Choosing the best induction cookware Australia has on the shelves means a healthier and more efficient method of meal preparation.
The issue is this—the difference between the quality products and the trash is vast. The worst examples could even impact your overall wellbeing.
Luckily, the Nutricraft product line only includes cookware that delivers a rewarding culinary experience, is backed by a 50-year warranty and will not damage your health.
Sit back, as I reveal the surprising truth about induction cookware—and why all the supposed ‘induction-ready’ products aren’t equal.
What is Induction Cooking?
Traditional cooking methods (gas and electric) rely on utilising, to a varying degree, three types of heat transfer—radiation, convection, and conduction. In this process, heat moves from your stovetop to your pan indirectly—journeying through the mediums of air, hob, and cookware base.
However, induction cooking is direct.
An electric current passes through a coiled copper wire in the stovetop, creating a magnetic field. If you place induction pots and pans on this surface, they’ll heat up.
This is because this magnetic field creates tiny electrical currents in the cookware base. The molecules in the pots provide resistance to this current—thereby raising the temperature.
Can I Use Any Cookware on Induction Cooktops?
They say a watched pot never boils.
If you’re using non-compatible induction cookware, you’re going to be doing a lot of watching— with very little boiling action. The truth is, unless you have a magnetic base to your pots and pans, there’ll be no heat creation at all.
Generally speaking, if you hold a household magnet to the base of your existing cookware, and it adheres firmly, the cookware will work on an induction top—well, to some degree.
If your pans aren’t specifically designed to be induction stove cookware, results could be disappointing. Non-magnetic impurities in the metal bases could mean they don’t heat efficiently—leading to undercooked or lukewarm food.
The good news is Nutricraft products are induction ready.
Furthermore, even if you haven’t gone down the route of an induction cooker yet, they work equally well on electric and gas stovetops. You then have peace of mind, knowing that—should you switch to induction in the future—your Nutricraft cookware will not become obsolete.
The Benefits of Induction Cookware
The best induction cookware provides immense advantages over its traditional counterparts. These include:
Increased Efficiency
Research from EPRI (Electric Power Research Institute) explains that induction cooking results in 90 percent of the created energy being transferred to heat your food. This is in opposition to 74 percent for electric and 40 percent for gas.
Consider you’re knocking up a hearty soup, using, for example, the Nutricraft 16-quart pot. That’s going to take a lot of heating—and over a long period of time.
Not only will using induction save energy and hence slash your bills—the food will cook quicker.
Precise and Immediate Temperature
If you use the best cookware for induction cooktop—your culinary results will improve.
Induction allows you to more accurately control the temperature, which is often a trial and error procedure with gas and electric.
Easy to Clean
Most induction stoves have a smooth, glass top—meaning they’re easy to wipe clean of any splatters and spills. This is both convenient and promotes a more sterile cooking environment.
Safety
There are no exposed flames as with gas, and the hob only heats up when you place a pan on the top.
Keeps You Cool
There’s nothing worse than trying to concentrate on knocking out some awesome dishes—but you’re perspiring for Australia standing over a hot stove.
As the majority of the heat transfers into your induction pans, this keeps your kitchen area cooler—meaning a more pleasant cooking experience.
Stainless Steel—The Best Choice for Induction Cookware
Stainless steel induction cookware provides the ultimate cooking results—beating its competitors, such as the common cast iron or mixed alloy varieties. Nutricraft pots and pans are made from only medical-grade 316Ti stainless steel.
Here’s why it should be your material of choice:
Magnetic
Ok, it’s kind of obvious.
You already know that if your pan isn’t magnetic, it isn’t going to work on an induction stove.
However, the key is in the construction.
Nutricraft cookware contains seven layers of metal—meaning even heat distribution throughout the pan. Furthermore, its magnetic properties are inherent—being steel—not an additional feature.
Some manufacturers, making cookware from copper or aluminium, may add a stainless steel base to allow it to function on induction oven tops. The issue arises in that this two-material construction could eventually lead to warping—as the two metals heat up at different rates.
Healthier
When you select the best induction cookware Australia has on the market—function isn’t enough. You also want to ensure that you and your family eat food as safely as possible.
Stainless steel is undoubtedly the optimum cookware for health and wellbeing. It has the advantages of:
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Not leaching harmful chemicals into food (which copper and aluminium can).
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Providing an even heat, especially on induction stoves—ensuring your food isn’t undercooked.
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Free from disease-causing coatings such as PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene).
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Easy to clean.
Makes Food Taste Better
With no leaching of dangerous metals into your food, it will undoubtedly taste better.
Additionally, its non-porous—unlike its cast-iron competitor.
The surface of iron cookware can hold oils and food detritus, which may eventually become rancid and taint the flavour of your dishes.
Extremely Hard Wearing
Cookware made from stainless steel will stand the test of time—and the punishment you give it in the kitchen—but check the quality of the metal before you buy.
Some substandard pans can contain scrap metal, which may cause illness.
The induction pots from Nutricraft are made from surgical grade 316Ti stainless steel. Unlike lesser classifications (such as the 200-grade), it includes molybdenum. This compound has the benefits of preventing corrosion, pitting, and salt-damage. Additionally, it will not warp, chip, or bend.
Finally, with a 50-year warranty, you know the Nutricraft cookware is designed to last.
Easy to Clean
Not only are induction hobs easy to clean—so are stainless steel pans.
Their non-porous structures mean you can easily remove food and cooking detritus. Admittedly, an aluminium pan with a non-stick coating may prevent adherence issues when cooking. But, burns are difficult to remove. Scrub too hard and you’ll damage the Teflon layer.
Within reason, you can be as vigorous as you wish, cleaning stainless steel—without impairing its quality.
Ideal for High Temperatures
Some cooking procedures, such as sautéing or searing, require some seriously high heat on your induction stove.
Unfortunately, lesser quality cookware will not stand up to these intense temperatures. However, using a pan such as the stainless steel Nutricraft fry pan—means you can seal in those flavours—without wrecking your equipment.
Looks Incredible
Okay, stainless steel induction pans may not come in all colours of the rainbow—but that means there’s nothing to chip or scrape—which will occur if you have decorated cookware.
Yet, stainless steel is timeless and will match any kitchen style. Ten years down the line, it will still appear phenomenal—unlike other pans and pots.
Conclusion
Cooking with induction is an incredible way to prepare food. It’s safer, more efficient, easier on the environment, and allows for greater control.
However, using stainless steel cookware takes your culinary prowess to the next level.
These pots and pans are seriously hard-wearing, prevent the transfer of dangerous metals, and are ideal for intense temperatures.
The 316Ti grade steel in the Nutricraft cookware range means years of enjoyable kitchen use and they’ll look amazing. Yet, if you have a gas or electric oven top, they’re a worthy investment.
With a 50-year guarantee, even if you decide in 10 years to switch to induction, your pans will be compatible. So, for the best induction cookware Australia can currently offer—take a glance here.