Photo: Organic v Conventional / Flickr

If you don’t know anything about induction cookers, here’s the simple rundown on how they work: induction cookers transfer heat directly to whatever cooking vessel you’re using, rather than to the plate on which it rests. The ‘induction cookers versus conventional cookers’ debate rages between the loyal users of each, so find out more about this useful method and decide for yourself whether it’s the answer for your kitchen.

Keeping it safe

One of the greatest advantages of induction cooking is that it’s so safe, especially for households with children. The fact that the plates never warm up mean that there’s virtually no risk of burning – even with the heat turned up to its highest, a plate won’t conduct heat to anything but magnetic substances – so your hands are safe from harm. The added bonus? You’ll be working in a much cooler kitchen than you’d have when using conventional cooking methods.

The downsides

Photo: Stoves

It’s not all good news about induction cooking. The downsides include the fact that you’re limited to cooking vessels made from magnetic material, and the fact that the cooking process can be noisy due to vibrations of lighter-weight cookware. Another issue can be that very small pots might not be detected – but they’d have to be less than about five inches in diameter, and accessories are available to make use possible.

So, why choose induction cooking?

Aside from safety, and if the drawbacks don’t put you off, there’s plenty more to say on the side of induction side of the ‘induction cookers versus conventional cookers’ debate. Induction cooking won’t waste heat so it’s likely to save a little on your electricity bill, it allows for instant and accurate heat adjustment, and the adaptable cooking units take up very little space. If you’re still not convinced either way, shop around and do some research to find out what works for you.

Tags: cooking