Cooks on the pan side…not the cooking surface
Induction cooking is a superior electric method of cooking. It is effective, energy efficient, and safe.
How it works…
In technical terms, an induction cooker transfers electrical energy by induction from a coil of wire into a metal vessel (pot or pan) that must be ferromagnetic metal (anything a magnet can stick too). In an induction cooker, a coil of copper wire is placed underneath the cooking pot. An alternating electric current flows through the coil, which produces an oscillating magnetic field. This field induces an electric current in the pot. The current flowing in the metal pot produces resistive heating, which then heats the food. In simplest terms, a magnetic field is created, and molecules are moved to generate heat.
PRECISE COOKING
An induction cooker allows instant control of cooking energy, similar to gas burners. Induction elements can be adjusted in such fine increments with exact precision for the cook. It can be set at low for gentle simmering or high for frying/searing.
ENERGY EFFICENCY
Induction cooking is energy efficient and quick. Electro-magnetic currents transfer heat directly to the cookware while sensing the size of the pan and automatically adjusting the precise amount of energy needed. You heat the pan and not the cooktop, allowing the kitchen to stay cooler without excess heat being produced by the cooking surface.
SAFE
While other cooking methods use flames or red-hot heating elements, induction heating only heats the pot and not the cooktop. The top always remains cool to the touch, which is a great safety feature especially if you have children in the house.
Wearing metal jewelry? No worries, as the units all have sensors that detect how much ferrous metal is in the area that touches the magnetic field. If it’s not as much as a small pot, the unit will not turn on. (Notice in this image the induction cooktop is on high while a person’s hand with a metal ring is on the burner completely uneffected). The cooking surface will warm, but only from the cooking pan/pot itself. Even the metal tongs will not heat up.
When researching induction… see the manufacturers websites for tips and suggestions. You can see a list of manufacturers here.
Other Sources and Photo Credits: Wikipedia, The Induction Site, ElectroLux, KBB Online, SubZero Wolf, Gaggenau
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