Induction cooker buying guide India, How to use induction cooker in India
In an electricity power starved country like India, Induction cooking may not be ideal. So why do people buy induction cookers, does induction cookers have any advantages over gas cookers? This page discusses all these questions.
In Kerala there was a time when the popularity of Induction cookers shot up and many households started using induction cookers. The power requirement of the State shot up. Even though the Kerala government considered banning the sale of Induction cookers, they gave up the idea because it could not stand up in courts.
So instead they slapped a very high duty on induction cookers, like on cigarettes, to make induction cookers expensive so as to discourage people from buying it. So an induction cooker is best used as a backup in case of cooking gas getting over.
Below we explain with the use of pictures how an induction cooker works.
How induction cookers work
In the figure below, the picture on the right explains how an induction cooker works. AC current from the electric socket which is 50 cycles per second or 50Hz gets converted into very high frequency current, in the range of 1000s of cycles per second or KHz, and is fed into a coil placed just under the cooker burner surface. This creates a high frequency alternating magnetic field just above the induction cooker burner surface. These magnetic waves can only react with magnetic material like iron. Non-magnetic materials like Aluminium, copper or even our hand has no effect and no heat will be generated.
As an example you can see in the image on top left, the egg is being fried in an half cut frying pan on an induction cooker. The portion of the egg on the pan get hot and gets fried, but the portion of the egg which overflows on to the surface of the induction cooker remains cold and does not get cooked.
Which is better induction cooker or gas stove
The induction cooker is very efficient because it is only the cooking vessel bottom that gets hot. It does not create hot gases like a gas burner. So with an induction cooker all the heat goes into the food being cooked and it does not heat the kitchen air or put a lot of carbon dioxide into the kitchen to make it stuffy and hot. Health wise the induction cooker is much better than a gas cooker, especially for people with asthmatic or breathing problems. Also the induction cooker is much safer than a gas cooker, it will not spread fire to your clothes or cause an explosion in the event of a gas leak.
Electricity bill of induction cooker in india
The power consumption of induction cooker is high but only for short periods. While it is heating food, the power is on and off in a cyclic fashion and this is how the temperature of the food is controlled. The difference in running cost between using gas stove and an induction cooker is negligible, unless you’re cooking for very long time every day. Both cooking gas and electricity are expensive in India. In a gas stove the gas burner wastes most of its energy as hot burnt gas and only about 25% of the heat in a gas burner is available to heat the food, whereas an electric induction cooker uses about 90% of the heat produced to cook the food. So depending on the cost per unit of electricity and the cost of the gas, one or the other could be cheaper, but the difference will be very small and negligible.
Best Indian induction cookers
The following are the best brands of induction cookers in India. Click on the brand name below to take you directly to the website of induction cooker manufacturer. You can of course get the prices of induction cookers from online shopping websites like Flipcart, etc. but before you decide on the brand to buy, it is a good idea to visit the manufacturer company website and decide for yourself how good they are, especially with regards to after sales service, etc.
If instead of going to each individual website listed below, the easier option may be to visit the Amazon India website with almost all available Induction cookers with price on a single web-page will be more helpful to compare prices and specifications of induction cookers side by side.
This is the link to see and compare all induction stoves and cookware on Amazon India website
Links to website of Indian Induction stove manufacturers
Advantage of Online buying of Home Appliances
Whatever Home Appliance you plan to buy, it is best to first do an online research about all available types and models on the leading online retailers in India, namely Amazon, Flipkart and Snapdeal. The advantage of first doing an online research about products you plan to buy is that you get to see all the available models of the product and you get to compare prices online. After this you can go around to the showrooms and do window shopping.
You should then decide to buy from the cheapest and most reliable source. When buying online, you can be sure that you will not get fake products and you are assured of after sales service. This is because the giant on-line retailers arrange for delivery to your house directly through the manufacturers of the product. Due to the high volume of business from the big online retailers, all manufacturers will make sure that any delivery on behalf of the big online retailers are of the best quality and that after sales service is provided on a priority basis.
If ever you have any problems, then you can go back to these online retailers and complain. All of these big online sellers have a reputation to keep and they always make sure that all complaints are promptly solved.
Advantage of buying AC, Fridge, Washing Machine, etc. online
Buying online fridges, washing machines, dishwashers and other major kitchen appliances is now the better option in India, just like it is in the USA and other advanced countries. There are several advantages of buying online. First of all, you get unbeatable bargain prices. Secondly, you get new and genuine products. Other benefits include no interest EMI payments, able to return the product for a full refund if not satisfied, etc.
Just to give you an example, below are some of the benefits Amazon India, the leading global online retailer, offered in India during their last sale. The same deals are not always available, but it is a good idea to check this link to the special offers page on Amazon.in India website.
- 30 to 50% off on ACs, Fridges, Washing Machines, Microwaves, Small Appliances, Chimneys, etc.
- Up to Rs. 10,000- off in Exchange
- No cost 0% EMI
- 10% Cashback on CitiBank Cards
- 100% Genuine Products
- Pre-Scheduled Delivery and Installation
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