redbean

I say, I just made another discovery about induction cookers............not only are they expensive but do you know that you have to buy special pots and pans that can be used for induction cookers?!

My old gas cooker is just about to give up it's ghost and so I thought I will also do a bit of research about induction cookers but when I heard about the extra cost involved to buy special cookware, I just ...........uhmmm......I am dumbfounded! Words failed me.

columbine

The double, triple or quad induction sets all need a dugout hole on the counter top to make it flushed.
The single unit has 2 types - stand alone with 'legs' and stand alone with no 'legs' so you can have a dugout hole on the counter top to fit it in flushed.
So you can actually have 2 or 3 or even 4 separate units side by side an inch apart maybe (depending on your configuration and imagination)..all with separate wall plugs but cost less!

Yap, a good excuse to get a new set of pots and pans

Strider24

Induction cookers? Try this site http://theinductionsite.com/proandcon.shtml

Cheers

bakedbean

That's what I was thinking... good excuse to buy some new pots and pans, heh heh.

Redbean, there's a lot of good things about induction though - very efficient mode of cooking. One good point in the Tropics is that the cooker and the pans themselves don't get so hot, just the contents of the pan. <Kind of, think like microwave I guess> And a cool kitchen in a hot country is a very nice thought.

redbean

Does anyone try the ceramic cooktop? Same price as gas cooktop. The reason why I am reluctant to invest in new pots and pans is because I just bought a complete set a year ago.

bakedbean, may have to do more research into induction cookers before I can see if it is worth paying the price especially as I don't do much cooking.

I do take your point about having a cool kitchen when you live in the tropics.........certainly worth a consideration.

bakedbean

I used to use ceramic in my last house in the UK. I didn't like it. Maybe the cookers are better these days, I don't know, but I found that the electricity cut in and out when it reached the required temperature. So doing anything like a quick hot stirfry - very difficult. Though of course I don't do stirfrys now - easier and cheaper to drive down the food court

And I suppose depends how much cooking you do. We tend to "eat in" about 3 or 4 times a week, and I like cooking, so definitely worth the investment for me.

I think it's supposed to be quite efficient electricity-wise too.

columbine

Induction cooker is more superior to gas cooker with the many obvious pros, safety issues might top the list for me if I had considered it earlier for the 'wet kitchen'. Just never thought of it then.
Maybe savings on electricity is at the bottom of the list if one doesn't cook that much or spend long hours cooking a few times a week hehe
I also use the modern electronic pressure cooker and the 'thermo pot' and they save time and don't have to endure the heat and steam from the stew or soup
I have a single portable Induction cooker for about 20 years now and not bad at all, considering I bought a new set of SS pots and pans to accommodate it recently
But, I use them on the gas too so that they are not there to look pretty. Also I continue to use my old pots and pans so they are not made redundant. Plenty of choices...and when I can't decide which pot and pan to use I go to the hawkers

Never liked ceramic as they function similarly to the ring/coil type except for the ceramic top. But over time that surface gets scratched and some marks are permanent.

redbean

Ok,ok! I get it ........induction wins the day! Now to convince Mr redbean, the miser / scrooge that he is, that induction is the way to go but to have a gas stove on standby for charring certain cooking.

Thanks, strider for the link to all the things one need to know about induction vs gas.

bakedbean

Just to say that I went the Induction hob route. Got a Lebensstil hob and it's just great. Very simple to use and nice and cool (perfect for this climate)

columbine

Great you love the Induction way
Son's condo regulation does not allow a bbq on the balcony of his complex and he's been using an electric ring portable. He's glad he took the portable induction home

bakedbean

He's using induction on the balcony?

columbine

Ya, being portable he took it out place on the table when ever he needed to fry a steak and not make the inside stinking of food. He uses it inside on table for hot pot/sabu sabu....very handy being portable. He's got a fairly good size 8'x10' square balcony with built-in electrical outlet on the wall

Strider24

That's a seriously cool idea. Makes it worthwhile getting a single plate one hey?

bakedbean

I got a nice Lebensstil extractor too, heh heh