Major renovation of our small kitchen and I am considering an Induction cooktop. Apart from needing to change some of my pots what else do I need to be aware of ?
samanya,
Jul 15, 3:03pm
I love my induction cook top. When I first used it I underestimated how fast it was & burnt one of the first things I cooked, but you soon get used to it. The only problem I have found is not with the cook top itself . it's buying a pan that says suitable for induction & it doesn't work! I have bought about three very small fry pans & ended up taking them back for this reason.
socram,
Jul 15, 3:10pm
How do you get on with stir fries, when gas uses a small bonfire, with flames up the sides of the wok?
cardiffgirl,
Jul 15, 4:17pm
I use the gas burner on my bbq for wok cooking. Induction is great and I love my top except for wok cooking. you can’t get the proper heat
samanya,
Jul 15, 5:01pm
I have an electric wok . I know it's not a purist way of wok cooking . but it works for me. ;o)
meoldchina,
Jul 15, 5:05pm
You can't cook in a power cut.
rai5,
Jul 15, 5:54pm
Thanks. Never thought about wok cooking. And we can't cook now in a power cut, but we can use our small gas bbq.
samanya,
Jul 15, 5:57pm
Ha ha ha . that applies to most cook tops. I can cook on my log burner top (well simmer is more accurate) & after the quakes, most of us down here, especially those of us who who live rurally, have a BBQ with a gas ring or a camp stove as an alternative. So far this winter, no snow causing power cuts or violent winds or quakes, long may it continue . climate change seems to be taking care of that . for the moment ;o)
mica3,
Jul 16, 3:12pm
Love my induction cooking top. Stir fry in wok works ok. Need to check that your electrics are up to the draw off. Did I say I love my cook top :)
strathview,
Jul 16, 5:13pm
I looked at induction when we put in a new kitchen but stayed with the ceramic cooktop. I could not justify the cost of the induction and the cost for all brand new pots. I love my current cooking pots which I can also use on my freestanding firebox. I can also use my current pots on our bbq and when I consider how often our power goes off I feel quite justified staying status quo.
rai5,
Jul 16, 5:14pm
That's interesting. I didn't realize that, but will discuss with electrician as he is going to have to do other work in the kitchen. Thanks.
lindanz,
Jul 16, 8:44pm
Induction is fabulous. No cons .
hazedaze,
Jul 17, 7:06am
Pots and pans don't need to be expensive. Just take a fridge magnet along with you to a shop and if it sticks to the outside base of the pot - then its good for induction. (Even pots from an Op Shop.) A magnet is definitely the key ;)
dbab,
Jul 17, 8:42am
I have had 2 induction cooktops for over 20 years now, and would not be without it.
crazynana,
Jul 17, 7:32pm
I have a friend with a pacemaker and her heart specialist warned her about induction cook tops. They interfere with the pacemaker as they are magnetic. He said in no way should she get one.
540trickzter,
Jul 17, 9:10pm
My parents build a new house and got the 90cm Bosch Induction cooktop. Pro's, easy to clean, looks nice and modern. Con's, you need good pots and pans. Alot of the pan's that say they're compatible don't work well especially the cheap ones, you'll get sections of the pan that don't heat up aswell, so not very even. Cast Iron works very well though. Induction isn't suitable for Asian wok cooking.
I've just build my new house and decided not to go with Induction and went with gas instead as I prefer the more even gas cooking, can use any pot or pan and it's better for Asian cooking. Con's with gas, it's a pain to clean.
vomo2,
Jul 18, 4:44pm
When buying a new electric hob, the salesman told me one good thing about induction. He said "when you turn it off, you can put your hand straight on the element without fear of being burnt". But in all my long years of cooking, Ive always managed not to have any urge of putting my hand on the element. Why would I? I bought plain electric Belling hob, cant fault it.
socram,
Jul 18, 5:22pm
Really? We have a white enamel cook top, about 25 years old. One electric element (my wife had never cooked on gas before!) and 3 gas. Very easy to clean. Not as easy as an induction top I would imagine, but probably looks better now than a stainless steel top of the same age.
Ironically, I don't think the electric element has been used more than about twice.
What I do miss however, is an eye level gas grill!
540trickzter,
Jul 18, 9:15pm
Oil splatter goes everywhere when doing Asian cooking. So it's a bit of a pain to clean a gas cooktop, as you have the uneven surfaces and gaps of cast iron bars to clean around, the knobs etc. Induction cooktop is just a smooth glass surface, so just a wipe with soapy water is nice and easy. But the pro's of cooking with gas outweighs the con's for me, so I prefer gas cooking for any type of cooking over induction. Induction is good for looks and heating stuff up, but if you're an avid cook, gas is the way to go in my opinion.
tielfan,
Jul 26, 12:20pm
Love our induction cooktop! It's brilliant at turning itself immediately off if there's too much water splash or a spill, heats up super fast. As for pots and pans, we got a job lot of induction suitable pots/ pans from Kmart for about $20 each and they work absolutely fine. Hubby's posh Le Creuset that have been knocking around the house for many years work equally well too. I'd rate it over gas and I loved gas.
Yep you can't use it during a powercut. However we can't pump water to the house during a powercut being rural!
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