Induction cooking is one of the most impressive cooking techniques in our world today. This is made possible through special equipment like the induction cooktop. Making the right choice of an induction cooktop is there the secret to a great cooking experience back at home. It is important to take note of the best induction range in your choice of an induction cooktop. It is the only way to be sure of a super-fast heating experience with instant response to temperature adjustments for the desired cooking heat.
Some of the striking characteristics of induction cooktops are their unique sleek designs and high cooking performance. However, buying an induction cooktop is your choice based on your budget and your priorities. If you are looking for the best induction cooktop for your kitchen, here is what you need to do…
Determine the Size You Need
It all begins here. What size of an induction cooktop do you need? Think about it first before storming the market in search of one. Decide based on the number of cooking zones you need and such like features. There will be different sizes ranging from 60cm to 90cm for you to choose from. All these come with a different number of cooking zones.
Main Features to Look for in an Induction Cooktop
To get the best experience from an induction cooktop, you need to make sure that it has all its important features and that they are working. Here are important features that must be found in your induction cooktop:
- Safety Sensor. This helps in monitoring the cookware bottom temperature in the event that an empty pan will be left on a cooking zone that is “ON.” This feature prevents damage by adjusting the power output.
- Auto switch-off. The heating element will be turned off or down by this feature in case there will be an overheating issue or once you remove the cooking pan. It is a common feature in most models.
- Safety cut-out. This is another safety feature that switches off a cooking zone if it has been “ON” for a long duration of time without a change of in temperature. However, the time duration needed to prompt the safety cut-out feature to act is based on the cooktop heat setting. A lower setting means the cooking zone will be on for long before switched off automatically. That way, some cooktops can be on for as long as ten hours while others will only last for an hour or so.
- Power management. You will also want to ensure that your induction cooktop has a great power management feature. Some cooking zones have this feature to divide the power between two zones in a pair. This feature makes your cooking unit efficient and is, therefore, an important consideration to make.
Features in an induction cooktop are helpful in making you decide on what is best for you. There are other features such as pan detection, the number of cooking zones, child lock, framed vs edgeless designs, the controls, pause, wok cooking, keep warm, power on/residual heat light, digital control readings, booster, auto-heat up and protection against overflows features to help you decide what works for you. Again, this should be assessed against your budget and preferences.
Ease of Cleaning
How easy will it be to clean spillovers and dirt from your induction cooktop? An easy-to-clean cooktop will give you a great experience in your kitchen. Therefore, make sure that you got one with easy to clean design. Go for designs with continuous surfaces free from dirt traps. Touch-sensitive controls are recommended since they will ensure that there are no knobs to clean. The cooktop surface doesn’t get hot like conventional electric cooktops hence spillages are unlikely to bake on them making cleaning work much easier.
Cost Implications
Compare gas versus induction and see what works best for you. Again, will you be required to replace your cookware? These are questions to ask yourself before choosing the best induction cooktop in order to go for the best option there is in the market.
Final Tips
Getting the best induction cooktop for your kitchen requires a careful study into what you need based on your needs and budget. Here is a great guideline to help you choose the best there is in the market.