photo by Steve Evans
Cooking with an induction stove seems a little foreign–and a little magical. Turn one on and stick your hand on it. It’s cool. Put a pot of water on the “burner” and it quickly boils. What’s up with that?
The basics
Induction stoves create a current in the pot which then heats up like a coil on a traditional electric stove.
The first induction stoves came out in the 1970s, but the price wasn’t right and they didn’t catch on. More recently the cost has come down, though they are still more than a some gas stoves. But there are some big advantages:
Pros
- get up to temperature quickly
- shorter boiling times
- energy efficient (more than regular electric or gas)
- easy to clean glass surface
- cool to the touch (before pot is used & soon after it’s removed)
- no gas leaks, open flames, or combustion fumes
As for the downside consider these:
Cons
- no visual feedback (unlike gas)
- cooks a bit differently (than either regular electric or gas)
- still pricey
And some cookware won’t work with induction stoves. The general rule of them is: if a magnet sticks to the bottom, the pan will work. So take a little magnet with you when you shop for pots.
