As time passed by, people wanted to cook differently with more sophistication and comfort. It all started with man inventing fire. Then, over time, different kinds of equipment are being introduced and at the same time people’s expectations increased. In recent times, many are showing interest in induction cooktop which is gaining attention and popularity. The fact that it doesn’t involve fire and can be carried easily to any place makes it significant.
When it comes to cooking with induction cooktop, it is just the method that it uses to cook food that differentiate it with others. Traditional stovetops use gas, microwave oven uses the small energy waves and in the same way, induction cooking uses electromagnetism for cooking food. An induction cooktop doesn’t get heated if you switch it on. It requires specific cookware made of magnetic material to generate the reaction and produce heat required for cooking. Hence, cookware made of cast iron or stainless steel works well with induction cooking. Other cooking vessels doesn’t match with the induction cooktop and they do not get heated as they don’t have the magnetic material required for the reaction. You can test whether your cookware suits induction or not with a simple test. Take a magnet and hold on the pot if it sticks to the pot, then it is suitable for induction cooking. As with every other object, induction cooktop also have its own pros and cons. In this article, let us see these advantages and disadvantages of using induction cooktop.
Advantages of using induction cooktop
Heat Usage: With the usage of induction cooktop, there wont be any wastage of heat. As it doesn’t heat whole cooktop and distribute heat only to the cookware, maximum usage of heat can be used by the cookware. With traditional or gas stovetop, this is not the case, as the heat is distributed to whole stovetop, it is not that efficient. Statistically, induction cooking style is 70% more efficient than gas stovetops.
Faster cooking: With the induction cooking method, the cookware gets heated instantly and doesn’t require you to wait as you usually do with gas stovetops. Hence, all your recipes can be prepared in less time than the traditional type of cooking. This faster cooking is due to the technology that induction cooktop uses. This is the major advantage of using induction cooktop especially with the busy lives that we are in today.
Cleaning: The main problems that we face today is with the cleaning of the cooktops. It is a daunting task. It is impossible to avoid small food particles that get trapped on the cooktops. With the traditional way of cooking, these food particles get baked on the surface and small particles get trapped in lots of places. It becomes very difficult to clean this stuck food. However, with induction cooktop, as the surface doesn’t get heated at all, the food particles just stay on the surface and if you clean it with a damp cloth, it is sufficient enough. This reduces your cleaning work so much. You just need to wipe down the surface after every use.
Safety: The key advantage of using an induction cooktop is the safety. When you remove the cookware off the cooktop, the induction automatically gets switched off and as the cooktop itself doesn’t get heated, if you by mistakenly place your hands on the cooktop, you don’t burn your hands. Also, if you are around children, this advantage comes into action as children are always curious to put their hands in odd places especially on cooktops. Your children’s hands are safe from burning by using induction cooktop.
Design: The look of the induction cooktop definitely matches any décor in your home. As it is made with glass and is easy to clean they look seamless. Having a nice environment in which you can cook is also important.
Accurate: With the temperature modes that induction cooktop offers, you will definitely be able to cook with accurate temperatures. Also, the preset mode which most of the induction cooktop models offer help you with accurate temperatures.
Portable: Some of the induction cooktop models can be easily carried to any place that you are travelling to. This is not possible with other cooktops.
Disadvantages of using induction cooktop
Cost: The induction cooktops cost more than the traditional cooktops. Also, you need to buy separate cookware that support induction cooktop. However, you need to consider all the factors and then decide on what your preference is.
Extra cookware: The induction cooktop needs utensils that match the cooktop. The cookware needs to have magnetic material to be able to get heated. So, you need to buy the cookware that is required again even if you have other material cookware. This is a major disadvantage that people feel. However, it is one time investment and sometimes normal flat cookware might also work.
Power: As the induction cooktop definitely needs power for using it, if in any case there is power outage, you wont be able to cook. With traditional gas stovetop, this wont be a case. This forces the consumers to somehow use generators if any power outage is there. Also, you need to be careful with the wattage that the manufacturer offers you. If you have multiple burners, some models distribute the total wattage to each burner. You shouldn’t assume that the total wattage is present with each burner.
Replacement: Induction cooktop if having a problem, replacing it or repairing it might be a challenge.
Final word
We have mentioned all the advantages and disadvantages of using induction cooktop. It is your decision to make considering all the advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantages might look scary, but induction cooktops are one of the best cooktops that are there in market. They have many advantages especially useful for busy people like fast cooking and cleaning, different modes, features and controls. Induction cooktops are definitely worth your money if you like and utilize all the features that it provides.
Santosh Kumar is a Professional SEO and Blogger, With the help of this blog he is trying to share top 10 lists, facts, entertainment news from India and all around the world.