Induction cooktops have been taking over households across the globe for quite a while now. Although they were attributed as less efficient decades back, technological advancements have brought them to the forefront and made them the most convenient cook ranges ever. Ranging from mobility to low energy consumption, there are hefty reasons to consider induction cooktops as superior to most other cooking ranges. The section below intends to shed light on induction cooktops and their various nuances, including the ideal cooking options and recipes so that beginners in induction cooking can optimize their cooking plans accordingly.
Induction Cooktop: An Overview
Induction cooktops are one of the safest and most innovative cooking ranges. They feature a cooktop with a flat glass top with heating coils inside. These heating coils are subjected to electromagnetic energy and heat up whenever an iron vessel is placed on them. The most ingenious aspect is that only the presence of iron initiates the heating process, and only the iron vessel gets heated, not the cooktop.
So, even immediately after cooking, the cooktop would be safe to touch. The heating process on the induction cooktop does not involve the cooktop’s surface being heated before transferring the heat energy to the vessel. Thus, it takes much less time to cook on an induction cooktop than on any other cooking range.
Induction Cooktop: Pros
Induction cooktops are differentiated positively among many cooking ranges for the numerous positives they carry along. Some of the famous pros associated with induction cooktops are
- Quicker cooking time: The most admired quality of an induction cooktop is the less cooking time it takes compared to the other cooking devices. This short cooking time is due to the uniqueness of the heating process featured in it. The heating process does not require the cooktop’s heating coil or heating element to heat up before cooking. The iron vessels on the cooktop initiate the heating process, and the vessel is directly heated up instead of transferring the heat from the coil. This process cancels the time taken for the coil to heat up and, thus, reduces the cooking time significantly.
- High energy efficiency: The lion’s share of the global population adores induction cooktops is the energy-efficient cooking process they feature. When it comes to other popular cooking ranges, including gas and electricity, it is visible that a good amount of energy is lost in heating the burner or the coil. As induction cooktops do not require heating themselves before or while cooking, no significant energy is lost. The energy spent on induction cooktops is almost entirely used up by the cooking vessel in the process.
- High safety: Induction cooktops are one of the safest available cooking ranges. As it does not cause the cooktop’s surface to heat up, the users need not worry about accidentally touching the hot surface and burning themselves. Also, once the cooking vessel is safely removed from the cooktop, no hot surface would be left bare when it comes to an induction cooktop, and thus, it is safer to have children around. When it comes to the counterparts like gas cooking ranges, flammable gas and fire make it extremely dangerous to leave them unattended. In contrast, induction cooktops do not cause accidents, even if the product is left alone.
Induction Cooktop: Cooking
Much of the global population is transitioning from other popular cooking ranges to induction cooktops. As this shift is becoming widespread, it is essential to understand certain basics and techniques that should be paid heed to while cooking food on induction cooktops. Some of such techniques are:
- The temperature controls on an induction cooker are incredibly convenient to a traditional cooking range. But as the temperature controls are a bit different than a standard cooking range, it may take some time for beginners to get used to the process. Thus, keeping the temperature within a safe limit during the learning phase is advisable to avoid overcooking and similar mistakes.
- Cast iron, several stainless-steel varieties, and enameled cast irons are induction compatible, and vessels and pans exclusively made of such materials are a must to initiate the heating and cooking process on an induction cooker. So, avoiding using any other cookware on an induction cooktop is advisable.
- The beginners are advised to use the timer feature of the induction cooktops to time their cooking ideally. If the user leaves the vessel unattended on the cooktop, the device will switch off the heating as soon as the set timer goes off.
- As specific stainless-steel cookware is compatible with induction cooking, it may confuse the users in identifying the compatible ones. To determine whether your vessel is compatible with induction cooking, you can hold a magnet on the down part of the vessel. If the magnet sticks to the vessel well, it means that the vessel is compatible with induction cooking.
Induction Cooktop: Ideal Dishes
Although induction cooktops are advanced enough to perform any cooking processes, there is literally no limit to the cuisines that can be cooked using an induction cooktop. But still, specific cuisines naturally fit the best to be cooked in an induction cooktop, and the following section explores the same.
- Pasta
A staple of Italian cuisine, pasta is famous worldwide. Pasta is relatively quick to cook and tends to turn mushy within seconds of overcooking, which is why induction cooktops featuring the fastest boiling time are the ideal cooking partners for cooking pasta to its perfect consistency.
- Chinese Hotpots
An induction cooktop can deliver heat to all parts of the vessel. The food that benefits the most from this quality is a Chinese hotpot which requires the broth to be evenly boiling so that the dipping elements are all cooked evenly.
- Sweet or Savory Pancakes
As in the case of hotpots, pancakes, which may be sweet or savory, requires even heat across the pan for a perfect cook. As induction cooktops heat the entire surface of the pan that comes in contact with the cooktop, the pan cooks the pancakes much more evenly than a traditional cooktop.
Although the food items mentioned above are great to cook on an induction cooktop, any food of any cuisine can be made conveniently on an induction cooktop using suitable vessels. With the right kind of cast iron vessels, pots, and pans, the induction cooktop offers the freedom to cook whichever cuisine the user likes.
