Induction cooking is faster and more precise than traditional gas burners, fuel efficient (only heats your pans instead of the stovetop), safer (no open flames or hot surfaces) and easier to clean.
Induction cooktops use electromagnetism to heat your pots and pans. They only work with induction-friendly cookware, which is usually made of a ferromagnetic metal that will stick to a magnet.
Quick cook functionality
Beneath each induction zone on your glass-ceramic cooktop is a coiled copper wire that creates swirling electric currents to heat the metal bottom of your pan. When the cookware hits the coil, these magnetic fields stimulate atoms to generate radiant heat, just as it would in a gas burner or on an electric hot plate.
The speed of the heat transfer is why most induction cooktops boil water up to 50 percent faster than gas and electric. It’s also why they’re safer and more energy-efficient — they don’t waste heat by heating the air around your pots or pans.
However, this fast heat transfer comes with a downside: there’s no visual cue that the cooking surface is hot, such as a physical flame or glowing red coils (though some manufacturers have added virtual flames). And since only your cookware gets heated, it’s easier to keep children, pets, and distracted adults away from the burner.
Changing over to an induction stove will typically require installing new high-capacity wiring. A licensed electrician will need to install a 220-volt outlet protected by 40 or 50 amp breakers and cap your gas line. This will be a several-hour job and cost anywhere from $500 to $1,000 depending on the scope of the work.
Timer and countdown functions
A timer allows you to set an amount of time (up to 99 minutes) that will shut a burner off when it’s finished. Press the timer key to activate it and use the number keys to select the desired amount of time. You can also check the remaining/elapsed time, reset the timer or clear the timer setting at any time during the cooking process.
A “SafeStart” feature prevents a burner from activating without the proper cookware in place, and will lock settings while the cooktop is in use. Each burner has 17 power bep tu munchen levels, providing excellent, granular control.
Most induction cooktops emit a buzz or hum during operation. This is normal, and it may become louder at higher heat settings. Heavy flat-bottomed pans can help reduce this. The humming isn’t harmful, but it can interfere with a digital meat thermometer.
The Bosch Benchmark induction cooktop comes with Home Connect, which allows you to control your stove via Wi-Fi from any compatible smart device or smart phone, connect your appliances together with IFTT technology and more. You can find out more about Home Connect here. You can also access manuals and FAQs for the range by visiting the Bosch website. You can also download the Bosch app to monitor your appliance remotely and even turn on the kitchen lights.
User friendly interface hob
An induction cooktop can be set into a countertop or freestanding, and can even be portable. It is very shallow compared to traditional gas-fired or electric coil cooktops, which makes wheelchair access much easier. It also stays cool, reducing the risk of burns from spills and boil-overs.
To start using an induction cooktop, place your pot or pan on the surface. Then the induction hob will automatically sense it, and display an icon that indicates that it is heating up. There are some induction cooktops that will beep or flash if you don’t place the pan on the surface within 20-30-60 seconds. This is to protect the cooktop from stray EMF and conserve energy.
Induction cooktops only work with induction-compatible cookware, which is marked as such. The iron particles in the bottom of induction-compatible cookware activate when placed on an induction stove, resulting in magnetic induction of heat. As a result, the induction stove only uses a small fraction of its power, and your kitchen remains cooler as a result. This is why induction cooktops are so popular in Europe, where energy prices are high. In addition, they are safer for people with implanted cardiac pacemakers who must avoid magnetic fields. They’re also very easy to clean.