Induction Cooking Ideas
Induction stoves or cooktops, long preferred by professional chefs, are becoming more and more popular with homeowners too. With costs for the cooktops and induction cookware dropping, the average consumer now has other options besides just electric and gas to cook their food. Induction cooking provides you with a faster and safer way to cook the foods you love. So, dig out your favorite recipes, get your ferrous cookware and start cooking with induction.
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What is Induction Cooking?
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With electric and gas cooking you transfer heat to the pots and pans and they, in turn, cook the food contained within them. Induction stoves contain a coil that produces a high-frequency magnetic field. When you place a ferrous piece of cookware on the induction cooktop, it generates its own heat and directly transfers the heat to the food inside.
Benefits
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Since the element is not heating the pan, but the pan is actually directly heating the food, induction cooking is faster. This also means that everything outside of the pot stays cool, including the induction cooktop itself, making it safer. By varying the strength of the magnetic field you gain precision and control not found in other cooking methods.
Considerations
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Not all cookware will work with induction stoves. Induction cooking requires ferrous (magnetic) cookware, because it is all about electro-magnetism. Grab a magnet and stick it to the bottom of the pan. If it sticks to it, it will work on an induction stove. Most cookware sold now has an induction symbol on the packaging if it is induction ready or it is clearly stated as a benefit. If in doubt, however, the magnet test will always let you know whether or not you can use it.
Time to Cook
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Anything you make on a regular gas or electric stove can also be made with an induction cooktop, but faster. As an example, simply boiling water takes half the time as it does on other types of stoves. No need for a double boiler anymore, since you can hold low temperatures for long periods of time. Melt chocolate and invite friends over for fondue. You won't need to worry about scorching the pan or the food and the chocolate will stay at the right temperature and consistency for hours.
Cost
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Prices vary widely for induction stoves/cooktops and induction ready cookware. Since induction has gained in popularity, prices have dropped. As of September 2009, you can find a single burner induction cooktop from around $150 to a full freestanding range for around $10,000. Induction ready cookware can range from a few dollars for a single pan to hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars for a professional grade set.
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- Photo Credit Anamoly23
