Traditional cooktops have been revolutionized with the invention of the portable induction cooktop. Not only it is an induction cooktop, but it is also portable, meaning you can place it and use it anywhere! Cooking on a portable induction cooktop requires some guidelines, though, as this cooking experience differs a lot from traditional cooking. Before we explain how to cook on a portable induction cooktop, let’s go over few basics.
An induction cooktop works on a magnetic induction instead of thermal conduction from a flame or other electrical heating element. Instead of a conventional hotplate, induction cooktops have a ferromagnetic interface disk. They look very different from traditional cooktops and are almost unnoticeable as they don’t take as much space as the traditional ones do. It is definitely a good choice for a new, modern kitchen. Before revolutionizing the induction cooktop to its latest version available today, this small kitchen appliance was used mainly for boiling water, milk or making coffee. Nowadays, the portable induction cooktop is more than just a helping cooktop; it’s the basic cooking appliance in the kitchen of every modern housewife!
A few tips on how to cook with a portable induction cooktop:
- Read the instruction manual. All valuable information on how to turn on the cooktop, how to maintain it and how to cook with it in general, is in the owner’s manual. This information is the most accurate, thus do not rely on anything else (the Internet or friend’s advice).
- Get specific cookware. You can’t cook on a portable induction cooktop with regular vessels and pots. You need cookware made only from stainless steel, iron or other ferrous material.
- Clean your cookware properly, from both inside and outside. You don’t want any impurities hampering your cooking process.
- Maintenance of the induction cooktop requires special care. Never use abrasives to clean it! Wipe it with a soft cloth gently. Try not to leave any spills on it.
- Don’t keep any magnets near your portable induction cooktop, not to interfere with the magnetic field of the cooktop.
- Induction cooktops heat quicker than regular cooktops. Never leave your food unattended for a long period of time (unless the cooktop has a safety-lock system), because the chances of your dinner getting burned are high. Not only will you end up heating one of those TV dinners in a microwave, but you may also cause a fire.
- Keep the induction cooktop always clear when you are not cooking. Leaving anything made of plastic, wood or other flammable materials on it or near it, may cause them to melt or burn and cause even bigger problems.