--The induction cooktop has been around since about the 1950s, but they aren’t too well known – especially in the United States. The induction cooktop market has been dominated for decades by those in Europe as well as chefs around the world.
Until now.More and more residents in the United States are learning about this incredible cooktop and all of the benefits it can bring – and it is driving sales up. So, if you are one who likes to have the best of the best, then you may want to pay attention.
What is an Induction Cooktop?
Let’s start with the basics. On the surface, induction cooktops look quite similar to standard glass-top electric cooktops, but an induction cooktop uses electromagnetic waves to heat cookware, essentially turning your pots and pans into their own heat source.
Because the appliance surface heats cookware with electromagnetism, the system is highly efficient, allowing for precise control and a rapid rise or drop in temperature. This temperature control typically leads to faster heating, especially during more time-consuming tasks such as boiling water.
Induction cooking surfaces are known to boil water 50 percent faster compared to their gas and electric counterparts, and they maintain a consistent temperature so occasional spills or boil-overs occur far less often.
1. Increased Safety
The cooktop is easily one of the most dangerous places in the kitchen. It's where grease fires begin, where the gas gets left on, and where little hands make contact with very hot surfaces.
First, the most obvious: No flame means no grease fires, and no gas means no gas leaks.
But the induction cooktop has another safety feature: It typically doesn't get all that hot, since the heat is created in the pan itself. This means it would be far less likely for the cooktop to cause a burn. What's more, the pan's response to a turn of the dial is practically immediate, so as soon as you turn off the heat, the pan cools down. This makes it a lot more difficult to burn yourself as you pour your sautéed vegetables onto a serving plate.
It makes it easier to get those vegetables just right, too ...
2. Fast Heating Speeds
A watched pot may never boil, but one on an induction cooktop boils very quickly. So much so that if you ask anyone what their favorite part of their induction cooktop is, it is the ability to quickly heat and cook foods. It is fast – much faster than the alternatives of gas and electric. Plus, there is no need to heat the burner as the pan heats up directly, getting to the food right away.
3. Energy-Efficient Cooking
It's pretty easy to see why induction cooking would be more efficient than gas and electric if you think about the heating processes involved. A gas flame is going to release lots of heat around the pan, and an electric burner emits radiant heat at any point where it's not in direct, firm contact with the pan. When heat is generated within the pan itself, as with induction, more of that heat gets to the food, and less of it warms up your kitchen.
The most obvious result of this increased energy efficiency is reduced energy consumption, meaning lower power bills and a healthier environment. Less concrete and more personal, though, is the greater comfort in your kitchen: You won't sweat as much when you cook.
4. Controlled Temperature While Cooking
For people who love to cook -- or at least love to eat great home-cooked food -- control is probably the most important feature of a cooktop. It's why many serious cooks prefer gas to electric: Gas burners are more responsive when you adjust the dial. The temperature change is fast.
Induction cooktops are as responsive as gas to a turn of the dial, and they've got another thing going for them, too: more settings. Induction allows for much more precise control of heat, with more temperature increments and better performance at very low heat settings. In this way, induction makes cooking delicate sauces or just keeping food warm a lot easier than with a gas flame, which can often falter on the low setting.
5. Easy to Clean
If you have invested in a cooktop, you want it to look beautiful and clean all the time. Having that untouched reflection makes all the difference. This may always be your intention with a gas cooktop or a ceramic cooktop, but it is not always easy to do. Most of the time, food that has been spilled onto the hot surface bakes onto it before you are able to safely remove it.
With an induction cooktop, things are different. The surface of this unit does not get hot. That means it will not bake onto the surface, nor will it be too hot to handle. Clean as you are cooking since the surface is cool. Or clean after you cook because you know that there will be no way it will harden to the surface.
To clean, all you need is a soft rag or sponge and a little bit of water (or soapy water – depending on the mess). Wipe it up and dry with a clean, soft rag. It is that easy.
Is an Induction Cooktop For You?
After learning the benefits of an induction cooktop, there is a good chance you are measuring your countertop. What’s not to love about them? They are safe, fast, energy efficient, easy to clean, and so much more.
-- Induction Cooktop Recomman
