INDUCTION COOKING IS MAGIC… I cannot believe I nearly chose a traditional range!
We have a gas range… it cooks stuff!
So I assumed that we would do another for the kitchen remodel… but as with all kitchen decisions, the further you wade in, the further you realize that you have been living in a prehistoric cave: dirt floor, poor lighting, no espresso station.
What was the source of my cave/dirt epiphany?
The sorcery that is INDUCTION COOKING.
Incase you too are a cave-dweller, this is an induction cooktop.
A THIN PIECE OF GLASS WITH ZERO NOOKS TO SCRUB.
And yes, it comes as a freestanding range… BUT YOU CAN DO IT LIKE THIS TOO.
Not only is it an easy-to-clean surface, it’s energy efficient, there is no outgassing, AND all the bulkiness of a range top is totally unnecessary!
The clunky knobs? Unnecessary!
The unsightly grates? Unnecessary!
The nooks for collecting gunk? Unnecessary!
The OUTGASSING OF TOXINS? UNNECESSARY!
If those are unnecessary… WHY DID I NEARLY BUY THEM!
Terrifying.
Before we continue, allow me to SHOW YOU THE MAGIC!
Here is induction cooking in a short video (I took it at the Wolf showroom, which I’ll get to in a second) and YES– the cover photo of this video IS water boiling WHILE sitting on a paper towel AT THE SAME TIME. Madness!
I began my induction introduction at the Wolf and SubZero showroom… Paul and I were sightseeing; attempting stealth and composure, while waiting to be identified as poors and evicted to the parking lot where we belong.
For the record: they were very kind to us.
Even after I started licking all of their shiny things.
But then, the Wolf guy was like— have you considered induction?
And then all our kitchen plans were ruined.
Now that I’ve seen induction, I’m GENUINELY confused why they even SELL anything else… nothing else even makes any SENSE.
So I was all– I do not understand! What am I missing? What is WRONG with it? Why is EVERYONE NOT USING THIS?
The Wolf guy sort of struggled to find words to explain; he said something like– well, you have to get USED to it… and you cannot SEE the heat, which weirds people out.
And I was like— eh? That seems like preferring a corded-home-wall-phone to a smartphone… not to mention how this wall phone has giant grates and burners and squats on your countertop screaming: LOOK AT MY KNOBS.
Whatever.
I’m going to skip that.
Also FYI: your cookware must be compatible… check using a magnet. If it sticks, you’re good… Mine happens to be fine, (I use All Clad copper core) but I would have (HAPPILY) bought all new pans… I cook every. single. day… and I can see how this technology is WAY BETTER than what I was using, FOR ME.
Now, this post should be over.
But it’s not.
Because ease and simplicity are things to be complicated.
I went home and started googling… it took me three seconds to find the roadblock I was looking for!
What is it?
I’m glad you asked!
Before I spell it out, allow me to conduct research:
Visually, do YOU see any way that the kitchen below COULD BE BETTER?
Do you see it?
Let’s try again… do you see something below that is NOT LIKE THE OTHER THINGS? And would be BETTER if it WERE like the other things?
Because this thing is NOT fancy or gilded or a giant antique grand piano that is now our kitchen island… so it does not need to be going around demanding that people take notice of it; because the cooktop is NOT THE ARBITER OF WHAT PEOPLE SHOULD NOTICE IN MY KITCHEN… I AM.
To me, the answer is obvious:
the above photo would be 874,239,054 TIMES BETTER if the induction top was white, instead of THE MOST NOTICEABLE AND CONTRASTING THING THEY COULD HAVE POSSIBLY PUT IN THAT SPACE.
Apparently that’s just me though; because American induction cooktop manufacturers ONLY MAKE THEM IN BLACK… because this is 1908, and Henry Ford is in charge of all cooktop colors!
So, for fun, I have decided I do not wish to have black!
I wish to have white!
Huzzah!
This is unfortunate considering that I HAD been planning slate countertops, (which are currently in our garage) and which might be fine-okay-ish with a black induction… BUT. For some reason? Now that is prohibited.
I do not know why.
IT JUST IS.
White carrara.
With white induction.
This is the way.
Does white EXIST?
Sure! In France, Belgium, Australia… basically any place not located at Home Depot.
Preferring options NOT available to me is incredibly inconvenient; so this is where YOU come in: in an ideal world, one of you has purchased an induction cooktop not marketed in the U.S.
And hopefully, you did it without actually traveling to Paris and bringing it back in your luggage; because while that would be an amazing blog post, it goes against my first rule of existence: do not leave the house unnecessarily.
EVEN FOR PARIS.
Actually, ESPECIALLY for Paris… because last time I was there, my dad got separated from us at the train station, and COMPLETELY DISAPPEARED.
Gone. Vanished. No trace.
My brother and I searched the train station… and then the surrounding blocks, and then back to the train station, and then back out into the neighborhood… we looked for our father in a country where we do not speak the language… eventually finding our way back to the hotel we’d checked out of, who let us use their phone to call my mom to tell her that we had bad news about Dad, and also we had no passports or money or anything because Dad had them; and then we sat in the hotel lobby for some eternity while my mother at whatever three-am time in America is trying to find someone who speaks French… until my father called the hotel, and said– WHERE ARE YOU KIDS?
For your edification: not only was my father completely fine, he claims none of this ever actually happened… which is pretty weird since Chris and I remember it exactly the same way: with vivid, frightening detail.
Anyway.
Cooktops.
PLEASE TELL ME all about how easy it was to swap out out European voltage, hertz, nominal frequency of the oscillations of alternating current. Simple!
I emailed Bosch… in The Netherlands… and also Electrolux in Australia… to ask WHY DO THEY WANT AMERICANS TO ONLY HAVE UGLY?
Being so obvious about it is really rude.
And also to tell them: they are ruining kitchens around the world by leaving us imprisoned at the whim of American induction manufacturers.
No more!
THE TYRANNY MUST END!
Two last bits of information to have my full perspective:
1. IT MUST BE FLUSH.
NO surface mount… I want it IN my counter; as opposed to just sitting on top.
I think the appeal of the inset version is obvious, BUT FYI: it does mean that your counters must be fabricated to the specs, and any cutting of stone is where the expense really piles up… plus, if you had to replace it, potentially a nightmare.
2. Options in the American market that are sort of off-white… if, you define off-white as: tanish beige, 1982.
Here is option #1 tanish-beige-circa-1982 (price is twice what you can pay for black.)
Option #2, Monogram induction cooktop:
Reading other people’s descriptions online, it seems like the color of this one (pictured below) depends on lighting and angle; so maybe I could get on board with the color, if I saw it in person.
I cannot claim to be disinterested in the shiny silver circles, but the price is twice the other tanish beige… and that just is… no. I will not pay that much for 1982.
I’m done now.
Plz hlp me.
‘k thx.
February 8, 2018 @ 4:29 pm
I am Australian….This post made me sooooo happy because finally there is something in Australia that someone covets and can’t have…..soooo happy. Because you see that is my life, I read so many American and UK blogs and there are countless things I see that I want so bad and what kills me is that they are WAY cheaper than anything we could get here! BUT if I have it shipped here then I always have to pay $1 000 000 in shipping fees. My house would be prettier and filled with more stuff I don’t need…if only I was a millionaire! So I will proceed to sit here smugly for the rest of the day. 😏
February 8, 2018 @ 4:40 pm
I have have had a Kitchenaid induction cooktop for 10 years and it is by far, my favorite appliance EVER, and certainly the cleanest cooktop I’ve ever had. You won’t regret the black. I have linen white cabinets, subway tile, and a light whitish granite counter…the sleek cooktop looks elegant. I’d compromise on anything but induction!
February 8, 2018 @ 4:45 pm
Hi Victoria! I’m not 100% sure if this is what you’re looking for, but Ikea has something similar in white. It’s part of the NUTID series. Good luck in your search 🙂
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50288693/
February 8, 2018 @ 5:02 pm
You could get portable induction burners, not install them permanently at all, and just pull out a burner when you need one. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10343776/?query=Portable+induction+cooktop
February 9, 2018 @ 2:51 pm
How cool is that!
February 8, 2018 @ 5:08 pm
I prefer the black. Not that you asked, and I also prefer gas, so my opinions are meaningless to the conversation! Which of course did not stop me offering them.
And while I am offering up unsolicited opinions, may I just say that I will be glad when this trend of white-on-white-on-white, with a little white on the side, ends? And hopefully takes subway tiles with it, because I don’t understand why people want their kitchens to look like subways and public washrooms.
Regardless of what you choose, it’s going to be amazing, that we ALL know.
February 8, 2018 @ 5:18 pm
But where was your Dad?
February 8, 2018 @ 5:43 pm
I have had, for the past 25 years (in 3 countries in Europe) electric ceramic hobs and wouldn’t change for the world. Also, with a bit careful handling you won’t have a problem with stains and scratches. The only one I have on my now 10yr old cooker stems from a visiting couple who insisted to make the spaghettis and scratched the surface; I still don’t know how they managed….
Also, take BLACK, please. I underline all the advice above, I have white countertops and they are HELL to clean, they always look dirty and if I had the money I would change them for slate which I had at the last two places and which is great, heat-resistent, I cut up all my stuff directly on them, it’s dead easy to keep clean and shiny and as a fanatical cook I would give much to have them again. Maybe I’m using the wrong term, we call it granite, it’s totally natural and has a ‘life’, inclusions, one of mine had little topaz bits… gorgeous. And don’t wish for a flush one either – sorry – you won’t be happy with it. The flush ones are so devilish to set in – and by gosh, if you should really break the top you’ll be in real trouble because you never get the thing out again. Our neighbours had one and they dropped a huge pan – it was a disaster.
Sorry for the bad news you get from everybody – but really, the idea of giving your head a break seems reasonable – or you might ending up to hate cooking. And that’s not what you’d want.
February 8, 2018 @ 6:06 pm
My daughter has one and I HATE it! Sorry, but it is true. It is just not like gas, just irritating for me to use. On top of that, it looks pretty awful after years of use. I have tried to clean it, too, and it is a nightmare. I hate how it heats, seems very unnatural. We just bought a gorgeous gas stove with a convection oven and I love it. It is stunning looking, too, as it is a slide-in, so it looks super with the grates on top and all the shine is stunning.
Everyone has their own fav , plus reasons why, too. If you like the sleek look than that is the one for you, but there are other reasons to like any stove. Visual beauty, yes, but also how well it cooks is huge. I cook many times a day and love the performance my gas stove and convection oven. My made from scratch cakes turn out better than ever! I also have had wall units before and they are too small and when they break, good luck on finding the same size to fit in the holes. Just my 2 cents, from someone who has cooked for hubby and family for 42 years.
February 8, 2018 @ 6:06 pm
Induction was all the rage 10+ years ago when I remodeled my old house. I bought the single burner to use through out the kitchen remodel thinking I would buy the full size range later. They were running $2,000 back then. And after using the single burner for less than a month I realized I didn’t need or want a 4 burner stove using that technology. Like someone else said, it boils water in a couple of seconds. I have an electric pot that boils water in a few seconds. Beyond that I prefer my gas stove with an oven. If my electricity goes off I can still cook. And if I drop something on it, nothing breaks. The grates go in the dishwasher. If I were going to do it all over again, I would buy a refurbished or new old 40 inch stove. It would fit the age of my house and I’d like to have that stove again. Now I can’t because the stove space is 30 inches.
February 8, 2018 @ 6:26 pm
Victoria this is not about the cook top but white will work you to death. I have a square grand piano if any one of your readers would like one to have one for a island , Needs restoration to be a working piano but would work for a island, my kitchens to small. Piano is located in South Carolina circa 1864 Chickering.
February 8, 2018 @ 6:38 pm
So what about cast iron cooks? I cook almost exclusively in cast iron….you just cannot sear meat with such amazing flavor in anything else. I do hate the stoves I’ve had because of how difficult they are to keep clean but i love eating good food more than I hate the ugly stoves.
February 8, 2018 @ 6:44 pm
Electromagnetic pulse effects: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/16635999/?i=3&from=/15955187/related
Opinion is divided but with a defibrillator-implanted b-in-law who loves to meddle in the kitchen, I opted for gas over gimmick.
February 8, 2018 @ 6:48 pm
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/16635999/?i=3&from=/15955187/related
Opinion is divided as to electromagnetic pulse appliances, however, with a defibrillator-implanted b-in-law, who loves to meddle in the kitchen, I opted for gas over gimmick.
February 8, 2018 @ 7:18 pm
I went through the exact dilemma years ago, I wanted white induction on white marble. Couldn’t figure out an affordable way to do it and if I remember correctly the non American cooktops were also a smaller size and I cook a lot with big pans so I needed space on my cooktop. I eventually went with dark counters on the perimeter and white on the island and I did love it. Also I have the same pans as you and my cooktop is not scratched, I think only cast iron will do that. So this is a crazy idea that I have no idea if it would work. What if u took off the glass, and scraped all the black off and then frosted it? Or replaced it with a different piece of glass. This is way over most people’s heads, but you are married to Paul. Also, not all induction is created equal, people who compare an IKEA counter top model to a cooktop would be blown away by the cooktop, I know cause I’ve used both.
February 8, 2018 @ 7:54 pm
I saw what you did immediately. It does draw the eye with so much white. We don’t have an induction cooktop, but we do have an electric one, and I’m looking into a cooktop cover. Not because I mind the black, because I like how sleek it is, but all our appliances are stainless. Maybe a fancy cooktop cover would make the difference?
February 8, 2018 @ 7:58 pm
My son is an Interiors Architect. I asked him. His reply was: “I am not sure. The brands that may have it may be pretty pricey. Thermador, Miele, Bertazoni – but they’ll be $2000, minimum.”
February 8, 2018 @ 8:04 pm
Many years ago we moved our kitchen to another room in our home entirely. Total re-do from the studs. We live in an area where the only gas is propane. I was gung-ho to get a Blue Star gas cooktop. But my husband was not enthusiastic about having a propane tank and hook-up installed. For 2 years before the reno, I spent 12 hours a day on the old Gardenweb kitchen site and heard about induction for the first time. Very long story short, at that time the only induction cooktops were European, and VERY expensive. There were no induction ranges available in the US at all.
We, too, went to one of those appliance stores where we were by far the poorest people in the place (including the salespeople), in another state, because our state didn’t even have such a place. I tried induction there. Instant conversion. We bought a 36″ Miele induction cooktop. We still cook on it, a lot. Advantages you already know. We have had minimal scratching, hardly visible, and I happily use my cast iron all the time. No clouding like other people have mentioned. So fast and responsive. SO easy to clean. Disadvantages: had to give away my Calphalon and buy new cookware using a magnet (except for the cast iron and Le Creuset). You can’t roast a pepper over an induction burner. Most have a max burner size of 12″, which is not optimal for my 14″ Allclad frypan. You also can’t use a stove-top espresso maker, even if it’s magnetic. Its footprint is too small to actuate the burner. You can’t take your roasting pan out of the oven, remove the meat, and put that pan on your stove to reduce the drippings by bridging burners, at least not on mine. And those models which allow bridging have burners that aren’t big enough anyway. When you lose electric power, like in a storm, it’s useless, as other folks have pointed out.
Meanwhile, my best friend did buy the Blue Star gas cooktop and runs it on propane. While she likes it, she’s had multiple problems with ignition problems and had to have it serviced more than once. I’ve never had to service the induction once yet (knock wood). She has to keep track of the propane level in her tank so she doesn’t run out. Cleaning that gas range is a bear. Seriously. If I had to do it over again, I’d go with induction again. Wishing you happiness whatever you choose.
February 8, 2018 @ 8:24 pm
“We had an induction cooktop for awhile, it scratched easily and my OCD also hated the cloudy rings that formed from repeated heat.”
We’ve had our Kenmore Elite induction cooktop for 10+ years and I cannot relate one bit to the above. In the past I had traditional electric cooktops which had those issues but not the induction cooktop.
February 8, 2018 @ 8:31 pm
Full disclosure, I just peed myself. A little. But pee I did. Damn this getting old business. I should be able to guffaw with abandon. Which I did. But paid the price. Totally worth it.
February 8, 2018 @ 8:32 pm
I love your style. I love your writing. I love your videos. It’s just a cooktop. get over your obsession!! Black cooktop…white counters…big whoop. Dont you love BLACK AND WHITE cats? It would be a kitchen version of your ode to tuxedo cats. Did you swtich from slate to white for counters? did I miss something? Black would look better with slate, than white anyway. I need another GFT video.