Gas vs. Induction - I am torn!
lisadlu16
7 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (34)
Related Discussions
? about look of induction vs gas rangetop
Comments (4)I think either would look lovely! If you want a focal point, however, you can make the cabinetry in your cooking area just a focal-y as a rangetop. Options: 1) Clad the top drawer under the induction with stainless, and put stainless or brass towel pokes, or something, across the surface to give it a functional look. I think the Thermador doesn't require a lot of clearance, but usually that top drawer is only deep enough on the inside (under the apron around the cooktop) for things like wooden spoons, spatter screens, or baking sheets. Making it look different makes sense. 2) Make your whole bank of pot drawers a "range". Use a contrast color for the whole stack (black, stainless, copper, or whatever you think fits), and add special feet to the toekick to set it off. Use special hardware to set aside that bank as well. You could even use long pulls (appliance size) to give it that range look. 3) Use an inset or medallion on the backsplash to highlight the area over the cooktop and under the hood. Use a smaller motif of the same stuff on the hood surround for emphasis. 4) Use accessories to direct the glance. Keep a beautiful trivet with an even more beautiful kettle right by the cooktop. On the other side, have a crock of utensils, or some beautiful bottles of infused oils, or a little tray with oils and seasonings. I.e., frame your cooking area to direct the eye to it. 5) Rethink the faux cabinet and put in a gorgeous hood as a focal point instead. Check out Modern Aire hoods. They've become very popular with the people here....See MoreHelp me choose new range - gas vs induction
Comments (26)The comments about ten-power settings got me musing on the subject and about Amy's initial question about logarithmic power controls. Here's where that lead me. Nobody really has logarithmic power controls, but there can be power settings spaced to sort of approximate a logarithmic curve -- a number of settings at the low end with only a couple of additional points needed to define the steep side of the curve for really high heat. In theory, that can be done with a ten-step power curve and some folks do find 10 power settings fine for what and how they cook. Others do not. Is anybody else here old enough to remember the GE stoves and cooktops from 50's and 60's with ten mechanical pushbuttons for heat settings? Those pushbuttons were literally "digital" controls, meaning that you punched them with one of your digits. GE sold a lot of them for a couple of decades, so some people found them adequate. Some did not. For the current digital electronic ten-step controls, others here besides loonlakecamp have reported satisfaction with a ten step set-up. Others, like me, would find them inconvenient for my cooking with, say, my pressure cookers. With only ten heat level steps, I would have to be constantly switching settings to maintain the correct pressure. Power setting "1" might be too low, setting "2" might be too high. Switch to 1 for a while until the pressure drops a little too low, switch to 2 for a while until it gets a little too high, then back to 1, etc., etc. With in-between settings, I avoid that annoyance. You don't use pressure cookers? Then maybe having in-between steps won't matter to you. This is just one example of how cooking styles can differ and how more settings can matter to one cook and not to another. Much fuss is sometimes made about the supposedly infinite adjustablity of gas burners. As a practical matter, though, we mostly try to get the burner to the same relatively few settings. Searing is pretty much searing, isn't it? If you deep fat fry, how often would you care if if the oil were at 352° instead of 350°? But maybe somebody is working with sugar syrups where, say, it might matter if a syrup is at 325° and not 360° and then maybe it matters if the induction burner only has ten settings. That said, the subject of induction power settings and controls can be more complicated than just the number of settings. The need for finding "in-between" steps for induction cooking can reflect two different aspects of ways that manufacturers design induction burner controls. One consideration is the power cycling that all induction burners use for settings of less than full power. A technical term for this is "pulse width modulation. or "PWM." It is the same kind of thing a microwave does for low heat levels---momentary pulses of power that average out at a particular heat level. With most PICs as well as some brands of induction cooktops and ranges, the PWM is pretty crude. I've seen this somewhere described as firing up the burner for a second or two of omigosh hot and then switching totally off for three or four seconds. While these pulses average out at a certain heat level the timing can be problematic for, say, the srambled eggs that Amy mentioned at the outset. Combine that kind of "low frequency" PWM with the crude power controls found on many PICs, and you could have a reason that Amy would find herself wanting steps in-between power level "1" and "2" for scambling eggs. Some full size induction ranges and cooktops work this way. I noticed a lot of pulsing at the low heat settings on the Maytag induction range I saw demoed several years ago when I was stove shopping. From past threads on PWM, I gather than Whirlpool's induction ranges and cooktops (which include Maytag and Kitchenaid brands) have used crude PWM. For searching out past threads here on this subject try a search strings like "induction + pulsing + gardenweb" and "induction + cycling + gardenweb." A few of the expensive PICs (Cooktek, Garland, Vollrath) and many full size ranges and cooktops use much higher frequency PWM. Instead switching on and off for a second or more at time, the power switches on and off many times per second. The higher frequency of switching yields much finer power control that more closely approximates a steady heat level. The other design aspect that can lead to wanting "in-between" settings is in how the engineers program the electronic controllers to space the power settings on the appliance you are using --- that's the kind of logarithmic curve I thnk Amy may been thinking about when she posed her question in the original post. . For manufacturers, the least costly controls use simple linear spacing. Setting "1" would use the PWM to average 10% power, setting "2" would be 20%, etc. Even with a high quality PWM, though, 9 or 10 linear settings may be too crude, A thing most induction users discover pretty quickly is that they do most of their cooking in the low to medium range settings. The highest setting can be used for boiling. One or two medium high settings takes care of high heat applications like searing. There seem to be three strategies for induction manufacturers to address the crudeness. One is to add half-steps between the numbered power settings. The other is to program the stove's controllers to put more steps in the low to medium range and fewer in the high ranges. The third strategey combines the first two. Without using the particular induction stove or cooktop, it can be hard to find out whether the particular unit was designed to use one or the other or some combination of them. In my own somewhat limited experience, it seems that the GE induction appliances and Electrolux's Frigidaire/Kenmore ranges seemed to use a modified-half step approach with some concentration of steps but also using half steps for finer control. The Electrolux-branded models use a slightly different approach with quarter-steps at the lower power ends and fewer steps at the high end. Miele cooktops seem to use a similar kind of mix with the option of switching on more steps. I'm not sure how BSH (which includes Bosch) handles this except that their induction appliances manuals show that half-steps are available. The Samsung freeestanding induction ranges seemed to follow the GE model (19 half steps). The reports about Samsung's ten-step "Chef Collection" model seem to conflict, some seeming to say that stepping is linear, some hinting that the settings may be skewed to the lower end. There is a yet another strategy which is the near infinite stepping of of potentiometer-like controls. These control systems seem to be very expensive so, AFAIK, they are used only for the commercial Garland/Manitowiac PICS and maybe the new Miele induction range have this. I say "maybe" for the Miele because there is nothing about it in the product literature and the display shows only whole-number settings, but a couple of posters here -- livinginseattle is the name I recall -- have reported finding that the knobs can be turned to provide fine gradations of "in-between" settings. Some folks would find that ideal. Then the question becomes: how much are you willing to spend for the "ideal" (and are there other design compromises that have to accept in order to get that ideal function for the burners?)...See Moreupdate on my 40 vs. 50 amp, induction vs. gas range dilemma
Comments (4)Hey, that's great! I am also springing for the upgraded electrical for an induction cooktop. Based on my use of a portable unit while we are sans kitchen, I think it's a great decision!...See MoreInduction ranges: pros vs cons
Comments (25)I've had several induction ranges and have really enjoyed cooking with induction. We are in the midst of a kitchen remodel however and are probably going to go with a gas range. Issues with induction: We had four (yes four) Samsung induction ranges each of which failed within the warranty period. The last one literally exploded the cooktop glass and we refused a replacement but got our money back via small claims. Finally switched to Electrolux which has been trouble free and a more convenient design. My only complaints/comments about the Electrolux applies to almost all induction ranges: 1) glass top is not as desirable as cast iron grates except for cleaning and 2) I don't like the electronic selector controls (although Electrolux is much better than Samsung). If I was limited to electric I would keep the Electrolux, it really has been a very fine range all things considered. I do love the instant control and power. The reason to switch to gas for us is partly the cast iron grate thing and partly that we bought a nice set of used kitchen cabinets that has a space and hood for a 48 inch range. If someone made a 48" induction range I'd definitely consider it. One other little quirk about induction ranges: I like to cook with cast iron pans and griddle. If I clean those and put them back on the glass stovetop I get rust spots on pan and stovetop. There isn't enough residual heat to evaporate the water. Of course it isn't that hard to turn on the burner to high for fifteen seconds to evaporate residual moisture (or put down a paper towel) but it's just a little annoying quirk. For the original poster: go induction if you have only electric. No question about it....See More
mjarvis57
7 years ago
suzanne_sl
7 years agosilken1
7 years agolisadlu16
7 years agogldcc
7 years agoNothing Left to Say
7 years agoldstarr
7 years agosilken1
7 years agohomepro01
7 years agoRebecca
7 years agosuzanne_sl
7 years agogldcc
7 years ago
Related Stories
KITCHEN APPLIANCESFind the Right Cooktop for Your Kitchen
For a kitchen setup with sizzle, deciding between gas and electric is only the first hurdle. This guide can help
Full Story
KITCHEN DESIGNDesign an Easy-Clean Kitchen
"You cook and I'll clean" might no longer be a fair trade with these ideas for low-maintenance kitchen countertops, cabinets and floors
Full Story
KITCHEN DESIGNPearls of Wisdom From a Real-Life Kitchen Remodel
What your best friend would tell you if you were embarking on a renovation and she'd been there, done that
Full Story
LIFEHow Do You Make Your Tea and Coffee in the Morning?
A morning cup is a must for many, and preparation comes in many guises. We look at coffee and tea habits across the Houzz community
Full Story
REMODELING GUIDESThe 4 Stages of a Remodel: The Midproject Crisis
Prepare for the mechanical rough-in stage, and don't worry if things don’t look like they’re progressing on the surface
Full Story
REMODELING GUIDES8 Lessons on Renovating a House from Someone Who's Living It
So you think DIY remodeling is going to be fun? Here is one homeowner's list of what you may be getting yourself into
Full Story
KITCHEN DESIGN9 Popular Stovetop Options — Plus Tips for Choosing the Right One
Pick a stovetop that fits your lifestyle and your kitchen style with this mini guide that covers all the basics
Full Story
DECORATING GUIDESHow to Channel Your Inner New Bohemian
Creative and artsy, unique and layered, these looks lead to an inspiring lifestyle at home
Full Story
HEALTHY HOMEDetox Your Kitchen for the Healthiest Cooking
Maybe you buy organic or even grow your own. But if your kitchen is toxic, you're only halfway to healthy
Full Story
3katz4me