Induction Stoves -- Watch Before You Buy One!

Induction Stoves -- Watch Before You Buy One!

00:00 Intro
01:01 Induction Basics
01:50 Magnet Size
03:41 Portable Burners vs Ranges
04:32 The Most Expensive Cooking Surface
05:58 Induction Noises
06:57 Cookware Compatibility
08:42 Pan Warping
10:20 Electronics Interference
10:46 Would you choose induction over gas?

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[helenrennie]

Based on the comments I am getting, it looks like the US is in the dark ages when it comes to induction and the rest of the world has mostly figured it out. Just to clarify -- I don't hate induction. I just hate what's available on the American market. Many good options that people mentioned (Thermador, Miele, Gaggeneau) are outrageously expensive and many only come in 36" width. A normal American stove is 30 inches wide, so we are talking about a complete kitchen remodel here. Another issue is that Thermador reliability leaves much to be desired. I've heard horror stories of how quickly the motherboard burns out and how costly it is to repair. Let's hope we catch up soon. I would love my next stove to be induction, but it needs to perform well and be fixable by a local technician quickly and affordably in case it breaks.

[thomkolton]

I live in Europe and have been using induction for nearly 10 years. I had one frying pan that didn't work; the rest were fine. What you forget to mention is that there is no flame! This is really important, especially for older people who might be more careless. Also, they turn themselves off if a pot boils over or gets too hot. These are terrific safety features.

[Joey-nqec]

I have had induction now for 6 years, had two homes and put induction in both. Love LOVE LOVE THEM, love the speed, the cleanup, and the NO STINK FROM GAS and NO HEAT from electrics. I have an LG and a Samsung, prefer the LG. I agree on the size issues as I only have one large birner but like anything in life, I have learned to be effective with what the sizes are and one thing, learning to cook on induction is a learning experience. RULE #1, if you aren't ready to cook, don't turn it on and never turn your back if you have increased the heat, if you do, your food may burn, and instantly burnt!

[timmollins]

Hello Helen. I have an LG induction range in my house and we just absolutely love it. Yes we have spent several hundred dollars upgrading our cheap aluminium pots/pans to mid-range (Jamie Oliver) stainless steel and have had no issues. As a side note, investing in better cookware is not a bad idea whether or not you have induction. The safety (ie. burners are ok to to touch soon after cookware is removed) is a huge plus, especially for older folks, children or animals; also there is no emission of toxic fumes (as has been recently reported with gas ranges); the precision between adjusting cooking temperatures; the speed of heating; also ease of cleaning cooking surface as spilt food does not bake onto the surface. I have cooked on gas range and there is no comparison between the two. Induction is far superior. Back in the late 1800s there were those folks who complained about the new fangled electric stoves and how their wood stoves were much better😂…I see the comparison to electric/gas to induction to be in the same vein. Anyways, thank you for the video.

[lancethrustworthy]

I'm quite impressed with our host's delivery/presentation. Well done!

[rscottrogers]

We switched from gas to induction last year, both GE Profile range models. I love the new induction range. Yes, there was a bit of a relearning curve, as performance differed. I'm getting generally faster and more consistent heating. However, I've found it important to test and practice with each of my pans and pots on each of the induction burners. One of my smaller burners makes one of my stock pots boil water or stock much much faster than any other burner, to the point that if I use that pot on that burner set to anything above the equivalent of a 7 out of 10, I know that it will boil over. The range does not permit me to use any pot on any burner as the old gas range did. I have a mix of Le Creuset enamel and nonstick, Lodge cast-iron, and Ikea stainless-steel pots and pans, and they all work well on induction. I was prepared for the very old, and at the time very cheap, Ikea brand pots to not work on induction, but they all perform excellently. We bought the Ikea pots in maybe 1998 or 1999. The only pot I've had to change was my wok; I used to use a round-bottom carbon steel wok with an adapter ring on my gas range. I've had to purchase a new flat-bottom carbon-steel wok to sit on the glass induction range.

[kiltedcripple]

Damn lady, this was the BEST analysis of the use of induction burners I've heard yet. The size of the magnet within the ring not being the size that the top indicates for the pan explains a lot about the issues I've seen and heard from other cooks. I've also seen, especially on cheaper induction tops, a real issue with the magnet coil not distributing current evenly across itself, further exacerbating the issue of warping pans.

[arthurgumbus]

Having used our Wolf Induction cooktop for 3 years now, I can honestly say that it is the best cooking and easy to clean cooktop we have ever used. Boiling water is a breeze and so quick. Instant heat adjustment is the new experience. Cast Iron works great as does Stainless. No pan warping... My cooktop allows me to "BRIDGE" heating elements to create larger wider or deeper elements. This feature is handy when you place a large rectangular flat cast iron plate on the stove for large batch cooking. And you can place a paper towel under a frypan to catch any splatter... Yes induction works thru paper towels... Would never go back to gas or electric radiant.

[davemns]

This is one of the best informational videos that I have ever seen on YouTube. You obviously did a lot of research on this topic before making this video. Your presentation was done in a very professional manner and contained a lot of useful information. Good job of NOT playing music during the presentation and placing it at the introduction and end where it belongs. Excellent job. I hope you get that consultant job with an equipment manufacturer.

[donhozy]

This is the most informative look at induction stoves I've come across. Some of he details you covered are barely mentioned elsewhere, if at all! Thank you for the real world applications and situations you highlighted. I really appreciate how you go deeper into details that will give us a better picture of what we may expect in real life usage.

[mykittenbecoming]

I have a Nuwave portable cooktop and I love it. It doesn't make any clicking sounds. I have been using this for about a year and a half. Its replaced my electric stove. There is one thing you overlooked in your video. One word. Lids!! I have an 11.5" saute pan with lid (on that 6" coil you talk about). I have several pans but this is my go to pan. I can use a lower temp setting with the lid on. The lid traps and disperses the heat much better than an open pan. I use lids on all my pans and skillets. And yes it will still brown. After the pan has heated all the way around the lid is then optional. Soups, stews, and sauces boil all the way across the saute pan (with lid on). Cooking on a $100 induction cooktop isn't nearly as bad as you have made it to be. It's wonderful.

[howard]

I am in the UK and after many years using a gas stove I moved to an apartment with no gas, so I switched to induction, and have been very happy with it.

[reginacarmel]

Yes! Easy😢 to see the engineer in you! 😊😊 It’s part of what makes this channel such a joy. Here’s to you, Helen. I hope a good and affordable appliance company does actually hire you as a consultant because it finds the logic in making what customers want and need and then, also making a profit. Shana Tovah!

[Vivienvixen]

I've been cooking with induction for over 15 years now. There was a learning curve, but now would not go back to gas. It is so easy to clean and regulate. I understand the challenges, but as I researched a great deal before purchasing, I felt comfortable fairly quickly. I had/have always purchased quality cookware (Demeyere, Le Creuset, and for non-stick, greenpan). While the investment is considerable, when purchased over time, the benefits far outweigh the initial costs. I've had a lot of this cookware for more than 20 years(even before my induction cooking journey) and expect them to last as long as they are well cared for. My first induction stove was a Samsung, and it was a free standing range. It did a nice job and the oven, electric, was one of the best I've ever used as the temperature regulation was impeccable. My current induction player is the GE Monogram 36" Induction Cooktop. I LOVE it!!! I cook daily all types of cuisine and it is marvelous. What is a challenge, as someone else pointed out, is wok cooking. For this, I have a gas burner that is a nothing special unit to the side of our grill. I would do this anyway as we have an open plan kitchen and would not want the intense odors to linger that can sometimes happen with Asian cuisine. I cook those types of food as well as anything that is seafood (like a crawfish, shrimp boil)or needs frying. The noises that the cooktop makes is minimal and not bothersome or even noticed by me any longer. My kitchen does not get hot, cleanup is a breeze and service has not been an issue as the unit has caused me no trouble in past 5 years I've had it. However, we had a contractor crack the glass top and GE service was prompt and thorough. I have used Wolf, Thermador, KitchenAid and a variety of other gas stoves and do not regret for a minute my switch over to induction. I hope this longwinded rant is taken as the information from an average everyday cook it is intended to be. Lastly, I've never had a pan warp on me, ever!!! I heat my pans gently and use quality maybe that's why? Happy cooking all. Looking forward to your seeing your new space.😉

[AlexSync]

Thank you for actually recording a noise without music or voicing over it! This was very helpful.

[mattchematt]

A little metallurgy: there are two basic types of stainless steel (SS): Austenitic (generally 300-series) and Martensitic (400-series), referring to the microscopic form of the metal grains. While they are very similar in their chemical makeup, the difference is in how quickly the two types are cooled from red-hot during manufacturing. Austenitic SSs are generally softer, cheaper, and often more ductile (easier to form into shapes like pans) than Martensitic SSs, which are more brittle. Austenitic SS is generally non-magnetic, and Martensitic SSs are generally magnetic - which is why magnets don't work on most SS refrigerators.

[Roz]

I have a five burner Electrolux cooktop, I paid around $2, 000. I love it! when we moved into our present home I went from a gas to electric stove top. I hated the electric burners so started looking for an alternative. Putting in gas lines wasn't a good option so I went with induction. I haven't looked back. The easy clean up is the biggest advantage over gas. After 7 years my stove top looks like brand new and I only have to wipe it down after use. I also love how quickly it heats up and cools down. It's a winner.

[emilygloeckner]

I’ve had a Frigidaire induction for about 8 or 9 years and it’s great. May not be as good as the expensive models but it’s very responsive and we’ve had no problems with it.

[dalemurphy]

Great video! As an electrical engineer and keen cook who loves induction, I was very skeptical about this video before I watched it. Based on the title I even refused to watch it for some months as I thought it was just click bait. Warping is a very minor issue. Tonight I finally watched it and I did find it really informative and enlightening about the trade-offs or challenges resulting from the differences between pan diameters and induction ring diameters (the magnet size as Helen calls it). Something I had not fully appreciated until tonight and verified with a simple water boil test with a pan of a larger diameter than the coil. Well done! The lesson is to buy induction cooktops with large elements and pans that truly have a compatible base. Most new smarter and more expensive cooktops have distributive or dispersed magnetic coil arrangements that efficiently adapt to the pan diameter,

What I can say is that induction is the only way of the future in energy consumption terms.

Another point many don't realize is that most induction cooktops can detect overheating and will automatically turn off. I know this works and have verified it for myself as an retired person. This is an incredible feature that really helps with safety in cooking for the absent minded of us and the elderly like me. A feature not available in any other form of cooking. This alone will make induction the only way forward in most built environments.

[PaulTaylor-ht]

Most information video on induction I have seen - well done.