Infrared cooktop FAQ

You may have puzzled over what is the difference between infrared and induction cooktops…. Both options have been around for some time, so to help clear up any confusion, let’s take a look and discuss infrared hot plate vs induction hot plate and how both cooking methods work. We’ll discuss why choosing and using infrared heat is a better and less expensive option. And we’ll discuss the benefits of infrared cooking. Like to see the most popular benchtop infrared ovens?

Infrared cooking is an beneficial way of cooking healthy food and retaining nutrients.

Faster to cook the majority of food- 3 x faster than traditional methods

Doesn’t generate heat and keeps your kitchen cooler

Cooks your food very evenly, not hot or cold spots

Retains a higher moisture content in food

Cookers are highly portable – Benchtop cookers, toaster ovens and ceramic cooktops are perfect for

kitchens,  RV’s, boat, dorm rooms, camping

Infrared BBQ’s are far less messy to use and cheaper to run

Infrared cooktops are made from quartz infrared heating lamps in a corrosion-protected metal dish. The lamps are usually surrounded by radiant coils to emit even radiant heat. This radiant heat transfers direct infrared heat to the pot. You’ll find infrared cooktops have a higher energy efficiency than solid electric coils by as much as 3 times more efficiency. The benefit of infrared cookers over induction cookers: any type of pots and pans can be used. With induction cooktops, you need special cookware.

Bill Best invented the first gas-powered infrared burner in the early 1960’s. Bill was the founder of Thermal Engineering Corporation and patented his infrared burner. It was first used in factories and industries such as tire manufacturing plants and large ovens used to dry vehicle paint fast.

By the 1980s, a ceramic infrared grill had been invented by Bill Best. When he added his ceramic infrared burner invention to a barbecue grate he made, he discovered infrared heat cooked food faster and retained high moisture levels.

Infrared heat has always existed. Infrared ovens get their name from the far infrared heating elements present at the core of their heating assembly. These elements heat create radiant heat which transfers to the food.

Now in your normal charcoal or gas powered grill, the grill is heated by burning the charcoal or the gas which then heats up the food using air. Infrared grills work differently. They use electric or gas elements to heat up a surface which then emits infrared waves directly onto food that’s on the plate, bowl or grill.

 Induction Cooking is a relatively new method of heating food. Induction cooktops use electromagnets  as opposed to thermal conduction to heat the pot. These cooktops don’t use any heating elements to transfer heat but directly heat up the vessel with the electromagnetic field below the glass cooktop surface. The electromagnetic field transfers current directly to magnetic cookware, causing it to heat up– which can be your pot or pan.

The benefit of this is to get to high temperatures very fast with instant temperature control. Induction cooktops have many benefits for the consumer. One of these is the cooktop doesn’t get hot, reducing the possibility of burns in the kitchen.

Induction cookers are made up of copper wires placed under a cooking vessel and then an alternating magnetic current is passed through the wire. The alternating current simply means one that keeps reversing direction. This current creates a fluctuating magnetic field which will indirectly produce heat.

You can actually put your hand on top of the glass and you won’t feel a thing.  Don’t ever put your hand one one that has recently been used for cooking because it will be hot!

The cookware that is suitable for induction cookers are made from ferromagnetic metals such as cast iron or stainless steel. Providing you use a ferromagnetic disk, copper, glass, aluminium, and non magnetic, stainless steels can be used.

People often ask the question of “infrared hot plate vs induction” when it comes to power usage. Infrared cookers use about 1/3 less power than any other types of cookers or grills. Infrared burners heat so rapidly, producing higher temperatures than your regular grill or cooker can. Some infrared cookers are capable of reaching 980 degrees Celsius in 30 seconds and can finish cooking your meat in two minutes. That is extremely fast.

Infrared cookers and BBQ grills are far easier to clean up. Think about all the mess from the last time you used a burner grill or charcoal grill…. All the splatters that had to be cleaned up…. The ceramic coated elements on an infrared BBQ just need wiping down and the bowl of a benchtop cooker goes in the dishwasher.

Infrared cooking ensures heat is evenly distributed across the cooking surface. The radiant heat penetrates your food evenly and ensures  the moisture content remains high.

Low Temperatures

Infrared cookers get hot very fast. We suggest you watch food closely and reduce the heat when needed. You should select an infrared cooker with varying temperature settings.

Good for the Environment

Infrared cookers and grills make use of about 30 percent less fuel than your electric, gas or charcoal grill. This saves you money and in turn helps the environment. Find out which 5 infrared grills are the most popular here

Saves you Time

Because infrared grills heat up the fastest, they make cooking faster. You can grill a barbecue, roast meat, cook a meal and do everything you want almost 3 times faster than a regular cooker.

Just How Fast Are Infrared Cookers?

 Infrared cookers can go up to over 800 degrees Celsius in 30 seconds. That’s how fast they are. Depending on the  model and type of course, you can get some slower models. Note that the whole point of transferring heat with infrared is because of the speed.

Gas burners and charcoal cookers will require heat to be conducted to your cooking vessel and then wait for the vessel to get hotter before the temperature increases.Infrared surfaces apply heat to your cooking vessels as fast as possible and still protect your food from damage. Imagine cooking a barbecue in just 10 minutes and have it as delicious as ever. You might also like to check out charcoal grills too

You don’t need special cookware as we have mentioned. Just like regular cookers you can get tons of accessories which you just might need though….. Such as special thick glass bowls for your cooker.

Infrared Cooking and Induction Cooking are both great methods of cooking. Infrared however offers more benefits as your food is cooked faster without charring your food with ash or smoke. Infrared cookers are also great for the environment – helping us use less fossil fuel to produce heat.