You won’t find any gas cooktops in the kitchen of Vue de monde, Shannon Bennett’s Melbourne restaurant that is built around cold kitchen technology. Instead, he uses induction cooktops, part of a strategy to have no flames in the kitchen that produce heat, reducing the demand for air-conditioning, which is better for the environment.

Chefs are now increasingly using induction cooktops instead of gas to create fine dining. While gas is more commonly seen in commercial kitchens, there has been a definite switch by at-home chefs to induction instead of gas during the past five to ten years.

We spoke to several kitchen professionals to find out why people are switching to induction.

Induction – Superior cooking results – super fast

Miele’s Home Economist Loughlin Hunter, who has worked in three commercial kitchens that use induction instead of gas, says induction is superior in many ways.

“It’s extremely fast and precise, much more so than any other cooktop. You can boil liquids in minutes, and gently melt chocolate directly into the saucepan. No other style of cooktop allows this precision. Induction provides an even heat all over the pan, so if you’re cooking something like pancakes, you’ll never notice any hot spots,” Loughlin says.

Timer and TempControl provide more control with less effort

Miele’s induction cooktop TempControl sensor technology keeps the pan and its contents at a precise, consistent temperature, which reduces monitoring and eliminates guesswork during cooking.

Miele’s PowerSelect function enables you to set the exact temperature and cooking duration, to achieve perfect results with minimal supervision.

Loughlin explains: “During cooking the food heats up and with other cooktops you need to reduce the heat setting to prevent overcooking, where a momentary lapse in attention can result in burning, bubbling over or splattering. But TempControl maintains the food at a precise, constant heat. The simmer setting prevents sauces from boiling, whereas if you’re cooking with gas you need to reduce the heat to prevent the sauce overheating.”

“You can fry eggs perfectly, removing the guesswork around whether the egg yolk and white are fully cooked. “With gas you can’t control the duration of cooking without constant supervision,” Loughin says.

See one-touch gastronomy – technology at your fingertips for more detail about Miele’s TempControl.

Sleek, Modern Look

Graeme Metcalf, Industrial Designer at Dan Kitchens Australia, says people are increasingly choosing induction cooktops for their aesthetic, cleanliness and energy efficiency.

“The induction cooktops look great and give a kitchen a very sleek, modern look. Designers are trying to eliminate the usually highly visible appliances and choosing appliances that integrate into benchtops,” Graeme says.

Easy clean surface

Induction cooktops are extremely easy to clean. There are no hard-to-get-to places where food can get caught or attachments that can discolour with age. Miele’s TempControl function prevents burnt pots and pans splattering onto the splashback or boiling over onto the cooktop. The overall cooking experience becomes more enjoyable and less time is spent cleaning up.

Extremely safe

Miele’s induction cooktops are great for families with young children, as only the pan heats up and the cooking zone remains comparatively cool.

Miele’s TempControl sensors ensure there is no splattering of fat when deep frying, as it maintains the oil at the required temperature. Added features include automatic switch off, if a cooking zone is operated for an unusually long time or if a suitable pan is not placed on the switched-on cooking zone.

Environmental benefits

When cooking with induction cooktops, heat is only generated in the bottom of the pan. It heats up extremely fast and uses less power so there is no wasted heat, which is extremely efficient.

Easier to cook multiple and oversized pots

Unlike gas, where a particular pot fits onto a specific burner, Miele’s PowerFlex zone combines two individual rings to form one single large ring or a rectangular casserole zone. This conveniently accommodates oversized pots, or different sized pans next to each other.