What is an induction cooktop?

KNOWING WHAT IS AN INDUCTION COOKTOP

You are probably using gas or heating coils for your cooking. Do you know that there is a more modern, quicker, cleaner, safer and more efficient way of cooking your favorite food nowadays?

Induction cooktop is a wonder of science and engineering that cooks your food without altering its conventional taste and aroma. Induction cooking uses magnetic fields to heat food without using dangerous flames and other hazardous electrically charged heating elements.

By this method of induction, a cooking vessel or container (such as pot or pan and any other cook ware) is heated directly by magnetic pulses instead of by thermal conduction from a flame.

Most of these cooktops have flat surface made primarily from glass-ceramic that are heat resistant, seamless and cleared (you could possibly see your mirror image) that is why it could be easily wiped out and cleaned in just minimal strokes without damaging its surface.

HISTORY OF INDUCTION COOKING

It is almost 100 years ago that the first patent for this method of cooking was introduced. However, it was in mid-1950s that a demonstration stove of this kind was shown by the Frigidaire division of General Motors of the United States. But this was never put into mass production.

It was in the mid-1980s that the first commercially viable induction stove was mass produced, and since then, its development and innovation came in rapid succession.

Today, induction cookers are more advanced and made portable for ease of use. All current models of the induction cooktops are countertop compatible and could also be used in large food industries such as fast food stores, restaurants and bars among others.

COOKING MADE QUICKER AND ENERGY EFFICIENT

Using this technology, one could do the cooking quicker than conventional methods. Though induction cooking does not create a glow unlike flames, so you do not know when it’s on, manufacturers found a solution for this. They installed LED display near the marked (commonly with white circle) area of the stove.

The display does not only indicate that the cooker is on, it also tells the amount of heat you are using (like 400F for frying). The induction method of cooking does not have the odor of a gas cooker or the smoke of firewood. Since the heat is concentrated on the vessel or cookware you are using, the amount of time of cooking is almost 40% less than the usual method.

This technique of induction could give tremendous savings on energy as cooking could be regulated and user can manipulate the temperature just enough for what the required heat is needed for the job. Also, most of the current models are equipped with automatic sensors wherein induction process is cut-off when it sensed idle use for a period of time. What a brilliant idea!

COOK WARES COMPATIBLE WITH INDUCTION COOKING

Not all cookwares are compatible with induction cooktops. Some are just good for other methods. Unlike microwave oven, induction cooking needs to have ferrous metal or magnetic grade stainless steel and other similar cookwares to create the magnetic fields responsible for heating the vessel. Nevertheless, almost all of the cookwares available today are made of this material, with the exception of glass cooking utensils which are not compatible with induction cooking.

How can you know that cookware is ferrous metal? It’s quite easy as ABCs. Just get a magnet and stick it at the bottom of the pan or pot or any of your cookware in the kitchen. If the magnet sticks, your cookware is just bound for a better partnership with your induction cooktop.