Introduction to Induction

When it comes to cooking I guess you could say I am a bit old fashioned...I like to cook on my gas cooktop...It's responsive and anyone who has ever cooked on electric and then goes to gas knows what I mean.

I thought over time induction cooktops would just be a fad, but after seeing them out there for a good 15 years now they seem to possibly be gaining some traction. I've read that they are up in sales.

So in case you didn't know this like myself....Induction cooking takes place when heat is generated directly in the pot or pan.  The cast iron skillet or stainless steel pot itself becomes the heat source instead of your standard cooktop.

I think this picture says it best...

Induction cooktops consist of a coil of copper wire placed beneath the ceramic glass surface on the cooktop.  When the unit is turned on, the electric current flows through the coil producing a powerful, high frequency electromagnetic field.  Doesn't that sound scary?

I couldn't resist these pics....

So let's start with some PROS to consider when looking at induction cooktops:

*Faster cooking (supposedly faster than gas)

*No wasted heat (When it heats directly to the cookware it's not generating heat in the actual room)  Now with our recent heat wave that sounds good to me, but I am still not sold.

*Cooler, safer surface (There is no open flames or hot coils, in fact the cooktop barely gets warm to the touch).  Now there are people out there who are sensory challenged and with that alone it's probably worth it to some.

I still wouldn't touch this would you?

*Super easy to clean (It's just a flat ceramic glass top, easy to wipe away and because it doesn't get hot, no baked on spills either)

*Energy efficiency (The US Dept. of Energy has said they are 84% efficient as opposed to 40% for gas cooktops and 60% for electric cooktops.)

Isn't this crazy?

Now for the CONS:

*Cooking vessel specifics (You can only use cookware that has a magnetic material in it, ie: cast iron and stainless steel cookware.)  

*Air circulation clearance (They can't be placed above an oven nor can a drawer be installed below them.)  

*Limited color options, only available in black and white 

*Purchase costs (They are pricey little suckers, but with that said, I guess you would save on your utility costs too.

I personally will be sticking to gas but I would love to know what you think of induction cooking and if you are game to consider one in the future....