X

Countertop induction oven promises to speed up cooking

Panasonic demonstrated a prototype of their countertop induction oven on Saturday at the International Home + Housewares show in Chicago. The company plans to begin selling the device this fall.

Ashlee Clark Thompson Associate Editor
Ashlee spent time as a newspaper reporter, AmeriCorps VISTA and an employee at a healthcare company before she landed at CNET. She loves to eat, write and watch "Golden Girls" (preferably all three at the same time). The first two hobbies help her out as an appliance reviewer. The last one makes her an asset to trivia teams. Ashlee also created the blog, AshleeEats.com, where she writes about casual dining in Louisville, Kentucky.
See full bio
Ashlee Clark Thompson
2 min read

How long does it take to turn raw chicken and vegetables into a meal? According to Panasonic, it's just a 20-minute endeavor when you use the electronics company's latest small appliance.

Panasonic showed off a prototype of its Countertop Induction Oven at the International Home and Housewares Show, a small appliances trade show in Chicago that began Saturday. The induction plate at the bottom of the Countertop Induction Oven makes this device stand out from the toaster ovens and microwaves it resembles. With induction cooking, magnetic fields between the cooktop surface and cookware create heat that cooks food quickly and more efficiently than other methods. The Countertop Induction Oven also has an infrared broiler in the top of the unit. The heat sources work together to cook meals such as chicken breasts and vegetables in 20 minutes or less.

panasonicinduction-5.jpg
Enlarge Image
panasonicinduction-5.jpg

This small oven promises fast meals.

 Chris Monroe/CNET

Other cool kitchen gadgets

The Countertop Induction Oven will be available in the US and Canada this fall. Panasonic hasn't finalized the price, but the company estimates it will cost around $600.

Traditionally, induction has been reserved for ranges and cooktops, but it's beginning to gain popularity on the countertop with connected devices such as the Oliso SmartHub & Top and the FirstBuild Induction Cooktop. Panasonic's jump to include induction in an enclosed unit, along with the addition of functions such as toast, is an ambitious move that could eventually mean a new alternative to the microwave or toaster oven.

Features

  • 12 by 14 inch removable nonstick plate holds food and fits on top of induction surface
  • Nonstick plate has different heating zones and gets hottest in the center
  • Functions include: grill, broil and bake
  • Specific cook settings for poultry, poultry with vegetables, fish with bone, fish without bone, frozen pizza, toast and bagels
  • Removable drip tray at the bottom of the unit
  • No preheat required
  • Enamel-coated interior