induction deduction

On your mark get set.......

 

This is an induction portable cooktop and an electric kettle. I've been looking at an induction cooktop for awhile now for two very specific reasons which I'll tell you about at the end of the post. The online reviews had one thing on which no one could agree- which was faster- the electric kettle (1500W) or the induction (1800W). I decided to find out for myself.

 

I'm at 7000' altitude so there is less air pressure so  water boils faster and at a lower temperature than at sea level. I filled the kettle to "max"- poured that water into the pot on the cooktop and then filled the kettle to "max" again. Equal amounts of water and equally easy to start, except I don't have 3 hands so the clock is a couple of seconds behind.

 

At about 4:15 both the kettle and the pot have some bubbles forming on the bottom.

 

By 5:30 the kettle has a rolling boil going on.

 

...and less than 30 seconds later the pot is doing the same. I'd say with a lid on the pot or using a tea kettle on the induction it would have been a dead heat. Okay, that's a terrible pun but I couldn't help myself.

Now, for  the motivation behind getting this new kitchen gadget. Really, the last thing I need is another kitchen gadget- I have generations of them- not only do I have my grandmother's potato masher but I used to have a group of friends (restaurant workers mostly)  who had a tradition of giving completely incomprehensible kitchen gadgets as Christmas presents - it was the finger ring slicer which stumped everyone. 

Then there's Food and Wine which seems to bequeath me something every year (left by some lucky attendee who doesn't want to schlep the pizza slicer in the suitcase). The result is a lot of kitchen gadgets.

The first reason is boiling water faster. Canning season is almost upon us and the faster you can boil water the faster you can fire up the pressure cooker and peel the tomatoes. 

The big stove is gas so anything I can do to reduce the amount of gas I use is welcome. Since the house  electric is on Solar electric is my "greenest" solution.  Well, almost, I do have a cardboard solar oven I made at an ACES event and as hot as it's been I could be frying eggs on my rocks without having to visit Death Valley... but canning is a different type of operation. I put up 36 quarts of tomatoes a year. It's a process.

The second reason is chocolate. I do this every year for Christmas- I make bourbon balls on an industrial scale and dip half of them in chocolate. The induction has a temperature setting, an exact temperature setting. 

So instead of using this.....

 

I can use this...

 

Because tempering chocolate takes accuracy. 

I'll let you know how it works out....