Totally agree.
Induction has many advantages over gas.
I still prefer gas, but my dream setup would consist of 4 gas cook plates/burners, a plancha/French cooktop and 2 induction plates.
I would primarily use the induction plates for low simmering soups, sauces and stews and not so much for high heat searing. I would also use the induction plates for boiling water (spaghetti, potatoes, pasta and rice)
For everything else I would use gas.
I know. I know. I wasn’t ignoring your question. Anyway, I do think warping can happen in any heat source as long as there are sudden heat change – not saying they are all equal. Just saying it isn’t a black and white issue. Many restaurant pans are warped even they are on gas stove. I mean. We always know pans can warp and this phenomenon predates induction cooking or even electric stoves.
I guess then the purpose of the newer software on the newer one is undo a deliberate software limitation on the older one. Doesn’t sound like an innovation as such
I too struggle to come up with any other explanations…
Agreed.
If you know the number of warped pans I’ve seen in danish restaurant kitchens, you would not believe me.
As I wrote to Charlie, professional chefs not only use the pans in the restaurant kitchens, they very often abuse the heck out of them. And the chefs rarely care since it’s not their pans (it’s the owner of the restaurant, who buys the pans) and they only have one thing in mind as they cook - OUTPUT OUTPUT OUTPUT
I’ve seen non stick pans in restaurant kitchens abused so much that the Teflon bottoms were almost halfway worn out and the pans were about one month old.
I’ve seen professional chefs high heat sear the heck out of non stick pans, you wouldn’t believe me.
Just for fun I checked a restaurant kitchens stock of Mauviel M’Cook frying pans and De Buyer Affinity frying pans. Out of 12 frying pans, the 4 were spinners.
So definitely warped, but they were still being used on induction to make a la carte dishes.
I first purchased the Vollrath Cadet, then the Mirage, which was much more expensive due to superior software. When compared, side by side, the Mirage is much faster bringing the same water to boil. I can reduce the energy level of the Mirage and make them the same.
There were videos that explained the software differences, but that was about five years ago.
That’s all I can tell you.
There was a software company that displayed demos of advanced capabilities in induction (like the Control freak, but before), and Vollrath may have either purchased software from them–or bought them–I’m not sure–but that’s speculation.
Damiano,
I think they may be claiming that they have tuned the Mirage to deliver more capability, not lowering output, following your analogy.
The difference in performance is clear. There is also a difference in temperature range–the Mirage can hold a lower temperature. They illustrate the advantage by making chocolate.
Ray
Hi Alexander,
I’m sure that’s not what they claim.
Ray
Hi Alexander,
I’m not sure how to quantify the difference as per cent, but time to boil is faster, and I must reduce the power setting considerably to achieve the same time.
Ray
Hi Claus, Chem, damiano,
I use infrared to monitor my induction when temperature is set up to a number like 350 degrees Fahrenheit–hot, but only so-so. The actual recorded temperature on my infrared can blow by that 350 and keep going up and up unless I intervene.
I call that “turbo-ing.”
That’s most likely what’s causing warping on many induction units.
Since I monitor it–and intervene–I’ve had no warped pans.
Ray
The retail induction hobs you guys are posting look like toys to me, but they’re apparently powerful enough to warp a pan. That’s too bad. The ones running on 240 must be able to launch one to Mars.
I think that is what it is. Energy transfer from induction cooktop to the cookware is very fast. That of course means the cookware experiencing a “more” sudden temperature change.
Have not seen the sort of extreme abuse you seem to be implying. I’ve seen pans on powerful hobs turned up really high, but that’s not abuse. Have not seen the nonstick abuse either. Fish doesn’t need high heat to brown and release in nonstick. That’s the whole point behind using it.
I’m used to kitchens where the entire staff or very close to it are culinary school graduates, or the equivalent (“hotel school” et al. in other countries). Maybe that makes a difference – having spent six figures for school, they’re not in the kitchen just to earn enough for their next fix in Washington Heights.
If they’re cupped, can you turn them over and pound them out by hammering on a chunk of lumber centered over the high spot? I’ve done that with cheap pans in a rental that were unusable spinners on a ceramic-top electric stove and got them fairly flat - flat enough to be used on the glass without spinning.
I don’t know how it would work with thicker/heavier pans like you mention. And luckily I’ve never gotten any warpage with my own pans (gas stove) so I’ve never tried this remedy on something like a Matfer Bourgeat.
Well I’ve seen trained chefs (4 years training at ‘hotel & restaurant school) searing steaks at high heat in non stick pans and throwing with pans in a rage of disgust and fury.
But it’s luckily not the norm.
If I owned the restaurant, the first person to get fired was whoever was running the show when that sort of excrement went down. Gone. On the spot. Because I can do the job myself.
This overshooting - I’d find it terribly annoying.
I know this is specific for PICs, but a regular induction stove also has that very annoying lag in temperature when you change the heat settings. One of the many, many reasons why I’d never buy an induction stove and stick with gas (unless the government forces me to switch).
(by the way this thread is going all directions!)
Hi Damiano,
May I hear your reasons for not wanting to change from gas to induction ?
I also prefer gas, but when it comes to simmering sauces, stews & soups at really low temperatures, even my smallest gas burner on the lowest setting still produces a bit too much heat. Here I personally think induction has an advantage.
Hi Claus,
I have no problems whatsoever keeping a low steady simmer on my gas stove. I even need to up the heat on my smallest burner, and in fact I often use a slightly bigger burner at the lowest setting. Maybe your stove has less of a ‘bandwidth’? And even if you use enameled cast iron it’s still too hot?
Induction isn’t a perfect answer either because what if the desired heat is just inbetween 2 settings? I’ve experienced that.
I see no single benefit of induction over gas - especially if you use a good quality modern gas stove.
I did some more reading on the Mirage Pro:
TLDR: The main features seem to be more levels for higher precision and less overshoot, and ability to deliver full power to any size pan.
Neither seem to imply boosted output or explain your observations unless you were using different sized pots.
Looks like a decent piece of kit, but like you I’m dreaming of the Control Freak.
Maybe your gas stovetop has a finer setting on the lowest than mine.
When I’ve used induction I have felt the low lows were where induction had a plus over gas.
I cooked at a restaurant stovetop last month and tried their lowest low on gas as well as on induction (made a red wine reduction sauce) and felt the induction were superior for simmering a sauce on ultra low.
I had a talk with the chef (a friend of mine) and he said he personally also felt induction could hold a steady ultra low temperature better than gas and this is cooking on professional grade stovetops.
Another plus induction has is when I cook in the hot summertime. Induction is cooler. And when I need to cook with the door open, the wind sometimes blows so it’s difficult to hold the flame at a constant level.
My friend at the restaurant said he had the same problem in the outer kitchen in the restaurant.
If several doors are open, it will impact the flame on the gas burner. He also stated that his kitchen feels way cooler when he uses induction in the summertime.
