Kitchen induction range help

[OldShooter]

I don’t see the point in putting paper under a pan on an induction cooktop.

No point. But with the paper under the pan comes the rest of the paper, which catches spatter and makes cleanup easier. I'm too lazy to cut a hole.

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

Yes. DW thought I was crazy when I brought it in, but now she won't be without it. I am playing around with sear temps, which was complete guesswork before getting the IR thermometer. Also, very handy when warming leftovers in the microwave.

This is the one we have: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-T...meter-with-Targeting-Laser-10-1-IR1/313516785

 

[EastWest Gal]

No point. But with the paper under the pan comes the rest of the paper, which catches spatter and makes cleanup easier. I'm too lazy to cut a hole.

Yes. DW thought I was crazy when I brought it in, but now she won't be without it. I am playing around with sear temps, which was complete guesswork before getting the IR thermometer. Also, very handy when warming leftovers in the microwave.

This is the one we have: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-T...meter-with-Targeting-Laser-10-1-IR1/313516785

I’ve laid paper towels around the pan. But grease leaks through, so what is the point.

An IR thermometer is inexpensive and a fun toy.

 

[easysurfer]

I’ve laid paper towels around the pan. But grease leaks through, so what is the point.

An IR thermometer is inexpensive and a fun toy.

Here's a pic of the IR thermometer I use.

Went out of my way to get this one (cheap, made in China) but runs on AAA batteries instead of some that run on 9V. I use all the temp to check pan temps and temp of soup (137 degrees F optimal time for ready to eat and not too hot).

Will be using tonight to check cast iron pan temp for sous vide pork chop.

 

[Cricky]

I like the looks of the Bertazzonis (e.g.: https://us.bertazzoni.com/products/...nch-4-induction-zoneselectric-self-clean-oven) and almost bought a house with a red one recently. However they’re not entirely consistent with OldShooter’s sensible priorities—though I am fond of knobs—and there are doubtless questions about reliability and ease of service in the US. Anyone have any experience with one?

 

[Zathras]

Hmm, interesting. I rarely start at high, which is level 10 on my stove. I do a lot of midrange level 5 & 6 cooking, and find it takes a good couple of minutes for my pans to get hot enough to start sizzling their contents. (I have Duxtop cookware.) That was my biggest learning curve, and the one thing I don't like.

It may be the cookware that is slowing you down, not the stovetop.
From a brief look, a lot of Duxtop is stainless steel with an aluminum core.
Induction cooktops require ferrous (iron for example) material to work best. The higher the ferrous material, the better it works.

 

[Marti]

Speaking of cookware, I've been looking to replace mine as the bottoms of the ones I use most frequently are getting a little "wavy" and don't make good contact. I find that many descriptions say they're induction compatible, but I wonder how to know which ones work best. Any recommendations?

 

[ERD50]

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.

Not so much related to induction cooking, but...

I had always read to use a high smoke point oil for searing. But a while back in another thread here, I mentioned I just use Olive Oil for searing steaks in a cast iron pan, and it always seems to work just fine. A few others reported the same. Nice to see some other backing for it.

I also have a tight fitting lid, and that really cuts down on the smoke an grease splatter.

And while I like the sous vide process, I've found that what works better for me is to do the slow oven (225F?) to ~ 125F internal, then sear approach. Unlike sous vide, you do have to monitor to 'catch it' at ~ 125F (or your preferred rare/medium level), so it's not quite set-and-forget. But the advantage is that by that time, the steak is dry on the outside, so it sears immediately, without needing to steam off all that moisture that you get in the sous vide bag.

Here's the source:

https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-reverse-sear-best-way-to-cook-steak

"It's a strange irony that to get the moistest possible results, you should start with the driest possible steak."

Moral of the story: Moisture is the biggest enemy of a good sear, so any process that can reduce the amount of surface moisture on a steak is going to improve how well it browns and crisps—and, by extension, minimize the amount of time it spends in the pan, thus minimizing the amount of overcooked meat underneath. It's a strange irony that to get the moistest possible results, you should start with the driest possible steak.

...

With reverse-seared steaks, there's no need to rest your meat, as you would with a more traditional cooking method.

-ERD50

 

[EastWest Gal]

You don’t rest your meat with sous vide either. But I tried that method too and it works well.

 

[OldShooter]

Still thread drift, of course ... I don't see the issue with surface moisture on the meat. I just wipe it down well with a paper towel. Whatever water is left goes quickly with a hot sear. I keep whatever liquid is in the sous vide bag and put it in the pan after the sear, maybe with a pat of butter. The water seems to boil off almost instantly, then I pour the "juice" over the steak. Mmm ...

Re the slow oven method, I think the bacteria police would object. The time/temperature tables for sous vide rely on the meat sitting at 125deg for an hour or more to kill bacteria (since 125deg is still in the "danger zone.") I'm not sure that is a practical worry, though.

 

[Midpack]

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.

Never seen that, looks incredible.

 

[OldShooter]

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

It's an attractive idea, but a lesson learned from a career in high tech: It is the guys out front who have the arrows in their chests. In many things, I am not interested in "the latest."

I would insist on seeing years of field experience before becoming interested. There may be many hidden issues but the immediate one I see is differential thermal expansion; the heated area of the top trying to expand while being surrounded by cold material that is not going anywhere.

The result MAY BE slow buildup of internal cracks in the heated areas with eventual failure of the surface. I would want to know that the pioneers have accumulated tens or hundreds of thousands of heat cycles without any problems. This risk will be increased by the desire to make the material in the cooking area as thin as possible for best energy transfer.

 

[mpeirce]

ahem, more drift...

While a cast iron skillet works fine for searing steaks on our induction stove, during good weather we use the sear station on the grill:

https://www.napoleon.com/en/us/grills/learn/features/infrared-sizzle-zone-sear-station

Heats up fast, no splatter in the kitchen, and only takes a minute to sear a steak. Delicious.

 

[SoClose]

I purchased the Frigidaire induction range four moths ago. Lowe’s had a sale, veteran discount and a coupon! I really like it and all it’s features.

I purchased a Tramontina pan set which I love. Heavy duty and a breeze to clean.

The stove does generate some pan hum at times, depending on the temp or pan size used. A little annoying.

I wish the stove had more temp adjustments, we use lvl 6 for most everything. I start on 7 to get pan fully warm, then adjust down usually never lower than 5. The stove keeps an exact temp which is amazing, the adjusting is when pan and food obtain temp.

I love Max lvl for boiling a pot of water in less than 3 min [emoji15]

 

[2tswhite]

I have the same range. Love it!!!! And I got the freebie extra set of induction cookware. I already had induction-compatible cookware.

A tip: Don’t use the self-cleaning oven feature-not good for the wiring. You can do the steam cleaning, but regular oven cleaner is easier.

Love my GE induction cooktop. Put it in 6 years ago. Almost like it better than cooking on gas.....almost

 

[braumeister]

Plenty of great responses here, and I'm grateful to you all.

It's looking like this won't be an immediate purchase, since the local dealers of just about everything tell me that inventories are at an all time low. But I'll keep at it and let you know what I wind up with.

 

[mpeirce]

I’ve yet to her a hum from our Bosch induction cooktop.

Maybe it’s our pans? Maybe it doesn’t hum like some others?

 

[OldShooter]

... Don’t use the self-cleaning oven feature-not good for the wiring. ...

Who told you that? What was the rationale?

 

[SecondAttempt]

Who told you that? What was the rationale?

If you have adequate wiring there should be no problem with the slef clean feature. BUT!!!! with Bosch ovens you will destroy the slide-out oven rack if you do not take it out when you self clean. I learned this from experience. It is mentioned in the instructions but who reads those when operation is intuitive?

 

[SecondAttempt]

When I moved to Hawaii I was seriously bummed to not have gas cooking anymore. I like to be able to control the flame instantly. An induction cooktop solved that. I would say it is the closest to cooking with gas as one can get. Mine is a Bosch and I love it!

But, complaints:
- pans must match pretty closely to burner size. The set of pans I bought had one that did not fit any burner so is basically worthless!
- DO NOT EVER buy pans that say they work on any stove. It is a lie.
- Even when the pan matches if you accidentally slide it a bit while cooking you may come back to stir 15 minutes later to a cold burner and dish
- Sometimes even with good burners and pans the pans you need for a meal will not match the burners so you have to make changes, sometimes after dirtying pans to try.

Most of these issues are related to all induction cooktops not just Bosch. So that is a decision to consider.

I love my Bosch and highly recommend if you decide on indution.

 

[Piper20]

We’ve had a GE slide in induction range since 2013. No issues with pan size on the elements. Smaller pans work fine along with larger pans on the smaller elements. We do love the induction.

 

[ERD50]

...
- Even when the pan matches if you accidentally slide it a bit while cooking you may come back to stir 15 minutes later to a cold burner and dish ....

I don't understand this (I do not have experience with induction, but understand the principle). Wouldn't the amount it overlaps still get heated? So if it is off a bit, maybe 80% of the heat, rather than 100%?

Or is yours detecting no pot at all, and shutting off completely? Maybe that sensing is too sensitive? I have not heard this complaint from others.

-ERD50

 

[CDRE]

I'm considering induction and when I mentioned it to appliance sales folks, they look at me like I have two heads, but then after explaining it to them, oh, that would be a special order and will take a while.

 

[Zathras]

I'm considering induction and when I mentioned it to appliance sales folks, they look at me like I have two heads, but then after explaining it to them, oh, that would be a special order and will take a while.

It may be a regional thing, or more likely something to do with the sales-people at the specific store you were at.

In Minnesota, when we were shopping for an induction cooktop, they were very standard. All the employees we spoke with knew what we were talking about and had the products on the floor.
All major manufacturers have them and they certainly shouldn’t be ‘special order’.

 

[cathy63]

I'm considering induction and when I mentioned it to appliance sales folks, they look at me like I have two heads, but then after explaining it to them, oh, that would be a special order and will take a while.

What type of store are you shopping in? Our local Home Depot and Best Buy both have them out on the floor, so I would have thought some place that specializes in appliances would also.

 

[CDRE]

What type of store are you shopping in? Our local Home Depot and Best Buy both have them out on the floor, so I would have thought some place that specializes in appliances would also.

Lowes, Home Depot, Best Buy. Must be a regional issue.