Anyone out there who hates their induction unit?
cj47
14 years ago
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e4849
14 years agocj47
14 years agoRelated Discussions
Countertop induction unit
Comments (6)The range is nearly useless, so I got a countertop induction unit for the interim. The interim has taken longer than I hoped! We are just finishing the cab specs and bid documents which means it will likely be another 6 months until the kitchen is finished. I've learned not to get my hopes up for a quick project. The Mr. Induction has been used many times a day for more than 18 months. A few weeks ago, I was intermittently getting 'E7' in the timer window while attempting to turn it on. The error code occurs, now, every time I use it. It works when the unit is unplugged and replugged into the outlet. That won't keep fixing the problem for very long! The model is a 951T. I checked with the manufacturer who will repair it. I can't be without a cooking heat source, so even if it is sent in for repair, I have to have something else to use. I had not thought of searching for a restaurant supply store. I will look into that. I have also wondered about buying a built-in two-burner unit and constructing something to hold it. DH is not adventurous, so that likely will not happen. It would be nice to have two burners, though ;-(...See MoreChallenge: anyone w/ induction exp who'd go back to gas?
Comments (117)The perspective of a pro chef, for what it�s worth (long post): Induction vs. Gas SPEED: Advantage to INDUCTION: It heats up faster and doesn�t waste time on conduction to grates. RESPONSIVENESS: Slight advantage to INDUCTION. For mcst cooking, the two are basically a push. Both can be adjusted with near-instant responsiveness. However, induction burners can be set at lower settings, where gas flames would just die out. For example you can melt chocolate on induction without a bain marie. Also, gas cooking transfers heat to the grates, so there is a definite lag in responsiveness especially when lowering the heat (one reason why cooking "off the burner" is sometimes necessary). CONTROL: Basically a push. With gas, you can see the flame. With induction, you see the number. After learning the levels on induction, there�s no difference in this category. VERSATILITY: Advantage to GAS. Gas can be used for wok cooking, roasting peppers, flamb�ing. The induction equivalent requires a flat-bottomed wok, and a butane torch from the hardware store (not the dinky ones at kitchen stores). CLEANUP: Huge advantage to INDUCTION. Cleanup on induction is a breeze. Since the cooktop itself isn�t hot, there�s no cool-down time before wiping, and no caked on/burnt food & liquids. Or just cook on top of newspaper and throw it out afterwards. Cleanup for pots & pans is easier too - No more scorched exteriors to scrub. COOKWARE: Huge advantage to GAS. Gas being low-tech, you can use pots/pans of any material and size. With induction, you need ferrous pots/pans (cast iron or stainless). MAINTENANCE: Advantage to GAS. Gas stoves are generally low-tech, meaning fewer repairs and lower expected cost per repair. I would expect a quality gas range to outlast a quality induction cooktop. Also glass cooktops are at risk of cracking under abuse� There�s not really anything you can "break" with gas. PRICE: Advantage to GAS (assuming an existing gas line). Mid-range induction cooktops run about 50% more than their gas counterparts. ENERGY COST: Slight advantage to Induction. While induction in 90% efficient vs. 50% for gas (plus ambient cooling), natural gas is so cheap in North America right now that you won�t see a noticeable difference in your bills, if at all. Of course that could change down the road� And with the ambient cooling costs incurred with gas, induction still has a slight advantage in this category. SAFETY: Advantage to Induction. No risks associated with open flames, hot grates, or combustion fumes. SELECTION: Advantage to Gas. There�s just a huge selection of gas cooktops out there, in all sizes and ventilation options. There is no downdraft induction cooktop (not that downdraft is really effective anyway). There is currently no 36" induction range/oven combo (Viking makes a 30"). RESALE VALUE: Advantage to Gas. Most people in American are just not informed about induction. They will walk in and assume you have radiant electric, which could be a deal breaker. And even if induction is explained to them, they may still be wary. This forum is a prime example of the mentality out there. Some people are just staunch advocates of gas, and no amount of information can change that view. OVERVIEW: How you weigh these pros and cons will depend on the individual. For me, the clean-up with induction was a major factor, as I'm fed up with scrubbing caked on crud and grease from hot grates every day. Regarding the argument of what pros use... Yes, restaurants use gas. They are cheap, sturdy, easy to repair, and take a lot of abuse (banging & clanging). You can use crap pans, and no staff training is necessary. Most people (including my fellow chefs) have never cooked on induction, and feel no reason to explore it. There is NO TRUE PERFORMANCE ADVANTAGE to gas. Decide what features are important to you and don't listen to all the nutjobs out there!...See MoreAnyone else hate their ceramic cook top?
Comments (30)I feel so guilty even saying this because my children bought me a beautiful looking GE Stainless steel, ceramic top stove and I absolutely despise it! How I wish I could have had either another electric coil top or my fave - a gas top. Ceramic is a joke to cook on. It takes forever to heat up or to cool down, you can't leave anything simmering because it does NOT simmer, and nothing really cooks correctly. Who cares how "lovely" it looks if you can't actually cook with it. I wish I could return it!!!!!!! I am an experienced home cook, but the ceramic glass top is enough to reduce the most experienced cook to tears because it does not really work. You cannot simmer, fry, stew, or sauté correctly without taking the pan on and off. I finally bought an electric counter top skillet which I use for frying and sautéing. I use the glass top to boil pasta water, and tea. That's about it. I use my slow cooker for stews and tomato sauce or thick soups and my electric skillet for everything else. My stove bakes perfectly so I use it for baking. BUT to think that my children paid a fortune for this stupid stove is sad and just plain WRONG....See Moreportable induction unit recommendation?
Comments (5)Sunpentown. I bought two of these back when living in a rental apartment w/cheap landlord who refused to fix the stove some 3+ years ago. Both units still work great today and sit on top of my glass-top stove at my home where they serve as my primary stove. After cooking on induction, there's no way I'd ever use a glass-top stove. These units should not be confused with the cheap-o single-burner hotplates. The cheap hotplates are only good for keeping food warm. I don't even have problems with high-temp recipes with the induction units. Yes, the Sunpentown's measily 1200 watts are slow for boiling large pots of water, but I've not really found it to be that much slower than the builder-grade glass-top stove. I keep saying I'll replace them with something better when they die, but 3+ years later and they're still my primary cooking appliance. As a bonus they're portable, so they've occasionally been used on the back patio, dining room table, even at the office. For the $150 or so I paid for each of them I've easily gotten my money's worth out of them. If these die, what would I replace them with? Probably a Cooktek. I can't see the Viking, particularly their price and the lack of a temperature-based control and lack of a timer. Here is a link that might be useful: Sunpentown SR-1881...See Morecountry_smile
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