas to Induction.  These are commercial units and have outstanding performance.  They are far more efficient (little wasted heat), respond as fast as gas, and because you are almost exclusively heating the pan and contents, they impart heat much faster.  If you can afford a good induction setup and the pans, go for it.  They will outperform the gas, save money, and clean up much easier.


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## joyvollmer

I switched from standard electric cooktop to induction when we remodeled our 1940s house.  I always preferred gas, but it was not an affordable option where we lived.  I was pleasantly surprised at how fast induction cooks.  Plus, once you get accustomed to the settings, you can control the heat much better and faster.

We since sold that house and bought one with a gas cooktop.  I'm spoiled by induction and gas seems to take too long.  Plus, on the gas cooktop, the entire pot gets scorching hot.  I've burned myself more times than I can count.  That didn't happen with induction.

The trick is getting used to the settings.  Go induction and you won't regret it.

Joyce


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## joyvollmer

I agree with everything on this one.  Since I'm back to gas because we moved into a new house, I am already preparing to swap out my gas cooktop for induction.  Sure miss it.

Joyce


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## robertoo

I cooked with al 4 ;gas, induction, halogen and electric.The last two aren't good but between as and induction I didn't find big difference.The good thing about gas is that you can use a rounded wok if you like to make wok dishes.not so much oil needed and the flames heathens up your wok higher.


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## amazingrace

HubbyDearest and I moved into a new home in July 2013.  All new appliances.  My dream stove was an induction cooktop with convection oven.  I LOVE it!   As noted in other posts,  there are certain limitations to induction.  Because it is not a "burner" per se,  but a technology that uses a magnetic field to stimulate molecular structure of ferrous metal to produce heat,  pans that are not induction capable are not appropriate for this stove.  This was not a problem for me since I was ready for new cookware anyway,  and I'm very pleased with the bargain set we purchased at Costco.  Four-ply base, nice design.  (and by the way,  I use every item in the set). 

My daughter has a gas range,  and it is a nightmare for me to cook on.  It literally takes forever to bring water to a boil,  even on the (so-called) Power Burner.  All the while the kitchen is being heated hot enough to roast a pig with the energy loss.  I have other friends that have gas stoves---various brands and qualities,  and I find this to be the case with them all.   With induction, the pan bottom gets hot,  but it's surroundings stay relatively cool.  Very little heat is lost into the kitchen.  Someone mentioned that induction does not respond quickly to heat adjustment,  but that it not true with my range.  I can go from full boil down to gentle simmer in about the same time as with gas.  Many people confuse induction with electric coil stoves with glass tops,  and they do not respond well at all. 

It's true that you cannot do the "chef shake" very easily with induction.  This is not a problem for me, as it's a skill I never developed and have no interest in learning. 

Another distinct advantage for me is the ease in cleaning.  I have yet to have anything burn or stick on the glass top,  even though I've experienced numerous boil-overs,  and lots of splattering. 

In the end,  though,  the only opinion that matters is your own.  It's going to be your stove for a very long time,  and you should get the one that will bring you the most joy in the kitchen.


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## rick alan

Just a correction on efficiencies.  Electric fossil fuel power generation is only 30% efficient (varies somewhat depending on your distance from the generator due to line losses).  So with an induction unit you are looking at about 25% efficiency actual, much less efficient as compared to gas which I believe will range from  60+% on low to around 35-40% on high (unless you see flames cascading up the sides).  So induction is not a green technology unless maybe you are running air-conditioning and regularly cooking with a lot of BTU's.

Rick


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## phatch

The efficiency I'm talking about is how much heat from the heating unit goes into the pot, not energy production at the source.


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## chrisbelgium

I switched from "electric" to induction just a few weeks ago. It certainly takes a few weeks to get used to the new approach and I'm still learning.

At the same time, I got a lot of new pots and pans. I went for Le Creuset Magnetik pots and a brand called "Haute Cuisine". Both are 3-ply pots; 2 layers of stainless steel encapsulate an aluminium core. There's no thick bottom plate on these pots, so the heat goes all the way up along the walls of the pots. I also bought a number of new Demeyer pans, made in my own country. Quite expensive gear but these are 7-ply pans and also don't have a thick bottom plate. Both pots and pans are in fact overall 3 mm thick. It's not a cheap investment , but the cooking pleasure is unknown.

I think you really need to go for the investment of new pots. The difference is simply spectacular in combination with induction! I'm very enthousiastic about the dazzling speed of induction and the immediate respons when changing the heat levels. Also, searing meat etc. on induction is fabulous, even without using full power. The equal distribution of the heat in the pots and pans really show. And, induction doesn't heat up your kitchen! Let's not forget that you can keep your preparations warm on induction for a long period.

I already made a few stews on induction. Incredible how easy it is to simmer on low power. The heat stays perfectly constant, no uncontrollable ups and downs like on "electric" fire for.


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