The Most Eco-Friendly Cooking is...INDUCTION!

I just came across a blog wherein the authors, Ian and Jo Ludlow, claimed the induction cooking was "about 90 percent energy efficient as compared to gas and electric radiant".


Now this statement flies in the face of everything I've ever learned about electric powered cooking. I knew that induction was a more efficient way of cooking with electric...But more efficient than gas??? How could that be?

So I got on my researching horse and Googled "Induction Cooking Efficiency".

Up popped a university study, by students Kristin VanderLinde, and Ting Ei Su, at Michigan Tech College of Environmental Studies. Sure enough it's true!
Here are Kristin and Ting's conclusions:

"The induction cooktop is a very practical device and can be used for any cooking application. It cooks food just as well as any comparable system but in a safer, more energy efficient manner. Protecting the world's environment and conserving resources is currently an important concern, and the induction cooktop is probably the most environmentally sound cooking device on the market, as it releases no fumes or chemicals into the air and uses no irreplaceable fossil fuels. Anyone thinking of purchasing a new stove should consider investing in an induction cooktop."

Not only is an induction cooktop far more energy efficient that the alternatives, but it is SAFER! And safety is always a top concern for kitchen designers. The last thing we want is for a kitchen we've designed to go up in flames. It's also CLEANER! Nothing wrong with that either.

"the induction cooktop is extremely safe. There is no risk of fire if food or grease overflows from the pan, no risk of burns from touching the cooktop surface, and no worry about dangerous fumes from gas or other cooking fuels."

I think this statement is a little over the top because grease can always combust into flames if the pan is heated enough. But still...Safety will get me every time.

Then there's Wikipedia:

"Induction cookers are considerably more expensive than traditional cookers, but consume half as much electricity as electric cookers and are more efficient in heat transfer, achieving an absolute efficiency of 84% in US Dept of energy tests (compared to a typical 40% for a gas cooker).[citation needed]"

Looks like it's time to start encouraging my clients to switch to induction.

Peggy

Mama Mia! Meneghini!

I've just come across Meneghini Refrigerators from Robey's in the UK.

Another reason to envy those Brits. Look at this stuff!

Peggy


"Meneghini ice-chests create a magical atmosphere in the kitchen environment with aged cherry wood and walnut, Lebanese cedar, mahogany, pine and chestnut finish. Lacquered wood versions include over 500 RAL satin colour finishes as well as white.

The unique solid brass handles and hinges can be supplied either polished or satin finished, or chrome plated and then polished or satin finished. The ice-chests of course can be handed either left or right hand opening. In the larder version, the shelves are glass and an internal light is fitted.

Optional extra electrical appliances such as coffee makers, microwaves, combination ovens or ice makers can be fitted with the Cambusa range."

Design Hole: Trends: Colorful Kitchens

Jennifer at Design Hole blogs about the beautifully hued appliances on the market today and asks if the reader would spring for such strongly colored statements in their own kitchens?

I think that there will always be a market for the unique and unusual in the high-end kitchens of the rich and famous.

Of course, for the rich and famous to re-redo their kitchens, when they tire of their flame-colored Lacanche Ranges, it is a small thing.





























For the rest of us though, I think we will stick with our white, black and stainless, and matching cabinet panels.

Those of us who started in the business of kitchen design when homeowners were replacing the turquoise and pink GE kitchens of the 50's and 60's, remember how glad they were to swap them out for something more "homey" and comfortable...something that makes you glad to come home and relax.

Our color preferences are coming from the young these days. That's good. But the young don't stay young, and their preferences change from bold to sedate when they realize that home is about the people in the home, and not about their surroundings screaming at them.

Again, I reiterate that focal point appliances are great. I LOVE them. They just need to be in context with the focal points created by your designer. Otherwise your eyes will google out of your head every time you enter your kitchen ;>D

Peggy