Mar 25, 2011 11:26 AM
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This review is about the product, not the brand. For the record, my induction cooker is probably a local or Chinese brand, which I bought off https://ebay.in just a week ago. Here is the link:
https://cgi.ebay.in/INDUCTION-COOKER-1800W-MULTIPLE-COOKING-OPTION-/31030412956
5?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_203&hash=item483f91421d
Now, about the product itself. What I find most convenient is complete control over the cooking just like in a gas oven. It is possible to control the temperature very accurately just like using a control knob in a gas stove to control gas flow and temperature. Induction heating does not use a heating coil, so the cooking surface does not really resemble a piece of scalding granite slab.
The moment the power is switched off the heating, and hence the cooking stops immediately. This is especially handy for cooking rice and dal, which tend to froth after a little while. Cooking happens really fast, and so far I haven't received an electric shock( I have to wait for next month's electric bill to check if there are any other'shocks' in it for me). The technology claims that there no chances for getting a shock or burn from accidentally touching the cooktop, and so far this appears true.
There is an apparent downside about induction cooking however. It can only use stainless steel or Iron utensils. Some aluminium cookware with cast iron bottom are available specifically for induction cookers. Other than that, the ceramic cooktop is not as sturdy as bullet-proof glass. So any hard impact should be avoided. The biggest drawback of course, is not the technology, but our Mahaan India. The one thing that we can always count on are frequent and often regular power-cuts, especially in summer. That means the rest of the cooking has to be finished with the gas stove. Of course, the cooking utensils are just normal stainless steel, so this can be done, though a bit annoyingly. Cannot throw away my old reliable gas stove( unless Mrs. Mamata Banerjee turns Kolkata to London or New York after coming to power)yet just in case of such emergency.
All in all, this cooking method is actually a potential replacement for the conventional gas stove. I have a microwave and an electric rice-cooker which are used sparingly. Being a true Indian foodie, I don't like all boiled and roasted food(except when my liver gives way in the festive season for obvious reasons), so a bit of traditional cooking by frying and/or deep-frying is absolutely essential for my taste buds. This is where the induction cooker scores over all other cooking methods.
To end it on a high note, induction cooking happens really fast, in at least 25-30% less time than gas stove. That means low electricity consumption, and, hopefully, more savings on the rising LPG prices.
