Introduction to Induction
What is Induction Cooking? With a traditional gas or electric cooktop, the pan is heated from below with either gas flames or an electric element. Induction works under the stove’s smooth surface by use of a copper coil that creates alternating magnetic fields. When a steel pan is put on top, it completes the circuit, inducing an electric current in the pan, which heats the pan. When the pan is removed, the circuit is broken, so even if the power is still on, the hob stays cool.
Induction cooking has many advantages for the commercial kitchen:
- There are no flames or hot cooking surfaces to cause burns, when the pan is removed no heat is produced at all.
- The surface stays warm for a while, due to the residual heat of the pan but quickly cools down. The pan and the food cooking in it are the only things that get hot.
- Induction ranges are also faster compared to gas and electricity. Water that would take 7-8 mins to bring to the boil on a gas or electric top, takes a mere 4 minutes on an induction top.
- Temperature levels can be controlled very accurately and are about 90% efficient, that means that 90% of the energy you are paying for is turned into usable heat.
- The more energy that goes into cooking the food means less heat escaping into the kitchen. This in turn reduces the need for ventilation.
- The cool, ceramic glass top is easy to wipe clean with a damp cloth and there are no spaces in which food can spill.
Induction cooktops come in a variety of configurations:
- Countertop models (in single & double hobs)
- Drop-in units (built-in cooktops that sit almost flush over the countertop)
- Ranges (freestanding units that look more like a conventional ovens).
- Smaller induction units are perfect for creating cooking stations or to add to a kitchen wherever and whenever required with no naked flames or venting required.
As always, remember to check the power requirements of the unit, most portable cooktops are 13amp, but larger units may require hard wiring. To find out if your cookware is induction compatible see if a magnet sticks to the base, if it does then there is no need to buy new ones. It is only solid aluminum and copper that will not work with induction.
No new skills are needed to cook with induction, you can still boil, grill and sauté exactly as you would with electricity or gas. Once tried many will appreciate the speed, precision, and convenience of induction cooking.
(Main image shows Lincat IH42)