Pros and cons of induction cookers

the first induction cooker was introduced in 1971 by the American company Westinghouse Electric, but it did not find a special response from customers: firstly, because of the high cost, and secondly, because of the consumer's wary attitude to the not entirely clear heating principle. Although, the law of electromagnetic induction, on the basis of which such plates work, was discovered by the Englishman Michael Faraday back in 1831.

In 1987, the German company AEG ventured to repeat the experiment by introducing the first induction hob. This time, representatives of the restaurant business showed interest in the novelty, who immediately calculated the obvious benefits of buying "induction": it saves electricity, time and effort of staff, as well as safety and cleanliness in the kitchen. Slowly, but surely, induction heating technology began to conquer the home kitchens of Europe, but remained unpopular in the post-Soviet space. The reason is basically the same – the high price. Otherwise, such a technique has a number of significant advantages.

How does it work?

An induction cooker is an electric stove with a glass–ceramic hob. Only its burners work on a different principle of heat generation — due to the use of magnetic field energy.

The electric stove transfers heat to the product for cooking in four stages: (1) heats the heater – (2) the surface of the burner – (3) the bottom of the dishes on the stove – (4) the product. The induction cooker passes the second stage: a copper inductor induces an electric current of the cooker to the bottom of the dishes. Thus, the stove spends "effort" only on heating the pan or frying pan itself, but not the burner, thereby significantly saving electricity (up to 50%, according to user reviews).

The latest generation of stoves heat dishes, not burners

The electronic control unit of the stove turns on and controls the operation of the burner according to a special programme – first it gives out maximum power for a few minutes, and when the dish boils, it reduces the "fire" to a preset level. Advanced models are equipped with infrared sensors that control the temperature of the dishes and reduce the heating power when the temperature set by the user is reached.

Advantages of induction cookers

Induction stoves remain cold — the risk of getting burned in the kitchen is minimized

Induction cookers are able to provide impressive adjustment of power and heating speed – up to a degree (the advantage of electric stoves) and to the minute (the advantage of gas). And in terms of the rate of inclusion in the cooking process, an induction cooker has an advantage among "colleagues": 1.5 liters of water on such a stove boils in just 3 minutes, and on an electric or gas burner – in 14.

In addition, "induction" boasts its own unique capabilities that are not available to other analogues: for example, the Booster function, in which one of the burners can "share" its power with the neighboring one, thereby allowing cooking in accelerated mode.

The part of the "induction" burner unused during cooking heats up only from the bottom of the heated dishes and reaches a temperature mark of about 60 °C. So, if, for the sake of experiment, put a sheet of paper on the stove next to a boiling pot or touch it with your hand, there will be no fire or burn. Therefore, the ignition of fat or the burning of liquids in this case is the exception rather than the rule. During operation, the induction cooker practically does not heat the space around it, which means that it is more comfortable for the hostess to be in the kitchen in summer.

It is noteworthy that after removing the dishes "from the fire", such a stove automatically turns off and cools down. It is worth noting that she also does it record-breaking fast. For example, at the same surface heating temperature, an electric stove cools down in 50 minutes, a gas stove cools down in 24, and an induction stove cools down in just 6.

Disadvantages of induction cookers

Due to the complex heating principle, the induction cooker can only work with dishes, the bottom of which is made of ferromagnetic alloy. Interestingly, before starting work, the stove automatically tests the kitchen utensils for "professional suitability" and only in case of complete coincidence switches to heating mode. It is possible to determine the suitability of cookware for induction cookers with an ordinary magnet. Usually, products made of steel, stainless steel, cast iron and enameled iron will be magnetized. In dishes made of brass, copper, aluminium, glass and ceramics on "induction", as they say, you can not cook porridge. However, in order to switch to cooking with an induction cooker, it is not necessary to change all the pots and pans in the house – there are special steel discs on the market that partially solve this problem.

As already known, the induction cooker selects the heating area exactly under the diameter of the bottom of the dishes. So, if the dishes selected by the user do not block at least 70% of the area of the burner, the stove will not turn on, and the heating of objects with a diameter of less than 12 cm will automatically block at all – lovers of brewing coffee in Turkey will probably hardly be pleased with this fact.

Clatronic EKI 3569 — inexpensive and compact plate with one induction hob

In addition, the operation of the heating elements may cause interference in the operation of other devices. Therefore, it is forbidden to place the built-in induction hob next to appliances in a metal case: an oven, a microwave oven or a dishwasher. For the same reason, it is not recommended to put objects carrying magnetic information (for example, electronic passes or credit cards) next to such plates, since the plate can demagnetize them.

Is it safe to use?

There is an opinion that electromagnetic fields generated by household appliances and induction stoves in particular can negatively affect human health: cause poor health, fatigue or depression. In fact, the field of such a plate is so small and localized that it is absorbed by the plate itself during operation. In addition, it has been proven that its effect on the user becomes completely zero if he is near the stove at a distance of 30 cm. On the other hand, the generated magnetic field of an induction cooker can negatively affect the operation of implanted pacemakers: when working with such a device, a user with an implant installed must keep a distance of at least 50 cm from the stove.

Varieties of "induction"

AEG 47036IU-MN — premium touch-controlled cooker

Currently, manufacturers produce both compact portable single-burner induction tiles and large stationary units.

For example, the best option for a country house may be an induction electric stove Clatronic EKI 3569. The device has 10 power levels and 10 temperature levels with LED indication (from 60 to 240 °C). The electronic control panel here is equipped with a touch screen with three LED indicators. The model also has a convenient timer for 180 minutes with automatic shutdown and an audible signal.

For those who are considering the option of a full-fledged induction cooker, Electrolux EKI 96450. In addition to the induction hob, the unit is equipped with a full-fledged electric oven. In addition to the Booster function already familiar to us, the induction upper part of the model is notable for the Stop & Go mode – a pause in the operation of the stove in case you suddenly need to take the missing ingredients for a recipe in the refrigerator or open the front door to guests.

There are also induction cookers designed for embedding in kitchen furniture, for example, a model in an elegant design Gorenje IT 65 KR. All hotplates are equipped with the PowerBoost function, when activated, they operate at the maximum level of performance. A special residual heat indicator tells you which zone can be used to heat cooled dishes.

A separate niche is occupied by plates with a combined set of heating elements: induction and electric or gas. For example, Electrolux EGD 6576 in addition to two induction burners, it is equipped with two gas burners. This model is notable for useful additional functions of gas control, child protection and electric ignition.