Induction Cooking

You may remember the commercial for a prominent homewares manufacturer in which an attractive couple was preparing a fine meal - lobster, I believe. A pair of toughs in suits charge in, looking for a priceless, small work of art. As the burglars ransack the apartment, the lobster boils away - tragically, if I may say so. It appeared cooked at the start of the spot. Satisfied with their search, the toughs depart for more skullduggery elsewhere. The man removes the pot and reveals an untarnished work of art from between the pan and heating element.

We don't recommend you try this with any cherished family photos or vital documents, but the wonder of induction cooking does make it possible. Fast becoming the standard on new construction and renovations, induction ranges employ electromagnetics to heat the cooking vessel rather than gas or electrical resistance. The actual electromagnetic element creates no heat in itself, like gas or a coil; instead, it shakes up electrons in ferrous (read "magnetic") cooking vessels to cause heat.

How'd they do that? Without getting too technical, the electric coil that creates the magnetic field causes an "eddy current" in the iron or steel pan - which is to say, it rapidly changes magnetization, thereby causing the pan to resist said changes. The resistance is happily expressed in heat, which we can use to prepare food. Why'd they do that? To the novice, this may seem like a lot of effort for something gas and electrical resistance already do quite well. A pro will be quick to point out that the fewer elements making heat in your kitchen, the better; just because it's hot back there doesn't mean the cooks like it. Induction cooking also has the advantage of being precise and fast. Turn the dial to a setting and that is what you'll get, every time. Gas isn't always accurate, and electric ranges tend to be slow in heating up and cooling down. Consider also that the energy is never converted to heat, resulting in an impressive 84% efficiency compared to gas' 40%.

Before you sign the check

A significant drawback to induction cooking is the restriction placed on the pots and pans used. Only ferrous metals like iron and steel can be used. All copper, aluminum, and Pyrex pots will be worthless on induction stoves. This isn't a serious problem, though. There are premium and budget producers of cookware of all materials, leaving the choice of how much to spend entirely up to you. Those in the worst position are those who want induction cooking but have a sentimental attachment to, say, a nice set of copper pans. Perhaps they can be made into a nice statue.