OUR HOME’S JACI HICKEN MOVED TO INDUCTION COOKING A WHILE AGO, AND FROM BEING A CHEF, SHE HAS SHARED HER KNOWLEDGE OF HOW INDUCTION COOKING WORKS.
It was 20 years ago that a chef told me that in his new kitchen, he was going to use induction cooking only.
At the time, this was unheard of.
Ten years ago, when opening a cafe and building a kitchen, it became apparent that induction was the way to go.
At the time, this was unheard of.
The kitchen has evolved from a cafe to a cooking school, using built-in and portable induction cooktops to cook everything.
With the electrification of homes under way in Australia, many people don’t have a choice but to move to induction.
Yes, induction is electrically operated, but unlike an electric element, the energy transfers from the inducted cooktop directly into your metal cookware using an electromagnetic coil beneath the ceramic glass.
Because of the electromagnetic coil, induction is incredibly fast and can boil a pot of water in under three minutes.
It is a myth that you can touch the spot where the pan sits and it will be cool.
When taking a pan off the heat, the induction cooktop will be too hot to touch, but it cools down quicker than an electric cooktop.
The area, not used for cooking, does not heat up, making induction safer and ideal for letting your little budding chef loose on dinner.
In my kitchen, we sometimes teach people of all abilities how to cook.
It may be the first time they have ever fried an egg, and using induction means they don’t have to be scared of touching the area around the pan.
Induction is impossible to leave on, turning off if it overheats, is left on for too long or once you remove the pan.
The biggest downside of induction is needing new pots and pans that a magnet will stick to the base of, which may be costly.
We all know you need good pots and pans to cook well, so a set of new saucepans is the worst compromise you may have to make in the move.
Some worry that food will stick to the bottom of the saucepan, which happens when you heat something too quickly in a pot that may have seen better days.
As a chef who can be found in the kitchen making jam and sauce most weekends, sticking is not a problem.
But maybe it is a chef’s thing to cook on a lower heat, keeping an eye on what is cooking at all times.
Hence, induction cooking is ideal for me and what you will find in my kitchen.