Faster, safer, cooler: Why induction cooking is the most eco-conscious choice

Think back a few years to the days before reusable bags at the grocery store, in a time when people thought driving Hummers was cool and nobody talked about gas mileage. Oh how naive we were. But as with many things in life, adapting to the green revolution has meant a few sacrifices, some inconveniences, and numerous shifts in perspective.

It's time to adjust our perspective on cooking. If we want to use the least amount of energy when we prepare our sustainably sourced, locally grown goodies we need to consider induction cooking. The most energy efficient method of cooking, induction puts 90% of the energy it uses directly towards heating, compared to 60% for gas and 55% with electric. However, induction cooking is a completely different form of cooking, requiring us to relearn how to cook and what to cook with.

Rather than utilizing conduction (as with gas and electric) to heat food, induction ranges have coils beneath the elements that carry a current. This creates magnetic friction, which then bounces from under the cooktop surface to cookware placed on it. The magnetic construction of the cookware is crucial because it becomes part of the electrical circuit, using the energy to become hot. When cookware is placed on top, it acts as a conductor, converting the current to heat inside the pot.

This produces several benefits:

Instantaneous heat that is infinitely controllable.
A stove top cool to the touch so less ambient heat is generated.
An easy-to-clean surface because food doesn't get burnt onto it.
An intelligence level that automatically shuts off burners if a pot has boiled over or boiled dry.

All of these features contribute to the eco-cred of induction cooking.

But what's the catch? It's the cookware. You may have to ditch your old pots and pans - not an eco-friendly proposition - in favor of ferromagnetic cookware (cookware with iron in it).

Here is a rundown of the cookware and cooking methods that make induction different.

How to Choose Induction Cookware

The base of your pot must be made of a ferromagnetic metal, such as cast iron or stainless steel. To check if your cookware will work, simply test it with a magnet.
Cast iron and black metal or iron pans work very well.
Stainless steel pans will work if the base of the pan is a magnetic grade of stainless steel.
Copper, glass, aluminum, and porcelain won't work. You can use an interface disk, but this reduces the efficiency when compared to a regular electric stovetop.
Some cookware or packaging is marked with symbols to indicate compatibility with induction, gas or electric heat.
Any cookware used must have a completely smooth and flat base, with no ridges or dimples, in order to contact the induction coils directly.

How To Cook With Induction.

The biggest advantage of induction is speed. Consumer Reports found that the fastest induction cooktop boiled 1.5 gallons of water in 8 minutes. That's twice as fast as electricity or gas. But this speed means adapting your cooking methods - like not putting olive oil on the burner to warm up while you chop onions - or you'll have a fat fire on your hands. Place a cold pan of bacon on an induction cooktop and it will be sizzling in seconds.
The lack of a flame can reduce the cooking experience for people accustomed to gas, and mastering cooking techniques like stir-frying and searing requires some effort, because when you lift the pan off the cooktop, the "heat" shuts off.
How you place the pots on the burners is crucial. If the pot is not directly on the burner, that portion will not cook.
Make sure you have at least one burner as big as your biggest pan; induction works when the pan is smaller than the burner, but not the other way around.
Pick the right pot for the job. The more conductive the material, the more even the heat. When cooking sauces, a pan with aluminum throughout is better, since the heat flows up the sides through the aluminum, cooking rapidly but evenly. When frying, choose a pan with a base that is a good heat conductor to spread the heat quickly and evenly.
The cooking surface of an induction cooktop is made of ceramic glass, a poor heat conductor. This means you can place food, equipment and anything non-metal directly on the cooktop with no fear that it will burn or melt.
Ceramic glass requires more care than a traditional cooktop, and must be cleaned after every use with a special non-abrasive cleaner to avoid scratches. Additionally, it can crack, so extreme care should be used when wielding those heavy cast iron pans.

Conclusion.

Right now, induction is an investment; purchasing an induction cooker and new pots and pans could easily set you back $2,500. If your existing range and pots and pans work well, it wouldn't be environmentally or economically wise to ditch them in favor of induction. However if your current cooker is coming to the end of its life, do consider induction as an eco-friendly replacement. If a new stove is still a ways off, but your cookware has seen better days, replacing those with induction compatible pots and pans - which work fine on regular gas or electric stove - is a good way to 'future proof' your eco-friendly kitchen for when you can incorporate induction cooking.