New Dacor induction cooktops look smart, cook smart

A funny thing happened on the way to home automation: dumb appliances got smarter. Now that's not to say everything has up and sprouted a brain, for some of the most useful pieces of kitchen gear are best left dumb, such as the tried and true kitchen knife. (Then again, having password or fingerprint protected cutlery might come in handy...) In any event, a progression has occurred, and one of the more interesting advances of recent years actually has been around for decades.

Induction cooking is nothing new; induction cooking with style, efficiency, and smarts is relatively new. And now, a brand-new release from Dacor brightens up the space even more. Available as a 36-inch model (RNCT365) or as a 30-inch model (RNCT304), the Dacor Renaissance Induction Cooktops offer solid features using a proven energy-efficient technology.

The new cooktops feature a slick design and intuitive utility. The touch controls allow for a completely smooth surface that is easy to clean. The cooktop senses when appropriate cookware is placed on it and even has a power boost setting to increase induction element power to help get foods up to temperature quickly.

An additional neat feature is a residual heat indicator, as even though induction cooking heats up the cookware directly and not the cooking surface, before the heat dissipates there will be a small amount of time when the surface will still be hot -- which proves, regardless of how smart an appliance may be, they all benefit from a dash of common sense.