I'm in the process of searching for a new kettle and began looking into induction. What I have discovered in both the brewing and culinary market is that there is no surprise that induction hasn't really taken off since the proper pots are rarely available. The best I have found are pots with a cladded bottom containing an inner layer of 400 grade stainless (ferritic steel). This is probably more efficient than a propane burner but doesn't contribute to a larger surface area which is the whole advantage to induction. I want a vessel with 400 cladding throughout, but best I can tell, this doesn't exist. Does anyone know why?
2 Answers
The good pots I've seen have a ferrious plate integrated into the base, with food grade stainless for food contact areas.
I was looking at 20 liter+ pots which are about $500 us. For commercial pots. However the stove top for that large a pot is about $5,000. So I abandoned the search there.
answered Oct 27, 2017 at 16:37
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Wow. For that kind of money I could get a boiler and a jacketed tank. Maybe it’s time to give up on induction.– mreff555Commented Oct 27, 2017 at 17:18
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I don't remember the numbers, but this agrees with my previous assessments. Not only was it quickly looking way too expensive, it wasn't clear you'd gain all that much (still takes 30 minutes to boil depending on power).– WyrmwoodCommented Nov 6, 2017 at 17:42
The magnetic field drops off rapidly with distance from the stove top. You could clad the sides of the kettle, but it wouldn't add any heat and would just be a waste of money. To heat the sides you would need a concave stove surface with a coil that wraps up the sides of the pot.
--GF
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Do you have a source for this information by any chance? I have not been able to find anything related to this dropoff.– mreff555Commented Oct 26, 2017 at 18:44
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I just based my comment on my experience and knowledge of electromagnetism. If you want a little bit of technical insight, look at Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Induction_cooking (cookware section) and some of the references there. Commented Oct 26, 2017 at 22:28
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If an induction heater didn't have rapid field drop there would be a danger of heating any relevant metal in the extended active zone. Most designs preclude any noticeable heating activity over 5cm from the induction heating surface. Try mounting a pan on suitable insulators over an induction hob. By adjustment and observation you can find how far the electromagnetic field usefully extends. IMHO its not that far. Commented Nov 2, 2017 at 10:41