Wikipedia says most are glass ceramic. Of course, with anything on Wikipedia, you take that with a grain of salt.
Making the Switch to Induction - Tips For Newbies
- Thread starter Shutterbug57
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Wikipedia says most are glass ceramic. Of course, with anything on Wikipedia, you take that with a grain of salt.
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- #42
The old top we had was 19 years old. While we had not used cast iron on it much, it was heavily used and not scratched. If you stir by sliding pans around, you will probably get scratches. If you stir with a spoon, it is not likely to scratch.
The new cooktop is Schott Ceran. The old was just marked Ceran. I am not sure what the difference is, if any. I am expecting similar durability from the new top. See above about scratching.
Schott Ceran is a glass-ceramic material.
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- #43
Day 1
I cooked a basic dinner of pasta with red sauce and meatballs. The cooktop did great. We were eating in less than 25 minutes from start to finish. The burner for the red sauce was easy to modulate and I like having a timer for the cooktop, actually each burner has a timer you can set. That frees up the microwave for other duties. As I noted earlier, the big burner got the pasta water boiling quickly. It also brought it back to a boil very quickly as well after the pasta went in. I will work more with that burner in the future where I will determine it's flexibility for more delicate tasks. It does brute force pretty well.
So far, it is living up to my expectations. More to follow.
I cooked a basic dinner of pasta with red sauce and meatballs. The cooktop did great. We were eating in less than 25 minutes from start to finish. The burner for the red sauce was easy to modulate and I like having a timer for the cooktop, actually each burner has a timer you can set. That frees up the microwave for other duties. As I noted earlier, the big burner got the pasta water boiling quickly. It also brought it back to a boil very quickly as well after the pasta went in. I will work more with that burner in the future where I will determine it's flexibility for more delicate tasks. It does brute force pretty well.
So far, it is living up to my expectations. More to follow.
Some manufacturers such as Wolf have modular cooktops, so you can combine Induction, Gas, Deep Fryer, Steamer and any other functions provided you have lots of kitchen real-estate and a nearly bottomless wallet. Other manufactuers offer the same thing, but they are special-order, custom built and very, very expensive.
http://www.subzero-wolf.com/wolf/cooktop
Anything Subzero is probably out of my price range
Of course, once the house is paid off...
Good to know
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- #47
Day 2
Today’s menu was an appetizer of roasted red peppers done on the grill with prosciutto rolls garnished with capers and a reduced balsamic vinegar dressing. The main course was Tuna Marrakesh with Couscous garnished with a roasted red pepper strip to pull it all together – see recipe below.
Today I used the three smaller burners, i.e., not the largest burner. The 7” burners were for the Couscous and the tuna while the 6” burner was to reduce the balsamic vinegar in a saucier pan. I used the power boost to bring the Couscous water to a quick boil and the cooktop allowed for excellent control. I continue to be amazed when you turn down the heat on a boiling pot how it stops boiling almost immediately, like in less than 5 seconds. The timer on the burners is also a great feature. I will use the timer a lot.
TUNA MARRAKESH
The flavors here are pure Mediterranean. The sweetness of the fennel and the fruity aroma of the orange balance with the saltiness of the olives. Greek olives are the big, meaty variety simply slice the olive away from the pit.
SUPPLIES:
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 garlic cloves, minced
.75 Cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons chopped pitted Greek black olives
3 tablespoons chopped pitted green olives
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
.25 teaspoon crushed red pepper
.25 teaspoon black pepper
.125 teaspoon salt
4 (6-ounce) tuna steaks (about 2 inches thick)
2 cups hot cooked couscous
Orange rind (optional)
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Place a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat until hot. Add fennel seeds and garlic; sauté 3 minutes or until seeds are lightly toasted. Spoon mixture into a bowl. Add wine, olives, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon orange rind, and red pepper; stir well, and set aside.
2. Sprinkle black pepper and salt over tuna. Recoat skillet with cooking spray; place over medium-high heat until very hot. Add tuna; sauté 5 minutes on each side or until medium-rare or desired degree of doneness. Remove tuna from skillet. Spoon couscous into each of 4 large shallow bowls; arrange tuna to the side. Set aside; keep warm.
3. Add wine mixture to skillet; cook 2 minutes or until sauce is slightly reduced. Pour sauce evenly over steaks. Garnish with orange rind, if desired. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 tuna steak, .5 cup
Couscous, and about .25 cup sauce).
Note: Substitute Kalamata olives for Greek black olives, if desired.
ETA: The dish is for 4 people and I was serving only 2 tonight, but I did not halve the recipe - because I really like olives. If you had 4 plates to put the sauce on, you would get fewer olives.
I will not post an update tomorrow night as we have other plans.
Today’s menu was an appetizer of roasted red peppers done on the grill with prosciutto rolls garnished with capers and a reduced balsamic vinegar dressing. The main course was Tuna Marrakesh with Couscous garnished with a roasted red pepper strip to pull it all together – see recipe below.
Today I used the three smaller burners, i.e., not the largest burner. The 7” burners were for the Couscous and the tuna while the 6” burner was to reduce the balsamic vinegar in a saucier pan. I used the power boost to bring the Couscous water to a quick boil and the cooktop allowed for excellent control. I continue to be amazed when you turn down the heat on a boiling pot how it stops boiling almost immediately, like in less than 5 seconds. The timer on the burners is also a great feature. I will use the timer a lot.
TUNA MARRAKESH
The flavors here are pure Mediterranean. The sweetness of the fennel and the fruity aroma of the orange balance with the saltiness of the olives. Greek olives are the big, meaty variety simply slice the olive away from the pit.
SUPPLIES:
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 garlic cloves, minced
.75 Cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons chopped pitted Greek black olives
3 tablespoons chopped pitted green olives
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
.25 teaspoon crushed red pepper
.25 teaspoon black pepper
.125 teaspoon salt
4 (6-ounce) tuna steaks (about 2 inches thick)
2 cups hot cooked couscous
Orange rind (optional)
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Place a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat until hot. Add fennel seeds and garlic; sauté 3 minutes or until seeds are lightly toasted. Spoon mixture into a bowl. Add wine, olives, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon orange rind, and red pepper; stir well, and set aside.
2. Sprinkle black pepper and salt over tuna. Recoat skillet with cooking spray; place over medium-high heat until very hot. Add tuna; sauté 5 minutes on each side or until medium-rare or desired degree of doneness. Remove tuna from skillet. Spoon couscous into each of 4 large shallow bowls; arrange tuna to the side. Set aside; keep warm.
3. Add wine mixture to skillet; cook 2 minutes or until sauce is slightly reduced. Pour sauce evenly over steaks. Garnish with orange rind, if desired. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 tuna steak, .5 cup
Couscous, and about .25 cup sauce).
Note: Substitute Kalamata olives for Greek black olives, if desired.
ETA: The dish is for 4 people and I was serving only 2 tonight, but I did not halve the recipe - because I really like olives. If you had 4 plates to put the sauce on, you would get fewer olives.
I will not post an update tomorrow night as we have other plans.
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That sounds great.
I can totally see that. What an amazing feature.
+1 ... I love the timer on my induction hot-plate. It makes cooking anything so much simpler and easier, plus it makes it easy to repeat the same results each time you cook the same recipe, instead of standing there watching and guessing or having to set an external timer and then run back to the stove to turn it off manually.
I don't know why they don't put timers on all stoves. It would be such a cheap, easy upgrade.
I just realized you could use a grill on top of the bridge element:
http://www.kitchenaid.com/digitalassets/SalesFeatureImages/Bridge-P110088_4z-640x560.jpg
http://www.kitchenaid.com/digitalassets/SalesFeatureImages/Bridge-P110088_4z-640x560.jpg
BTW, if anybody wants to try Induction without going whole-hog into a range, you can get a really nice countertop unit for under $100.
http://www.amazon.com/Burton-6200-1...id=1423636231&sr=8-1&keywords=max+burton+6200
Max Burton makes several other models, but this one has a stainless steel frame which is nice to have, because sooner or later, your pan is going to slip off to the side and melt a plastic frame. That's what happened with my Fagor, although the damage is purely cosmetic.
They also have accesories like a ferrous disk with handle that you can use when you want to heat up an aluminum pan or other non-induction compatible piece of cookware.
If I ever have to replace the Fagor I have now, this Max Burton 6200 is what I will get.
http://www.amazon.com/Burton-6200-1...id=1423636231&sr=8-1&keywords=max+burton+6200
Max Burton makes several other models, but this one has a stainless steel frame which is nice to have, because sooner or later, your pan is going to slip off to the side and melt a plastic frame. That's what happened with my Fagor, although the damage is purely cosmetic.
They also have accesories like a ferrous disk with handle that you can use when you want to heat up an aluminum pan or other non-induction compatible piece of cookware.
If I ever have to replace the Fagor I have now, this Max Burton 6200 is what I will get.
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- #53
Tonight I made an easy dinner. We had Chicken with onions & tomatoes over Arborio rice with asparagus on the side. This used the three largest burners. The 11" did very well and I had no hot spots. On the old halogen cooktop, even with All Clad, the pan would get a hot spot in the middle, not so on the induction. That alone is worth the price of admission. Another winning performance for the induction.
BTW - I want to set the record straight on a couple items. While the new cooktop has a timer that can be assigned to a burner, it can only work with one burner at a time. Also, it is just a warning device, it does not actually turn the burner off - that would be nice, but it is not how this cooktop works. I confirmed with KitchenAid that it could not be configured to turn off the burner.
BTW - I want to set the record straight on a couple items. While the new cooktop has a timer that can be assigned to a burner, it can only work with one burner at a time. Also, it is just a warning device, it does not actually turn the burner off - that would be nice, but it is not how this cooktop works. I confirmed with KitchenAid that it could not be configured to turn off the burner.
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- #54
Thread Update
i have had the induction cooktop for less than a week, but have formed some opinions. I find the induction technology very flexible, the temps modulate faster than gas. In brute force, it perform at least as well as gas (depends on the wattage [induction] & BTUs [gas] of your burners). See below for exceptions are where I see gas as superior. These are offset by the safety advantages (induction burners cool down much faster than gas or traditional electric) and easy cleanup of the induction cooktop. If you are used to a traditional glass cooktop and hate cleaning spills, the induction is a huge improvement. Because the only thing getting hot is what contacts the pan, and it gets only as warm as the pan, spills don't burn on and are an easy wipe up.
Gas Advantages Over Induction
1. Induction won't cook if the power goes out.
2. You can't roast a pepper over an induction burner. The oven and grill still do the trick, but an open burner, not so much. Only matters if you are roasting 1-2 peppers. For more peppers, the oven or grill is faster anyway.
i have had the induction cooktop for less than a week, but have formed some opinions. I find the induction technology very flexible, the temps modulate faster than gas. In brute force, it perform at least as well as gas (depends on the wattage [induction] & BTUs [gas] of your burners). See below for exceptions are where I see gas as superior. These are offset by the safety advantages (induction burners cool down much faster than gas or traditional electric) and easy cleanup of the induction cooktop. If you are used to a traditional glass cooktop and hate cleaning spills, the induction is a huge improvement. Because the only thing getting hot is what contacts the pan, and it gets only as warm as the pan, spills don't burn on and are an easy wipe up.
Gas Advantages Over Induction
1. Induction won't cook if the power goes out.
2. You can't roast a pepper over an induction burner. The oven and grill still do the trick, but an open burner, not so much. Only matters if you are roasting 1-2 peppers. For more peppers, the oven or grill is faster anyway.
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Thanks for the update. My wife is notorious for spills on our coil top, so having it easier to clean is a huge advantage.
When we roast peppers now, we have to do them in the oven too or I do them on the BBQ, so that won't be an issue for us at least. When the power goes out here, we don't loose it for long and if it did go out over supper, we'd transfer whatever it is to the BBQ or Ceramic cooker outside.
Sounds like it's working out well for you, so glad to hear.
When we roast peppers now, we have to do them in the oven too or I do them on the BBQ, so that won't be an issue for us at least. When the power goes out here, we don't loose it for long and if it did go out over supper, we'd transfer whatever it is to the BBQ or Ceramic cooker outside.
Sounds like it's working out well for you, so glad to hear.
Thanks for starting this thread and the information you have provided, Shutterbug.
I have a glass cooktop stove with a convection oven that I've had for almost 20 years. There are many things about it that I like. One thing I don't love about it though is the very slow response to temperature adjustments. I've thought about getting a gas stove a few times, but have always decided against it because I hate what a pain the burners are to clean and wipe up around.
I'm becoming more and more convinced, that for me, induction is the way to go for my next stove.
I have a glass cooktop stove with a convection oven that I've had for almost 20 years. There are many things about it that I like. One thing I don't love about it though is the very slow response to temperature adjustments. I've thought about getting a gas stove a few times, but have always decided against it because I hate what a pain the burners are to clean and wipe up around.
I'm becoming more and more convinced, that for me, induction is the way to go for my next stove.
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- #57
Thanks for starting this thread and the information you have provided, Shutterbug.
I have a glass cooktop stove with a convection oven that I've had for almost 20 years. There are many things about it that I like. One thing I don't love about it though is the very slow response to temperature adjustments. I've thought about getting a gas stove a few times, but have always decided against it because I hate what a pain the burners are to clean and wipe up around.
I'm becoming more and more convinced, that for me, induction is the way to go for my next stove.
Between induction and conventional electric, there is, other than cost, NO reason not to go induction. Those costs could include:
1. The cost delta between the units - roughly 2X for induction.
2. The cost of new cookware if what you have is not induction compatible.
3. The cost of upgrading your stove circuit to a 40A circuit.
We already had a 40A circuit thanks to foresight on the part of our remodeling contractor 19 years ago - thanks Ron. We also had to buy only a new pasta-multi pot as the rest of our cookware was good to go. If you are not already covered on 2 & 3, that could double the price, or more depending on what and how much cookware you get.
I am sold on induction, but if I had to do a new cooktop on a shoestring and did not have 2 & 3 covered, I would have gone with gas.
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- #58
For those who are interested in how fast the burners come on and off on the induction cooktop, I put together a 4 minute video that shows how fast 1 quart of water boils on a 2,500 watt burner and, more to the point, how responsive the cooking process is to changes in the burner setting. For those who just want to get to the responsive part of the video, go to about 3:35 and start from there. You will see me let the water come to a full boil, turn the burner off, then back on, then off again. I apologize for the quality of my videography, but the video conveys the info I was looking to share.
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I use natural gas and I believe my gas stove won't work if the gas is out.
I saw a picture of a grill over the bridge element of an induction stove. I believe you can grill your peppers.
I am with on that one. It does take a lot of elbow grease to get the top clean. My burners are sealed so it does make it a bit easier. Still, a major pain....I've thought about getting a gas stove a few times, but have always decided against it because I hate what a pain the burners are to clean and wipe up around.
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- #60
I use natural gas and I believe my gas stove won't work if the gas is out.
I saw a picture of a grill over the bridge element of an induction stove. I believe you can grill your peppers.
True on both counts. We are on the city gas line and I have never had it go out that I know of. We rarely have power outages, but last winter we had one that was several hours long. Long enough that the house got fairly cold. We turned on the gas fireplace in our family room and were toasty. I was getting ready to break out the camp stove to cook a late dinner when the power came back on.
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