Induction cooker vs Ceramic cooker?

Richie-from-the-Boro

Jonesya wrote: »

If you want efficiency and money saving - forget electric, go for gas.

3p/kwh for gas vs. 10+p for electric - 3-4X the cost for going electric.

Plus that cost difference could increase further in coming years if things like peak-time pricing of electricity gets introduced.

Is it ?. Gas heats the ceiling and even the kitchen itself.

Londoner_1

Cardew wrote: »

Without sounding(I hope) like a salesman for induction hotplates, I have never seen that opinion expressed in any article or advice on cookers.

Indeed I cannot see the logic behind your statement. When any cooking vessel placed on a ceramic hotplate the 'ring' itself gets hot and transfers that heat by conduction to the bottom of that cooking vessel, which in turn warms the food.

The only difference between an induction hotplate is that the bottom of the cooking vessel is heated directly without the hotplate itself getting hot.

If you put a pan full of rice on any hotplate -gas/electric/solid fuel or induction - with the heat turned up too high, the bottom will burn. Why should it be any different with induction?

Indeed this article from an Indian cooking website(Glen India) flatly contradicts your opinion:

https://www.glenindia.com/uploads/media/press_releases/Induction2Cooker.pdf



This expresses the same view - as do loads of other Indian websites:

https://medium.com/@ReportsonIndia/induction-cooktop-electric-cooker-market-in-india-ad3c97ba578b#.1me642nyv

With due respect, its an advert for the indian market and a marketing report. In India they don't use electric hobs, they are investing an gas and rural village uses LPG. Electricity sometimes goes for a few hours in towns and villages, so in practice its very different.

In our house we have been using a ceramic hob for 12 years, the heat is is controllable, unlike the portable induction hobs we use.

The induction is great for frying though, i did tell teh wife why don't we get a full induction hob, she flatly said no, apart from having to change a million pots/pans that is in a typical iindian household, the cooking will not be up to the mark, she wants to eat food as close as possible to authentic indian cooking rather than the bland stuff acceptable in the UK.

Londoner_1

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

Conduction, convection or radiation. The issues you raise suggest primarily either poor cooking skills or poor panware. I'm not suggesting everyone buys Fissler panware but there are many pans that might scrape through as 'induction' but are rubbish pound shop quality at heat transfer. You get out what you put in - best of luck !

Hahaha, my wife will not be pleased with poor cooking skills insinuation, she is the ultimate cook when it comes to indian cooking, curries, biryanis, samoosas, etc she is ace at it. Having good quality pans maybe an issue, but then no one wants to change hundreds of pots/pans to a few quality ones.

Richie-from-the-Boro

Londoner_1 wrote: »

Hahaha, my wife will not be pleased with poor cooking skills insinuation, she is the ultimate cook when it comes to indian cooking, curries, biryanis, samoosas, etc she is ace at it. Having good quality pans maybe an issue, but then no one wants to change hundreds of pots/pans to a few quality ones.

Don't take it personal my friend. I was talking physics not emotions, I have induction now but have used all three. Read what you wrote, cold at the top and burned at the bottom applies to wood on a campfire, gas solid or light hob and induction equally and suggests poor cooking skills or never actually used induction.

Cheepo panware is not all 'ferrous' equal at heat transfer, some I've seen at low price points can never be good at anything other than frying an egg.

1+3

Cardew

Londoner_1 wrote: »

With due respect, its an advert for the indian market and a marketing report. In India they don't use electric hobs, they are investing an gas and rural village uses LPG. Electricity sometimes goes for a few hours in towns and villages, so in practice its very different.

In our house we have been using a ceramic hob for 12 years, the heat is is controllable, unlike the portable induction hobs we use.

The induction is great for frying though, i did tell teh wife why don't we get a full induction hob, she flatly said no, apart from having to change a million pots/pans that is in a typical iindian household, the cooking will not be up to the mark, she wants to eat food as close as possible to authentic indian cooking rather than the bland stuff acceptable in the UK.

Having good quality pans maybe an issue, but then no one wants to change hundreds of pots/pans to a few quality ones

Well show me any source that agrees with your point of view. Look at the internet for Indian cooking and see how many sing the advantages of Induction cooking. The fact that cooking without electricity in India is the 'norm' is totally irrelevant to this conversation.

How on earth does an energy source that heats the bottom of a pan, like any other heat source, produce 'the bland stuff acceptable in UK'?

What are the characteristics that make heat from a Ceramic hob superior to heat from an induction hob?

As for controllable heat, everyone without exception(until you came along) knows that induction is instantly controllable - unlike ceramic. Read any UK or USA official report on induction cooking and controllability is a major advantage.

I think, as Richie, and you apparently?, have suggested, you need to get your wife some suitable cooking pots, and then try.

suki1964

It's the pans

I just bought cheapo ones from IKEA and whilst some are very good, others I certainly wouldn't cook rice in, I have in fact for the first time in my life burned rice whilst using induction

My curries are certainly not bland. They aren't always hot, but bland? Never

silverwhistle

Cardew wrote: »

How on earth does an energy source that heats the bottom of a pan, like any other heat source, produce 'the bland stuff acceptable in UK'?

What are the characteristics that make heat from a Ceramic hob superior to heat from an induction hob?

Ah, not only me who thought, what on earth is he talking about?
Perhaps send the actual cook over to this discussion for more informed points.

I cook all sorts of cuisines, like many people in the UK, and it's probably only a professional Chinese chef who needs those super double gas burners which induction can't always replicate. In a domestic context I have no problems with getting a wok hot enough.

Londoner_1

suki1964 wrote: »

It's the pans

I just bought cheapo ones from IKEA and whilst some are very good, others I certainly wouldn't cook rice in, I have in fact for the first time in my life burned rice whilst using induction

My curries are certainly not bland. They aren't always hot, but bland? Never

How much rice / curries do you make, we as a family make pots full (upto 5 mugs full of rice) hence not suitable for induction.

coffeehound

Londoner_1 wrote: »

... with induction we get mixed results works with lots of attention needed when using induction, as we found heat is not even, rice is sometimes raw at the top but burnt at the bottom.

With ceramic hob its not a problem, all types of food comes out fine properly cooked.

Is that the rice cooking method where you pre-soak the rice and then steam-cook it with just a little water on a very low heat? If so, perhaps the minimum heat setting on your induction hob is not low enough.

Or maybe the base of the pan isn't spreading the heat well enough. E.g. Paella pans are deliberately thin base to give a slightly crispy bottom crust to the rice.

suki1964

Londoner_1 wrote: »

How much rice / curries do you make, we as a family make pots full (upto 5 mugs full of rice) hence not suitable for induction.

I make curry 2 or 3 times a week

Regardless of how many times I make it, it depends on the pans

Now knowing Indian cooking, I'm betting those pans are thin from years of use.

I know this from my own experience. I have pans and spoons only used in Indian cookery.

However induction works so differently you do need to change the pans


Induction needs a good non buckled base so it heats consistently


I've had to re learn cooking times on induction after cooking on gas and electric for years. It takes a few days or so but I'd never go back to either gas or electric

Induction is so good, professional kitchens are moving to it

I really suggest your wife changes her pans