Induction cooktops and ranges – A great alternative to gas cooking!

Induction technology is available in cooktop or range configurations

When looking for your next home, don’t be discouraged if you find that your dream home does not have natural gas available.  Induction cooking is a wonderful alternative to gas that uses electricity to power magnets that cook the food. Induction offers a lot of positive features including:

• No wasted heat (uses less energy and keeps the kitchen cooler)
• Instant on, off, and adjustments
• Safety
• Ease of cleaning
• 220 standard electrical connection needed

Induction technology uses magnets which work with the pan to create heat in the pan only. The cooking surface will be cool to the touch, only the pan will be hot. This creates a cooktop surface that is much easier to clean than either gas or electric cooktops. No need to scrape burned food off of the regular electric smooth top and no need to clean around the gas grates. Induction also allows for a much safer cooking area because the cook surface stays cooler and there is no need to worry about accidentally leaving the gas on. With induction cooking there is no wasted heat because only the part of the pan that is touching the cooking surface will be heated. It also heats very quickly and is able to be adjusted instantly, much like gas.

Induction cooking heats only the pan. Chocolate that is not on pan will not melt

The main downsides are the expense (an induction cooktop or range costs around $1,500 – $2,500) and not all cookwear will work with induction. Your pan must be magnetic, most stainless steel pans and cast iron will work. However, aluminum, copper and glass cookwear will not work. To be sure, take a magnet with you on your shopping trip.

Induction cooktops are a great solution when your dream home does not have a gas stove. In most cases, purchasing an induction range or cooktop would be much less expensive than running a new gas line.

Just some food for thought.

For more info and to see a short video on Induction Cooking click here.