View Full Version : OT: Induction Stoves
XXtwindad
07-14-2019, 04:03 PM
Have to replace an electric stove. I'd much rather have a gas stove, but it's not an option. Are these really a big advancement? I really don't like cooking on an electric range. In Europe, from what I understand, they're the norm now.
Interesting that Berkeley is considering mandating all new buildings come equipped with electric stoves.
https://www.berkeleyside.com/2019/07/09/berkeley-to-consider-prohibiting-natural-gas-in-new-buildings
pdmtong
07-14-2019, 04:09 PM
You need to uses special cookware on an induction stove. the times I have used one it cooked and worked fine. but I am not into buying special cookware.
tuscanyswe
07-14-2019, 04:15 PM
You need to uses special cookware on an induction stove. the times I have used one it cooked and worked fine. but I am not into buying special cookware.
Special cookware as in magnetic? Sure some of your old pots may not work but its not like u need a special brand or something completely different to make it work. Just needs to be magnetic..
They work very well n are super fast to become hot and control your heat and you can not burn your hands a big plus if you have kids.
I would not buy a non induction stove if i could help it if i was buying a new stove today. Which i am btw :) well tomorrow or the day after
morrisericd
07-14-2019, 04:15 PM
We’ve had an induction cooktop for 6-8 years now. Super fast boiling time, really easy to regulate temperature and really, really easy cleanup. I build houses for a living and try to get my customers to buy these as much as possible. Some people still want the “status” of the $10,000 Wolf range but, for me, induction wins every time. Every try and clean a 6 burner gas cooktop after the spaghetti sauce boiled over?
As far as cookware goes, it just has to have steel in it. Run a magnet over your existing pans - there’s a good chance most of what you have will work.
superbowlpats
07-14-2019, 04:25 PM
We've had induction for 8 years now and love it. If you have to electric than induction is worth it imho. Water boils faster than gas, temp control is almost as good as gas, and the surface doesnt get as hot / stay as hot as a typical electric range. We use All-Clad pans.
weiwentg
07-14-2019, 04:52 PM
Special cookware as in magnetic? Sure some of your old pots may not work but its not like u need a special brand or something completely different to make it work. Just needs to be magnetic..
They work very well n are super fast to become hot and control your heat and you can not burn your hands a big plus if you have kids.
I would not buy a non induction stove if i could help it if i was buying a new stove today. Which i am btw :) well tomorrow or the day after
I believe this is correct. Anything containing iron will work on an induction hob, including your grandparents' old cast iron stuff. It's true this does rule out all your aluminum non-stick stuff.
Ken Robb
07-14-2019, 06:27 PM
Does stainless steel work with induction ranges?
Bruce K
07-14-2019, 06:33 PM
What works depends on the core. Most better cookware works fine. We use mostly the “budget” Allclad.
We just redid the kitchen and installed a Thermador Induction cooktop and we like be it.
Things heat up really fast and it cooks very quickly.
BK
I have an induction stove top, have for years now, I wouldn't go back.... It's worth buying a few pans for.
Does stainless steel work with induction ranges?
All of mine work just fine.
tuscanyswe
07-14-2019, 06:38 PM
Does stainless steel work with induction ranges?
Not all stainless pots are the same. I have a few that works and 1 or 2 that dont. If its magnetic it will work. Some stainless pots have cores made of other metal so will work but some are all stainless and not magnetic, wont work.
Ken Robb
07-14-2019, 07:14 PM
Many of my stainless pots/pans have copper cores. Assuming that the stainless steel bottoms get hot from induction unit that heat would probably transfer through the copper core to the stainless interiors.
I have seen COSTCO offering a freestanding single burner and one or two pans for under $100 and with COSTCO's easy return policy a person could try one risk-free.
Llewellyn
07-14-2019, 07:48 PM
I echo the comments about some pans working better than others - we find the stainless steel are better than coloured ones. We wouldn't go back to gas for all the reasons mentioned above. And as for ease of cleaning - you can't beat it :banana:
My mother in law just installed a high end induction unit. They don't have gas service, so this was an upgrade over the electric range in there before. I was pretty impressed for all the reasons mentioned above. Boils fast and cooks evenly. It's safe around kids, and is a breeze to clean. Not going to be able to replicate a nice char as on a gas range, but still, it's a pretty good setup. Plus, nearly all her old pots and pans worked just fine.
unterhausen
07-14-2019, 08:34 PM
I always wanted a gas stove and then gas companies started blowing up people's houses. We can't get gas here anyway, the local gas company did a survey and I guess they decided nobody was going to buy in.
I should have gotten an induction stove when the last stove died, but I guess I was feeling cheap
parris
07-14-2019, 10:16 PM
We have an inexpensive portable induction burner for doing stuff out on the deck and such. It's handy and heats up fast. We have several pans that work well with it but my favorite are a couple of cast iron pans that work really well on it.
We have an inexpensive portable induction burner for doing stuff out on the deck and such. It's handy and heats up fast. We have several pans that work well with it but my favorite are a couple of cast iron pans that work really well on it.
+1
I have a gas stove in the house, and an induction "burner" for outside.
I have been impressed with the induction burner...as others mentioned, it is really fast for boiling water. Side benefit is that the handle on the teapot does not get hot like with the gas stove. I have 8 different settings, so pretty good temperature control. Not sure if full ranges have more control.
If a magnet sticks to your cookware, it will work with an induction stove
XXtwindad
03-23-2022, 08:46 AM
Looks like the “Induction Revolution” is here. Hard core chefs are joining environmentalists.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/11/dining/induction-cooking.html
But for all the sexiness of cooking with gas (a concept bolstered by aggressive lobbying and advertising from the natural gas industry), it has been shown to be catastrophic for the environment, emitting potent greenhouse gases like methane into the atmosphere. Worse, a recent study demonstrated that 75 percent of those oven emissions occur when the stove is off.
The noxious fumes that get trapped in our homes are also harmful, especially for children.
“Brady Seals, a manager at RMI, a nonprofit focused on sustainability, and an author of a study examining the health effects of gas stoves, said indoor nitrogen dioxide levels can spike quickly, reaching hazardous levels in the amount of time it takes to bake a cake.
“For children who live in a home with a gas stove, the increased risk of asthma is on par with living in a home with a smoker,” she said.
So just as someone might want to quit smoking, there’s a strong case to be made for kicking the natural gas habit.”
verticaldoug
03-23-2022, 08:57 AM
I have a Miele Induction top. It works really nice. Copper pots without magnetized base will not work. All the cast iron Le Creuset does.
So upgrade
Clean39T
03-23-2022, 10:10 AM
Looks like the “Induction Revolution” is here. Hard core chefs are joining environmentalists.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/11/dining/induction-cooking.html
But for all the sexiness of cooking with gas (a concept bolstered by aggressive lobbying and advertising from the natural gas industry), it has been shown to be catastrophic for the environment, emitting potent greenhouse gases like methane into the atmosphere. Worse, a recent study demonstrated that 75 percent of those oven emissions occur when the stove is off.
The noxious fumes that get trapped in our homes are also harmful, especially for children.
“Brady Seals, a manager at RMI, a nonprofit focused on sustainability, and an author of a study examining the health effects of gas stoves, said indoor nitrogen dioxide levels can spike quickly, reaching hazardous levels in the amount of time it takes to bake a cake.
“For children who live in a home with a gas stove, the increased risk of asthma is on par with living in a home with a smoker,” she said.
So just as someone might want to quit smoking, there’s a strong case to be made for kicking the natural gas habit.”
If I ever have a choice in what stove is in my house (ie, owning a home), it’ll be induction.
Buy an indoor air-quality monitor, put it in your kitchen, and watch what happens when you’re cooking on four gas burners with the oven going.
It helps if you have a big commercial hood venting outdoors. Most homes don’t.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Spdntrxi
03-23-2022, 10:17 AM
I bought a normal electric stove ( still waiting for it)..and purchased a single induction burner to boil stuff with.
mistermo
03-23-2022, 10:20 AM
I'm about to ditch my gas cooktop for induction. The pots/pans I bought a couple decades ago will work fine, as does most anything made these days.
Like OP, I'm 'in the market'. I'd like one that has the visual cues of a gas flame, but haven't spent enough time researching to know which brand/model that is. If anyone knows, please lmk.
Gas is pretty horrible, it's almost like living with a smoker unless you have a really good fume hood and are religious about using it. (I don't and I'm not)
Don't get me wrong, I love my Bosch gas range... it is amazing to cook on. But it's not healthy or good for the environment.
Going over to Europe induction works totally fine.
I have an induction 1.7L kettle I use for coffee and tea. The largest burners on our stove are 18k BTU I believe and the induction kettle will boil water 3-5x faster. Induction can be really fast/powerful.
C40_guy
03-23-2022, 10:58 AM
Looks like you can even use cast iron with induction, as long as you put a piece of parchment paper or similar between the surface and the pot. And don't try to heat too quickly...
NHAero
03-23-2022, 11:04 AM
I have used cast iron with my induction stove for over ten years without an issue, no parchment paper (first I have heard of that!)
So much better than gas, no contest.
And yes, research about ultrafine particles from cooking are showing the health effects. There are pollutants from cooking no mater what the cooktop is. But keeping the products of combustion out of the house is a big step.
Looks like you can even use cast iron with induction, as long as you put a piece of parchment paper or similar between the surface and the pot. And don't try to heat too quickly...
NormansCay
03-23-2022, 11:17 AM
I have used cast iron with my induction stove for over ten years without an issue, no parchment paper (first I have heard of that!)
So much better than gas, no contest.
And yes, research about ultrafine particles from cooking are showing the health effects. There are pollutants from cooking no mater what the cooktop is. But keeping the products of combustion out of the house is a big step.
I didn't even realize cast iron would work on induction. Learn something new here daily.
Are you able to heat the cast iron skillet up hot enough on an induction cooktop to sear a steak? Like really, really, hot and smoking?
NHAero
03-23-2022, 11:22 AM
Like, hot enough to warp the iron? Yes, and a heck of a lot faster than a gas cooktop can do it, and without making the handle 500F.
I didn't even realize cast iron would work on induction. Learn something new here daily.
Are you able to heat the cast iron skillet up hot enough on an induction cooktop to sear a steak? Like really, really, hot and smoking?
NormansCay
03-23-2022, 11:24 AM
Like, hot enough to warp the iron? Yes, and a heck of a lot faster than a gas cooktop can do it, and without making the handle 500F.
Good to know. Thanks!
d_douglas
03-23-2022, 11:26 AM
I listened to this recently:
https://www.npr.org/2021/11/06/1052472759/to-fight-climate-change-ithaca-votes-to-decarbonize-its-buildings-by-2030
It was an interesting story that debunks the myth of natural gas being 'clean'. I always thought it was, but this story points out that it was sold as 'clean' only because the alternative in the 30's was wood- or coal- burning stoves which are much worse. In the end, natural gas isnt very clean it turns out!
Here in British Columbia, the Province has mandated that no new builds can have natural gas after 2030 and they have pretty tempting incentives to convert to electric power exclusively. We bought our house three years ago and promptly shelled out to get a gas line extended off our furnace to run the stove and bought a nice shiny gas stove!
We are planning a renovation in two years or so and now it looks like the tide is turning to get an induction stove. I love 'cookin with gas' but I recognize that natural gas is polluting too much to support a green transition, so I am all for it.
That said, it is notable that BC is also amidst a decade long debate to fully implement a massive dam in Northern BC that will a) permanently alter an entire landscape and eliminate agricultural land for First Nations communities and b) provide a massive amount of hydro electricity to the citizens of BC and likely beyond to Alberta and potentially Washington State. Ahhh the choices we need to make!
I...Here in British Columbia, the Province has mandated that no new builds can have natural gas after 2030 ...
Pretty sure that Seattle has done the same thing....
I like my Wolf stove, and was a huge step up from the old electric coil range at our old house. We are looking to do a kitchen "facelift" in the next couple years (new cabinets, light carpentry) and will probably replace the stove with induction at that time...
I have some old All-Clad cookware that will need to be replaced (LTD series), but the Stainless Steel series pots I have are fine.
I had an single burner induction side cooktop for about 7 years that was great. I died just after this past Xmas...I think a pot boiled over and liquid got into it. Using this along with my gas range sold me on induction being just as good for cooking, and better for all the other stuff.
No more sexy copper cookware I guess :-)
Ugh....copper cooks great, but who would want to deal with all the cleaning?
The All-Clad Copper Core stuff works with induction. You get the even heating of copper, and easy cleaning of stainless....
RoosterCogset
03-23-2022, 11:37 AM
Looks like the “Induction Revolution” is here. Hard core chefs are joining environmentalists.
[/I]
No more sexy copper cookware I guess :-)
NHAero
03-23-2022, 11:41 AM
No more sexy copper cookware I guess :-)
I think you can find copper clad cookwear with iron sandwiched inside. To some extent, copper traditionally was useful to spread out the heat from a small gas flame. With induction, the mag field is induced throughout the pot bottom so conductivity of the base material is less critical.
Tony Edwards
03-23-2022, 12:31 PM
I first learned of induction a few years ago, when a client who was a sales rep for high-end kitchen gear told me about it. I recommended it to my mom when she had to replace an electric range a couple of years back and she loves it. We just spent an eye-watering amount on a major home renovation that included replacing our kitchen and I went with a 36-inch Monogram induction cooktop. I have yet to use it much (we are not yet living in the house) but look forward to it!
I'm in on induction. When the stove dies, induction it is.
I've cooked on it in a few places. Quite nifty.
We stayed in a nice rental in Park City. It had a Viking Induction cook top. So don't worry, it's completely possible to pay $6k for one of the fancy ones.
NHAero
03-23-2022, 12:42 PM
I'm in on induction. When the stove dies, induction it is.
I've cooked on it in a few places. Quite nifty.
We stayed in a nice rental in Park City. It had a Viking Induction cook top. So don't worry, it's completely possible to pay $6k for one of the fancy ones.
I think that what will make the transition to induction work, that you can buy them now from Viking and Wolf!
I'm in on induction. When the stove dies, induction it is.
I've cooked on it in a few places. Quite nifty.
We stayed in a nice rental in Park City. It had a Viking Induction cook top. So don't worry, it's completely possible to pay $12k for one of the fancy ones.
Fixed it for you.....Wolf Induction Range (https://www.subzero-wolf.com/wolf/ranges/induction-range/36-inch-transitional-induction-range)
Tickdoc
03-23-2022, 01:15 PM
Been learning how to cook on a Bosch induction top for the last year now and I can't wait to get back to gas. I have no idea how to regulate it properly. Everything is either burned or undercooked. Its slow to turn one burner up or one burner down because it is digital. I spent about $500.00 in special pans.
One thing I like is water reaches a boil super fast. But the strange thing is, when you put something like noodles in, it takes them forever to cook. It reminds me of trying to cook at elevation.
Bring me back to gas, please.
NHAero
03-23-2022, 02:40 PM
You need to get that Bosch looked at. It's not working right.
Been learning how to cook on a Bosch induction top for the last year now and I can't wait to get back to gas. I have no idea how to regulate it properly. Everything is either burned or undercooked. Its slow to turn one burner up or one burner down because it is digital. I spent about $500.00 in special pans.
One thing I like is water reaches a boil super fast. But the strange thing is, when you put something like noodles in, it takes them forever to cook. It reminds me of trying to cook at elevation.
Bring me back to gas, please.
Fixed it for you.....Wolf Induction Range (https://www.subzero-wolf.com/wolf/ranges/induction-range/36-inch-transitional-induction-range)
Ya. I was just talking about the cook top, not the range. Those prices though. :help:
AngryScientist
03-23-2022, 03:07 PM
How many amps do you need for one of these things?
lookout2015
03-23-2022, 03:25 PM
How many amps do you need for one of these things?
I had a 5-burner 36” Bosch 30 amp for a while. It was (at the time I got it) the only model that size I could find that was only 30 amp — 40 was a lot more common
It cooked better than the GE non-induction it replaced but I prefer the gas cooktop that has in turn since replaced it….
Likes2ridefar
03-23-2022, 04:15 PM
Been learning how to cook on a Bosch induction top for the last year now and I can't wait to get back to gas. I have no idea how to regulate it properly. Everything is either burned or undercooked. Its slow to turn one burner up or one burner down because it is digital. I spent about $500.00 in special pans.
One thing I like is water reaches a boil super fast. But the strange thing is, when you put something like noodles in, it takes them forever to cook. It reminds me of trying to cook at elevation.
Bring me back to gas, please.
Does a lodge not work? I use mine for nearly all stove top cooking and it cost maybe $25.
tellyho
03-23-2022, 04:20 PM
I feel like it needs to be said that we will all be cooking on electric in 10 years. Natural gas stoves are a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. If it's time to replace the range, might as well make the jump now. This is coming from an avowed gas range lover. I'm not looking forward to the switch, but do use cast iron for most of my cooking so I think I'll be okay.
I used to love gas, then I got an induction range...
Never going back!
paredown
03-23-2022, 04:42 PM
<snip>
Here in British Columbia, the Province has mandated that no new builds can have natural gas after 2030 and they have pretty tempting incentives to convert to electric power exclusively. <snip>
New York City has already said 'no gas combustion in new builds" -- bill was signed by deBlasio on his way out of office.
Then our new governor proposed the same in her first 'State of the State" in January--not sure what the timeline that is proposed for that, but it is likely to be pretty soon...
merckxman
03-23-2022, 04:50 PM
The Bosch has up to a 12 month wait, we are into the 4th month of waiting.
Tickdoc
03-23-2022, 04:51 PM
Does a lodge not work? I use mine for nearly all stove top cooking and it cost maybe $25.
Yes cat iron does work, but for boiling water and other things I need a saucepan.
NHAero
03-23-2022, 05:16 PM
Yes cat iron does work, but for boiling water and other things I need a saucepan.
Tickdoc, our fry pans are cast iron, but our saucepans are stainless steel Cuisinart and our pressure cooker is a Fagor Duo, and they all work on the induction cooktop. Something doesn't sound right about the Bosch you tried.
Angry, a 4 burner induction cooktop often has a couple of larger burners at 3300 - 3700W and a couple of smaller ones at about 2200W. So at 240VAC that's about 50A. I think my range, which includes an electric oven, is on a 50A breaker. They don't draw more than more electric cooktops, they just couple the energy to the cooking task much better. I think it was an LBNL study that showed gas burners at mid-30s efficiency, electric resistance at low 70s, and induction at low 80s. So a 3700W induction burner is equivalent to close to a 30,000 BTU/hr rated gas burner, in terms of delivering the energy to the food or water.
mudhead
03-24-2022, 02:13 PM
We installed a 36” Bosch induction cooktop about 6 years ago and I have had zero issues. I echo the pros listed here, quick to heat, easy to clean and kid friendly.
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sauerkbirutdivu
04-26-2022, 03:59 AM
I have had an induction stove for a long ago. To me, it's more comfortable and easier to clean. I've been reading a lot of information from one article source about the economy of different types of energy sources for my university research. Thanks to it, I always knew that it was the best stove. So my cooking process became much better after this buying.
climbgdh
04-26-2022, 07:32 AM
There was an induction cooktop in my new house when I bought it 5 years. I was a bit on the fence when i bought the house wishing it was a gas cooktop.... 5 years later.... absolutely LOVE the induction. It's awesome. I did have to buy a couple of new pans, which I was in bad need of anyway. Heat control is unbelievably good, boils water wicked fast. Zero regrets!! I generally use cast iron, coated cast iron, carbon steel fry pans & wok and stainless steel sauce pans and pots. All work great.
There was an induction cooktop in my new house when I bought it 5 years. I was a bit on the fence when i bought the house wishing it was a gas cooktop.... 5 years later.... absolutely LOVE the induction. It's awesome. I did have to buy a couple of new pans, which I was in bad need of anyway. Heat control is unbelievably good, boils water wicked fast. Zero regrets!! I generally use cast iron, coated cast iron, carbon steel fry pans & wok and stainless steel sauce pans and pots. All work great.
What brand/model is it?
d_douglas
04-26-2022, 09:49 AM
Do induction stovetops get all scratched up? I recall seeing a family friends that looked worse for wear (in a beautiful high end modern kitchen). It was meticulously looked after, but was kind of cloudy and scratchy :(
Likes2ridefar
04-26-2022, 10:26 AM
Do induction stovetops get all scratched up? I recall seeing a family friends that looked worse for wear (in a beautiful high end modern kitchen). It was meticulously looked after, but was kind of cloudy and scratchy :(
It’s a tool so wouldn’t be concerned about scratches through usage, but I don’t find cast iron scratching my glass top much and I use cheap lodge cast iron. Not enough to care at least. Years of usage.
metalheart
04-26-2022, 11:51 AM
For a kitchen remodel in our previous home we installed a combination gas/induction cooktop (Miele). Gas on one side, induction on the other. My wife preferred the induction to the gas so we swapped out the combo unit for a 36" all induction cook top. After 12-15 years it had some scratch marks, but it was negligible. When we moved into our Wisconsin home --- almost two years now -- we installed a Wolf Induction range and it has performed well. A nice feature is being able to bridge the cook rings for a larger pot, mostly useful for larger canning pots. She likes the control of the induction stove and feels it is equal to the control she had with gas.
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