By Virginia Jones
I’m going to be renovating my house soon and for at least one week (probably more!?) I’ll have no access to my usual kitchen appliances with the exception of an old fridge that lives in the garage. Initially we thought our family of four would just have to make do with barbeques and salad (cue loud teenage whining), but it turns out we just had to get on board the portable induction train.
Kitchen appliances go in and out of vogue. Remember the vertical grills that used to make everything from chops to toasties? There was a time not long ago when everyone was making their own yoghurt, but now, savvy cooks around the world are increasingly realising the value of a freestanding, portable induction cooktop.
Like most trends, the growth in popularity of portable induction cooktops has been spurred by two things: advantages and circumstances.
The initial advantages are apparent to anyone who’s ever tried an induction cooktop of any kind. They’re super fast, efficient, easy to clean and precise. If you want to get dinner on the table quickly, then induction is a game changer. Portable inductions don’t necessarily have the same high power as ‘proper’ installed units but what they lose in power, they make up for in versatility and cost effectiveness.
You can plug a portable induction cooktop into any old power point. That means I’ll be able to cook pasta from my garage when my kitchen is in ruins, or if you go camping with a solar panel (or at a powered campsite), then easy food prep is no problem. And, we’re not talking big money. You can pick up a portable induction cooktop at places like KMart, Aldi and Ikea for well under $100.
Then there’s changing circumstances. As we become more aware of the issues of cooking with gas (noxious fumes and asthma for a start), getting rid of gas cooktops becomes a popular option. For some though, the transition from gas to electric cooking can present challenges. If you rent, live in an apartment or have an old home with lower electrical capacity, portable induction cooktops can be a great ‘stop-gap’. There’s a whole community of people who have happily placed a big wooden board over their gas cooktops so their new trendy induction cooktop has pride of place.
In these instances, some people opt for a double portable cooktop, or two single ones. I’ve settled for a monster sized air fryer to supplement our renovation appliance suite. I’m now much less worried about those oven-free weeks. It could even work out that our renovation dinner options will eclipse our normal home menu. I guess we’ll find out soon!
