Okay, so you know when you’re in the final stages of that huge dinner party and more than half of your cook top space is taken up by the roasting pan in order to produce perfect gravy? The cranberry sauce is reheating to the right which leaves little if no room for that boiling pot of Yukon Gold’s. Before you know it, the spud water is diluting your anti-oxidant rich berries and the freak out is close at hand. 

Stop right there!!! As much as we’d all love a Viking 6 burner and double ovens, it just ain’t gonna’ happen in the next hour.  Don’t despair, I have a solution for every cook, and it doesn’t require a home equity loan to purchase it.  Get a portable induction cook top and freak no more! 

They don’t draw any more energy than your regular appliances and can be as much as 50% more efficient; to boot, there’s a model and price range for every budget.  I love mine, not only as a panacea for the scenario above, but for lots of other reasons.  Cop a squat, and I’ll tell you more. 

Convenience is a biggy for me. Pull it out when you need it and pack it away when you don’t.  Mine is taken along for private dinner parties and events.  It’s a great way to show off a fascinating technology and if a client’s stove top is less than stellar, my red wine reduction won’t suffer for it!  On top of all this, they’re a breeze to clean.

Safety is your friend, especially with little ones running around.  Basically, the surface doesn’t get hot.  Induction technology uses electromagnetic energy to transfer heat directly to the cooking vessel, so fingertips, hands and elbows remain unblemished.  With everything going on in a holiday kitchen, it’s just one less thing to worry about.  No one needs ointment applications on Christmas Eve, or worse yet, a trip to the Emergency Room. 

Efficiency is another good one.  They heat up quick and cool down even quicker.  They truly are intuitive.  These little babies realize when there’s nothing to induct and they turn off on their own.  They can tell when your cookware has reached the desired temperature and regulate the energy to maintain it.  Conventional electric and gas cook tops continuously produce the same amount of heat, even if your pan has skyrocketed to near nuclear meltdown. 

While there are drawbacks to everything, the only one that made any difference to me was the fact that I needed to add a few pots and pans to my collection.  Most cookware with a flat aluminum base will work with induction burners. However, when in doubt, use this test to be sure:  if a magnet sticks to the BOTTOM of your pan, you’re good to go.  If not, a quick little trip to your nearest cooking supply store can always be fun.  

Kitchens are all about efficiency, whether back of the house or heart of the house.  Anything that makes the lives of those that work in them a little easier is a blessing.  Whether high or low heat applications, the ability of an induction burner to rapidly regulate temperature makes for crispy crusts and silky sauces.