electric cooktop options - radiant heat vs. induction (1,053 views)
lantana
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Post by lantana on Jun 12, 2017 20:34:00 GMT -5
Our 25 year old electric cooktop is on its way out. The thermostat controls are wearing out, and the burners sometimes take off to high when you least expect it. Great for searing meat, but otherwise not so good. There are no parts available for a repair. So, it is time to shop!
If you were buying a new 30 inch electric cooktop (no gas in our neighborhood), what brand would you pick? Any tried and true advice from personal experience? I want sometime reliable and functional that is not the finicky foreign car of the cooking world. Induction vs radiant heat? We have pots that will work on either format.
I would appreciate any comments while we are looking around and considering our options.
Thanks,
Alice |
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Post by wallycat on Jun 13, 2017 0:05:09 GMT -5
I thought I would go kicking and screaming when I had to give up natural gas, but after cooking on propane (not a fan), I decided to go induction.
I would do it again in a heart-beat. Beyond easy clean up, as responsive as natural gas, no odor or mess...I can lay down newspaper then set my pan and any spatter gets tossed with the paper. Mine is a 30" bosch and I've had it for about 5 or 6 years. I cried having to give up my all-clad HUGE, HUGE amounts of pots and pans, but I sent them to a friend so it was easier to deal with the loss. I also had a lot of le creuset, which is induction friendly which meant I could start using it right away. There are only very minor gripes I have with mine..sometimes, if my fingers are wet, the thing won't recognize when I use the touch to indicate burner or heat temp, but that is very rare (only happened 4 times in all those years).
I'm not sure what new stuff is available on the newer models. The one I have has auto shut off, timer, lock/safety and who knows what else. Some newer models have no specific "rings" for pots/pans and you can use any part of the cooktop---I'd have to re-research to decide if I would switch or stick with Bosch.
Ask anything you have specifics about and happy shopping!
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lantana
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Post by lantana on Jun 13, 2017 6:41:48 GMT -5
Thanks for your reply, wallycat. I do have some questions.
Does yours make any type of noise when it is on? I have read about humming or clicking noises at different temperatures.
Have you done anything out of the ordinary to prevent cracking of the cooktop?
I expect you are using non-enameled cast iron pans sometimes? Do you just put a paper down to avoid scratching the surface?
I have not seen the ringless versions that use the full cooktop! That sounds very interesting. Do you remember which brand offered that option?
That's all for now. My DH is more interested in induction, for some of the reasons that you mention in your reply. We will have to go to a showroom that has functioning appliances so we can check them out.
Alice |
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Post by PattiA on Jun 13, 2017 7:14:16 GMT -5
Electric and propane are my only option here. When I replaced my electric stove about 8 years ago, induction ranges were not readily available, only cooktops, but I need a range in my kitchen. I loved cooking on a client's induction cooktop (I'm a personal chef), and would have gone with induction if it were an option when I needed to replace my range. I have a GE ceramic top range with convection oven that I am very happy with, but I would prefer induction for the reasons wallycat mentioned. The one thing that my client had to contend with that most folks might not think of is that after her brother had a pacemaker installed, he could not use the induction stovetop. It wasn't a big issue because the only thing he cooked at her house was water for tea so they just got an electric kettle for him to use or someone else boiled his water for him.
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cafelatte
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Post by cafelatte on Jun 13, 2017 7:35:05 GMT -5
I know wallycat is a fan and we have discussed induction before. I avoid the cooktop because it is induction but it was already here, brand new, when we moved. I've been wanting to replace it with gas, but keep putting if off since we've been spending money on a other things that are more important and I haven't decided if I want to replace with one that might need some alterations to the granite as well. It will be done before Thanksgiving though. The cooktop is an Electrolux, but I hate everything about it (except for easy cleaning and quick boiling). The worst is that the buttons are very touch sensitive and sometimes turn off or change temp settings since my hand might accidentally brush by it. The are located in the lower right corner and not in the best of places. They are hard to see as well. Also, I don't like the spacing of the burners either. I don't know if my hate of this appliance is because "I just hate this appliance" and maybe I would love another brand of induction cooktop. I don't know. Because of it, I am going back to gas (we have an open line already so it's half the battle). This is it.   |
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Post by wallycat on Jun 13, 2017 18:07:02 GMT -5
Lantana, when I use my Cybernox sitram fry pan, I can occasionally hear a very low hum, but once I put food in the pan, it isn't very noticeable (and it could be my hearing is getting worse with the motorcycle riding I did in my 30s and going to the range with DH--even with ear protection!). I don't notice any hum with my le creuset. I have done nothing special to protect it from any possible cracking. I've even risked wiping with a damp sponge when the cooktop is still hot (due to long cooking with a big pan because the cooktop itself won't get got typically), which I am sure is a no-no (sudden temp difference) and still no issues. Yes, if I use cast iron (DH has an old le creuset set where they did not enamel the bases) or DH's le creuset, I put down either a paper towel or newspaper. They don't say you have to do it and since the fact is that once the pan is down, you don't need to move it, which means if there would be any scratches, they would be minimal. I know Thermador makes one for sure, but have to believe there are other mfg. www.wired.com/2012/01/freedom-cooktop-lets-you-place-pots-anywhere-you-like/ |
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lantana
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Post by lantana on Feb 11, 2018 14:38:38 GMT -5
And, to update this older thread, it came time to retire the old cooktop. A friend came to brunch, surprise, bringing ingredients for a large frittata that needed to be cooked on the cooktop and then baked. The cooktop didn't do so well for that, as the temperature was not easy to regulate.
When we were at Best Buy for another purchase, I made my way through the kitchen section. I looked at all the radiant and induction cooktops and checked on burner placement for how we typically cook. I really liked the look of the Thermador induction cooktop, and the burners were in a good configuration. It is not the ringless model, but they do make one. The store clerk said we could return the cooktop within 12 days if there was a hum or other problem. We were able to keep most of our old cookware (yay!). We needed a new teakettle and stockpot, which is the kind of shopping I like.
The cooktop is a real pleasure to use. It heats up and cools down so quickly, compared to our old closed hob cooktop. It is like a racecar, and I love it. It is not noisy in a way that bothers me. There is a low hum as pans are heating up, but this is not audible at all over the exhaust fan. I measured it with a decibel meter, and it was at 35 dB. For splashy foods, I have cooked with a paper towel or thin cotton dish towel between the pot and the burner to avoid spatters. And, the first thing I cooked was rice, which I promptly boiled over. It cleaned up beautifully. I hope this cooktop works well for a long time, as it is a real beauty.
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Post by wallycat on Feb 12, 2018 10:59:01 GMT -5
SO happy you found something you like! Induction is so super responsive, you swear you are cooking on gas....and the clean up is insanely easy. The only down side is if there is a power outage.
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