Kitchen induction range help

[NW-Bound]

Even though it's only about 10 years old, I'm looking at replacing my Samsung electric kitchen range with induction. I've used a little 120V countertop induction unit several times and I love it. So now it's time to go for the real thing...

Similarly, I bought a portable 120V induction countertop unit intended for my RV, but ended up using it a lot in the home.

My wife now cooks nearly exclusively with it, but then she enlists the help of other appliances for the meals: air fryer, toaster oven, microwave oven, rice cooker, Instant Pot, electric kettle. Not all at the same time, of course.

Recently, I asked, if we have been solidly sold on the induction, why not replace the range? This double-oven range with glass cooktop is 20-year-old, but still in very good shape, but my wife hardly uses the cooktop anymore.

My wife said no, she was fine with using the single induction burner.

Can't spend money even if I want to.

She said perhaps we could remodel the outdoor cooking center in the covered back patio, and install the current oven out there, then we would have room for the new unit. And we would then have 3 full-sized ovens to cook for a crowd when the need arises.

Currently, I only have an electric cooktop out in the patio, but a whole oven? It's tough enough to clean things up after a dust storm without having an oven out there. I dunno.

 

[REWahoo]

Currently, I only have an electric cooktop out in the patio, but a whole oven? It's tough enough to clean things up after a dust storm without having an oven out there. I dunno.

^ This.

We'd love to install a nice outdoor kitchen on our back porch/deck but the dust/dirt issue is a problem we aren't willing to have to deal with. And then there are the added challenges of keeping it free of lizards, snakes, ants, spiders, scorpions and vinegaroons.

 

[NW-Bound]

A COOL TRICK is to lay newspaper all over glass top, all splatter are on the paper easy clean up LOVE LOVE LOVE...

... All seemed well, but when I moved the pan to the sink, the paper towel was seriously browned over the burner...

How 'bout cutting a hole in the center of the paper, roughly the same size as the induction coil underneath the glass?

Hmmm... This is where a enterprising mind may look into inventing a gadget to ease the above task. Need to come up with a catchy name to sell this gadget over the TV channels at night.

Or just sell paper sheets with precut holes for the non-frugal crowd.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

We have been looking at this one. We cannot have a cooktop only in our kitchen without a remodel, so we are stuck with a slide in. Not because we do not have room but because we have windows in the way. While this gives us gobs of counter space, it does not lend itself to a cooktop.

https://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/a...BXlUqi10U16SeGCd1ZotXVD42AjIzBHEaArz2EALw_wcB

 

[NW-Bound]

https://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/a...BXlUqi10U16SeGCd1ZotXVD42AjIzBHEaArz2EALw_wcB

That double-oven range looks like it would work well for me. I would need to install a backsplash.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

That double-oven range looks like it would work well for me. I would need to install a backsplash.

It is the only one I found that "Seems" American made by GE. All the rest in a sensible price range are Korean (Samsung & LG).

 

[NW-Bound]

Speaking of grease splatter when cooking, we just do messy frying chores outside in the backyard, where I have a 1-zillion BTU/hr free-standing gas burner.

It's not cold here, and I can do outdoor cooking year-round. It's actually harder to do it in the summer, because it's so darn hot without being close to a flame thrower.

 

[f35phixer]

How 'bout cutting a hole in the center of the paper, roughly the same size as the induction coil underneath the glass?

Hmmm... This is where a enterprising mind may look into inventing a gadget to ease the above task. Need to come up with a catchy name to sell this gadget over the TV channels at night.

Or just sell paper sheets with precut holes for the non-frugal crowd.

Hey NW, Lets me and you get together and go on shark tank

honestly, one thing i have learned is if i am going to leave stove when i have on high / med high etc is I will put burner down to low.... And if i was frying, never really leave ! Because of speed things fry up, its done !

never had concerns about newspaper, but if i can remember i will fold paper into triangle and make a circle hole !

 

[NW-Bound]

never had concerns about newspaper, but if i can remember i will fold paper into triangle and make a circle hole !

Ah, that's too simple and easy.

We need to convince people they need a gadget, similar to so many cooking aids from Ronco I have seen advertised on TV.

At least, sell them some papers of the right size, and with a hole off the center to match the position of the burner.

 

[NW-Bound]

I have stayed in many Airbnbs in Europe, and saw that induction cooktops were nearly the norm there, where they don't have gas. That speaks to the induction burner efficiency. Energy is expensive in Europe, and Europeans have the incentive to use the most efficient cooking method possible.

I wonder if air fryers will catch on there. This is also another highly efficient appliance.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

I wonder if air fryers will catch on there. This is also another highly efficient appliance.

Most of the induction units I have seen have air fryers built in. So have come radiant models too.

 

[NW-Bound]

Most of the induction units I have seen have air fryers built in. So have come radiant models too.

Large air fryers or convection ovens cannot be as efficient as small portable units. The latter is what I was thinking about.

 

[ERD50]

OK, I tried this with a brat for lunch today, actually used a paper towel between the small cast iron fry pan and our demo portable induction cooker. Started with a little water in the pan, added some olive oil, boiled the water dry and browned the brat. All seemed well, but when I moved the pan to the sink, the paper towel was seriously browned over the burner. So we will pursue this attractive newspaper idea with some caution. Catching spatter from frying seems to be the most attractive reason for the newspaper but obviously there are temperature limits. Thanks for the tip, though.

Just don't exceed 451 F.

-ERD50

 

[Out-to-Lunch]

A COOL TRICK is to lay newspaper all over glass top, all splatter are on the paper easy clean up LOVE LOVE LOVE

Regarding Oldshooter's concern about the newspaper browning, one could use parchment paper. Obviously more expensive than newsprint....

 

[Scuba]

We have the Wolf 36” induction cooktop and love it! Tested it in the showroom before purchasing and were impressed. Haven’t been disappointed after 9 months of use.

One consideration no one has mentioned is that we had the option to have it installed on top of the counter or countersunk so it’s flush with the countertop. Our fabricator didn’t know that so he cut the hole for on top installation. We had to get him to come back and slightly enlarge the cutout so we could have a flush mount installation. It’s fine, but would have saved us quite a bit if it had been done that way initially.

 

[ElizabethT]

Very interesting video. I, too, would wonder how you know where to put the pans? there must be some safety indication, other than waiting for the hot spots!

No pan, no heat, the beauty of induction.

 

[f35phixer]

No pam, no heat, the beauty of induction.

here were some Houzz comments on this type of installation.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5...-induction-stoves-particularly-the-invisicook

curiosity killed the cat. ya made me look.

 

[51notout]

In BTD style, we have a 30” slide in Viking Professional induction with convection oven. Had it 8 years and it’s easily the best appliance we’ve ever had. Cost quite a bit ~$5k [emoji15] but thankfully we use it every day.

When cooking pasta I put kitchen roll under the pan to catch any overage, which I usually get since i put it on high and forget to turn down when I put the pasta in it.

I read somewhere that induction is about 95% energy efficient versus gas @ 65%.

It’s a real pleasure cooking on induction. Can be a chore on gas/electric IMO with the unnecessary heating of the room.

 

[mtnman]

We’ve had GE Profile cooktop for 4 years and it works great. We invested in set of induction pots and pans but our heavy cast iron skillets work the best. One trick we discovered is to make perfect crispy quesadillas by placing a heavy (and flat bottom!) cast iron skillet over to top of the uncooked quesadilla (tortilla shell + cheese + tortilla shell). The induction goes through up to about 1/4” of food and the heavy pan presses flat. Yummy!

 

[OldShooter]

Final report from the paper-burning lab: I gave a New York strip steak about a 4 hour sous vide swim at 125deg, then went to sear it in an 8" cast iron pan. In the past I have seared at a pan temp of about 600deg, but I put a sheet of paper towel under the pan and shot for 500deg. This took a heat setting of about 60% on our little portable cooker.

Result was the steak was delicious but the paper towel was partially burned through and clearly branded "LODGE." The burned part left a stubborn deposit, carbon I supposed, on the glass underneath. I was going to attack it in the morning but DW is a bit compulsive about this kind of thing, so she got it off. "Don't do that again!" OK, done with the higher temp experiments at least. Maybe some lower temp frying will work better with the paper underneath. We'll see.

 

[ERD50]

Final report from the paper-burning lab: I gave a New York strip steak about a 4 hour sous vide swim at 125deg, then went to sear it in an 8" cast iron pan. In the past I have seared at a pan temp of about 600deg, but I put a sheet of paper towel under the pan and shot for 500deg. This took a heat setting of about 60% on our little portable cooker.

Result was the steak was delicious but the paper towel was partially burned through and clearly branded "LODGE." The burned part left a stubborn deposit, carbon I supposed, on the glass underneath. I was going to attack it in the morning but DW is a bit compulsive about this kind of thing, so she got it off. "Don't do that again!" OK, done with the higher temp experiments at least. Maybe some lower temp frying will work better with the paper underneath. We'll see.

Hey, I warned ya!

Just don't exceed 451 F.

-ERD50

... I read somewhere that induction is about 95% energy efficient versus gas @ 65%. ...

But gas is ~ 1/3rd the cost. And if your electric is produced by natural gas turbines, those are (at best, combined cycle) ~ 60%. efficient. 95% x 60% ~ 57%, so worse than just burning the gas per your numbers (and that ignores ~ 8% of electric power lost in distribution).

But induction will reduce the heat generated in the home, if that is a concern.

-ERD50

 

[ERD50]

... OK, done with the higher temp experiments at least. Maybe some lower temp frying will work better with the paper underneath. We'll see.

EDIT: OK, I just read that aluminum foil on an induction stove can be bad. Not sure it's true or not, but proceed at your own risk.
[-]
On a more serious note, copper and aluminum don't heat from induction, so why not use a few layers of aluminum foil? I have some copper sheet from some other projects I've done, but that's not something most people would have on hand.[/-]

-ERD50

 

[Rowej]

We have the LG and got it three years ago. I love it and wouldn’t very have a kitchen again without one!

 

[f35phixer]

Final report from the paper-burning lab: I gave a New York strip steak about a 4 hour sous vide swim at 125deg, then went to sear it in an 8" cast iron pan. In the past I have seared at a pan temp of about 600deg, but I put a sheet of paper towel under the pan and shot for 500deg. This took a heat setting of about 60% on our little portable cooker.

Result was the steak was delicious but the paper towel was partially burned through and clearly branded "LODGE." The burned part left a stubborn deposit, carbon I supposed, on the glass underneath. I was going to attack it in the morning but DW is a bit compulsive about this kind of thing, so she got it off. "Don't do that again!" OK, done with the higher temp experiments at least. Maybe some lower temp frying will work better with the paper underneath. We'll see.

newspaper or get couple of silicon mats and lay them out.... I've never measured my oils temp, they a oyster sizzling when i drop it in its about right....

 

[EastWest Gal]

I don’t see the point in putting paper under a pan on an induction cooktop. Could be a fire hazard. If you’re worried about scratches, don’t slide the pan. Lift it and rest it on a potholder if you want after cooking. Silicon is ok up to 450-500 degrees, but I’ve never done that either. 600 degrees is far hotter than necessary to get a good sear.

One of the nice things about sous vide cooking is that is lower temperature reducing the heterocyclic amines that are produced with high heat grilling and searing. You only need a very short time at high heat to get a good sear. You’re looking for the Maillard reaction and you want to use an oil that produces the least amount of toxic compounds when subjected to high heat.

Dr. Weil discusses the surprising finding in an Australian study that olive oil is a good choice for high heat cooking.

https://www.drweil.com/diet-nutrition/cooking-cookware/does-high-heat-hurt-olive-oil/

I will put a couple of potholders on the cooktop if I’m removing a pan from the oven and resting it on the cooktop to preserve counter space.

I also use an infrared thermometer to check the pan/grill surface temperature when searing meat after sous vide.