This week I will be discussing induction cooktops
- Research and discuss an induction cooktop circuit and its requirements for cookware material.There are a couple requirements needs for a cooktop circuit to work properly, you will need a grounded 240-volt circuit protected with 40-50 amp breakers that terminate in an approved junction box mounted near the cooktop. It could be either mounted on the back of a cabinet or behind the wall just needs to be near it for troubleshooting purposes, but far enough away so that the connections inside the box are not exposed to heat.
- Research and discuss the difference between inductive and resistive cooktops. A resistive cooktop has a coil or resistance wire, usually nichrome. When you pass a current through it the wire heats up, the heat heats the pot, which heats the contents.
An inductive cooktop has an inductor, a coil of low resistance wire. Current passes through it creating an electromagnetic field. The EM field induces an eddy current in the pan which cause the pan to heat up. Essentially the cooktop coil is the transformer primary winding, the metal pot is a short-circuited single turn secondary winding. The heat from the pan heats the content. Note that the pot must be made of a magnetic material, usually iron or steel.
1) Why does an induction cooktop only heat specific types of cookware?
Induction cooking works by creating a magnetic field between the pot and the magnetic coils beneath the cooking surface. The energy created in the electromagnetic field heats the contents of the pot.
2) What properties of induction are being used to heat cookware on an induction coil?
Induction cooking uses magnetism to create heat. Induction units use a series of electrical components and a large, thin coil of copper wire to create magnetic resistance in induction ready cookware. This resistance creates heat in the base of the cookware, as opposed to the surface of the cooker itself, which then heats the food
3) How efficient are induction cooktops when compared to electric coil cooktops and why?
The main difference between the two types of cooktops is that each uses electricity differently and that there are different unique pros and cons for each type. An induction cooktop, for instance, is very energy and cost-efficient, while an electric cooktop is generally much cheaper than an induction cooktop. Which type you should choose depends on which type is more compatible with your needs and preferences.
