Do Professional Chefs use Induction Cooktops?

An induction cooktop is an invaluable product for chefs all around the world.

It gives them precise speed, accurate control over temperature and the timer can be adjusted according to their convenience.

What’s more, cleaning up the hob is very easy and no longer a painful task.

Multiple dishes can be cooked simultaneously and quickly under set temperature and time settings. With precise control over the cooking process, it is a dream come true for all cooks (including professional chefs).

At restaurants, there is a constant demand for specific food throughout the day. An induction cooktop with fast heating technology helps the chef to prepare dishes quickly. 

Most of them work on commercial induction that has better temperature, and power control for up to ten hours. 

An induction cooktop does not produce a lot of heat in the atmosphere. With minimum ventilation requirements, this hob is a boon. The chef does not sweat despite the long working hours and the kitchen remains cool.

Due to high energy efficiency and zero gas needs, more and more states are adopting induction and electric hobs for new constructions and banning gas connections for equipping their kitchens.

There are many other advantages of using an induction cooktop by chefs.

Let us see what some chefs have to say about using induction 

What Chefs think about the Induction Hob

The co-presenter of the weekly podcast, the kitchen is on fire and author of several cookbooks, chef James Ramsden quotes in the Guardian :

I love our big induction range, I will never go back to gas. They are far easier than cooking on gas or electric”

Chef Andrew speaks about why he is such a big fan of induction and lists the advantages of using induction for cooking in this video.

He says:

 “With induction cooktops, you can maintain high-temperature settings anywhere in the world. Unlike gas that gets affected at high altitudes and low temperatures of the environment, induction gives you precise temperature settings with high efficiency.

Kids cant get burned if they accidentally touch the cooktop surface as it remains cool to touch. Induction is fantastic and is a good way to go”

Chef Tagere Southwell is an executive chef at Fisher and Paykel. She speaks in this video about the pros of using an induction cooktop.

According to her

Induction is a powerful hob and 40% faster than gas. The time it takes to heat up the cooking vessel is about five seconds.  It is one of the main reasons why a lot of restaurants have taken on induction as it’s their job to be quick.

Chef Jon Kung explains in his video why he cooks with an induction cooktop. He says: 

 It is just not a great way to cook, but it is also good for your health and the environment. With any other burner, you are waiting for that source of heat whether it be a coil or a glass top, or a flame to push that heat through the pan. 

With induction, the pan is heating itself from within and that action is immediate. It’s time and energy-saving.

Working all day in a kitchen can be exhausting. The fact that induction produces very little waste heat was my main reason for making the switch. They are safer for families as there is no flame and very easy to clean.”

According to him, those of us who have the means to purchase, have a  responsibility to adopt this hob from a climate standpoint.

Fossil gas is now the largest source of climate pollution in the United States.

Chef Rick Bayless speaks in this video regarding the benefits of induction.

According to him, there are many benefits of induction cooking like instant heat, precise control, safe to touch, high efficiency, easy to clean, and convenient installation.

Chef Ming Tsai Author and host of simply Ming also speaks in the same video.

According to him, small portable inductions are the solution to big cities where there is a crunch of space. It is super light and is cool to touch during cooking. It is genius technology” 

Neil perry is an Australian chef and one of the first to adopt induction cooktop for his restaurant that has won many awards. He says in an article :

“We use induction cooktops as they are far easier to clean down after use. This is one of the main reasons we chose induction over gas. You are no longer a slave to an incredibly dirty gas stove.” 

According to him, speed and energy efficiency also put induction ahead of gas. Cutting energy use when it’s least needed, makes a huge difference in a commercial kitchen”

He has launched his own brand of induction cooktops as part of his Neil Perry Kitchen by Omega.

There are some chefs who prefer gas over induction

My kitchen Rules winning contestant Chef siblings Amy and Tyson prefer flame of the gas cooktop.

They say because of their most experience with gas cooktop, they prefer gas. Also, they like to control the temperature by visually looking at the gas flame.  

This number is very less as more and more chefs have taken into using an induction cooktop for cooking.

Let us now briefly understand how an induction cooktop works, its benefits, and its cons. I have also thrown in few tips in the end on using induction for the chef.

How an induction cooktop works

An induction cooktop works on the principle of magnetic induction.

The cookware on top of the hob needs to be made of ferromagnetic material like stainless steel or cast iron for the process to take place.

There is a copper coil present in the body of the hob beneath the glass-ceramic surface.

When an alternating electric current is passed through the copper coil, it results in the generation of an oscillating magnetic field.

When a ferromagnetic cooking vessel is placed on the zone, the magnetic field starts inducing resistive electric current inside the cookware.

The ions present inside the cooking vessel create a lot of heat enabling the cooking of food.

In other words, an induction cooktop directly heats your pots and pans.

This is unlike other cooking hobs where gas, wood, or electricity is the indirect source of energy. 

Why Professional Chefs Love Induction Cooktops

The top surface is 100 % waterproof and protects the electric components inside due to the excellent and super sturdy glass surface.

The Chef does not have to worry about the electric controls breaking down due to leakage from food. 

An induction cooktop has all the options of cooking for the chef. They can simmer, boil, fry, steam, sear, or just keep warm.

With multiple power and temperature control options, the sky is the limit for any kind of cuisine.

An induction cooktop comes with enhanced cooking features that act as an aid for the chef. Features like timer control, temperature sensitivity, an automatic shut down, pause, and keep warm feature. 

The specific temperature control for a set time duration is the most attractive feature for any chef. This is very difficult to maintain in other cooktops.

These features allow the chef to take time off and indulge in other orders while the induction takes care of the cooking process.

The induction also has protective features that prevent undue miss happenings and accidents. 

A child lock feature locks the controls so the cooking process continues under the set settings.  A hot surface indicator helps the chef to know in a glance if the cooktop is cooled down or still hot to touch. 

Overheating protection shuts down the induction automatically protecting the electrical components from heating up. 

The cooktop comes with large sensitive control touch buttons that are very easy to operate.

The induction can be operated on standard relevant parameters of 220V/60Hz that is commonly found across North America. 

There is no need for extra electrical requirements or fittings so the chef can easily power it up either in restaurants or food trucks. 

The induction cooktop does not need a lot of space. The chef can use it in crowded public kitchens, small kitchens, or food trucks. 

Without a gas connection and in movable food trucks, inductions can get powered up via generators or solar panels.

Cooking on the induction by a home chef or by a chef in a restaurant is a delight as the surface of the cooktop remains cool to touch.

The only part that gets heated up is the cookware. The electrical equipment generating magnetic induction remains contactless. 

The ceramic glass plate hardly rusts or stains. Cleaning up is a breeze. Most of the time, a wet wipe followed by a dry wipe is all you need. 

The chef gets to devote more time to the cooking process rather than worry about splatters that won’t go away.

Even sticky sauces are very easy to clean on the tempered glass surface of an induction.

Somethings Chefs Don’t like about Induction Cooktops

An induction cooktop needs the cookware on top to be ferromagnetic for the magnetic induction process to work.

All the pots and pans need to be sturdy, flat and have some magnetic or iron content in them. This is a big drawback as cookwares need to be changed for the induction hob. Copper, glass, and aluminum will not work. 

Most of the induction-friendly cooking pots and pans are made from magnetic grade stainless steel, cast iron or aluminum encapsulated stainless steel. 

High-temperature settings may cause the cooking vessels and the lids to vibrate. The speed of the embedded automatic fan may also produce some noise. The hob may also turn noisy with its cyclic repetitions of on/off to maintain constant power and temperature.

Installing and maintaining induction hobs or commercial inductions cooktops in restaurants can be tricky as normal electricians are not aware of the installation procedures.

Professional installers need to be called to install and for maintenance of the induction hob and that is a costly affair. 

Let me mention another slight drawback of using an induction hob by the chef. If you want to charr food or roast on an open flame, that is not possible with an induction.

I would suggest keeping a gas hob as well.

Some Tips On Using Induction Hobs (that Chefs use)

Prepare your raw ingredients before switching on the induction. As the heat is generated inside the cooking vessel within seconds, you don’t have much time to search or chop your ingredients.

(Chef’s use the French term  “mise en place” for this. It means everything is ready before you start to cook) 

Most of the Inductions hobs have sharing burner options that you can easily use for bulk cooking. It is much easier to double it up rather than cooking the same food in two cooking pots on separate burners.

If you have prepared a sauce/gravy/soup and want it to remain warm or at a constant temperature, choose a simmering option or a keep warm option.

This way your food will be at a constant temperature for as long as you want. 

It is best to go for child lock if you have pets, kids, and the elderly in your home.

A child lock makes sure that the settings cannot be disturbed and the food continues to cook in the background in specific settings.

To begin with, you can keep both gas and induction and then slowly switch completely to induction.

This way you get to compare and can replicate your gas hob-cooked dishes on an induction hob.

Many small/big inductions are available in the market according to your needs at affordable budgets.

Lastly, if you have money to spare and are looking for comfort, go for the induction hob having wifi or smart device control settings.

Conclusion 

Induction is the latest advancement in technology and most chefs use induction cooktop.

Not only does it keep them up to date, but an induction cooktop also allows them to control temperature and timing for hours altogether. 

The operating system is quite easy to understand.

All that the chef needs to do is to throw ingredients in an induction compatible cookware, switch the hob on, and enter command settings. 

The smart cooking food technology embedded inside the hob takes care of the cooking leaving the chef worry-free.

 With the fall in prices, most of the chefs have equipped their kitchens with an induction hob. 

It is a matter of choice, while most are inclined to be up to date with the latest technology, some prefer old and traditional methods of cooking.

Induction cooking has met and exceeded global standards and is rapidly becoming the favorite mode of cooking for chefs around the world. 

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Hey there! I'm Sasha, just your regular mom-turned-kitchen-appliances enthusiast. When I gave my kitchen a makeover, I took a shine to new kitchen appliances like Induction Cooktops, Air Fryer, Instant Pot, Microwave, and Oven. I'm always up to some fun experiment, whipping up a storm, and writing about common questions people have about the efficient use of these kitchen gadgets