All Hail the Induction Range

Last night I attended a new product showcase at Yale Appliance. One of the most featured products was the induction cook top. I am particularly drooling over this range model by Viking, but I'm fairly sure that every company that manufactures cook tops has an induction model.

Induction isn't new, it's just recently come back into vogue because of it's energy efficiency. For those of you who are not familiar, induction cooking is fueled by magnetism. Physics was really not my favorite subject in school, so I'll provide you with someone else's explanation (thank you inductionsite.com):

How Induction Cooking Works:

1. The element's electronics power a coil that produces a high-frequency electromagnetic field.

2. That field penetrates the metal of the ferrous (magnetic-material) cooking vessel and sets up a circulating electric current, which generates heat.

3. The heat generated in the cooking vessel is transferred to the vessel's contents.

4. Nothing outside the vessel is affected by the field--as soon as the vessel is removed from the element, or the element turned off, heat generation stops.

Most home-chefs will tell you that they absolutely NEED a gas stove to cook on - electric takes way too much time to heat up and it's tough to regulate the heat. If you're buying a home with an electric stove, and there is no gas hookup, installing an induction cook top may be a money saving option for you to get the same cooking abilities you would have on a gas range, without the expense of having to pay for the gas hookup to your home.

So I've touched on why to buy induction over electric, but if you have a gas range/cook top, why switch to induction? Several reasons:

1. Induction uses about 40% of the energy that gas cooking uses. That's better for the environment and lighter on your wallet.
2. Induction does not create any heat, so your kitchen stays cooler.
3. Safety-wise induction is a clear winner. No chance of burning hands and even better, the 'burners' only work when they sense a magnetic charge. No magnetic charge and they automatically turn off. This is great for clients with memory challenges (My parents and I noted that most assisted living homes only have the dreary microwave as a means to cook!), curious children etc. (This is also great for people like me who have, on occasion, turned the gas down super low and then forgotten it was on, thereby setting off the CO3 detector. Cough.)
4. It was pointed our last night that without the gas burners, clients will be able to reduce the size/power of the ventilation system.

For all of it's benefits, and most especially the safety aspects, I will be recommending an induction cook top for the King family.