As the debate over the health effects and environmental impact of gas stoves continues to grow across the U.S., Symbi Homes has begun our own investigation into the performance of all-electric induction cooking. Can an induction cooktop perform as good — or even better — than a traditional gas range?
Symbi’s recently completed Regeneration House, the Model Remodel 2022 for ProRemodeler Magazine, includes a GE Cafe 36″ Smart Touch-Control Induction Cooktop installed in our age-in-place accessory apartment.
We were wondering if going all electric would mean sacrificing functionality when it comes to gourmet cooking, so we asked Chef Allie Graham, dietician and food policy expert at Food Directions in Washington, DC, to prepare a meal on our induction cooktop and share her thoughts. Chef Allie geniusly chose a traditional steak dinner for the challenge, putting to test the conventional wisdom that cooking a sumptuous cut of beef requires flame.
The results exceeded all of our expectations. Chef Allie’s pot of potatoes went from cold water to completely done in the same time it would take to boil water on a gas range. She marveled at the temperature control and consistency across her pans. The steaks sizzled and charred in her cast iron just as they would with fire. And cleanup was super easy with a cooktop cool to touch with a smooth surface that conveniently wiped up.
Thanks to Ferguson, GE Cafe, and ProRemodeler Magazine, for their generous support of Symbi’s Regeneration House.
