April 4, 2022 - 6:16pm
New Electric Range — Induction?
My vintage 1970 electric range is gradually giving up the ghost. The controls are wearing out and they're expensive to repair.
On another chat board people are strongly advocating an induction range. Question: are they as good as people say they are? The people who are recommending them are quite enthusiastic about them.
In browsing induction ranges I see some with a feature called "air fry". I have a countertop convection oven in which a fan blows air over a heating coil to heat the oven cavity, much like a hair dryer works. I love, love, love it because it makes French fries nice and crispy and does not burn the bottoms of baked goods. If this "air fry" feature works like my convection oven, like a hair dryer, then that's the one for me.
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I have an induction cooktop and I love it! Good cleans up easily since it doesn’t burn on the cooktop. It is incredibly fast. Faster even than my brother’s gas cooktop. It responds immediately to lowered heat. The only thing that is annoying is that the touch controls don’t always register my touches. My husband doesn’t seem to have that issue so it probably my fingers. Hopefully the technology is better in that area. Mine is now 12 years old.
We looked at the gas vs. induction question when we remodeled our kitchen a few years ago. We had the opportunity to install any cooktop we wanted. I wanted induction. She wanted gas. (I think that the true reason is that she likes to heat tortillas directly on the burners, which doesn't work with an induction cooktop.) TLDR: We got gas, because that is what she wanted. Here are some considerations:
Power Considerations
The induction cooktops we looked at required 220v power with a high current, double circuit breaker, as high as 50 amps. For us, that would have been relatively easy to add because our electric panel is near the kitchen and we had sufficient extra current capacity available. Furthermore, our house has a raised foundation, which would have made it easy to get the thick wire to the cooktop in the middle of the kitchen. For others, it might require more work or expense to bring the necessary power to where your cooktop would be located.
-> Another consideration: If you are thinking about getting an electric car an adding an electric car charger to your garage, it will need a lot of electric power too. Does your electric panel have sufficient capacity for everything you want to add to your home?
Loss of Power Considerations
An induction cooktop is useless during an electrical power outage. When we looked at gas cooktops, we made sure that it could operate by lighting the burner with a match. If that is important to you, look carefully at the user manuals. (Note: On our gas cooktop, 3 of the 5 burners are operational without electrical power.) If you have an outside propane or gas grill with a cooktop burner, that may serve as an emergency backup.
We do not have solar panels on our roof. If we did, could it provide power for a 220v, 50 amp induction cooktop? My hunch is probably not, but I do not know much about rooftop solar panels.
Cookware Considerations
Certain kinds of pots and pans will not work with induction cooktops. If a magnet strongly grabs the bottom of your cookware, then it will work with an induction cooktop. Popular aluminum non-stick cookware does not work, although some new designs will work. Replacing a few pots and pans was not an issue for us. The cost of pots and pans was minor compared with the cost of everything else associated with an induction cooktop and a kitchen remodel.
A Few Foods Cook Only on Gas
You cannot roast bell peppers or toast tortillas directly on an induction cooktop "burner". That was a big issue for my spouse. Stated better: She used it to justify her strong desire for a gas cooktop.
Speed and Responsiveness
Induction cooktops are faster to heat than gas cooktops. For me, that would have been a big plus when boiling water for pasta. Induction cooktops are more responsive to adjustments than old-school spiral or glass electric cooktops, but it is hard to argue "more responsive" when comparing induction with gas.
Energy Efficiency
Induction cooktop manufacturers claim that they are more energy efficient than other cooktops. I looked at the numbers, and it appeared to me that an induction cooktop would be more expensive for us to operate than gas. I made the best assumptions I could, and the difference was not huge.
The costs of electricity and gas differ greatly in different regions. If I were comparing cooktop types, I would take the time to do the comparison and learn how much they cost to operate.
What Do I Wish We Had Bought?
A quality induction cooktop. I feel that it would have served us better than gas, but you must pick your battles. My spouse was used to cooking with gas and very insistent on getting a gas cooktop, so we bought the gas cooktop. It is not induction, but it can put out a lot of heat when we want it, especially compared with the gas cooktop it replaced.
What Did We Buy?
We bought a Thermador SGSX365FS gas cooktop. We like the star pattern on the burners. We feel that it heats the bottoms of our pots and pans more evenly. It has other features that we like. It is easy to clean because food can't fall inside - there are no openings around the burners. It has metal knobs. The plastic knobs on our old gas cooktop had "melt gashes" in them. Etc. We bought this one:
https://www.thermador.com/us/products-list/SGSX365FS
I hope this helps.
Great review of the pros and cons. Two other things i have read are that are induction cooktops can make a buzzing sound with some pots or pans. Some users have complained that induction with 10 power levels is not enough, and prefer the more precise adjustments you can get on most gas ranges
@Trog: What do you think of the single-burner countertop induction things? A friend has one of these types of things (not this exact brand or model), and uses it more often than her regular electric stove-top.
Example: https://www.amazon.com/Mueller-RapidTherm-Induction-Countertop-Auto-Shut-Off/dp/B08QMP7VD3/
@idaveindy asked:
My response:
I am aware of standalone induction cooktops like the one you mentioned, but know little about them. Speaking only for myself, I see little need to buy an extra appliance like that when we already have a built-in cooktop.
Those small induction cooktop appliances run on 110 volt power in the US. Most typical homes in the US support 15 amps or at most 20 amps at the outlet. In comparison, built-in induction cooktops use up to 50 amps (which explains why they run at 220 volts). Of course, built-in induction cooktops have multiple "burners" that can run simultaneously. It begs the question: Can a countertop appliance induction cooktop offer comparable performance to a single "burner" on a built-in induction cooktop? I do not know.
You can find a wide range of countertop induction cooktops ranging from under $50 to $500 or more. I looked at the Amazon link you posted, and that induction appliance offers automated features such as auto-shutoff. Obviously auto-shutoff is not available in older style built-in cooktops like our built-in gas cooktop. Once we chose gas, I did not investigate what automated features that modern built-in induction cooktops offer.
People are buying those countertop induction cooktop appliances for a reason. I haven't figured it out yet. The most compelling feature that I see is portability, for heating food at the table or in places where cooktops are not normally available, such as classrooms, meeting rooms, workplace break rooms, etc.
Great comments. On another chat board the universal consensus is to get an induction range and you'll love it.
I have a gas line coming into my condo unit which used to go to a faux fireplace which I had removed and capped off the gas line. I would have to run a gas line to the kitchen for a gas range and that's not in the cards. Besides, I don't like the idea of all those combustion byproducts going into the atmosphere.
I love to butter a flour tortilla and put it under the broiler until it's nice and toasty. Or, you can stuff it with cheddar or Monterey jack cheese and make a quesadilla by melting the cheese in the microwave.
I checked the range I want to get. It draws 53 amps at 240 V. I looked around in my breaker box and there appear to be two 50-amp breakers ganged together for the existing range, giving me up to 100 amps, so I think I'm good to go. Here in West Hollywood, CA we recently switched to all wind- and solar-generated electricity. I do not own an electric vehicle. If power goes out. my more immediate concern is dealing with the food in the fridge. I once had my fridge die and oh my word, what a stink as the food started to spoil. I had to tape the door shut and told the installers NOT to open it or they would pass out from the stink.
I have ordered an 8-inch square stainless steel plate from McMaster Carr and this will sit on an induction burner and heat up the vessel sitting on top of it. I have mostly aluminum cookware but I'll see if the steel plate works as a means of heat-transfer.
Oh, and I MUST have a unit with KNOBS. No fiddly touch pads for me. Knobs.
Here is the unit I have decided on:
https://www.lg.com/us/cooking-appliances/lg-LSE4617ST-electric-range
Just a piont, it is quite likely that the two 50's that are ganged together, are two separate legs of 120 volt, so that gives you 50 amps at 240 volts, not 100 amps, though you may want to have your electrician check it out for you.
Yes, knobs are the way to go, gives you more adjustment.
Two models of Bosch range look attractive to me now. They state explicitly in their manuals that they need 40 amps of circuit protection, so with a 50-amp breaker I should be good to go, right?
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/bosch-benchmark-series-4-6-cu-ft-slide-in-electric-induction-range-with-self-cleaning-stainless-steel/6357212.p?skuId=6357212#tabbed-customerreviews
I don't mean to talk you out of the range you first linked to, which looks great, so check the manuals and see what they say. For some appliances, they suggest a circuit that is much larger than the max rating - meaning if you needed 40 amps, they suggest 50 to give it some cushion. I would think the amperage line should be listed in the instructions somewhere.
You might want to call LG, but the manual for the oven you linked appears to say on page 16 that they specify a 50 amp power supply kit - meaning the power line from the outlet to the range. I would think if a 50 amp plug and wire are okay, a 50 amp circuit would work.
Well, it pays to read the fine print.
Keep in mind that I have a 50-amp circuit for my kitchen range.
In my web browsing at Best Buy I saw two different models of LG induction range. Being a curious fellow I had to find out the difference between the two models.
LG LSE4617ST has a current draw of 53 amps. This is a no-go for my 50-amp circuit. Yeah maybe I could get away with it if I didn't run all the burners and oven at once and not trip the breaker, but I like to play it really safe so I had ruled out this model.
Then I looked at the other LG model:
LG LSE4616ST: current draw 48.3 amps. This fits well within my 50-amp limitation, so now this LG model is "in".
Joy of joys, it has knobs
The Bosch was a strong contender but I really didn't like the ergonomics of it; you have to stoop to read and operate the forward-facing controls.
Agreed as to knobs. If it doesn't have them, that would be a big drawback for me. We were on vacation earlier this year and the cooktop had the electronic + and - controls, and at least on that one, it was a bit of a pain to use.
Just to be clear, those LG induction cooktop/ovens mentioned above are all computer controlled devices. In addition to knobs, those LG cooktop/ovens have buttons for setting the clock, timer, and other features. The buttons are part of the display panel.
I get it that some people like knobs (including me). Knobs are familiar and easy. I have no objection to knobs. The knobs on the LG cooktop/ovens may turn like knobs and feel familiar, but they are just another digital input with 10 distinct levels ONLY. You cannot point the knob between levels 3 and 4 and expect to set it for "3-and-a-half." That is not how they work. Instead, the knobs cause the heat settings to jump from one level to another, with nothing in-between. The knobs perform the same operations as buttons, even though they look and feel different.
Where knobs can shine is how they feel and how they hold up under long term use. Button durability depends greatly on the kind of buttons the appliance uses. Some are better than others.
Thanks for the clarification. That makes it much less attractive, though still better than the cooktop I used while on vacation - it had pads for plus and minus - I did not like that at all.
I saw your comment about "much less attractive" and felt I should respond. You should not let what I wrote dissuade you from buying an LG or any other induction cooktop/oven. They are all going to operate similarly. These days, so many devices are digital and they have many kinds of inputs, including buttons and those digital knobs. Please do not let that sway your decision.
(Another Example: Previous owners were very upset with the buttons-only On/Off and Volume Up/Down radio interface in the touchscreen on my car model. By the time they got to my model year, the manufacturer had added a real On/Off/Volume knob for the radio. It is only one knob, but it was obviously so important to ease of use ... and yes, it is actually digital. The volume goes up and down at distinct levels; it is not infinitely adjustable.)
(P.S. I think you edited your post since I started to write this one. Oh well.)
My next concern involves heat distribution.
I have seen videos which show that heat is concentrated near the induction rings. I would think this would cause hot spots when dealing with soups, sauces and puddings. Has this been a problem for any induction chefs?
They say cast iron dissipates heat really well and works with induction, so I have ordered a cast iron saucepan.
For 12 years now and I have never noticed any hot spots. Water boils evenly throughout the bottom. Cast iron works great but be careful that the bottom is smooth otherwise it will scratch the glass.