Induction Cookers -- Sliding Pots!

[Dockhead]

I have recently changed a very small and simple induction cooker for a somewhat larger and more complex one -- a NuWave Pic Gold. But still very compact and easy to stow.



The more I use induction cooking, the more I love it. This one offers precise control of the temperature of the pot -- independently from the power setting. Once you get the hang of using it, not only does this offer more precise cooking (the thing I always, on the contrary, loved about cooking on gas vs. electric), but it allows you to control power consumption very well. Lower power setting doesn't cook much differently, just takes longer to get up to temp.



There's just one problem with all this -- the top of it is extremely slippery, and the slightest boat motion sends pots flying.


What to do about this? Would a silicone mat disrupt the functioning? Is there something else to do?

[CatNewBee]

Your friend is a silicon baking mat, We got 2 for 3€ in a cheap stuff store, i do not remember the name of.

They are very good, less than a millimeter thin, and nothing moves around any more, just put them between the glas surface and the pots / pans

They can stand pretty high temp and are meant to be used instead of baking paper for the oven.

[GordMay]

Silicone baking sheets are commonly used on induction cooktops, mostly to prevent scratching; but they do offer moderate anti-slip properties. Unless very thick, they won't affect the operation of the cooktop, at all.

[Dockhead]

Thanks!

[Juho]

Do you still have your gimballed stove? I put may slippery or otherwise risky things on top of that (or on top of a tray that is on top of the stove). If you don't have a gimballed stove, you probably need a gimballed table.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Juho

Do you still have your gimballed stove? I put may slippery or otherwise risky things on top of that (or on top of a tray that is on top of the stove). If you don't have a gimballed stove, you probably need a gimballed table.

Yes, I do, and I still have gas.



But gimballing doesn't solve the problem. The cooker is so slippery that pots will go flying with the slightest boat motion. I'm going to try the silicone baking sheets.

[oleman]

High temperature silicone gasket material comes in .0625" thickness and up to 3' by X length. It is rated at 450F for in use. Have not tried it for this application but fundamentally it should work. It is not cheap we paid $36. US for a 24" X 24" section at Mcmaster. We use it for make our own water pump">raw water pump and heat exchanger gaskets on our old Detroit Diesel engine.

[hellosailor]

A silicon sheet should cause "acceptable" interference with the function. Remember that the magic cooktop is just a pulsing coil, an electromagnet. And the magnetic field that it slams into the pots in order to generate heat, will be reduced according to the square of the distance between them. So the effect of thicker mats will be a geometric, not just linear, weakening of the field.

Still, a weaker field and slightly longer cooking time beats having the stew all over the cabin sole, I'm sure.

The alternative would be to get creative with some thin stainless rod stock, to allow pot "holders" (fiddles?) to prevent more than minimal sliding. Harder to set them on fire, too.

[Juho]

I hope the silicon trick works. It would be a simple trick. But if it doesn't, my next proposal would be a simple wooden cradle (four sticks around) for the induction cooker and the kettle. (Of course that whole system would be put on the gimballed stove. )

[Olly75]

Ive just converted to all electric and can attest that the silicone mat works very well, had no problems with it over heating or interfering at all.

Because I have kept the gimballed hob and mounted the induction hob on top I also adapted (belt and braces....) the pot holders so that they can hold the pots down as well.

As a side question, and apologies for the hijacking, I'm struggling to find a method to attach the induction hob to the gas hob. if I get knocked down or worse then the thing is going to go flying. In initially I used dyneema to tie it down, however its not as heat resistant as I thought, so if anyone has a recommendation please feel free to drop it in!

[farmall.dude]

I was curious about induction cooking, so I did a Google search and came across exactly what you are looking for (I think):
https://www.cookwithkenyon.com/video...ction-cooktop/

[CatNewBee]

Well the mat looks quite thick. I would chose the thinner and much cheaper baking mats, but the principal is the same. It sticks the pot with contents up to 30..40 degree angels.