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Thread ID: 143438	2017-01-10 19:17:00	Ceramic vs inducrtion Cooktops	bk T (215)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
1430591	2017-01-10 19:17:00	My 20 yr old ceramic cook top has decided to retire. Went around to look for a replacement yesterday and notice that there are more induction cook tops than ceramic cook tops available in the market. Question: 1. I understand that induction cook tops require special cooking utensils to work - how do I know whether or not my existing cookwares will work with the induction cook top? Some say that a magnet is the 'tool' to test, really? 2. Are induction 'compatible' cooking utensils easily available in NZ? Didn't pay attention to this area in the past! 3. Are induction cook tops more efficient than ceramic cook tops? According to those sales people, they are, but in general, I don't really trust what they say. 4. Are there any induction cook top users here care to give me some advice? Cheers	bk T (215)
1430592	2017-01-10 19:34:00	I went for a induction cooktop for my kitchen renovation. It is great. I only had one fry pan that wasn't compatible with the remainder of all my pots, pans and utensils all OK for induction - they weren't new pots and pans either. I tested with a magnet or looked for the induction symbol on the pan. Water boils faster than on a gas cooker and the heat change is instant. For example, if I turn down the power or up you see that immediately in the pot. Not all induction cooktops are equal, and if you buy the cheapest budget model then it won't have the same power output as others. I got a Belling from Harvey Norman and it has one multi-zone (you can place a rectangular pan over two elements). Induction cooktops can 'pull' a lot of power, and I needed a dedicated power supply from the board (same as what an oven requires). You may need to keep that in mind. I have no regrets for getting an induction.	Jen (38)
1430593	2017-01-10 23:21:00	NZ Consumer recommends induction :) We installed a Bosch induction cook top a few years ago. The best decision we ever made :)	Zippity (58)
1430594	2017-01-11 00:04:00	Just had a read on wiki: In an induction cooker, a coil of copper wire is placed under the cooking pot and an alternating electric current is passed through it. The resulting oscillating magnetic field induces a magnetic flux which repeatedly magnetises the pot. This produces large eddy currents in the pot, which because of the resistance of the pot, heats it. For nearly all models of induction cooktops, a cooking vessel must be made of, or contain, a ferromagnetic metal such as cast iron or some stainless steels. However, copper, glass, non magnetic stainless steels, and aluminum vessels can be used if placed on a ferromagnetic disk which functions as a conventional hotplate. Oh god. Magnetised pots. No thanks. Water boils at 100degrees. Suppose you can make it reach that temp faster, but really, who cares? Induction cookers usually have glass ceramic tops that can be damaged by sufficient impact although they are required to meet minimum specified product safety standards with regard to impact. Aluminum foil can melt onto the top and cause permanent damage or cracking of the top. Surfaces can be scratched by sliding pans across the cooking surface. A small amount of noise is generated by an internal cooling fan. Audible noise (a hum or buzz) may be produced by cookware exposed to high magnetic fields, especially at high power if the cookware has loose parts; cookware with welded-in cladding layers and solid riveting is less likely to produce this type of noise. Some users may detect a whistling or whining sound from the cookware or from the powered electronic devices. Persons with implanted cardiac pacemakers or other electronic medical implants are usually instructed to avoid sources of magnetic fields. Radio receivers near the induction-cooking unit may pick up some electromagnetic interference.	pctek (84)
1430595	2017-01-11 00:22:00	I went for a induction cooktop for my kitchen renovation . It is great . I only had one fry pan that wasn't compatible with the remainder of all my pots, pans and utensils all OK for induction - they weren't new pots and pans either . I tested with a magnet or looked for the induction symbol on the pan . . . . Not all induction cooktops are equal, and if you buy the cheapest budget model then it won't have the same power output as others . I got a Belling from Harvey Norman and it has one multi-zone (you can place a rectangular pan over two elements) . Induction cooktops can 'pull' a lot of power, and I needed a dedicated power supply from the board (same as what an oven requires) . You may need to keep that in mind . I have no regrets for getting an induction . I used a small piece of magnet to test my utensils - only 1 frying fan 'likes' the magnet! All others (they are stainless steel pots) don't react to the magnet; :( which mean I need to buy a new set compatible with induction units? ! Am I right to say that they won't work with the induction unit? As regards to prices, are you saying that those cheaper ones won't work as well as those more expensive ones? Just came back from the 'Appliance Outlet' and they have one unit which attracts my attention and it is about half the price of those more expensive ones like F&P, etc . Steer away from them?	bk T (215)
1430596	2017-01-11 01:20:00	The new house we are in we went all la-de-da and got Induction. Wish that we hadn't. The make is SMEG and, if the controls in the front gets a quantity of water from cooking over the controls (under glass), mayhem. That area needs to be kept dry and nothing, such as utensils, can cover it also. The cooking is magnetic and pulses effecting the heat in the pot. To all intents it really isn't any better that ceramic other than there is no heat other that what was generated by a hot pan sitting on the element and it soon dissipates. If we were to do it again, we would go back to gas like we had before and found it to be much easier to put up with.	Bryan (147)
1430597	2017-01-11 02:37:00	How do these things go Power Consumption wise? I remember seeing a similar thing over 50yrs ago at the Waikato Show. Back then, if I remember correctly, you had to use Aluminium Pots and they floated above the ring. Great novelty, but practically, the old 7/036 wire, with VIR insulation, that a lot of houses were wired with, wasn’t up to the current drain. :D Which goes back to the first line of this post.	B.M. (505)
1430598	2017-01-11 04:04:00	I've had an induction cooktop since 2001 and wouldn't change. It heats the pan really quickly and is as controllable as gas - I can make runny omelettes as easily as over a gas flame. Yes, testing cookware with a magnet is the way to check suitability. I suspect this was an anomaly, but we had two apparently identical (as in same make, model, size etc) saucepans and couldn't work out why occasionally stuff just wasn't cooking. It turned out one was magnet-friendly and one wasn't! There is much more induction-suitable cookware around now than there was back then. I think you do get what you pay for. Our brand is Brandt, which was the only one we could afford that had mixed gas/induction, and it was still hugely expensive. It has two rings, but you can't crank them both up to max at the same time. If you have the two rings going, they pulse to get the power levels, and it never seems quite satisfactory on either ring. I usually only have one in use at any one time, and use the gas for other pots. I suspect this was a function of the price and maybe the technology level back then. Newer cooktops have rings with zones, but mine has just one area for each ring and if you use a small saucepan it is significantly less efficient. I think they are reasonably power-hungry but that is offset by the fact that they cook more quickly. I do sometimes hear a bit of a buzz when I have the power turned down. The cooking areas do get hot, but it is only conduction heat, enough to make you take your hand away quickly but I've never actually been burnt. The cooking surface is glass, so presumably is susceptible to damage if you drop something really heavy on it, but I would have thought that was no different from any other flat surface cooking technology. In summary, check the specs of what you are buying fairly carefully and buy the best you can afford - just like any other major appliance, really.	Tony (4941)
1430599	2017-01-11 06:41:00	Oh they will break ok, when I was working installing kitchens I had a shelf slip out of my hands late on a Friday afternoon straight onto a ceramic glass induction cooktop. What a mess glass shards everywhere.	gary67 (56)
1430600	2017-01-11 07:33:00	I can make runny omelettes as easily as over a gas flame. Um. So you can make your runny omelettes as easily over gas. Right.	pctek (84)
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