Induction Stoves

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browndog

Are you bulletproof boy?
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Hey Brewers, anyone out there use an Induction Cooktop? I've just ordered one on the recommendation of a workmate/foodie and from what I can see they are better than gas and more energy efficient.

cheers

Browndog
 
Only problem is they only work with steel or stainless cookware.
 
Beerisyummy does. I had an exchange of PM's with him about induction. To save him typing them out again I doubt he'd mind me sharing his comments about induction with everyone (really hope this isn't bad form!). He basically lays out a list of pro's and con's that I found pretty helpful.

And thanks again to him. He was awesomely helpful and very generous with his time.


"The induction cooker I'm using is one of the Breville quick times.
It is meant to be 2100 watts but I can only seem to get 1900w out of it on my garage circuit, which suffers ftrom voltage drop under load. I'll leave the maths upto you on that in regards to heating times for different volumes.

...I like the inductions ability to be really gentle and powerful in one unit. They are also super safe and efficient if you insulate the shit out of your kettle.

No fires at any time and they will shut down after a few hours to stop boiling dry.

Pros:
Very precise control of input power right down to tepid bathwater heating.
Super neat power source which is easy to clean and store.
No naked flames and fire hazards.
You can insulate the whole pot except the part that sits on the cooking surface and it will not burn the insulation.
Low density elements are a joke compared to one of these babies. The 200mm diameter heating area has precise input.
Cooks a mean steak and great for scallops if you need a feed with your beer.
Great for making caramel sugar, boiling starter wort and sterilising.
Comes with a really good small pot.
Got a power point handy? You can brew here if you like.
The manual says "nine kilo max lad". It works with a 50l pot, although I use a few blocks as backup just incase.
Works with the legendary BigW 19l stock pot.

Cons:
2400w would be better.
Glass top scratches easily when you get grit under a big pot. Meh.
Running the unit on a stretched circuit or a power lead will cause voltage drop and a loss of heating power.
You can not attach a temp controller to these machines. A heat exchanger pump setup could fix this.
If you switch off the power, the unit resets and will reboot to standby mode.
The unit has a fan which makes a little bit of noise.
 
Ducatiboy stu said:
Only problem is they only work with steel or stainless cookware.
Yeah, I factored in new cookware into the equation Stu.
 
I don't know if you have a Clive Peeters up North, but you could always sus out a store when they are running a demonstration. My first and foremost concern would be is the surface area of the induction plate suitable* for the pot you plan on using and is the power output sufficient to efficiently boil your working volumes. Induction will definitely reach maximum heat output almost immediately, so boil times will obviously be faster compared with other non immersion heating styles. Induction is definitely safe due to the fact that the heat is caused by vibrating particles within the steel, so the only heat left behind once you move the pot is the warmth from the pot itself, which would only remain too hot to touch for a fleeting moment. This kind of safety isn't really a big deal unless you have kids, I guess.

*Suitability in terms of surface area of induction vs pot diameter is an important factor that cannot be ignored without consequence like having a smaller (albeit monstrously powerful jet) burner under a pot as the heat spread is not the same; also you really need a good quality multi-ply pot with a thick base.

I've tailored my response to suit someone who intends on using this to do stovetop brewing. If this is purely about food... I personally just find cooking with gas has a kind of nostalgic/rustic feel to it and I just prefer gas for no real logical reason beyond the fact that I have a lot of copper cookware. Induction isn't a gimmick - it's awesome. If you have no particular love of gas and won't be sad replacing all your cookware, then I doubt you'd regret it. It is fast and allows for precise control, as mentioned, plus cleaning them makes pulling off trivets and taking gas based bits and bobs apart look like technological retardism. Just be prepared to pay a sparky to wire up some pretty damn thick electrical cable straight from your fusebox.
 
lukiferj said:
Didn't Clive Peeters go out of business? Or become Harvey Normans?
Really? Dunno, mate. I only go to those kinds of stores when my wife makes me. www.clivepeeters.com.au redirects to HN, so you would appear to be correct. So try HN or equivalent then!
 
+1 to that Iralosavic

I love my portable induction cooktop for it's ability out of the kitchen, but would much prefer to cook food on a gas cooktop.
Nothing beats the visual adjustment of a flame to suit ones needs.
 
Glassware works on inductions. I use mine for starters in a flask.
 
Glassware works on inductions. I use mine for starters in a flask.
I think you may be getting induction mixed up with ceramic? Induction won't heat glassware unless you use one of the metal disk thingies in between the glass and the element.

Something I should have added in the last post BrownDog. Longevity is something I would seriously consider when choosing between induction and gas.
I have recently had one of my clients call me up after only two years to say that the top of the line Miele cooktop has died.
They have $20k plus of gear installed and never cook so I joked that it died of shame, but the truth is that if it died five years down the track they would need to fork out another $4-5k.

I have never had a call back about a gas cooktop. The worst I've seen is the automatic lighter failing.
Matches will get your dinner on the table if that happens.


To add to the comment on heavy cables being needed, from memory, the above cooktop needed a 20amp gpo installed.

Regards
Ross.
 
I know when I was using the 2 big w pots, that they were labelled that they were good for induction.

Given I could crank out beer on the stove (ceramic off memory), I would assume the same would apply for induction, given my (ghetto) equipment could (in theory) deal with it.

I'm using a 36L pot on a glass top stove - the stove is not as good as my old house (that's using cooking, rather than brewing as a comparison) - but it just manages the pot.

I'm at 6's and 7's at the moment whether I should grab a couple of big w pots when I'm in Hobart for work a couple of weeks' time and revert back to stovetop method with 2 pots, etc (and then go down in youtube infamy mwah haha ha); or go out and buy a gas bottle and ramp up the 50L keg (no, I don't have the skills to put in elements into the keg and make a keggle). I remember seeing (I think it were bribieG) that calcs were being done recently on stove/electric/urn vs gas on a cost basis, and the gas IIRC came last, and there was the practical issue of making sure you own 2 gas bottles, so if one ran out mid boil, you had your backup (and didn't fill too early).

I'm only adding issues to the debate, but this does interest me.
 
Glassware will not work on induction, however, you can buy "induction discs" that serve as a hot plate for incompatible cookware.

If I were wanting to boil large volumes, I'd be hunting for a very powerful stove. You'll most likely require a 32a connection (although the 20a wouldn't be exceeded by heaps , it just means thicker cable for safety reasons.). You may or may not need new cabling depending on your current wiring. My house had 20a circuit on 4mm cable, fortunately I was able to identify the risk of fire and had it replaced.
 
Are you buying a cooktop for the kitchen or a portable for use in the brewery?

SIL has an induction in their Sydney North Shore mansion and it is really good with flat bottomed steel cookware but hopeless for anything like woks that need a good blast of flame up the sides.

I have cooked on her induction and it gives almost instant heat and control unlike the pathetic ceramic tops and old style solid electric elements.

For all my stovetop cooking I use twelve dollar camping stoves, they look quite smart nowadays and the canisters at a dollar each last for ages, I cook on around $3 a week. I last used the ceramic top in November.

edit; visitors look pityingly and suspect I can't pay my electric bill but when they see them in action they race off to Bunnings the next day :lol:
 
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