Catering Equipment In Focus: Induction Hobs
Recently a new Italian restaurant opened in my area. Before official opening day the owner spent a lot of time researching her options when it came to catering equipment. She came up with a list of what she considered were "must have" catering supplies for her new business. One item on her list was an induction hob. At about the time the list was completed, she successfully hired a head chef with outstanding culinary experience who would ultimately hold responsibility for all food to be served in the restaurant. One of the first things the chef said to the owner when he came on board was that he would not work with an induction hob. In his words it was not "real cooking"! So how do we explain such anathema? Is there really a big difference between cooking with an induction hob and using a normal range? Well let's take a look.
How Do Induction Hobs Work?
Traditional cooking methods work through the generation of heat in a stovetop by electronic coils or burning gas. In contrast, induction cooking involves heat being generated directly inside the cooking vessel. A powerful electro-magnet below the hob's glass surface connects to the molecules of the ferrous material in the pan above and produces an oscillating magnetic field. This field induces an electric current inside the pot and creates the heat necessary for cooking purposes. The amount of heat produced depends on the amount of electrical flow. Since this flow is extremely easy to control, induction cooking allows for instantaneous adjustments to be made during the cooking process – a great advantage of the induction method.
Benefits of Induction Hobs
This takes us very nicely to the other benefits of induction cooking. Now that we know how induction hobs work it is not surprising that the most obvious benefit of using an induction hob is speed. Since the heat is produced directly inside the cooking vessel the cooking process is much quicker than would be seen if using traditional stovetops. A pan of water can reach boiling pan in just ten seconds.
Secondly induction cooking is much more energy efficient. This comes from the fact that 1) it uses much less power than a standard gas or electric hob 2) it allows for instantaneous control of heat and 3) it minimizes wastage of energy by not heating the air around the cooking vessel.
Thirdly induction cooking is safer. Not only is there no naked flame or hot heating element involved, an induction unit is able to detect whether cookware is present (or whether it's contents have boiled dry) by monitoring how much power is being absorbed. As a result induction hobs are able to offer a minimum boil facility or automatically turn off when cookware is removed.
Finally induction cookers are easy to clean because the cooking surface is flat and smooth, even though it may have several heating zones. Since the cooking surface is not directly heated, spilled food does not burn.
The Downside
Induction hobs only work with cooking vessels that are made of a ferromagnetic metal and have flat bottoms. Glass, ceramics, solid copper and/or solid aluminium cookware cannot be used. So if you are introducing an induction hob into an established kitchen you may have to factor in the expense of new pans. You can test whether your existing pans would be suitable by seeing if a magnet sticks to the base. If it does then the pan is suitable.
Also the glass ceramic top that is found on induction hobs has to be treated with care. It can be damaged very easily. Caution should particularly be taken when using foil around induction hobs. Melted foil on the surface can result in permanent damage to the top.
Another more minor concern is the noise generated by induction hobs. The noise may be the low volume whirring of an internal cooling fan or a whistling, whining sound from the cookware placed on the unit. In any case it is unlikely to be audible enough to be a major problem.
Of more concern is the risk to people using electronic medical implants such as cardiac pacemakers. The magnetic fields generated by induction hobs might put the effectiveness of such implants at risk.
Conclusion
So what's our conclusion? Well induction cooking is certainly different from cooking on a traditional gas or electric stovetop. However if you're fine with the cost of purchasing an induction hob and the possible additional cost of purchasing appropriate pans there is no reason why you should not go for it. Resistance to induction hobs from chefs probably stems from fear of change rather than any negative impact of induction hobs on the food produced. If that resistance can be overcome there are many benefits to be had.
Questions and Answers
Commercial refrigeration equipment is an absolute requirement for any business, restaurant, café or food factory where food is handled, stored or sold. Correct refrigeration of foods is not only a legal requirement but will ensure your food – which you've paid money for – will stay fresh, tasty and edible. High quality refrigeration suppliers, like Crown Commercial Group, will advise you on the best commercial refrigeration equipment for you and your business.
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