I'm surprised that it has taken Americans so long to catch onto induction cooking. Back in 2015 I bought a Duxtop induction plate and despite having about every imaginable kitchen implement, the Duxtop is my most favorite and least negotiable piece of gear. I bought it because I had a Samsung stove with a glass top and absolutely hated cooking on it. The oven is outstanding but the cooktop is just a mess. I eventually covered the cooktop with Formica that matched my counter tops, more counter space and far easier to clean.
Many people have never seen induction in action and I give a demo when someone ask about it. I put a paper towel on the cooktop, place a pan on it with 1 cup of water and turn it on high. Having the paper towel raises some eyebrows and then the water boils in 52 seconds and I remove the pan and place my hand directly on top of the burner. It is only warm. At that point it is obvious that the cooker is fast, that it doesn't heat up the kitchen and that it is safer than either a gas or electric unit. Many new RV's are being equipped with enough solar and lithium battery storage to replace the previous propane stoves.
So what's the downside? I think the biggest impediment is that it requires induction ready cookware, aluminum or non ferrous metals won't work and cast iron doesn't do well. Such cookware is readily available these days. The rule of thumb is that if the cookware is magnetic it will work with induction. All of my stainless steel stuff works with it and my non stick aluminum pans with the magnetic matrix in the base work extremely well. Since there is no heat transfer between the cooking surface and the pan, on and off is just instant and the same with power settings. The cooktop remains hot after the pan is removed but that is residual heat transferred by whatever was being cooked.
It is a handy piece that can be used out on the patio for summer cooking, used in an RV to avoid heat buildup associated with propane burners and is ideal for use in a dorm. Check it out, you might like it as much as I do.
Many people have never seen induction in action and I give a demo when someone ask about it. I put a paper towel on the cooktop, place a pan on it with 1 cup of water and turn it on high. Having the paper towel raises some eyebrows and then the water boils in 52 seconds and I remove the pan and place my hand directly on top of the burner. It is only warm. At that point it is obvious that the cooker is fast, that it doesn't heat up the kitchen and that it is safer than either a gas or electric unit. Many new RV's are being equipped with enough solar and lithium battery storage to replace the previous propane stoves.
So what's the downside? I think the biggest impediment is that it requires induction ready cookware, aluminum or non ferrous metals won't work and cast iron doesn't do well. Such cookware is readily available these days. The rule of thumb is that if the cookware is magnetic it will work with induction. All of my stainless steel stuff works with it and my non stick aluminum pans with the magnetic matrix in the base work extremely well. Since there is no heat transfer between the cooking surface and the pan, on and off is just instant and the same with power settings. The cooktop remains hot after the pan is removed but that is residual heat transferred by whatever was being cooked.
It is a handy piece that can be used out on the patio for summer cooking, used in an RV to avoid heat buildup associated with propane burners and is ideal for use in a dorm. Check it out, you might like it as much as I do.
