Induction hob

From; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Induction_cooker
"Small stand-alone induction cookers are relatively inexpensive, priced from around US$20."
which I recommend, and
"For frying on an induction hob, a pan with a base that is a good heat conductor is needed to spread the heat quickly and evenly. The sole of the pan will be either a steel plate pressed into the aluminum, or a layer of stainless steel over the aluminum. The high thermal conductivity of aluminum pans makes the temperature more uniform across the pan. Stainless frying pans with an aluminum base will not have the same temperature at their sides as an aluminum sided pan will have. Cast iron frying pans work well with induction hobs but the material is not as good a thermal conductor as aluminum.

When boiling water, the water spreads the heat and prevents hot spots. For products such as sauces, it is important that at least the base of the pan incorporates a good heat conducting material such as aluminum to spread the heat evenly across the base. For really delicate products such as thick sauces, a pan with aluminum throughout is better, since the heat flows up the sides through the aluminum, allowing the chef to heat the sauce rapidly but evenly.

The reason aluminum or copper does not work on an induction stove is because of the materials' permeability and resistivity.[2] Aluminum or copper cookware is more conductive than steel, and the skin depth in these materials is larger since they are non-magnetic. The current flows in a thicker layer in the metal and so encounters less resistance and produces less heat. The induction cooker will not work efficiently with such pots.
Cooktop manufacturers prohibit the use of aluminum foil in contact with an induction cooktop

The heat that can be produced in a pot is a function of the surface resistance. A higher surface resistance produces more heat for similar currents. This is a "figure of merit" that can be used to rank the suitability of a material for induction heating. The surface resistance in a thick metal conductor is proportional to the resistivity divided by the skin depth. Where the thickness is less than the skin depth, the actual thickness can be used to calculate surface resistance."

Note from me - many induction hobs will not work with most stainless steel. Loads of variables between the hobs too, from manufacturing tolerances, loop design and energy supply to the firmware installed(some not upgradeable). Copper and nickel are excellent metals for various cooking pans - but won't work on induction! And what about those dishes traditionally, practically and qualitatively started and/or finished on the hob but cooked in the oven?
All in all a 'limiting' technology, the opposite of what I believe "real shaving" to be.
Loads here that require prior knowledge I'm afraid.
love'n'joy
Lloyd
 
Shanky, Tall Paul - I never said the hob turned off. I never said it was a no-no for pro kitchens - induction may be used, but so may bain-marie, grills, gridles, solid top gas, etc. etc but not as a sole source. Disagree by all means, on many things in future I hope to be dissuaded, as Northam Saint did recently, but I don't like words being put in my mouth.
I like Tandoori food, but wouldn't have a tandoor in my kitchen, nor smoker or charcoal grill. I wouldn't criticise anyone who did, even as a sole source of cooking UNLESS they were evangelical about it as a route to happiness for all. Recognise you are happy as I recognise some thing that make me happy couldn't be justified to someone else. My neighbour with OCD would give her left arm for easyclean over everything else, but neither I nor her would seek to use that as justification.
Lets hope in future that non of you, or your nearest and dearest need medical hardware - then it will be salad and sandwiches all round.
love'n'joy
Lloyd
 
Cost and ability to have these ranges repaired? My concern would be depending on where you lives are there repair people that can fix these if something goes wrong and is the service and parts warranty sufficiently long to cover in-house repair calls.
 
Personally, I'm sticking with gas for the hob. I don't use the oven an awful lot, but since having an electric fan oven for many years, still don't really like it. I want the option of moving something to the top, middle or bottom. And also find that it never cooks stuff in the time that instructions on packets say; i.e. it seems to take longer i.e. the same as a non fan oven. And could live without the sound of the fan which doesn't seem to be doing a lot.
Anyway, as we're talking about hobs; I don't want to have to read a whole book of instructions to know how to put a pan on my hob; I don't want an interface that reminds me of trying to make sense of my first PC; I don't want to have to worry about what pan I can and can't use. As for cleaning; yes, it's a PIA. But at least I can scrub the thing to death if the desire should occur without worrying that a brillo pad might do some damage (of course it may be that you can do the same with an induction hob - I don't know). I have used them in various self catering accommodations, and I did find it a steep learning curve, which in a week, I was still climbing. Yes, if something is boiling over, you can lift it off and the heat stops.....but turning off the gas has pretty much the same effect. I think the time that may be saved in cleaning will be more than offset for quite some time in terms of the frustration of learning how to cook the same meals on this hob.....which is a lot of frustration when you're trying to get the meal on the table at the end of a long day. And actually, in terms of cleaning, I found that the lovely shiny surface of the radiant hob makes you want to make it sooooo perfect - and that shiny surface foes all the way to that poorly designed rim around the edge, so then it's like when you're cleaning the windows....easy enough in the middle, but it's the edges that get you....every time. At least on a gas hob, you can just wipe up the spill apart from the occasional uber clean.
I did grow up with an electric radiant hob, and infinitely prefer gas, which for me has all the advantages of the apparent instant control of induction, without the learning curve.
 
soapalchemist said:
Personally, I'm sticking with gas for the hob. I don't use the oven an awful lot, but since having an electric fan oven for many years, still don't really like it. I want the option of moving something to the top, middle or bottom. And also find that it never cooks stuff in the time that instructions on packets say; i.e. it seems to take longer i.e. the same as a non fan oven. And could live without the sound of the fan which doesn't seem to be doing a lot.
Anyway, as we're talking about hobs; I don't want to have to read a whole book of instructions to know how to put a pan on my hob; I don't want an interface that reminds me of trying to make sense of my first PC; I don't want to have to worry about what pan I can and can't use. As for cleaning; yes, it's a PIA. But at least I can scrub the thing to death if the desire should occur without worrying that a brillo pad might do some damage (of course it may be that you can do the same with an induction hob - I don't know). I have used them in various self catering accommodations, and I did find it a steep learning curve, which in a week, I was still climbing. Yes, if something is boiling over, you can lift it off and the heat stops.....but turning off the gas has pretty much the same effect. I think the time that may be saved in cleaning will be more than offset for quite some time in terms of the frustration of learning how to cook the same meals on this hob.....which is a lot of frustration when you're trying to get the meal on the table at the end of a long day. And actually, in terms of cleaning, I found that the lovely shiny surface of the radiant hob makes you want to make it sooooo perfect - and that shiny surface foes all the way to that poorly designed rim around the edge, so then it's like when you're cleaning the windows....easy enough in the middle, but it's the edges that get you....every time. At least on a gas hob, you can just wipe up the spill apart from the occasional uber clean.
I did grow up with an electric radiant hob, and infinitely prefer gas, which for me has all the advantages of the apparent instant control of induction, without the learning curve.
Click to expand...

dont know whats up with the oven you are using but the one im using takes less time than is on the packets.


i agree you can control temperature easier on gas than induction. the main reason we went for induction was space
 
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