Commercial-grade induction cooktops are getting a lot of buzz in the restaurant industry. More operations are moving away from traditional gas or electric ranges and are instead investing in induction equipment. And for good reason; induction cooktops use smart technology that works tirelessly to help operations excel. But what is an induction cooktop? How does it work, and is it right for your operation? We’ll explore those questions, as well as the great depths of commercial induction cooktops, what makes them great, and why some folks are hesitant to make the leap to induction.
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Induction cooktops feature copper coils below the surface of the cooktop. These are used to create high-frequency electromagnetic waves. The waves react with particles in cookware that contain iron, which includes most stainless steel as well as some specialty pans that have multiple-ply construction. It is easy to determine if a pan will work — just use a simple fridge magnet. The stronger the attraction the better it will work.
There’s a big distinction between a home-use and restaurant-grade induction cooktop. Commercial kitchen equipment needs to cook at a higher capacity and have greater durability than a home-use range.
One thing a commercial-grade induction unit should possess is conformal coated boards. Coated boards help protect the unit’s electrical elements from grease and moisture (two things there’s no shortage of in a commercial kitchen). Commercial units also have to handle the heat. Ambient temperatures of most back-of-house areas get pretty toasty. A unit that can withstand higher temperatures will simply last longer. Multiple temperature sensors, quiet scroll fans and more cooking power are also some features that distinguish a commercial from a home-use induction unit.
The benefits of an induction cooktop are vast and impact the entire workflow of most kitchens. They also have multiple applications within a kitchen, making induction a valuable choice for many operations. Here are the ways induction cooktops will boost your operation’s capabilities.
Induction cooktops cook food at incredible speed with no lag time. For example, a -watt induction unit will boil six cups of water in only three short minutes. That’s compared to six minutes on an electric range and over eight minutes with gas. In addition to a quick cook time, induction cooktops evenly distribute heat throughout the entire pan (again, the pan is the heating element). This eliminates troublesome hot spots that can lead to inconsistent dishes — and not so happy customers. Of course not all induction cooktops are created equal, so do your homework on which options perform best.
Smart technology gives induction cooktops a wide range of temperatures and precise heating controls. In addition, incredibly quick responsiveness is a valuable feature that provides an almost instant boil, quick cool and close to immediate recovery. Crank the controls, and quickly sear a tasty steak. Or turn it down, and gently melt and temper chocolate without scorching or burning (even without the use of a bain marie). On some solutions, a convenient digital display unit indicates power and temperature. Operators no longer have to guess the exact temperature of their cooktop. Recreating tasty dishes can be simple and consistent. But again, not all manufactures offer the same capabilities, so check out all the features of whatever model you’re considering.
Earth-conscious equipment helps conserve resources for our environment, but the benefits go even further. Foodservice utility costs make up a fair share of most operation’s budgets. Induction cooktops are energy-savers partly due to their ability to heat food quickly with precise temperatures. But, they also deliver 85% to 95% of the energy they consume directly to the food. In comparison, a gas range delivers 35% to 40% of the energy used to the food, and an electric range delivers 45%-50%. A whopping 60% savings in energy consumption can go a long way in sustainability practices and utility costs.
In addition to incredible heating efficiency, quality induction units run cool. Most commercial kitchens can get pretty hot (enter: lots of equipment, staff and fast-paced work). Equipment that runs cool is helpful to limit the amount of heat within the kitchen environment. Cooking with induction units often lowers air conditioning costs and boosts employee comfort.
The small footprint of induction cooktops and no gas hookup requirements open the flexibility of future kitchen modernizations. Induction equipment is also uniquely engineered with drop-in and portable options that work for the back-of-house as well as multiple front-of-house applications.
Since the pan is the heating element, induction cooktop surfaces stay cool. Many units also have automatic shut-off capabilities and pan-sensing technology that reduce burn and fire risks. In addition, there’s no fuel or flame created with induction cooking, which limits the number of chemicals released into the air. This helps create a cleaner and safer kitchen environment.
A cool surface means more than a safer unit; it also means no scorched food and an easier cleaning process. Induction cooktops are typically one smooth surface that can quickly be wiped down. Anyone in foodservice management knows efficiency is key for a smooth-running operation. Easy clean-up means fewer labor hours, increased sanitation and happier employees.
Automation continues to gain ground and wow foodservice establishments everywhere. Programmable recipe presets allow the operator to input preset temperature and cook times for different recipes. These presets boost efficiency and provide the ability for staff to recreate recipes, pleasing your diners every time. Equipment manufacturers offer different automation capabilities, so just ensure that you’re getting the features you want most.
Of course, it’s necessary to explore all facets of potential equipment purchases. Understanding which areas can create pause is essential to finding the best solution for your needs. Here are the top concerns associated with induction cooktops.
It can take a little time to acclimate to the speed of an induction cooktop. The learning curve might, at first, result in a few burned dishes. But after a little practice, your operation will get a handle on the efficiency of induction cooking. Once you do, you’ll never want to go back to the old ways. Automated features will also take some additional training for employees but in the long run, it will save your operation time.
Induction cooking requires specific pans, but don’t be confused on this one. The pans need to have a flat bottom and contain iron particles. Most magnetic stainless cookware works just fine, and even a simple cast iron pan will do the trick (tip: see if a magnet sticks and the pan will probably work). There’s no need to go out and purchase expensive or “induction only” pots and pans. Your operation most likely already uses pans that work with induction cooktops.
The price point of an induction cooktop can be higher than electric or gas units. Are they worth the additional cost? The efficiency of an induction cooktop is phenomenal and can set the pace of your entire kitchen. Getting tasty meals to your customers at a faster rate is a monetary win for any establishment. Also, the energy savings you’ll gain almost pays for itself in utility costs alone (over the life of the unit). In addition, automated settings help decrease labor hours and provide more opportunities for multi-tasking in the kitchen. Still not sure? Look for a “no frill” induction unit that comes at a lower price point than alternatives with all the bells and whistles.
Not all induction cooktops are created equal. Some induction cooktops are created with tempered glass, which can bow at higher temperatures and scratch easily. A simple solution to this “con” is for your operation to purchase induction cooktops made from ceramic glass, an extremely tough material that we’ve seen power through some pretty intense strength tests (think: steel weights dropped again and again from impressive heights).
What does your oven cost to operate? With induction heating, it’s not uncommon to be able to convert 90% of your energy into heat in the part. By comparison, a batch furnace is typically only 45% energy efficient. It’s also common to keep ovens operating 24/7 so it’s ready whenever you need to heat. That readily available heat comes at a cost. One Ultraflex customer reported annual operating costs of over $10,000 for their oven. They were shocked to find the induction system was only going to cost them $1,000 per year to operate (with the added bonus of improving their heating time from 70 minutes to 45 seconds!).
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Implementing a torch has similar issues in that the majority of the energy does not enter the part. One customer estimated that they were spending $6.37 per part for a preheat application using a torch. The same preheat application using induction heat, had an energy cost of $0.58. In today’s competitive market, can you afford to not save $5.79 per part?
Look at your oven’s specs to determine its power usage. Check online for your region’s energy costs (or your energy bill) to determine the cost per kW-hr. For a torch, determine the amount of fuel consumed per part, and use the fuel rates to determine the cost per part. For the induction heating costs, Ultraflex is happy to run these calculations for you, when you request a quote.
Induction heating can provide significant productivity improvements. It’s not uncommon for induction systems to allow the heating time to be reduced by 50% and can be produced with 90% efficiency. Just as important though, is to recognize that the operator has been taken out of the equation, and can now work on other tasks during the induction heating. This may be set up for the next operation, inspection, or work on another independent activity.
Ultraflex recently worked with a customer that had multiple torch brazing operations for a single assembly. After each braze, the part had to be cleaned to remove oxidation that occurs during the brazing process. By changing to an induction process, these multiple brazing steps were able to be done with a single brazing operation. Another benefit of switching to induction was that two of the three cleaning steps were eliminated. The operator also was able to work on setup for the next part of the process instead of doing the hands-on braze.
Compare the current heating process time versus the planned induction heating time.
Three words: Eliminate Open Flame. That’s enough reason alone for many companies to make the switch to induction. Combine that with eliminating smoke, waste heat, and noxious emissions, and you have a solution to improve your workplace conditions.
Many companies also have objectives for “Green Operation”. Induction heating does not burn traditional fossil fuels, and does not pollute the environment.
Induction heating is incredibly simple to operate. Your operator’s skill is no longer going to be the critical factor for the quality of your parts! Whether you use pre-set programs, closed-loop temperature control, or a PLC, an induction system can produce quality, consistent parts, with no dependency on your operator’s skill.
Review your company’s safety reports and determine if you’ve had incidents. Look at the “standard cost” for the heating operations. Determine the cost for the process if you could use lower-skilled employees.
Induction heating creates a highly repeatable process with low variability. The induction heating process is controlled by a few variables, most of which can be fixed. By eliminating these sources of “special cause variability”, we achieve a consistent result. Here are the primary sources of variability:
The most significant source of variation for most processes is the operator. With induction, we remove the operator from the process entirely. Once you fix the remaining variables (power and time, coil, part), we are left with only common cause variability, resulting in a more consistent heating result every time.
Calculate the Cpk of your current process. With induction, a Cpk of 2 (a 6 sigma process) will be your goal. How many fewer defects would you have if you could achieve 6 sigma quality? That’s the induction opportunity!
Even more simply, look at your ongoing inspection costs. With induction, once you’ve shown your process is capable, you can reduce these inspection requirements, and stop trying to “inspect quality in”.
Scrap and rework occurs for many reasons in any process. When we improve process control, and remove sources of variation, we also reduce our scrap and rework. Companies that are using torch or flame also see significant quality improvements by avoiding the contaminants that occur with those processes.
Review your scrap and rework costs. If you do not have a good understanding of the root cause for your issues, you may need to start with some analysis to understand how much of your scrap and rework can potentially be eliminated with induction.
Induction equipment is often smaller than other heating technologies, giving you the capability to insert the equipment directly on your production line. One Ultraflex customer was challenged with needing to add a new production line, but had no space for the required annealing oven. The footprint for their induction system was about 10% of the size of the annealing oven. This allowed them to save space on their current production line and gave them additional room now for the new production line.
Induction heating is ideal for one-piece flow processing, and allows companies to escape from batch processing. When we batch process, we have work-in-process inventory buffers between each process. One-piece flow reduces WIP dramatically, which in turn, improves cash flow. And don’t forget – all that WIP is also taking up your valuable floorspace.
Are you struggling for floorspace? Do you need to add in production capacity, but have no room for expansion? How much space does your current heating equipment take up? Do you have to transport your materials away from your main production area so you can do your current heating process? How much time does that take?
How much WIP inventory do you currently have? How much space does that take up? How much cash is tied up in that inventory? How much time would you save if you could immediately process each part in a continuous production process, instead of batch processing your parts? How fast could your process be if you could eliminate those batch processes? How much would you be able to reduce your product lead times?
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