Discussion
Took me a couple weeks but I think I'm getting the hang of induction and doing everything on stainless steel. They were right--it really is faster and more precise than gas. I'm working on preheating my pans and have switched out to higher smoke point oils, and I can get pancakes and omelettes to slide right off now.
Still getting the hang of temperature levels--turns out a lot of my intuition was based on looking at the flame. Gotta keep practicing.
@muhanga I'm using sunflower now just cuz I have a bunch for baking. The big thing is I have to get away from olive oil as my go-to for frying, cuz it smokes up at super low temps.
@aphyr do you use any cast iron?
@aphyr can you replace looking at the flame with listening to the food? If you can guess (and periodically measure) its current moisture content then listening to the sizzling tells you how much heat transfer is happening.
@0x2ba22e11 I've been holding my thermometer to the pans a lot recently haha. Also trying to get better at back of the hand feel
@aphyr I had a chemistry teacher once show me how to very roughly guesstimate temperature by touching a glass beaker.
If it doesn't hurt, 40C or below
If it's a uncomfortable eventually, 50C
If it hurts pretty quickly, 60C
If it hurts instantly, 70C
If it's 80C or above you shouldn't have touched it
(This is about 22 years ago so I might have the numbers wrong.)
@0x2ba22e11 Yeah stainless frying temps are generally up at 140-200 C. You can get it by feeling the radiant heat, and waiting for the leidenfrost effect. I'm just not great at it yet. :-)
@aphyr I dream of this when we can get around to redoing our kitchen.
Also for the first time in my life I am a Clean Stove person???? I *hated* cleaning the gas burners, and my stove always looked like a disaster.
@aphyr Induction is just so much easier to clean - I do not miss catching my hands on the trivets and jets and whatnot while trying to clean charcoal bits off vs.. just wiping and maybe a gentle scrub with induction. Also like how you can put a paper towel under a pot to catch splatter/drips!
@aphyr I still like gas a little better, but I really like my induction stove.
What cookware are you using? I'm due for some new stuff.
@ieure I fell into a research rabbit hole and went to feel a bunch in person. Landed on the Demeyere Industry5 series, and they are *really* well made. The Atlantis7 series is supposedly better for induction, and has significantly higher thermal mass, and sealed edges--but it is extremely heavy, and for ??? reasons ??? the saucier lid is apparently terrible.
@aphyr it does take a little practice, but I absolutely love mine!!
@aphyr 🤤
Perfection
@aphyr Glad I'm not alone in learning this change... I used to judge heat level by listening to the gas flame and now there is no sound at all.
@kevin yeah that is weird. OTOH they are temperature-sensing burners I think, and I'm realizing I can tell when they're at a stable temp because of the subtle on/off coil whine the burners make.
@aphyr Yep. Some of our clad cookware buzzes a bit too, but the cast iron stuff does not make any noise at all.
@kevin Oh man, I bought a ScanPan from the local cookware shop and while it seemed well made, it sang/vibrated so badly it started moving across the cooktop, even with water in it. The cast iron is basically silent. I wound up with heavy Demeyere pots/pans which are pretty darn quiet--a little buzzing sometimes but nothing major.
@aphyr Awesome! I think the sound of the metal hitting glass would be the biggest hurdle for me.
That and my cast iron skillets.
@biscuit_pup I'm using my cast iron still but the steel is definitely my focus. I did the math and realized I could splurge on pans, and they are.... Very nice
@aphyr I have been using the same pans for almost 20 years. I have a few news sets in mind but its on the list with everything else to buy "when we get a better house."
@biscuit_pup same. My Cuisinart steel pots and pans were essentially perfect. A little rust under one lid handle
@aphyr did you have to give up cast iron? if so, how do you feel about that?
@wohali I still have an enameled cast iron pan, and a cast iron griddle. They both work, but I really notice the temperature differential--the steel/aluminum clad pans have nice even heat all the way across and up the sides, whereas the cast iron has a definite hot "ring", and the middle of the griddle is basically useless, even 30 minutes into cooking.
@aphyr Thanks, that's what I'd heard about the heating profile for cast iron, and I think is why most people abandon them with the switch, not because you can't, but because steel/aluminum just functions better in the environment.
Thanks!
@wohali Yeah. I like my cast iron aesthetically but it is SUCH a tank. I'm always worried about chipping the sink/stove.
@aphyr, very good looking food.
If I may ask "higher smoke point oils" what are those? I know this in theory, but in practice it is either (milk) butter or sunflower seed oil for me.