Induction Cooktops / Hobs

[PeteC]

If it was turned on and you happened to accidentally place your hand on it, would it feel hot and burn you or nothing at all?

[VincentD]

Assuming you did not have anything on it beforehand, no. Your hand is non-conducting so it would not heat up at all.
The (usually) tempered glass base gets barely warm during cooking as the induction heater directly heats up the cookware.
This might be a good backup for when you run out of gas and still need a hob. My old Whirlpool gas stove also had an electric plate that I found useful when the gas ran out.

[bigston]

induction is rapidly gaining popularity here in Aus , as our gas prices head north rapidly
it consumes way less power than Ceramic cooktops , in excess of 30 % less
and if safety is important especially with kids around, and as mentioned its almost instantaneous turn off after removing the pot / pan,unlike ceramic which can seriously burn for minutes or more after turning off
after visiting a showroom yesterday to experience hands on, the benefits, its the way to go, if having to buy a new or replacing a cooktop for multi zone cooking, or even a single vessel cooking hob
but with the cheap gas prices in Thailand, i doubt the bottles days are under threat just yet

[VincentD]

It would be prudent to keep one portable induction hob at home for emergencies in case the gas runs out (assuming you do use gas). They are not expensive but you do need electricity to use, and have the special cookware.
Gas, on the other hand, is extremely portable so can be used practically anywhere, without the need of specialized cookware, and therefore the choice of food vendors. Also I believe it is subsidised by the government so still inexpensive.
YMMV.

[Ratsima]

We have a Fagor gas cooktop and a Fagor electric oven. They are about 13 years old. Only problem is that the timer on the oven failed. The oven has top and bottom elements and fan assist. I use it to cook bread several times a week and it does a fine job.

I also have a standalone Electrolux induction cooker. If I were to buy again I'd try to find a cooktop with a single gas burner for the necessary wok and two or three induction units. I much prefer the induction cooker for pretty much everything. It's fast, doesn't heat the kitchen much, has precise control and a timer. I use it for everything from making yogurt to boiling pasta.

I know that the combination gas and induction cooktops exist, but I've never been able to find one here that fits my counter cutout.
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[mwbrown]

I bought a "Tecno+" 4-place induction cooktop at Home Pro last February. It heats up the pots quickly. It's completely flat so I can put a cutting board or food container just inches away without burning. I'd do it all over again.

One slightly annoying thing is it has a touch-button for the unlock function, then a separate button to power it on, then + and - buttons for each element. Could do without the unlock function.

[bigston]

Maybe an annoyance for adults , but perhaps a good safety feature.
thanks for your experience

[Nereus]

Are portable induction cooktops worth it?

https://www.abc.net.au/everyday/portabl ... /101939580

So,(sic) you've been hearing a lot about how induction stoves are cheaper to use than gas.

How they're better for the environment and your health.

You'd love to do the swap! But if you rent or can't afford a conversion, is a portable induction cooktop a good option?

We asked an expert and a food creative for their pros and cons.

What the culinary creative thinks about portable induction cooktops

Ismat Iwan, who works as a digital food creator, bought a portable induction stove on sale for $40 not long ago. Since she already had a compatible pan to use on it, that was the entire set-up cost.

"I've found it faster, comparable to a built-in induction [and] easier to clean than gas or electric," she says.

"Overall the cooking process is streamlined because if you have the right pans everything heats up real quick."

Ms Iwan likes it so much that she hopes to invest in a better-quality portable set-up in future.

"[My first one] changed my perspective on induction cooking," she shares.

"[I now feel like it's] adaptable and something we should all consider … you're looking at a quicker cook, less mess and less energy costs — so it's definitely been worth it [for me]!"

What the expert thinks


As a home economist and test coordinator at CHOICE, Fiona Mair has tried out many portable induction cooktops.

She is far less enthusiastic about them.

"Look — they're lightweight, so they're easy to move around," she begins.

"They only require a 10-amp plug, so you can plug them into any suitable power point.

"They're relatively cheap — $49 is the cheapest one we've come across. And we've seen them up to $300 for a twin cooktop, which has a larger area.

"And they're quite easy to clean because it's just one surface — there aren't any dials to lift and move around.

"But I struggle with recommending them because of how difficult they are to use when you're not familiar with them," she says.

"I think [the portable versions are most] suitable for people with holiday homes or caravans or someone who wants an extra cooking surface in the kitchen or for an undercover outdoor barbecue area."

Emphasis on the *extra* there.

As for renters looking for an alternative to gas?

"Using a portable induction cooktop is fine and would work, but you are restricted in having only one cooking zone to cook on," Ms Mair says.

Those were all the pros. It's time for the myriad cons

Ms Mair gets right into it.

"They're a benchtop appliance which means they will reduce the amount of bench space you have."

Complicating things, Ms Mair explains they can't be placed on metal surfaces (including stainless steel benchtops) or near utensil drawers.

"And portable induction cooktops have restricted pan and pot size," she continues.

"They're also extremely noisy. This is because they have quite a lot of vents. When you turn them on, the cooling fan comes on and they tend to be quite loud.

"The vents also suck in dust and particles in the air, so it's recommended you vacuum them so dust doesn't build up, because that can cause the unit to overheat and malfunction."

There's more — you ready?

"We've also found the settings [for portable induction stoves] to be confusing. Some of them have pre-set temperatures like 'stir-fry', 'heating milk', or 'boiling' and then you're restricted with those settings," Ms Mair continues.

"And then some of them have temperatures ranging from 60 degrees to 240 degrees. How would you know what to cook at 60 degrees?"

Ms Iwan didn't experience any of these issues herself — but she does find the fact portable induction stoves only have two cooking zones, max, a struggle.

"I like to cook a few things at a time. So only being able to do one at a time is not the best!"

Watch out for spills and efficiency

"We've also found that spills can run into the workings. If you spill anything, if anything boils over, it can end up in the mechanics and that can malfunction the unit," Ms Mair continues.

They also have slightly lower wattages than built-in induction stoves, making them less efficient.

That said, Ms Iwan says the speed discrepancy between portable and built-in induction hasn't bothered her so far — she's still found portable induction to be faster than electric and gas.

There are comparable options if you can't be bothered with all of this

Ms Mair says she'd opt for a multicooker instead of a portable induction set-up for those looking to reduce their use of gas stoves.

"They're a little bit more expensive, but they can do so much more. They can sear, deep-fry, slow-cook, and pressure-cook."

Ms Iwan agrees — though she has her eye on an air fryer.

Not to go all clickbait on you, but keep reading for a potentially *surprising* expert verdict on portable induction set-ups.(Adobe Stock/ABC Everyday: Luke Tribe)

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[Dannie Boy]

They’re obviously very convenient and easy to use (with the correct type of pan), but as for running costs, here in Thailand, I doubt than anything is cheaper than bottled gas that most people use.

[404cameljockey]

I had no experience of induction hobs (built in) until I bought house with one in Thailand six years ago. Once I understood that not all pans etc. can be used on them I haven't looked back. As controllable as gas but with easy cleaning. Cost of operation I haven't looked into but I won't change. From other posts here portable ones seem to have many drawbacks. I find that that operation is pretty simple even for me at 65 years old. Spills on the front control surface will shut off the whole hob until you restart it (quick and simple, just the power button on the surface), so safety is good. I can even use the timer and auto off function, separate for each surface. Four surfaces seem necessary to me as you can use two for cooking while the other two act for simmering or just keeping part cooked food hot. surfaces are different sizes for differnt sized pots/pans. Love it.

A (ceramic) induction surface will be fairly hot for a minute or so after turning one off, but the control panel shows a red light while it's still hot. But anyway not hot like an electric surface stays red hot for a long time (with no warnng light?). And anyway a gas hob's cast iron grill also burns your hand for a while after turning it off.

[Ratsima]

They’re obviously very convenient and easy to use (with the correct type of pan), but as for running costs, here in Thailand, I doubt than anything is cheaper than bottled gas that most people use.

This is an interesting question that turns out to be difficult to answer. If you're talking about energy alone, then gas is probably cheaper per kilowatt hour. But if you factor in energy efficiency, the induction probably wins.Then again, it's impossible to do Asian-style wok cooking on an induction hob.

I thought about buying something like this:

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But it was around 32K baht.

[MLS]

Hello all, I bought a cheap Philips induction plate from Lazada recently for occasional use as I have an open plan kitchen/lounge setup and didn’t want the lingering aroma of cooking mackerel etc. in the house. I just plug it in on the veranda and any fishy smells stay out there. Works well with my existing pans and is quick and clean - so ino longer seems like heresy to me. I was surprised though to read that many professional restaurateurs, e.g Michel Roux Jnr, have switched 100% from gas to induction, and the Masterchef UK kitchens also use it now.