When I was researching Ikea’s new induction cooktop I noticed that some of the established induction manufacturers started offering a new product. A hybrid cooktop has a combination of induction and “electric ” (radiant) heat elements. This lowers the price point and may make transitioning to induction easier. This has been done with gas/electric units but not with induction.

With Samsung you can get one or two induction elements combined with radishes elements to total 4.

The 300WX has 1 induction and 3 radiant elements.

The 500WX has 2 induction and 2 radiant elements.

An email from Ikea this week caught my attention. Among the appliances they normally sell they’ve added an induction cooktop. I’m a huge fan of induction, which provides high heat and near-instant heat control. It does take getting used to, however I’m really happy with my Samsung unit. If you are in the market, check out the Nutid Induction unit from Ikea.

I’ve had an induction range for about a month now, and wanted to share my thoughts about this new type of cooktop. First off, a lesson about what induction is. Induction is a method of cooking that uses magnetic fields to heat up your cookware to the desired temperature. This means there is no heat transfer from a coil or cooktop to the cookware, it’s the cookware itself that heats up to the desired temperature. This gives two very good advantages, one is that the cooktop itself remains very cool. It also allows for very fine control of the temperature – as soon as you dial down the heat, the heating surface will cool off. This control is much like most gas cooktops but is a distinct advantage over normal coil or electric ranges.

My impressions so far are very positive. Getting the pan or pot to the right temperature is VERY fast. The temperature is also much hotter than my previous electric range – especially with the “boost” option that my Samsung range came with. Some not-so-obvious benefits include lower power consumption (less energy is required for a pan to reach a certain temperature) and some safety benefits (the cooking surface does not get as hot as any other type of range). As mentioned before, the cooktop remains very cool during it’s operation, as exhibited by the picture attached provided by Bosch.

There are some drawbacks. Only pans that exhibit magnetic properties can be used with these cooktops. You have to be careful, because even though the majority of All-Clad pans are compatible with induction, they have a few pieces that are not. The specific Samsung unit I bought has a fan that turns on when the cooktop is on. It’s reasonably noisy (louder than my fan hood) so you have to be aware of it’s operation. Also the Samsung unit has the rear cooking elements placed slightly too far back. Not a big deal most of the time, but if you want a wider pan in the rear large burner, it’s a bit of a pain. On the other hand, the Kenmore unit had cooking elements that were placed slightly too close together. The other main drawback is price. An induction range will cost from $500-$1000 more than a premium electric range.

Overall, I’m very happy with my induction range. I highly recommend it. Most full and slide-in induction ranges (like the Samsung I bought) come with a convection oven, but that’s another article.

Some of you noticed that All-Clad’s Stainless Steel line had significant discounts over Boxing Day. These sales were pretty rare for All-Clad and the reason is that they were clearing out that line in order to introduce the new d5 Stainless line.

The new d5 line is a 5-ply design of  stainless steel and aluminum. In addition to the new cooking surface, they feature redesigned handles that are more comfortable and less likely to heat up, and a pour lip that allows less dripping.

The copper and brushed stainless lines have not been updated.

I’m a big fan of induction ranges. They’re great for instant heat, precise temperature control and low on energy consumption. They’re perfect for anywhere that can’t get a gas range – especially condo’s and apartments. While Kenmore and GE were the first to make a full range, Samsung just introduced their own, and at a 10% lower price than the others.

Update: These are available at Future Shop and Sears. Sears prices it at the same price as their Kenmore Induction Range.

Gizmodo wrote an article about induction cooking recently. A technology I love but have yet to install in the kitchen. Until this year, all induction cooktops came in single element portable units, or cooktops installed into a countertop. This year, Sears Kenmore was the first to release both a freestanding and slide-in model. In July, GE just a freestanding model too, the GE Profile 30″ Freestanding Induction Range. Look to see more induction options into next year. These are great alternatives for condos or houses that do not have access to gas ranges. You get excellent temperature control, instant on/off and low power consumption.

The only downside? You need cookware that is magnetic. Most premium cookware is, you can test it using a fridge magnet. If it’s not magnetic, buy some stainless steel cookware instead of aluminum and you should be fine.