New kitchen tech
Back before the start of snow season, we decided to change our kitchen range. Just because we could, rather than one of those emergencies that leaves you eating cold sandwiches; it allowed us to weigh the available technologies (in a figurative sense) and decide what we wanted. In this part of the world, that comes down to three choices: gas, traditional electric or induction.
We decided to go with what the market provided (in terms of availability and price point), but I still wondered. Long after the order was placed for electrical, ads started to come up during curling competitions: induction cooktop. Not a fullsize stove. More, a hot plate (that doesn’t get hot). And so after a couple of evenings of online research, I placed my order. It arrived today, and my first impressions are good.
From a cold start, using a small pan, it takes about three minutes to boil the water. Faster than a measuring cup in the microwave, much faster than the traditional small round on our current range. You lift the hot pot clear, and it shuts down. The surface remains warm to the touch for another couple of minutes, and then you put things away. As easy as that.
Fortunately, our Paderno addiction means that most of our pots and pans are already “correct”; I can stick the magnetic geegaw from the fridge door to the base of a pot. That’s the test. We now have something to take along on camping trips, and when son #3 makes the move to a dingy, tiny room in the metropolis, he’ll be able to eat. Rice.
