Induction Cooking – Its Clever Technology!
Induction is currently the only technology that offers the full range of gas cooking benefits, but without the cons. Up until now, gas was always regarded as superior to any electric cooking surface on the market, with many professional chefs feeling very sceptical about the fact that one day an electric induction cook top would be deemed superior. However, now that’s a fact and below we’re going to take a look at some of the pros of electric induction hobs below!
Performance advantages and benefits:
Faster
Cooking on an electric range is much faster and that’s thanks to the fact that energy is transferred within the pan metal directly. Since time is at the essence in the food service industry, the ability to cook food faster means greater profits.
Cooler
Traditional electric and gas ranges waste about 50% of the heat they generate which in turn costs restaurants a lot when it comes to cooling costs. However, by using an electric induction range, the heat is generated in the pan itself, so there’s zero ambient heat produced in the process.
Flexibility
Commercial induction hobs are available in singles, doubles and 4 zone variants. Some multiple zone hobs also include an oven..We also have induction hobs integrated into a suite including an electric griddle and bench fridge! Single hobs can be transported to venues, plugged in and put to duty easily. They are light and compact compared to standard electric hobs..
Cleaner
With no grease or grates to worry about, cleaning up an induction hob is very simple. All you have to do is wipe it using a damp cloth and then wipe over the flat and that’s it!
Safer
Compared to other electric and gas surfaces, induction cooking is much safer and that’s because there is no radiant heat source, red hot coil or open flame that may ignite flammable materials or fumes.
Here at Caterquip, we have demonstrated the £10 note test to many clients. We place a £10 note between a pan and induction hob then boiled water. We lifted the boiling pan off the hob and the note was unharmed and cool enough to lift off with your fingers.
Take a look at this demonstration video illustrating how safe induction really is.We don’t condone using an induction hob this way, but it does demo the outright cleverness of the technology.
Whilst we haven’t proven this, we’ve even heard from the trade that insurance premiums are reduced when induction cooking is used because the risk of fire and burns reduce. May be worth discussing this with your insurers????
Cheaper – in more ways than one.
Compared to traditional electric or gas ranges, induction cooking is a lot more energy efficient. When using one such cook top, ninety percent to every £pound spent on energy is going to go directly in the pan. Compared to gas, which delivers only fifty five percent to the pan and with electric ranges delivering sixty five percent, it’s clear how high the cost savings are. On top of that, when the pan is removed from the cooking surface, the cook top automatically goes into standby mode which furthermore helps save energy.
Induction equipment is cheaper to run than gas. Whilst electricity is more expensive per thermal unit, Induction cooking times are halved, so conservatively, up to 50-60% is saved on energy costs.
In our opinion, the only downside of induction cooking is the glass surface. Whilst commercial hobs are very robust, it only takes a pan to be dropped and you could crack the glass. It does encourage chefs to change the way they manoeuvre pans whilst cooking and when I used induction I adapted pretty quickly. There is a lot of information available on the internet including many great instruction video’s. Most commercial kitchen equipment is expensive to buy new and induction is no different.
The Sharp End
Here at Caterquip, we supply professionally reconditioned equipment and we can save you a lot of money compared to new prices. Our niche is giving you access to those brands that buyers drool over but are out of reach when new. Induction equipment is expensive but when you factor in reduced energy cost, reduced accidents, reduced cooking times etc, the return on investment is very encouraging.
For example: Falcon Dominator 4 Zone Induction Hob with Floor Stand
Brand new £5800.00 + VAT Reconditioned £2750.00 + VAT
We recently acquired a Falcon 4 Zone Induction Range with oven, and such was the demand it didn’t even make it to our website. We sold that at £3750.00 + VAT – brand new it was £6974.00 + VAT. Caterquip is all about proper equipment solutions and saving our clients a lot of money!
If you want more information about our range of induction hobs, give us a call on 01733 286 000 option 1.
Thanks for reading.
Paul
