Popular topic "Induction cooker - pluses and minuses" is worried by an increasing number of housewives, because modern appliances are gradually becoming cheaper and replacing the old samples of household appliances. To make the right choice when buying this kitchen equipment, you should study the principle of its operation and correctly evaluate the advantages of a technical novelty.
How does the induction cooker work?
In old electrical appliances, when the mains is switched on, the burner is heated, and then the heat from it is transferred to the heated object. The principle of operation of the induction plate resembles that of a transformer. The coil installed under the glass ceramic surface acts as the primary winding, and the metal pan acts as the secondary winding. Eddy currents heat the walls and bottom of the dishes, and from them heat is transferred to liquids or products.
The induction cooker has pros and cons, just like any heating device, regardless of its type. Its main disadvantage was long considered a high price, but the introduction of advanced technologies and materials leads to lower costs and the goods become much more affordable. The second nuance that hampered the growth in sales of induction cookers is the people's wary attitude toward a new kind of heating and the fear that it harms human health.
Advantages of the induction cooker:
- The efficiency of the device is up to 90%.
- There is no intermediate element in the form of an electric fan, the heat is immediately transferred to the walls of the pan.
- When removing a metal object, instantaneous power failure occurs.
- In the absence of metal dishes, the tiles are turned off.
- Precise temperature adjustment.
- The hob from glass-ceramics heats up minimally and quickly cools down after shutdown.
- A wide range of programs for cooking.
- Listing the advantages that an induction cooker has, pros and cons associated with its technical characteristics, it is necessary to mention the convenience in its maintenance. For example, on the panel of glass ceramics, almost never burns oil, milk and other cooking products, there is a minimal risk of getting a thermal burn.
- No odor, which stands out on old models from burning particles of dust, dirt and scale.
- The outer walls of the dishes are not soiled with soot.
Induction plate damage
Manufacturers have proved by many experiments that devices of this type do not pose a serious danger to human health. The low-frequency electromagnetic fields that arise in the device are no more threatened than the work of a mobile phone or a hair dryer. If you understand exactly what the induction cooker means for a modern kitchen and learn briefly the principle of its design, you will immediately find out the inconsistency of most of the fears and conjectures that have arisen since its invention.
Induction plate minuses:
- The real shortcomings that the induction cooker has are the advantages and disadvantages associated with the need to use special utensils for cooking. For example, glass or aluminum objects without a steel bottom are not suitable for it.
- The cost of induction cookers significantly exceeds the price of heating devices of the old sample.
- The panel of glass ceramics or tempered glass is afraid of a strong impact.
- The magnetic field in qualitative models has a limited range of impact, but potentially can harm people with pacemakers, so it is better for them to stay away from the device at a distance of 0.5 m.
Induction hob
Choosing the best induction cookers for the kitchen, it is desirable to take into account the peculiarities of your interior, to provide for all the minuses and pluses of a new acquisition. Depending on the manufacturer, the hob may be one-burner or multi-burner. There are interesting models with mixed-type burners, where induction heating elements with old-style teens coexist. Convenient to use devices with a surface FlexInduction, which is able to work as one large zone or as several separate burners.
Induction built-in plate
The design of the panels on the market can differ significantly, therefore it is necessary to accurately measure the appliance you liked and the opening in the counter on the eve of the purchase. The induction cooktop can be square, rectangular or hexagonal. Dimensions of the working surface range from a modest 30x30 cm, which are great for small kitchens, up to giant blocks a meter wide.
Plate induction electric table
Induction portable plate becomes more popular and attracts a lot of interesting innovations. The drawbacks of its use are paled before the presence of a number of pluses. The absence of an oven makes the product cheaper and more compact, the device can easily be moved around the room or used on a trip to the dacha . Demand is used by models with one and two burners, but it is possible, if desired, to find a large plate with three heating planes. Choose the purchase in accordance with the number of people in the family and the size of their kitchen.
Induction cooker with oven
Studying the pros and cons of modern equipment, it is easy to destroy the myth that it is dangerous to install ovens under induction devices. The magnetic field of this device ceases to act at a distance of 3 cm and if this size is maintained, there will be no accidental heating of the metal parts. For added protection, quality induction cookers, for example Hansa, are necessarily equipped with a heat sink that isolates the magnetic field from the objects from below, which allows them to be safely operated together with the oven.
How to use an induction cooker?
For the safe operation of the new device, you need to know how to turn on the induction cooker, learn the basic safety rules and, in accordance with them, equip your house with quality wiring. Often modern appliances are supplied with a cord without a plug, for their connection you need skills in working with electricity and the availability of additional devices. After unpacking, clean the panel from the adhesive with a soft sponge.
If everything is done correctly during the preparatory phase, then after a long press of the power key, an audible signal will sound. The heating power is regulated by the buttons with the designation "+" and "-", and by pressing once we select the burner. The operating instructions for the different models may vary. Therefore, it is better to study the accompanying documents, where all the minuses and pluss of the slab and its characteristics are indicated.
Which dishes are suitable for induction cookers?
Optimal option - when buying choose items that have an icon of an induction cooker on the dishes. The second way to find a suitable thing is to use a small magnet, if the metal walls of the pan do not attract it, then it is more likely that it will not heat up. The recommended thickness of the bottom of the dishes is from 2-6 mm, the recommended diameter is from 12 cm. Another important requirement for high-quality kitchen utensils that you plan to use on the induction cooker is the presence of an even and smooth bottom for a good fit to the hob.
How to choose an induction cooker?
You should take into account all the pros and cons of modern equipment and choose a model, both in design and with other indicators. Well study your favorite induction cooker, the characteristics and dimensions of the product can always be found in the passport. Learn about the availability of additional features. For example, PowerManagement allows you to accurately withstand a given temperature regime, and PowerBoost can increase power by half.
Useful functions of induction cookers:
- Timer.
- Safety shutdown.
- Child lock control buttons.
- Dishware recognition - protects against accidental activation.
- Maintain the temperature in the desired mode.
- Pause mode.
- The indicator for heating the surface of the panel - with an accuracy indicates when it is safe to touch the plate with your hands.
Induction plate power
On average, the maximum capacity of a single-burner plate is 1800-2000 W, for a device for 4 burners - from 7 kW. These data should be taken into account when arranging the wiring so that it can withstand the required load. To calculate how much an induction cooker consumes per month, you need to take into account the actual operating time of the device and the heating mode. Significant savings in comparison with the classical plate are obtained due to high efficiency (90% vs. 70%). With the same power, water boils on the induction device faster by a factor of 5-6.
Induction Cooker - Dimensions
Most devices for one burner have the dimensions of the panel 28-30h35-36 cm. The two-piece induction cooker keeps a width of 30 cm, but its length already grows to 60 cm. The approximate dimensions of the hob for 4 burners - from 59x52 cm and more. When buying an embedded product, you need to study the passport data and carefully make accurate measurements to accurately know all the pros and cons of the device. Depending on the model, the actual dimensions of the hob and its shape may differ significantly.
Induction plate rating
The German company AEG was the first to enter the European market in 1987 with products of this type, but for a long time the induction surface was not popular, it was considered expensive, impractical and potentially dangerous wonder. Over time, when people understood all the disadvantages and advantages of a technical novelty, the situation changed. The best samples of induction cookers, leading in all ratings, are traditionally produced by Bosch, Siemens, Zanussi, Electrolux, AEG, Gorenje, Asko.
The best and most popular induction cookers for 2018:
- Siemens EX375FXB1E - format "dominoes" with a width of 30 cm.
- Gorenje IS 677 USC - the classic size of the plates is 60 cm.
- Electrolux EHG 96341FK - built-in models with combined heating.
- Asko HI1995G - overall plates for 5 more burners.
- Gorenje EIT 5351 WD - detached plates.