Induction Cooking- Pros & Cons

Wednesday, May 13th, 2020

What is Induction?

(Click Image for Video)

This video gives an in depth description of what induction is and how it works. I watched about half before I got bored and moved along. Basically, Induction cooks through a fancy magnet that provides consistent heat to the entire base of the pot or pan (WAY more effective than any other cooking method).

There are HUGE benefits to this.

What are the Pros of Induction?

Cleaning

When cleaning an induction cooktop, the “burners” don’t actually get hot, just warm. So if the water boils over, the bacon starts spitting or the pasta sauce erupts, have no fear! Just lift the pot off of the surface and wipe underneath. You can do this while you are still cooking! The bottom of the pot or pan itself will be piping hot, so whatever you do, don’t touch that. But there’s no need wait 2 hours for the cooktop to cool down. Just wipe it off! Because there is no real burning onto the cooktop, the cooking surface will stay beautiful, longer!

Time

As you can imagine, when you heat the entire surface of the pot or pan, its going to cook a lot faster than the traditional cooking surface. It depends on the wattage of the induction burner you are using but ALL induction cooktops will be faster than traditional electric or gas cooking. On my induction cooktop, a large spaghetti pot takes 3 minutes on boost (boost is a feature that puts extra wattage on that burner for even faster cooking). It is a learning curve at first because you have to be very attentive to what you are doing. I’d consider paying attention to what you are doing as a pro over a con when you consider how much time is saved.

Safety

One of my favourite things about Induction is that it takes the worry away. I always think about little hands making their way onto the stove top and lets face it, nobody wants a trip to the emergency room, especially not now. And although it’s not the most sanitary, there are some of us that have cats that refuse to stay off the counters no matter how much we spray them(my cat just drinks the spray). Because an induction cooktop doesn’t get piping hot, you don’t have to worry about those little hands and paws. As soon as the pot is taken away, it is no longer heating. The surface will just be warm and that’s what makes it so appealing to parents, paw parents and the more vulnerable.

What are the Cons?

You Need the Right Pots

Induction doesn’t work effectively if you want to use your IKEA pots that you bought ten years ago. You have to have a flat surface that a magnet sticks to in order for it to do its job. In most cases this means buying a whole new set of pots and pans. In this case, Whirlpool(KitchenAid) will give you an 11 pc pot set free of charge(until Dec 31, 2020). Does this count as a con?

Pricey

This is something I didn’t really even want to mention because I am a firm believer in quality. I do think that you have to invest a bit more for something that is truly meant to serve you. It is truly an investment because there will be energy and time savings in the long run.  That being said, induction does typically run more expensive than the other products on the market because of all its benefits. However, Whirlpool and KitchenAid always have promotions that make it very enticing.

Doesn’t work in every home

I won’t claim to know much about what I am talking about here because I am not an electrician. But I do know that if you don’t have efficient amperage running to the stove,  it won’t work the way you want it to. Most induction cooktops and stoves run on 40-50 AMPS.  If this is not an area you are confident in, get a professional to inspect BEFORE you purchase an induction stove or cooktop. Typically this isn’t an issue but if you are in an older home it is worth looking into.

If you are considering induction for yourself, I would highly recommend. The technology has been around for several years and between energy savings, time savings and maintenance, the benefits are a no-brainer. And don’t forget the Energy Savings Rebate program funded by the government on Induction Cooktops(25% OFF)!

If you want more information on Whirlpool and KitchenAid’s current products, promotions and availability, feel free to contact us at the showroom for more details!

 

Thanks so much for reading.