Induction cooking isn't new, but it is certainly enjoying renewed attention. Deservedly so. Here are some of the benefits of this clean, green cooking machinery:
Speed Demon:
Induction heats water faster than pro-style gas burners. I got to witness that myself at the GE Monogram Designer Training earlier this year, where the induction cooktop whupped a 15,000 BTU cooktop in a race to the boil. (Don't just take the word of perky TV pitch women!)
Energy Saver:
Induction is more energy efficient than electric or gas. The PR folks at Windcrest make this point: Induction transfers 90% of the energy created to the pan while radiant cooking like gas or electric coils are capable of only 50 to 55% energy efficiency.
Safety Patrol:
Induction works through electro-magnetic energy transfer between the burner and the pot. Happily, only the pot and the burner around it get hot. As soon as the pot is removed, the burner cools down again. This flameless technology is great for families with young children and any household members with limited vision.
KBIS 2008 Induction Nuggets: A couple of very cool induction products shown at the Kitchen/Bath Industry Show last April in Chicago included:
>Viking
Speed Demon:
Induction heats water faster than pro-style gas burners. I got to witness that myself at the GE Monogram Designer Training earlier this year, where the induction cooktop whupped a 15,000 BTU cooktop in a race to the boil. (Don't just take the word of perky TV pitch women!)
Energy Saver:
Induction is more energy efficient than electric or gas. The PR folks at Windcrest make this point: Induction transfers 90% of the energy created to the pan while radiant cooking like gas or electric coils are capable of only 50 to 55% energy efficiency.
Safety Patrol:
Induction works through electro-magnetic energy transfer between the burner and the pot. Happily, only the pot and the burner around it get hot. As soon as the pot is removed, the burner cools down again. This flameless technology is great for families with young children and any household members with limited vision.
KBIS 2008 Induction Nuggets: A couple of very cool induction products shown at the Kitchen/Bath Industry Show last April in Chicago included:
>Viking
Viking's new range with induction cooking. Right now, induction is typically available on cooktops only, so you'd need a separate single or double wall oven. This induction range is ideal for smaller kitchens, and induction is a great upgrade from electric. (FYI, it's not on their web site yet, but as an official KBIS blogger, I was allowed to bring my camera onto the show floor and took a photo of it, which I share with you here!)
Kuppersbusch, a 133-year-old German company not yet well known in the U.S., is offering an induction wok. At their ridiculously out-of-the-way booth at the show, they demo'ed this appliance and it's truly phenomenal. I think even Martin Yan might like this product.
