Induction - A Chefs Best Friend?

So what is induction? Simply put, induction is a cooktop like any other cooktop except, instead of having a flame or a hot element that the pot sits on which heats up the pot, which heats the water which heats the food, it uses magnets.

Induction is not like a microwave. It is also not a new idea either. Induction works on having a very weak magnetic field, often about 1/20th of a mans electric razor. The pot needs to have a minimum amount of ferrous metal (iron - enough to stick a fridge magnet to). The magnetic field causes the iron molecules to vibrate and rub together which causes heat in the pot. So the pot is the element. An induction cooktop will boil about a litre of tap water in about 2 minutes.

Gas is great and one of the benefits is that it is quick and it is a stable temperature. With induction you get all that but the temperature range is from about 30 degrees celcius on low and power setting 2 is about 40-44 degrees which is the melting point of chocolate. That would mean that if you were melting chocolate you could just bung it in a saucepan and put it on the element and skip the whole double boiler setup.

The other benefit is that induction has a quick recovery time. If you are great on steaks, you will be brilliant on induction. With a cast iron frypan, the recovery time when you add a great lump of cold meat is almost instant. That means less stewing time and more searing time. So really the main benefit of induction is that it has a temperature range much greater than that of gas or normal electric elements and the temperature is a lot more stable.

Food doesnt cook any quicker. Potaoes still take just as long to cook during the actual cooking time. What you are doing is reducing the initially heat up time and giving the temperature a stable quality as most electric elements that switch on and off.