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Cook where you want to.
(Credit: Chef's Catalog)Sometimes one stove isn't enough. That's not to say an additional stove is always necessary, but sometimes you just need a little more. Or, perhaps even more importantly, you need your cooktop to just move over there. Whether it is a matter of space or convenience, a portable cooktop is an excellent way to expand your options.
The Fissler CookStar Induction Pro Cooktop, PROX61 features 1,500 watts of power and nine heating levels to ensure quality results no matter what or where you need to cook. A boost function and a keep-warm setting provide precision control, either while preparing foods, or while serving them at the table. The easy-to-use touch-sensitive controls are intuitive, and at the end of the meal, the frameless glass-ceramic surface is easy to clean.
The most energy-efficient method of cooking is via induction, and considering safety issues (portable open-flame appliances even sound not-so-safe), the lack of surface heat makes induction cooktops desirable. Of course, induction-friendly cookware is needed, but considering the rising popularity of induction cooktops--both portable and not--finding quality cookware is not so much of a chore. Certainly expanding options and easy convenience are worth it in the end.
A hallmark of smart kitchen design is a properly calibrated work triangle--that's your sink, your fridge, and your cooktop. The idea is to minimize the steps you need to take to move between these three areas to make you as efficient as possible.
In a small kitchen, creating an effective work triangle can be tricky. In my galley kitchen back in L.A., we couldn't open the fridge and the dishwasher at the same time, which is more of a problem than you'd think.
But what if you could move the legs of your triangle around? Why be locked into a cooktop that's fixed in one location? Why not give yourself the freedom and flexibility to cook right next to the sink one night, and near the open window the next?
Designers David Barry and Laurence Finnegan have come up with a concept design for Lotus, "a wireless cooking system that offers an elegant alternative to the conventional static hob." The various pieces in the set are designed for different cooking styles, such as grilling, wok-style sauteing, induction heating, and so on. Power comes from resonant induction via transmission coils in the counter tops and receiving coils in each piece. When the cooking is done, each piece can go straight to a sink full of water for simple cleanup.
The pieces are also cool to the touch, so you'll have far fewer kitchen safety issues than with a traditional hob. It's a cool concept, and one I'd like to see realized. According to designer David Barry, "the only new technology applied is the wireless power." Even though the system seems to be "powered by pixie dust...it is actually quite feasible," he says.
The 36-inch model.
(Credit: Frigidaire)Technology is always moving forward. However, along with these advances come the inevitable needed upgrades. These are frequently a source of frustration, software and hardware incompatibilities with new technologies can often leave you out in the cold. Sure, you may have a nice, new shiny gadget, but if it won't talk to any of your peripherals, you have to start collecting them all over again. The same goes for kitchen appliances.
Induction cooking may be highly efficient, but it only works with ferrous pots and pans. Therefore, if your current favorite cookware is copper, glass, or aluminum, chances are you will have to upgrade if you wish to explore induction cooking. That is, unless you invest in a cooktop that can do electric and induction cooking.
The Frigidaire Professional 30-inch and 30-inch Induction Hybrid Cooktops combines electric and induction technologies into one convenient unit. Featuring two electric 7-inch 1,800-watt elements along with six-inch and 10-inch induction zones (the 36-inch model has an additional six-inch electric element); the cooktop is capable of straddling the line between new and old technologies. The responsiveness and efficiency of induction cooking and the classic versatility of electric, are both combined into one convenient package, complete with a smooth, ceramic glass surface. If only all upgrades were so painless.
(Via Appliancist)
Most kitchens are laid out so that there's a ventilation system right over the cooktop. But Jenn-Air's Designer Line Gas Downdraft Cooktop offers a way to lay out a kitchen without having to arrange for bulky ventilation. Instead, the cooktop uses a downdraft ventilation system that can capture smoke, steam, and odors without hanging over the cooktop. The Designer Line version comes in a 30-inch gas model. The downdraft ventilation system is also available in other Jenn-Air cooktops, which require a ventilation kit in addition to the cooktop itself. It has a sleek appearance that will work well with a variety of countertops and is available in stainless steel.
The Jenn-Air Designer Line Gas Downdraft Cooktop has both ultrahigh and ultralow output burners,which provide you with the precision control necessary for so many recipes. Between the two types of burners, you can heat a burner from 900 BTUs all the way up to 15,000 BTUs. The burners are also equipped with electronic ignitions, as well as Jenn-Air's Flame-Sensing reignition system. The burners are sealed and the glass-ceramic surface makes burner bowls entirely unnecessary, which means clean up is little more than a matter of wiping down the cooktop. The cooktop is priced at $1,299.
In its line of Masterpiece Cooktops, Thermador has included a number of technological improvements to make cooking an easier matter. These electric cooktops include the largest cooking elements on the market, Thermador's CookSmart and SensorDome technologies and touch controls.
(Credit:
Thermador)
The innovation of the SensorDome system is especially useful: the infrared sensor technology continuously measures heat coming from your cookware and instructs the heating element to cycle on and off to maintain a precise temperature while eliminating boil overs. The SensorDome system works in conjunction with CookSmart, a Thermador innovation that allows you to preprogram your cooktop for common recipes, like pasta.
The Masterpiece Cooktops are available in both 30-inch and 36-inch options. Depending on the size you pick, as well as additional features you might choose to add on, the Masterpiece Cooktops range in price from $1,300 to $2,000. Among those options are more traditional mechanical knob controls, rather than the touch controls that are standard on the cooktop.
It can be installed flush with most kitchen countertops and can be cleaned with just the wipe of a sponge. Each cooktop has five elements, as well as 10 cooking zones. Each element has a "Keep Warm" option, making it simple to prepare meals with more than one course.
Imagine the possibilities.
(Credit: Cook-N-Dine)There are lots of foods that benefit from being prepared on a flattop grill. While this Portable Teppanyaki Grill from Cook-n-Dine may have Japanese food at the heart of its design, the reality is anything can be prepared with ease and delicious results.
I have in mind one particular street food of which I happen to be fond: the bacon-wrapped hot dog. Hot dog carts selling these tubes of pork delight have been gaining in popularity in recent years. (I first remember seeing them in Mexico many years ago, but that's a different story.) However, creating the ultimate form of the hot dog as it was meant to be enjoyed is not as easy as it looks. Upon frying some up, I realized that the fat would collect in the pan, creating an even greasier dog (not to mention unevenly cooked). The next time I found a hot dog cart I took a closer look and realized that the grill actually bent down, allowing for different cooking zones on one cooking surface. The fat would puddle in one specific place, and the hot dog could be moved accordingly.
So what do bacon-wrapped hot dogs and a portable teppanyaki grill have to do with each other? Only that this grill truly spans international borders, as it would be the perfect device for cooking up a batch. You see, besides being portable and all, the center bows down when hot--so all those delicious juices are collected into one spot! To further the degree of control, the temperature selector allows for heating from 120° F up to 430° F. With such precise cooking ability, people of any nationality will find a use for this grill.
(Via Appliancist)
A major trend in home design is architecture reflecting the reality that the kitchen is where we gather and socialize. Now Evo's Affinity 25E cooktop takes that concept to a new level--and shape.
This innovative cooktop offers a 25-inch diameter round cooking surface with inner and outer temperature zones that you can combine or use separately to create custom dishes in a social setting. Cooking temperatures on the work surface range from 150 degrees Fahrenheit to 525 degrees, so this cooktop can probably do anything a more ordinary looking appliance can do.
Install the cooktop at the end of an island to allow several people access to the surface at once. When you entertain, your guests can join you in the kitchen and help with the preparations without getting in your way.
The cooking surface is ceramic-coated steel, which means you can cook food directly on top of it, without pots and pans, for a dramatic presentation. Or use your regular cookware--it's fine to heat it on the cooktop as you normally would. The heater is sealed against spillovers and not exposed to dropped food. A stainless steel drip pan surrounds the entire cook surface, and dual collection trays make it simple to clean up after cooking.
Monitor cooking temperatures on a digital LED screen that also shows a warning when the surface temperature is more than 100 degrees.
The Affinity provides straightforward function inspired by its inventive form.
On the kitchen appliance and gadget blog network, we talk about devices that keep track of grocery lists, high-tech food scales, and steamers, but rarely do we find a kitchen that includes all of these in one package. Meet the concept kitchen from Miele designed by Fiona McAndrew & Conor Fallon, which uses a technology called multitouch to stay ahead of the culinary game and make kitchen prep a whole lot easier.
The multitouch cooktop displays recipes and nutritional information and can transmit a grocery list via Bluetooth to a mobile phone. It includes an integrated scale, so you can measure your food right on the cooking surface. How cool is that? It also has a blender integrated into the cooking surface, eliminating the need for much of the counter space outside of the cooktop.
A fun feature outside of the cooking surface is the integrated steamer: A perforated metal tray can be fitted with individual portion-size cups. The tray slides into the steamer when it's in use and, apparently, it's also great for sanitizing baby bottles.
(Credit:
Yanko Design)
With Bluetooth connectivity, touch-controlled cooktops, and multifunctional cooking surfaces, the elbow grease-fueled chef is continuously moving farther and farther into the past. Now all I need is something that will shop for my groceries and do the dishes.
