JohnN

I know this is an ancient topic, but I was just reading through it and was surprised I didn't see anyone point out that many of these cookwares are clad which probably provides some complications for both welding and strength (you're welding to the outer layer of the clad, and you have to worry about the outer ply pulling off, etc.). That said, I'm unreasonably annoyed by rivets, especially on non-stick.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. We finally rounded up all the stuff and tried this one last night. It indeed is pretty close to the Red Robin recipe. I'll still have to try the other suggestions. Thanks! -john

Thanks for the ideas so far. I'm starting to suspect the key is probably the OJ and pineapple juice. -john

I'm sure it's probably not considered an authentic Mai Tai, but I like the fruity and sweet approach of the Red Robin Mai Tai. I've had better in Hawaii, but they were along the same lines, but with better, fresher juice and fruit. I've tried all sorts of mixes and recipes, and nothing seems right. Can anyone help me out? Thanks, -john

As far as I can tell, the Sunpentown products are sold as "Mr. Induction" via Springusa.com. On their web site, they have list a PDF user manual for the Mr. Induction product(s), on which, they specifically state iron and enameled cookware as "suitable". See page 6: Mr. Induction User Manual. Here is the bread crumb trail: On this Sunpentown USA page, you can see where they claim to be sold exclusively through SpringUSA.com. On page 2 of this Springusa.com product catalog, you see that the "Mr. Induction" products have part numbers that match the ones that are on the Sunpentown USA web site. Following the Induction Ranges link from the main page shows the link to the user manual. I think if the mfg says it is OK to use the cookware, you are good to go. -john

Why don't you try contacting the mfg? I'd think they'd have the straight skinny. -john

Hey Ed, Just wondering how the cookware is holding up? Thanks, -john

I think the main negatives are: 1) cost 2) can't use any old cookware -john

You might ask this question at That Home Site - Appliances forum. They have a lot of induction folks over there. -john

There is a one page article on induction stoves in the August/September 2005 Fine Cooking magazine. See pg 24. -john

All those hazards are known and tangible. Electromagnetic radiation hazards are not. All I can say at this point is that there are those who are susceptible to electromagnetic radiation and we may be among them. ← I hope you're keeping a respectful distance from your computer monitor. ← And power lines and cell phones and microwaves and um... -john

As I understand it, the great temperature control refers only to the way the burner goes instantly off or on, as with a gas stove and not at all as with a standard electric stove. You get the quick response of a gas hob without the gas hookup, and when you turn it off you're just left with the residual heat in the pan. I don't think the pan itself will cool down any differently, so you'll still have the slow cooling of a heavy pan and the quick cooling of a lightweight pan. If I've missed something, I hope someone with experience will set us both straight. ← Yah, I think the idea is that: Heat comes on very fast because 1) The pot itself is what heats up. There is no thermal transfer needed to slow things down and 2) the "element" (pot) heats almost instantly - think microwave. It cools "quickly" because the only thermal mass is the cookware (and food) - it does not need to cool an element in addition like in the case of a glass cooktop. So it is more "gas-like", but not magic. It sounds like the modern induction hobs maintain precise tempature control as well. -john

Hi Melissa, I've heard of people doing exactly what you suggest. In this particular case, they used the CookTek hobs which are available in a drop-in configuration. They are available in a single and double hob configuration. -john

I don't have one, but I think I can answer this one. I think the top is the same as used in other "glass" cooktops. So, it is scratchable, but it does take a bit of work to do so. You should be able to avoid scratching it with a bit of care. I think the biggest risk for scratches is cast iron cookware. It tends to be a bit rougher and harder than other surfaces, esp. if you slide the cookware back and forth on the burner. Some cookware can leave traces of the metal on the cooktop, esp. if you slide the cookware back and forth on the burner; but it can be cleaned with a mild abrassive and some elbow grease. I understand hot melted sugar is also one of the biggest risks to a glass cooktop as it can "spall" the surface as it cools. The biggest complaint I've seen with people who have "glass" cooktops is cleaning. And that is typically because the spilled food gets baked on. The upside of the induction cooktop is that the glass surface doesn't heat up like in a conventional cooktop and thus doesn't get hot enough to cook on the food for the most part. This means much easier cleanup. In fact, it appears some people even do things like put a piece of newspaper between the cooktop and the cookware for messy foods! Very slick. In general, it seems that the induction cooktops are probably the easiest to keep clean. A big plus in my book. Since the cooking mechanism is electromagnetic, the glass does not play a part and any scratches would only be cosmetic. -john

I noticed the above URL doesn't work any more. Here is revised one: ths.gardenweb.com -john

My understanding is that cast iron should work fine. Certainly I've read reports of people using cast iron with their induction stovetops. However, I have also read that some people have had problems with some cast iron pots when the bottom did not make contact or good contact with the stovetop. For example, some cast iron cookware has a ridge around the edge on the bottom. This keeps the bottom of the cookware away from the stovetop. Bottom line, the cookware (cast iron or not) should have a flat bottom to allow it to contact the cooktop for best results. If it doesn't, results vary including the potential for it not to work at all. Note one potential is to have problem cast iron cookware ground flat. -john Edit, here are links to a few products: Brandt Cooktop Diva Cooktops Cooktek Induction

In most cases you could simply omit one or both of the shelves when you are assembling the unit. We just got a Napoleon PT308 Prestige II which is a small grill (483 sq. in.) with nice heavy duty stainless grates, stainless sear plates, two stainless tube burners and a rotisserie with infared burner. This is the scaled down version (but same features) of the PT450 which is reviewed here. One of the things that is cool about it is that while small, the grates come right up to the edge and fit securely so you can make good use of the space you have. It has two side shelves, but you could leave one or both of them off. Other than the shevles, it is very compact but very nice. I paid $760 at a local appliance place. They took my old grill for free. -john

We just purchased a Napoleon PT308RB (Prestige II) grill this weekend after our old, twice hand-me-down, grill disinegrated. I wanted a decent grill, but didn't want to pay the frieght for the mega-fancy grills. We live in a wet, cool climate, so I wanted something durable. Here is what I gathered from reading reviews (somewhat subjective): 1) Solid, cast burners, typically brass or stainless tend to be best. If you get "tube" burners, heavy duty stainless are better. More burner coverage is better for even heating. 2) Heavy stainless or coated cast iron grates are better (specifically which one is probably a matter of priorities). Solid is better. 3) Stainless or ceramic "sear plates" (drip guards in my view) are better. However, I also gather than you don't want the drippings to just run off, you want them to vaporize to add flavor. You also want them to cover the burner so the drippings can't reach. 4) Not all "stainless" grills are fully stainless. One here locally at Lowe's in particular looked really good, but I read that it used low quality stainless that was prone to rusting and that all the fasteners rusted. In addition, it wasn't waterproof and rain killed the guy's ignition system. The grill I got is fairly small (and semi inexpensive), but has all stainless interior parts. Heavy duty stainless grates, stainless sear plates, stainless tube burners (slight compromise). The sear plate design is supposed to vaporize the drippings instead of just deflecting them. It has a rotisserie (wife's request). I've used it a couple times now and so far I'm happy and think the money spent went into the right place (internal components, not exterior looks). The grill set me back $760 before tax, but I was able to walk out of a local store with one. Oh, and they took my completely dead old grill free of charge. :-) Originally I was looking at a Ducane 436. It looks like a very good grill for the price and they have a special setup for the sear plates to trap drippings so they can vaporize. I've seen it for as low as $300 (amazon.com), but it would be about $100 for shipping! And I'd have to pay tax too! I wasn't able to fine one locally. It appears that most people other than big chains don't want to carry low end grills. And the chains seem to get re-branded or off-branded items. The grill I really wanted was a Firemagic, but the best price I could find on a (small, basic) one was a bit under $2000. It's obviously in a different class and they have two burners for each control/zone for more even heating. I found the reviews at bbq.about.com to be helpful. Good luck! -john

You can get slick looking ones too. Check this one. -john

I'm curious about yours. Do you have 240V or 120V models? ← I don't know if this is what Andie has, but it sounds like CookTek is a popular brand of stand alone "hobs", both drop-in and free-standing. -john

I've found several articles on ths.gardenweb.com/forums/appl forums. Personally, I'm very interested in induction cooktops - they seem like a good fit for us. I especially like the idea of easy cleanup compared to our existing stove. Unfortunately for us, we found out about them after we had completed our kitchen remodel. -john

I thought that Teflon started giving off toxic fumes at around 500F. It sounds like you are on the edge of safe use of Teflon pans. -john

My understanding is that soapstone is very dense, so I suspect the stains wouldn't be a much of a problem. However, it is also fairly soft, and that is more of an issue for me. I would assume that it will take on "character" as time goes on, like wood. If you are cool with that, it is probably a good choice. If not, you might be better off with a harder surface. -john

I think if a magnet sticks to it, it should work, however for best results you should get stuff that is meant to work with it. Sam called out Induc'Inox line by Mauviel in his Q&A: But I've also read that All-Clad Stainless works well also. -john ← Thanks, John I have a few pieces of All-Clad Stainless but use alot of Le Creuset, Staub, Lodge Cast Iron, Mauviel Copper, and Berndes Cast Anodized Aluminum. The rest I am not sure who manufactured. I'll try to magnet test. But don't they also need flat bottoms to work on induction? Thanks Azlee ← Yah, the All-Clad, Le Creuset and Lodge will probably work. I'm not familiar with Staub, and the Mauviel and cast anodized aluminum won't work. From my reading at THS forum (see my link about induction cooktops), it sounds like the non-flat bottom stuff will probably work, but not well. You could have the bottoms ground flat tho if you have a problem pan. -john

I think if a magnet sticks to it, it should work, however for best results you should get stuff that is meant to work with it. Sam called out Induc'Inox line by Mauviel in his Q&A: But I've also read that All-Clad Stainless works well also. -john