induction Cooktop

4 years ago

Hi!
We understand the benefits of induction cooking. We also know we would need to buy magnetic pots and pans.
Is your hood/exhaust wider than your cooktop or the same size? We fry once in a blue moon.
Can you provide practical positive and negative feedback on cooking on induction ? We know it can boil water extremely quickly but we’re looking for everyday cooking experience.
Thanks so much!
K&J

Featured Answer

kaseki

4 years ago

While induction cooking lacks the added gas combustion products in the cooking plume, the cooking plume still expands as it rises. This is the rationale for wider and deeper hoods than have been historically used in kitchens. But best is the enemy of good enough, and good enough depends on configuration of cabinets, burners/hobs used for grease and moisture laden cooking effluent -- middle or boundary, cross drafts, and other effects.

There are a lot of ways to transport grease into the air without frying or searing, so frying rarity may not be a good reason for not going wider. It is more of an architectural issue in already existing kitchens than a "we don't need it because ..." issue. Wider does have various increased costs associated with it, but I won't belabor this paragraph touching on them. Please review the many hood and make-up air related threads on this forum for perspective and references.

This forum is littered from more than a decade ago with commentaries supporting induction and, conversely, gas. Induction wins on safety, ease of cooktop surface cleaning, low heat warming (chocolate is not just for breakfast anymore) and other cooking that can make use of its wide "dynamic range" (full power to minimum power), less heat in the kitchen in summer, and other factors I've forgotten. Safety includes no gas risk, and lower surface temperatures than with other electrical or gas cooking approaches.

Negatives are no roasting of peppers over the burner, need for inductive base pots and pans, significantly more electrical power needed at the cooktop or range location, and theoretical and experiential lower long term reliability due to electronic complexity, although this is improving, I think.

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Comments (10)

cubby14
4 years ago
I have an induction cooktop which I love, in fact I changed my gas to induction in this home since I missed it so much.
My hood is the same width as my cooktop no room for larger in already done kitchen. It works fine. Might be better if bigger but it’s okay. Just turn it on when you start cooking.
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Kate
4 years ago
I’ve had my induction for 5 years and still love it! I had gas prior to that and sure don’t miss cleaning the grates, spills or accidentally lighting the wrong burner.
awm03
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
After almost a year, switching to induction has been an eye opener & a happy experience. A few observations:

I still don't have a really good feel for the temperature settings on my Wolf induction. The temperature changes in the lower settings are subtle, and the temperature changes on the higher settings are more powerful. Plus the hobs have different wattages, so a medium on one hob isn't a medium on the little hob, & is different still on the powerful hob -- I think; maybe it's my guessing with the settings & lack of feel. So I still start cooking on medium, then adjust up or down as needed. Sometimes I'm jumping around with the settings trying to find the right one. Not a big problem, just seems odd not to know precisely, like on previous electric cooktops that I cooked on for 40 years where the settings were uniform.

Water bath canning in summer is a much more pleasant experience. Less heat & steam in the kitchen, better temperature control (once I find the perfect setting), faster overall.

You will use more paper towels & go through a lot of Windex. Because you *can* clean the cooktop so easily, you *will* clean it to maintain the pristine look. The black glass shows every streak, splatter, & crumb so you probably won't want to save clean up for the end of the cooking day, unless you don't mind looking at mess.

I'm enjoying a bridge feature. Besides the usual breakfast stuff, it's great for making roasting pan gravy, for caramelizing a batch of onions, and for searing salmon for a nice exterior crust. Being able to spread paper towels or newspaper around to catch splatter is great. So glad that grease isn't polymerizing on my oven walls like when I broiled salmon.

Because of the temp control & fast response, for the first time I'm cooking with more nuance, paying more attention to changes in the food & pan response. I see now why many love cooking with gas & hate radiant cooktops. Induction certainly ups your cooking game if you're coming from old radiant appliances.
kaseki
4 years ago
Wolf reported here once that the spacing between settings on their induction cooktop are logarithmic, that is, the power differences between sequential numbers are larger at the higher number end than at the lower number end. Electrolux/Kenmore/Frigidaire uses linear steps, e.g., "9" indicates 90%, "3" indicates 30% or similar. To refine the low end, there are half steps, and there is the value "1" which can become even wimpier in heating if the "low" setting control point is touched. I've never looked into what happens if more than one "1" is set and then "low" is touched, or if a sequential "1" then "low" on one hob is set followed by the same on another hob.
opaone
4 years ago
"Is your hood/exhaust wider than your cooktop or the same size? We fry once in a blue moon."

Exhaust for induction is the same as for gas. Cooking itself produces considerable VOC's, Carcinogens and PM that s/b removed.

If you do nothing but boil-in-bag meals then you can get away with less but this also raises the issue of the next owners.

Here's more than you probably want to know about hoods: https://bamasotan.us/range-exhaust-hood-faq/
994house
Original Author
4 years ago
Thanks all!
We appreciate the detailed responses!
Can you share the brands you have?
Are you hearing noises from your induction cooktops?
awm03
4 years ago
Re noise: cast iron is silent; my Tramontina 12 qt. tri-ply pot makes a faint tsssk noise that is masked by the sound of boiling water or the overhead vent; my Kirkland sandwich disc pots make a slightly louder tsssk that is also masked by boiling gurgles, the overhead vent, or sizzling from another pan. I don't even notice it anymore, tbh.
cubby14
4 years ago
I have the Bosch 800, only noise comes when using a lighter weight pan. Mostly use LeCreuset and no noise from them.
kaseki
4 years ago
Ca. 2015 Frigidaire Gallery 36-inch. No noticeable noise.

One other issue to keep in mind; unlike ranges, induction cooktops do not have standard cut-out dimensions. This can be an issue when considering changing to another brand some day. Feasibility of extending dimensions involves stone or laminate cutting, decreasing dimensions pretty much requires a fabricated metal support band or counter replacement. My Kenmore (Electrolux clone) 2008 model cut-out was matched by the requirement for my later Frigidaire, but this is due to being manufactured by the same organization. Depending on your circumstances, investigating and recording the cut-out dimensions of candidate cooktops may at least prepare you for the future.