Blogroll | Congregation Darchei Noam

Lower your energy usage by buying a portable induction burner to use with your flat bottom magnetic stainless steel and cast iron cookware. The induction burner could become a test run for your next stove purchase.

Induction cooking works by creating a magnetic field between the pot and the magnetic coils beneath the cooking surface. The energy created in the electromagnetic field heats the contents of the pot.” A large drawback with induction stove tops is that cookware of aluminum, copper or glass, including Pyrex will not work without a magnetic layer added to the bottom.   

The major advantage is that induction cooking is about 84% energy efficient compared to gas burners at 40%-55% and about 65%-74% for traditional electric ranges. Electric smooth tops are much less energy efficient than ones with exposed coil burners.

A safety feature with induction cooking is that the magnetic burner stays cool when on, even with an empty pot; however, both heat up from the pot’s contents.  

Consumer Reports has useful information on induction cooking.