Technology ConnectionsDec 24, 2022

Spending some time at my folks' place and using their glass-ceramic electric cooktop.

Let me tell you folks, once you start to get the brain nugget that gas stoves aren't that great you start to even appreciate bog-standard electric stoves.

It is so nice to be able to stir a simmering pot without the exhaust (!) flying around the pot and searing your hand a little.

Show threadTechnology Connections

And you know what? I even ran into that problem where you can't just turn the burner down because of the thermal inertia. Nearly had a pot boil over.

But upon reflection, I think I would rather get used to that then deal with the indoor air pollution. And, like I said, it is legitimately easier from a heat-on-skin perspective cook with an electric stove. That's kinda cool, actually.

Dec 24, 2022 at 3:08amWeb
Show threadシュガ人Dec 24, 2022
@TechConnectify My electric stove throws off enough infrared heat to melt a bottle from a few meters above it.
Show threadMichael SDec 24, 2022
@Sugarian @TechConnectify ooh, yeah, this has been a big issue for us with apartment living. Anything plastic that isn't form cooking has to be well away from a burner that's on or, surprise, it's not in good shape anymore.
Show threadQuinn NelsonDec 24, 2022
@TechConnectify Yes, but induction is king.
Show threadTechnology ConnectionsDec 24, 2022

@snazzyq I'm more excited about the potential for induction stoves with batteries in them, that way they can plug into a normal outlet, then I am about induction cooking itself.

I just... from the experience I had with my little single plug-in burner, I have enough stuff that either works poorly with induction or is really freaking loud for some reason that I think I might value the universal compatibility nature of standard electric more than the speed of induction.

Show threadSaphira Lohikäärmekettunen Dec 24, 2022

@TechConnectify @snazzyq yeah the noise is annoying, but I got used to it and don't want anything else anymore

Have it for two years now. Granted, I needed a cheap new set of pots to have all I need again, but that was like 20 bucks

Show threadMichael GemarDec 24, 2022

@TechConnectify @snazzyq You may find this podcast about battery-assisted induction stoves interesting:

https://overcast.fm/+oT_kBgz8A

Induction stoves with batteries built in, and why they matter — Volts

Show threadQuinn NelsonDec 24, 2022
@TechConnectify My induction burners definitely make some noise, but you forget about it once your pot of water boils in 90 seconds.
Show threadTechnology ConnectionsDec 24, 2022

@snazzyq I'm not putting it past there being something wrong with my little burner, but the stuff I'm talking about was ear splitting.

Regardless, I get what you mean. But for me I think I would still classify induction as a luxury with a few compromises.

But I am a forever tortured midwesterner

Show threadAGTMADCAT 🇬🇧🇺🇸🇺🇦🇹🇼🇵🇸Dec 24, 2022
@TechConnectify @snazzyq We had to stop going to our favorite hot pot restaurant because they replaced all the resistive table stoves with induction, and it's like being in a room with an army of howling banshees for me. I don't remember the exact numbers and can't seem to find the screenshot, but iirc it was an OSHA-violating dB level at something like 17-18kHz. Utter torture, because I can still hear those frequencies just fine. I hope to get induction for our house to replace our gas stove, but I'm going to need to be very picky about what we get. I'm hoping that someone like you will eventually tell everyone what causes the noise and how to avoid it!
Show threaddon'tbe,evilDec 24, 2022
@AGTMADCAT @TechConnectify @snazzyq this is probably something akin to the carrier frequency of a brushless DC motor (think battery power tools) or a bigger VFD (industrial stuff, EVs). It’s very much tunable at a few points in the design phase.
Show threadQuinn NelsonDec 24, 2022
@TechConnectify Yeah, most aren’t that loud, I reckon. Our range makes a little bit of a static/whistle noise dependent on the resonance of the pan/pot, but it’s certainly not ear splitting.
Show threadThe Chaotic Good 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈🖖Dec 24, 2022
@snazzyq @TechConnectify The two that I own for on-the-road war cooking from my truck are noisy. I'd love one in the house, but I've been put off in case I ever need an upgrade from ILR to ICD (heart stuff sucks)
Show threadQuinn NelsonDec 24, 2022
@TechConnectify Video!
Show threadGeorge Hammerton Dec 24, 2022
@snazzyq @TechConnectify Our induction experience is the same as yours Quin, definitely not ear piercing or high pitched. What makes the biggest difference for us is (1) how high the heat is - higher the more sound, and (2) the pan itself - heavier & flatter-bottomed the better.
Show threadLuis "Dextro" NabaisDec 24, 2022

@snazzyq @TechConnectify I can vouch for this. My bosch induction stovetop does make quite the noise when using its "boost" function but otherwise there's only a mild ringing when it resonates.

The boost is wonderful to get that water boiling in insanely fast speeds though. Prob won't go back to either gas of regular electric.

Show threadalDec 24, 2022
@snazzyq What brand hob is this?
Show threadQuinn NelsonDec 24, 2022
@al Cafe.
Show threadTechnology ConnectionsDec 24, 2022

@snazzyq if you want to hear what I'm talking about, at 13:30 or so I'm trying different cookware.

All of my laminated pots and pans are making that racket, it's just my kettle that stopped
https://youtu.be/RpoXFk-ixZc

Some more Kettle Thoughts (including; Microwaving Water!)

YouTube
Show threadTechnology ConnectionsDec 24, 2022

@snazzyq but, I'm fully willing to accept that it's just some unlucky combination of bad cookware or that cooktop just isn't very good. And what was confusing to me is that I really don't think it was making this noise when I first started using the cooktop. It was only after I disassembled it that it got loud, but I can't figure out any reason that would make a difference.

Anyway, I've still got gas for now so I have time to try some more stuff out

Show threadJeremy AkersDec 24, 2022

@TechConnectify @snazzyq

I have two instruction cooktops. One in my RV and one in my home. Neither induction cooktop makes a noticeable amount of noise beyond a very slight hum.

Show threadThe CactusDec 24, 2022
@TechConnectify @snazzyq Maybe integrated stoves are better built than plug in ones?
Show threadMatt FerrellDec 24, 2022
@snazzyq @TechConnectify what model of induction stove is that? I’ve been looking for good contenders for my new home.
Show threadJernej Simončič �Dec 24, 2022
@TechConnectify @snazzyq I've got a Bosch induction cooktop, it hums a bit on the highest settings, but it's not really problematic; even the fan is fairly quiet. The no-name plug-in induction cooker at my weekend house has a much louder fan, but again not annoying (it's about as loud as the fan in microwave oven).
Show threadjoranDec 24, 2022
@TechConnectify @snazzyq
The inductionplate i gifted my mother is near dead silent unless on SuperPower, then it makes a soft ‘electrical noice.’ The thing is 20+ yo. A stand alone induction plate i hought a few months ago makes noice like a departing airplane!
Show threadAaronDec 24, 2022
@TechConnectify I really hope you figure out what’s causing the induction stove sound eventually and it’s interesting enough to make an hour long video that I have to watch twice to understand.
Show threadMatt FerrellDec 24, 2022
@snazzyq @TechConnectify I have a stand-alone induction burner and it can get pretty loud (like in your YT video). I wonder if it has something to do with the form factor/cheap build?
Show threadAnca BuitDec 24, 2022
@TechConnectify @snazzyq Maybe different in America due to different power voltage.. but my normal plug stovetop is excellent, not silent but definitely not 'freaking loud' and heats up in a blink. It's probably too light for full on multiple pots cooking, power plug induction is better for that.
Show threadAnca BuitDec 24, 2022
@TechConnectify @snazzyq But I liked ceramic and I love induction.
Show threadLikely RyanDec 24, 2022
@snazzyq @TechConnectify this is why people get inducted to the hall of fame, right?
Show threadJason ThorpeDec 24, 2022
@snazzyq @TechConnectify My wife and I are not big fans of the sort of electric cooktops that our parents had (which genuinely sucked), so we've always used gas. BUT, in 2019 we rented a flat in Paris for a few weeks while we were there for the Women's World Cup and it had a(n older) Miele induction cooktop that was legit fantastic and even worked with the vintage French cast iron cookware that we also have. We were impressed.
Show threadJernej Simončič �Dec 24, 2022
@thorpej @snazzyq @TechConnectify Cast iron will always work with induction – the main problem is with older stainless steel cookware, since it's not magnetic. Aluminium and copper cookware similarly won't work, but all the new stuff has iron bottoms to make it work with induction.
Show threadGeorge MerlDec 24, 2022

@snazzyq @TechConnectify

Don’t you need to get special pans for induction stoves?

Show threadtranscendentapeDec 24, 2022
@JohnDongle @snazzyq @TechConnectify Not necessarily. Aluminum pans won’t work with induction, but stainless steel and iron does. If a magnet sticks to it, then you can use it with induction.
Show threadQuinn NelsonDec 24, 2022
@transcendentape @JohnDongle @TechConnectify Not to mention almost everything is ferrous as of late since they’re increasing in popularity. My aluminum All-Clad have stainless steel ply in order to make magnetic. Also, obviously cast iron works. It’s most stuff out there save for the cheapest of cheap cookware!
Show threadGeorge MerlDec 24, 2022

@transcendentape @snazzyq @TechConnectify

I have a lot of copper bottom pans so I’d have to replace a good deal of them. Heirloom pans lmao

Show threadJernej Simončič �Dec 24, 2022
@transcendentape @JohnDongle @snazzyq @TechConnectify Stainless steel on its own won't work, since it's not magnetic.
Show threadSammydeeDec 24, 2022
@snazzyq @TechConnectify Agreed. I'd rather cook on my $40 induction hot plate than my gas stove. Super fast and responsive.
Show threadDaveGDec 24, 2022
@TechConnectify Induction cooktops are gonna blow your mind. Instant heat control and it seems like every single watt goes straight to the pot and nowhere else. A full pot of water can be boiling in two minutes on my induction cooktop, it's wild.
Show threadendeavorance 🕊️Dec 24, 2022
@dgriffith @TechConnectify I want one so bad
Show threaddon'tbe,evilDec 24, 2022
@dgriffith @TechConnectify not quite that efficient, sadly. My favorite thing about induction is how fast it can heat cast iron. If you want to do too many frozen potatoes on cast iron, gas can’t put the heat in fast enough, induction can.
Show threadThe Real StephenDec 24, 2022
@TechConnectify I am the exact opposite, I made the move from electric to gas and not having to wait for the the hotplate to get hot is the biggest benefit to gas
Show threadSaphira Lohikäärmekettunen Dec 24, 2022
@stephen @TechConnectify induction is best of both worlds - it's electric but you don't have to wait for plate to warm up and when you turn it off, it's off :)
Show threadThe Real StephenDec 24, 2022
@littlefox @TechConnectify Yeah I was going to have a look at induction for the new house build that I am doing, but to meet the local environmental rules, it specified that the cooktop had to be gas.
Show threadmindstalkDec 24, 2022
@stephen @littlefox @TechConnectify ...how do environmental rules _require_ gas??? If anything, they should prohibit it.
Show threadAGTMADCAT 🇬🇧🇺🇸🇺🇦🇹🇼🇵🇸Dec 24, 2022
@stephen @littlefox @TechConnectify I'm sorry what? Can you explain a little bit about those environmental rules? Because that sounds exactly backwards from what I'd expect. I've seen suggestions for gas-free new builds, and I think some cities have adopted those ordinances already.
Show threadThe Real StephenDec 24, 2022
@AGTMADCAT @littlefox @TechConnectify Yeah I thought the same thing, but as most electricity in Australia is coal, gas if better for the environment.
https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/basix
BASIX | Planning Portal - Department of Planning and Environment

Show threadAGTMADCAT 🇬🇧🇺🇸🇺🇦🇹🇼🇵🇸Dec 24, 2022
@stephen @littlefox @TechConnectify Yikes, 83% coal in 2000! It's down to barely half now though so it seems like it's time to revisit those regulations, especially if renewables installation continues at the pace of the last couple of decades!
Show threadTechnology ConnectionsDec 24, 2022

@stephen two things:

1. Induction. Look into it if you haven't.

2. I really think a lot of this is psychological. I was very surprised to find out that my parents' electric stove is faster at boiling water in my stovetop kettle than the "normal" burner on my gas stove. So much heat just goes around the cookware on gas and never makes it into the pot that, despite the slow warm-up, in the end, electric can be faster.

Show threadilinamoratoDec 24, 2022

@TechConnectify @stephen I wonder if a lot of people, like me, had a bad experience in childhood with a truly terrible electric stove, or a really old one on its last legs, and just have it in their/our heads that electric is not good.

I thought the same about ovens, but we had to go electric to get double ovens, and (aside from using a CAPACITIVE TOUCH CONTROL PANEL positioned DIRECTLY ABOVE THE TOP OVEN DOOR which is such a STUPIDLY STUPID DESIGN DECISION) they're great.

Show threadTechnology ConnectionsDec 24, 2022

@ilinamorato @stephen That could be! And as you have undoubtedly now discovered, electric ovens are so so so much better. They don't have to exhaust anything so they can be properly sealed and they don't heat up a kitchen nearly as much.

They're a little bit slower to preheat. That's it. That's the only downside.

I use a large toaster oven for anything I can specifically because using the gas oven sucks.

Show threadilinamoratoDec 24, 2022
@TechConnectify @stephen indeed! And only *a bit* slower. Actually, this is one of the few really solid use cases I can think of for smart appliances: I can start the oven preheating from my desk, then finish working while it heats up, and by the time I get upstairs it's ready for me to put my potatoes or frozen burritos or whatever in.
Show threaddon'tbe,evilDec 24, 2022
@TechConnectify @ilinamorato @stephen I dunno, my gas oven seems to take forever to preheat, to the point where I can sometimes be done cooking in my large 2x quarter sheetpan toaster oven (with a speed convection setting that has no preheat time) before the oven is even ready.
Show threadilinamoratoDec 24, 2022
@u3b3rg33k @TechConnectify @stephen Well, your toaster oven is almost certainly smaller than your gas oven, and I believe convection is a completely different beast; but that said, I totally believe the times are comparable between a bad or even average gas oven and a good electric one.
Show threaddon'tbe,evilDec 24, 2022
@ilinamorato @TechConnectify @stephen it is smaller yes, but it’s also 1/3 the power. Of course the gas oven is continuously venting the heat out the exhaust port, too. Both ovens have the convection feature.
Show threadKazrikoDec 24, 2022
@TechConnectify I've never had a gas stove myself, but as far as boiling over or instantly shutting the heat off, I've always just removed the pot from the hot electric burner when that was necessary. And the preheat time, I just set an alarm on my watch for 10 minutes then do something else, and it's usually boiling by the time the alarm hits. I use a lot of other electric appliances though, Microwave, Air frier/convection oven, rice cooker, instantpot...
Show threadJernej Simončič �Dec 24, 2022
@TechConnectify @ilinamorato @stephen Get an oven with pyrolysis if you can – instead of spending an hour to clean it, just run pyrolysis every now and then, and then wipe the ash out.
Show threadilinamoratoDec 24, 2022
@jernej__s @TechConnectify @stephen be very careful! Pyrolysis (also known as "self-cleaning") has been implicated in oven damage, house fires, and even the death of some pets from the fumes. Essentially, it's probably not going to cause any problems—but if it does, they're major or even catastrophic.
Show threadilinamoratoDec 24, 2022

@jernej__s @TechConnectify @stephen Now, some sources (notably Consumer Reports) pooh-pooh these dangers. But others (like major appliance repair guilds) say they run calls every year where a pyrolysis feature caused a big problem. (Maybe a certain tech YouTuber could help sort out those connections?)

So your mileage may vary, but in any case be careful; temperatures over 400°C/800°F are nothing to play around with.

Show threadJernej Simončič �Dec 24, 2022
@ilinamorato @TechConnectify @stephen Understandable. I always open the window while running pyrolysis, because the smell is not pleasant. I was a bit wary at first, because I wasn't sure how much the cupboards would warm while running pyrolysis, but it seems that oven's temperature isolation is very good, because I couldn't even feel the cupboard wall next to the oven being warm while it was running.
Show threadBasiliskDec 24, 2022
@ilinamorato @TechConnectify I'm in an apartment with an absolutely terrible electric stove, but my big heavy cast iron pans make it manageable. The things I don't like about gas, like spillover heat, are really difficult to do anything about.