Kitchen induction range help

[f35phixer]

good luck, love mine.

Its always been fun to have friends over for dinner and say "does yours do this", put on cold water and is boiling ~1 minute, then hit say medium to a nice simmer.
or if we have friend over for say fried oysters, i put a layer of newspaper down and get to frying.... they're like WTFO ;-)))

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Remember you will need upgraded electrics for an induction unit. Regular Electric Ranges typically have 30a service, which is the normal range outlet that is installed in most homes. Induction ranges require 40a or some even 50a with upgraded wiring too. So you may have to consider installation of one into the overall cost.

 

[braumeister]

Remember you will need upgraded electrics for an induction unit. Regular Electric Ranges typically have 30a service, which is the normal range outlet that is installed in most homes. Induction ranges require 40a or some even 50a with upgraded wiring too. So you may have to consider installation of one into the overall cost.

Maybe true some places, but mine is 40. Home was built 20 years ago.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Maybe true some places, but mine is 40. Home was built 20 years ago.

Ours is 30a and it is 18 years old. Always good to check though. a neighbor of ours had to get it upgraded.

 

[someguy]

Induction is superior. Had a higher-end of the regular brands gas before and never going back. Water boils insanely fast -- definitely faster than even pro gas burners. Greatly reduces heat in the kitchen vs gas or conventional electric. I don't think anyone's mentioned the safety aspect -- if you take a pan off and forget to turn off the burner, it automatically turns off in about 10 seconds. And, of course, induction doesn't heat by conduction like gas or conventional electric, so the surface isn't as hot, and if you accidentally touch a long sleeve or an oven mitt, you aren't going to get burned as quickly or a fire.

Recommend looking at Consumer Reports for brand reliability. IIRC, Bosch dishwashers are highly rated and reliable, but less so with cooktops/ranges.

You will need induction cookware. I've found some is rated for induction but while it does work, the ferrous content must be just enough so that the burner "sees" it and will stay on. This causes noticeably slow heating. I think this is a fairly common consideration with non-stick cookware in particular. I suspect the one poster having slow heating issues has this problem. Cast iron heats up very quickly and on higher settings will get incredibly hot -- sometimes too hot if you have enamel coated (recommended to reduce scratching potential).

We found that 5 on induction is closer to 6 or 6.5 on many others. That said, the low settings are *very* low, if that matters to you for delicate tasks. Most won't allow all burners on highest settings simultaneously -- rarely been something we've come across and even then, was not an issue.

 

[EastWest Gal]

Hmmm, I find the opposite to be true. On High, things heat up so fast, I have to stick around to avoid them boiling over. A saucepan of oatmeal is bubbling madly in 60 seconds.

My mom taught me never to use High on an electric stove, at least 50 years ago. But on my induction stove, I use High to heat water for pasta.

 

[jojo777]

I have the GE. I have only used if for a few months so far, but I do love it. I had a non-induction Jen Air cooktop for 30 years prior and it was still kicking. We did over the kitchen and went for induction. Glad we did.

 

[Amethyst]

And for all I know, I'm still using methods that were intended for a low-end range in a 1960's house. But it seems to have worked ;^>

My mom taught me never to use High on an electric stove, at least 50 years ago. But on my induction stove, I use High to heat water for pasta.

 

[ElizabethT]

good luck, love mine.

Its always been fun to have friends over for dinner and say "does yours do this", put on cold water and is boiling ~1 minute, then hit say medium to a nice simmer.
or if we have friend over for say fried oysters, i put a layer of newspaper down and get to frying.... they're like WTFO ;-)))

I need more info! Like, you literally fry on top of newspaper? Where/how is the energy being conducted?

Clearly I need to do more research on how to maximize usage of my induction range.

 

[TrvlBug]

Remember you will need upgraded electrics for an induction unit. Regular Electric Ranges typically have 30a service, which is the normal range outlet that is installed in most homes. Induction ranges require 40a or some even 50a with upgraded wiring too. So you may have to consider installation of one into the overall cost.

Our induction is 50. The electrician said some are 60 so I needed to know which one I was getting before he pulled in the electrical. This was 5 years ago.

 

[OldShooter]

Our induction is 50. The electrician said some are 60 so I needed to know which one I was getting before he pulled in the electrical. This was 5 years ago.

The GE 30" cooktop that I linked wants 40 amps. If you're putting in a new line from your panel, the cost is small to overkill the amperage.

 

[MBAustin]

We have the GE Profile (cooktop not range). When we bought/remodeled the house in 2010, we put in the GE Profile cooktop and it failed just as the pandemic struck last year - so it lasted 10 years. It was an electronic failure and the repair guy said it would cost $600 to repair so we decided to just replace the cooktop. As stores were closed and I couldn't really shop for a replacement, I went with the current model of the same cooktop which I could order (but then couldn't get it installed for weeks...another story). Anyway, as others have mentioned, I like the digital touchpad controls and the frameless design. Super easy to clean.

 

[braumeister]

All the ones I've looked at so far have been rated for 40 amps, which is what I have.

 

[OldShooter]

... I suspect the one poster having slow heating issues has this problem. ...

Another slow-heating problem is if the pan is much larger than the "burner" area. This is easy to demo by putting a large pan on a small burner and starting to boil some water. The bubbles area will be in the center of the pan, approximately the size of the "burner" and the rest of the pan will heat slowly, only by conduction from the heated center area. The water out by the edges may never boil.

 

[TrvlBug]

The GE 30" cooktop that I linked wants 40 amps. If you're putting in a new line from your panel, the cost is small to overkill the amperage.

Not an electrician but I've been told you should match the amp. But maybe that's only for the EV electrical we're putting in?

 

[OldShooter]

Not an electrician but I've been told you should match the amp. But maybe that's only for the EV electrical we're putting in?

Nope. The wires are like a pipe carrying the electrical current. The pipe size must be adequate for the current drain it is intended to serve, but extra capacity doesn't cost much.

Example is your service entrance; probably 200 amps with lots of various-sized breakers selected to serve the load that is connected to them.

Outlet designs are standardized based on load. You can physically connect a 40 amp outlet to a 15 amp service but in the best of all worlds plugging in a 40 amp device will pop the 15a breaker. In the worst case it could burn your house down. This is why we have electrical codes and professional electricians for those who don't understand the code.

MSEE, longtime ham radio nerd here.

 

[mpeirce]

We got a Bosch and love it. The simple black slab looks great and is a dream to keep clean. DW liked her gas stove, but got tired of cleaning it.

I find the stove is as versatile as gas and have no complaints.

We have a mostly Kitchenaid appliances and the Bosch fits right in. Just a small logo you can barely see.

Aside, we couldn’t get the Kitchenaid dishwasher we wanted, so ended up with more expensive JennAir and are so happy we did. That this is virtually silent! It’s in a open kitchen / family room area and we can run it when we’re in ther without noticing it at all.

 

[perinova]

Nope. The wires are like a pipe carrying the electrical current. The pipe size must be adequate for the current drain it is intended to serve, but extra capacity doesn't cost much.

Example is your service entrance; probably 200 amps with lots of various-sized breakers selected to serve the load that is connected to them.

Outlet designs are standardized based on load. You can physically connect a 40 amp outlet to a 15 amp service but in the best of all worlds plugging in a 40 amp device will pop the 15a breaker. In the worst case it could burn your house down. This is why we have electrical codes and professional electricians for those who don't understand the code.

MSEE, longtime ham radio nerd here.

That is correct. What is important is that the breaker point aligns with the service load. For safety.

However I wouldn't worry about putting a 40A rated induction cooktop on a 30A service line if the breaker is also 30A rated.

It is highly possible that the manufacturer is overrating the current the device will use. The very worst case is to trip the breaker (inconvenient). But what power is each burner requiring? 40A on 220V is >8000W whao! it is very unlikely to happen.

Small burners are usually 600W, larger ones 2000W, at full power. Who has ever used all 4 burners at max power ever?

 

[f35phixer]

a bit of a PIA with GE is if you forget to lock controls while wiping down, you'll turn on afunctions i.e warming burning, oven, right front burner etc etc. I'd imagine all electronic controller stove are the same.

Weiman cook top cleaner and polish came with the stove. I use it all the time....

 

[OldShooter]

That is correct. What is important is that the breaker point aligns with the service load. For safety.

However I wouldn't worry about putting a 40A rated induction cooktop on a 30A service line if the breaker is also 30A rated.

It is highly possible that the manufacturer is overrating the current the device will use. The very worst case is to trip the breaker (inconvenient). But what power is each burner requiring? 40A on 220V is >8000W whao! it is very unlikely to happen.

Small burners are usually 600W, larger ones 2000W, at full power. Who has ever used all 4 burners at max power ever?

From an Ohm's Law/electrical engineering POV all of this is fine. I might try a cooktop wanting 40a on an existing 30a circuit if giving it the 40 amps would be difficult or expensive. But I would never knowingly install a circuit with less capacity than the principal connected device specified.

 

[pacergal]

Has anybody seen the latest invisible induction cooktops? https://www.infinitysurfaces.it/invisacook/

I am very intrigued by this idea. Similar to what f35phixer said about putting newspaper or silicone mats between the elements and pans, this is just putting the countertop in between. So when you're not cooking, you have a regular counter surface. When you are, the pan gets hot, but the counter underneath it stays cool. I haven't figured out how you know where to put the pans when you do want to cook though.

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!

 

[OldShooter]

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

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.

 

[f35phixer]

newspaper will get brown and a bit brittle. but never been a problem for us. easier then the oily cleanup.

 

[someguy]

newspaper will get brown and a bit brittle. but never been a problem for us. easier then the oily cleanup.

We don't fry much but found the metal mesh splatter screens work well and don't seem to carry the risk of newspaper/etc.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Regarding Electrical panel support for induction ranges. It is best to look directly at the panel for the Range breaker, it is usually a dual breaker for 220v. It should be 40a, 50a or even sometimes 60a to work with an induction unit. If it is 30a then that would not be recommended.