The Advantages of Induction Cooking

What is Induction Cooking?

Traditional gas or electric cooktops use conduction, which transfers heat through physical contact between the cookware and an electric coil or a flame produced by gas. The pot or pan must touch the heat source to gather heat from it.

Induction cooking uses electromagnetic energy. The element is a coil of metal, typically copper, through which electricity is passed to create an electromagnetic field. These elements sit beneath a ceramic glass surface (the cooktop). When a pot or pan made of a magnetic material is placed on the cooktop above an active element, the electromagnetic field causes the molecules in the cookware to vibrate rapidly, and that vibration generates heat. Induction cooktops, like the Bosch 800 Series 6 Burner 36" Range, offer many benefits beyond traditional ranges.

The Benefits of Induction Cooktops

Targeted Heat Saves Energy

Induction cooking only heats up the pot or pan, not the element. Because the heat is only produced in the cookware itself, minimal energy is wasted. With traditional electric conduction ranges, the entire element heats up regardless of the size of the pot or pan placed on it. Both traditional gas and electric burners release heat around the pan, wasting energy and heating up the kitchen.

Induction Cooking is Safer

With traditional conduction cooking, electric coils and gas flames can be accidentally turned on, causing a burn or fire hazard. Induction cooktops only heat the pan that is on an active burner. If there is no pot or pan on the stove, no heat is generated, even if the element has been activated.   The surrounding surface remains cool even while cooking. Once the cookware is removed from the surface, the electromagnetic heat transfer stops and the induction cooktop quickly returns to room temperature.

Top mounted controls, like the ones on the Bosch 800 Series 36 Inch Wide 5 Burner Induction Cooktop with Home Connect, are another safety feature. They’re harder for children to reach, which can prevent the cooktop from being accidentally turned on or adjusted.

Induction Cooktops are Easy to Clean

The smooth ceramic glass surface makes these cooktops easy to wipe clean because there are no nooks and crannies for dirt to hide. To prevent messes from occurring in the first place, some models have a simmer function that can be set to automatically adjust the heat to maintain a constant simmer without the worry of boiling over.

Because heat is produced in the cookware, not on the range top itself, you can safely cover the cooking surface with a sheet of baking parchment paper before you start preparing your meal. Place pots or pans right on top of the paper to catch food and grease splatters while you cook. When you’re done making a messy sauce or frying bacon, simply remove and discard the paper!

Using baking parchment paper beneath your cookware can also prevent scratches on the cooktop when preparing dishes that require you to rapidly slide the pot or pan across the surface (such as popping popcorn or sauteing food using the shake-and-flip technique).

Precise Temperature Control

Induction cooktops have an extensive range of temperature settings, divided into small increments for precise control. At the top end of the scale, you can choose high heat for stir frying or searing meats. Choose a low setting for making delicate sauces or melting cheese and chocolate.

An added bonus for busy cooks: the electromagnetism used in induction cooking heats food much faster than traditional methods.

Many induction cooktops offer special features that enable even more precision with temperature control, such as the Bosch 30 Inch Wide 4 Burner Induction Cooktop with Home Connect and PowerMove. This appliance includes FlexInduction®, which provides more flexibility by combining two cooking zones into one larger zone. It also has PowerMove™, which divides the FlexInduction® into 3 preset power level zones. You can easily move the cookware to change the power level!

Flexible Cookware Sizes

Traditional electric stoves have coils or elements that heat up completely — regardless of the size of the pan sitting atop them — resulting in wasted energy. Induction cooktops only generate heat in the cookware being used; a small pan can be placed on a larger burner without the loss in efficiency you would encounter with a traditional gas or electric range.

Many induction cooktops offer a bridge function, which allows a large pan or griddle to span more than one element, making it convenient to fry up fajitas or flip pancakes for a crowd. Read on to learn how to choose the perfect pots and pans for an induction range.

How to Choose the Right Pots & Pans for Induction Cooking

In order for induction to work properly, it’s important to choose the right cookware. Here are a few things to consider:

The Best Cookware for Induction Ranges

Induction heat transfer works by creating an electromagnetic field that reacts with the metal in your cookware. Pots and pans must contain magnetic material to work on this type of cooktop.

All cast iron, and most stainless steel, cookware is magnetic. Pots and pans that are not entirely composed of magnetic material can be manufactured with clad bottoms, which allows them to be used on induction cooktops. A simple way to test if your existing cookware will work is to place a magnet (an ordinary refrigerator magnet will do) against the bottom of the pot or pan. If the magnet sticks, the cookware will work.

Pan Size

Many induction cooktops have circles or crosses marked on the surface to help you match up the cookware size to the element below. Though induction cooking elements only heat the part of the pot or pan that comes in contact with the cooktop, it’s best to choose the burner closest in size to your cookware. You can use a pan smaller than the element if necessary, because the heat is transferred directly to the cookware; the area surrounding the pan will not heat up.

Avoid using cookware larger than the element. Only that portion of the pan that aligns with the element will heat up, so if the cookware extends beyond that range, uneven cooking could result. The exception is using a single large piece — such as a griddle — which spans two elements using the “bridge” function. Whichever element you use, try to center the pot or pan within the markings.

Consider the size of the cooking zone when choosing which induction cooktop to purchase. The Bosch 31 Inch Wide 4 Burner Induction Cooktop with Home Connect, for example, features 4 induction burners and an 11" cooking zone for larger pots and pans. You’ll also appreciate the Home Connect™ technology that allows you to easily monitor and view the status of your cooktop from the app, and get remote diagnostics when you need help.

Pan Shape

Square pans can be used on an induction cooktop, but keep in mind that the elements themselves are typically round. If the corners of the pan extend beyond the border of the element below, those areas will not heat up through induction. If possible, place a square pan on a larger element so the majority of the pan’s surface falls within the circle indicated on your cooktop. The most important consideration regarding the shape of your cookware is the bottom. The more material that comes in contact with the cooktop, the better. Choose perfectly flat-bottomed pots and pans for maximum effectiveness.

Induction Cooking Appliance Options

Ranges

A range is a cooking appliance that includes both an oven and a cooktop. Ranges are available in a variety of styles, finishes, and widths for both slide-in and freestanding installation.

Popular Oven Features to Consider:

• Convection Cooking circulates hot air within the oven for even baking and roasting.
• Wifi Connectivity allows you to control heat and start/stop times remotely from an app or through voice control with a virtual assistant (such as Alexa), or perform maintenance diagnostics.
• Warming Drawers are handy for hold food at the perfect serving temperature when serving large meals.
• Self-Cleaning functions make quick work of kitchen chores.
• Temperature Probes automatically switch to “warm mode” once a roast or casserole reaches the selected temperature.
• Double Ovens allow you to cook large meals or prepare two different types of dishes at once.

Cooktops

Cooktops are separate from the oven. They are set into the counter or kitchen island, giving you ultimate flexibility for your kitchen design. Choose from a variety of widths and number of burners to match the size of your space and they way you cook.

Induction Cooktop Features & Options:

• Induction cooktops are typically operated with touch controls that are integrated into the glass cooktop.
• Dual-Fuel models include both gas burners and induction elements, and are operated with traditional knob controls.
• Models with integrated downdraft ventilation eliminate the need for a separate range hood.
• Timers display how long a dish has been cooking and can be set to automatically shut off

Still have questions about induction cooking appliances? Our friendly advisors are available by phone at 855-484-3292, or live chat to help you make the perfect choice for your kitchen.