Induction Cook top - Any X10 interference?

We're remodeling our kitchen and are considering an induction cooktop.

My concern is whether these cooktops produce any kind of line interference that would affect X10 signals and trash my home automation system because of it.

Anyone have experience with induction cooktops and X10?

Thanks, Ron

Ron

Can't answer your noise question, but we do have an older induction cooktop that I'd sell you cheap.

Always liked the idea of these as a more efficient and safer way to cook. Safer because less hot items for the kids to get into. And have wondered that these "lost out" in the market to the Corningware ceramic cook tops. Figured it was dues to the "new concept" that they presented; plus the ceramic tops were marketed more heavily.

Would be interested in how you like yours if you decide on it.

ClamRake

Eh, cooking on them is nowhere near as good as gas. Heat control for sauces and such just doesn't work as well. At least not from my experience trying to use them.

Most people in the cooking groups find modern glass cooktops with radiant heat to be superior to gas.

my experience trying

Are you sure you've tried induction, rather than radiant flat cooktops? Heat adjustment with induction is instantaneous. It's even superior to gas, since there is no hot grid below the pan.

-- Larry

I don't follow any of the cooking newsgroups but I find gas cooking to be superior to radiant electric. It's much easier to control the heat. If you use heavy, cast iron or stainless steel pots there's no problem with hot spots over the flame.

from my experience trying

I haven't tried an induction range so I can't comment on that. Do those require specialized cookware or would my stainless stuff work?

Of course, now that you mentioned their existence I just "subscribed" to a couple to see what kind of info is around. Thanks.

Robert L Bass

require specialized cookware or would my stainless stuff

The inductive stove tops require a magnetically susceptible pans & pots. So steel works fine, cast iron works grreat. Aluminum won't work. Neither will copper. But I think there were some Aluminum pots and pans with steel bottom inserts that can be used.

As for your stainless steel, it depends on the quality of the stainless. If it is the harder less corrosion resistant "martensitic" stainless, then it is somewhat magnetic and will be heated by the induction stove top's magnetic fields.

But if the cookware is the "better" corrosion resistant grade "Austenitic" stainless, it is non-magnetic and will not work with the induction stove top. You can use a refridgerator magnet to do your testing.

hths

ClamRake

require specialized cookware or would my stainless stuff

I don't use aluminum cookware.

Thanks. That's interesting information. I always assumed that SS was magnetic. Checking my major cookware, magnets don't stick to any of it. :(

In this area almost everything is electric. I hate using an electric range. In fact, I cook for most major events on the gas grill. It has the double advantage of better control and not heating up the kitchen. The disadvantage is I have to make periodic trips to replace the cylinder. I've been kicking around the idea of installing a gas auxiliary heater for the pool. That will require an in-ground propane tank and some tubing. If we do it I'll probably switch the single kitchen stove and range for a gas side-by-side oven and range.

I'm curious, though. Do you feel that the level of control with an induction range equals gas? Besides less gunk in the air, are there other advantages to induction cooking?

Robert L Bass

The level of control possible with induction heating can be very very impressive. It is used industrially in many applications that require fairly tight control. So the technology has the ability to do very fine, accurate and reproducible heating.

But as to the induction cook tops, it's going to depend on the controls they have and if they have any feedback (which I would doubt). It would probably not be that difficult to "enhance the controlls". And I would expect that the heating of individual pans would be very reproducible from one use to the next even without fancier controls.

The cooktop we have was in this old house when we bought it. And we never used it. The wife prefers the gas stove and we do use Aluminum cookware occassionally. So I pulled it out when we rebuilt the countertops. Thus while I have technical knowledge on the induction cooktops and we own one, I've never used one...

Some of the "advantages" include more efficent heating (less energy wasted the pan gets heated not the air around it); no open gas flame; a cook top that does not get hot unless the pan is on the stove; And it cools down quickly when the pan is removed; it reduces the need for gas in the kitchen; the eletricity can be generated locally if one is trying to be independent of "the grid". All in all technically, if I recall correctly, it was a better choice than the resistive ceramic cooktops that beat it out in the market place.

btw with your propane, watch out if you have a basement. Propane being heavier than air is more dangerous than regular natural gas. Any leaking propane gas will accumulate in basements or crawl spaces which can lead to ....... "badda Boom".

hths ClamRake

Ikea's 365+ series is austenitic but has other steel and aluminum in the base which makes it useable with induction stoves.

Most people don't realize that stainless can have different magnetic properties than most other steels. Of those that do, many think that all stainless is not magnetic.

The bottom of the pan heats more evenly. Mine is an old (15+ years) and only has 10 power levels (one burner is higher power than the others) but the lack of total control hasn't been a problem.

I doubt I'd ever try to enhance it if we got one. As long as it's possible to replicate what I did last time I made this amount of this stuff in this pan, that would do fine. The other advantages you mention are enough to pique my curiosity even more. I'll look into this when we get around to redoing the kitchen. That may be a while since the cabinets, other appliances and such are all brand new.

I live in South Florida where basements are pretty rare. Even if you dug one it would fill up with alligators. :^) I'm used to working with propane, though. For pool heaters it's still less costly than electricity so we're probably going to have a tank. Also, we love grilling and it's "outdoor weather" here most of the year. My wife and I are both party animals, lots of BBQing and stuff every excuse we get. There's even been talk of adding an outdoor kitchen. That would certainly be gas fired though there's no reason we couldn't do an induction range in the regular kitchen. Lots of possibilities, eh? :^)