First Things First

It’s hurry up and wait in the Johnson kitchen!  Sometimes when you have a big project, one small item can cause a big back- up. In this case it is the thermostat for the floor heating system causing the problem.  It is a very small device, but you can’t finish the floor until it is in place.  So, Friday the thermostat was installed and hopefully tomorrow grouting will begin. 

Adding the Thermostat

Waiting for Grout

So today I’ll tell you about one of the new appliances going into the kitchen.  Appliances are a surprise, because we had not planned to replace the cook top, oven or microwave.  But, when the sales began for President’s Day, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to save money.  After all, how long could we expect our aged appliances to continue?  There would be some economy of time and personal energy by having the installation completed while the kitchen is already in a state of upheaval. Plus, if there are cabinetry issues to deal with, the cabinet maker still has work to complete.

I’m very excited about the new cook top. Although I love cooking with gas, the new cook top will not be gas.  I grew up with a gas range and have always liked the instant response to raising and lowering the flame. Although we heat the house with propane, a gas/propane cook top would require some new plumbing.

The cook top will not be traditional electric with coils or even a smooth cook top that heats by radiant heat.  (I have still not mastered cooking with electric.)  I’m looking for something better than traditional electric heat with the continuous guesswork, and the burnt and boiling over pans.   

Kenmore 30 inch Induction Cooktop

The new cook top will be electric induction. Induction is an electromagnetic process which heats the pan instead of the cooking surface. The electric current produces a magnetic field which heats the molecules in the metal pan to heat the food.  Of course you need to have cooking pans composed of iron or steel to heat anything.  (You can test pans by seeing whether a magnet is attracted to the pan or not.)

Induction has the advantage of instant response to raising and lowering the temperature. Induction has other advantages too.  I can still have the smooth glass cooking surface that I have come to love. However, the surface does not become screaming hot.  (I’ve melted lots of plastic bags and containers over the years by placing them on a cook top which didn’t look hot.)  I have found that I like the sleek look of the smooth surface and it is easy to keep clean.  With induction the surface is not hot, so even if you do spill something, it will not burn. 

One thing that has been an issue in the past for consumer acceptance of induction cook tops has been price.  I found that there are several companies offering induction models and the cost difference is down to $200-$300.

Here is a video to click on to find out more about induction cooking.

The new cook top will go into the same space as the old one, so I won’t have to learn my way around that part of the kitchen.  There might even be more space for the cookware stored in the drawer below the cook top, because these units are not as deep as conventional cook tops. I expect it will take a little time for me to learn how to cook with inductions, but I’m up for it.

The Cook Top Goes Here

Expect to read more about my adventures with induction cooking and the depth of my learning curve in future posts. In the meantime, I’m still waiting for the floor to be finished and the stove top is sitting in the garage in a box.  Oh wait, the cook top cannot be installed until after the counters are in place. Hmm.  First things first!