What is a Halogen Cooktop?
Cooking methods keep evolving, and so does the technology surrounding cooking gadgets. It started with traditional stone, and cooks have shifted to electric and gas stoves. Here come halogen cooktops. You can’t help but wonder about the rationale behind this latest appliance and the hype around it. If freeing up space to keep additional cabinets and using a cooking appliance that will save on electric and gas costs are your primary goals, better invest in a halogen cooktop. So, what is it, and how does it work? Keep reading to find out.
What is a halogen cooktop?
According to Texient, a halogen cooktop is a kitchen appliance that utilizes a halogen bulb to make food hot instead of magnetic induction in microwave ovens. Its technology revolves around radiation and conduction. Its ceramic plate transfers heat while the halogen bulb heats the food. The heating action it depends on allows you to cook food four times faster than gas or electric stoves, saving energy costs.
How does a halogen cooktop work?
The first thing you might notice is the close resemblance between a halogen cooktop and a microwave oven. A halogen cooker has a ceramic plate that receives the heat from the halogen element. The halogen bulb generates heat, transferring it within the oven. Consequently, food gets heated pretty fast than in conventional ovens. If there’s anything heat is known for, it isn’t stationary. It moves from one heated element to anything near it. Consequently, heat transfer can be through radiation, convection, and radiation. The most significant advantage of a halogen cooker is the swift and smooth cooking experience. Unlike a microwave oven, a halogen cooktop is pretty small. It also has unique features depending on your cooking style. You can control the settings for baking, grilling, steaming, and even defrosting food. It also allows you to heat food without subjecting yourself to preheating.
How to cook using a halogen cooktop
According to Explain That Stuff, the halogen cooktop has a bright red ring, prompting four tubes to be made from tungsten to pump radiation to the food. You have up to seven settings, depending on the model you choose. This cooktop can emit 150 watts to 2,000 watts, depending on the setting you feel most comfortable with. That produces 700-degrees centigrade, which is pretty hot enough to heat food. However, the ceramic plate is designed to withstand high temperatures and cannot break.
What to consider before buying a halogen cooktop
Conventional cooktops and stoves allow you to use any pot and pan. However, the ones you use on a halogen cooktop are slightly different. According to the Hunker, the pots and pans recommended for halogen cookers should be flat-bottomed and of the correct size. If you use the round-bottomed and the wrong size, you risk breaking the ceramic glass top. Eventually, you will need to replace the plate, which is quite expensive. A halogen cooktop’s cooking style is predominantly dry-heating, using fat or air for cooking food. It can provide a higher temperature than other cooking appliances, which rely on water and steam to cook food. As it dry-heats food above 100 degrees, your food undergoes chemical changes. That means it inhibits nutrients in food like proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. The best approach to avoiding this is using lower temperatures when grilling. Another thing to consider when using a halogen cooktop is the bulb. While most halogen cooktop manufacturers can attest that it is a durable product, its bulb needs replacement after 2,000 to 4,000 hours of use. So, if you find the frequent replacement, not a budget-conscious idea, you might want to consider a different cooktop style.
Why should you get a halogen cooktop? The advantages
Heating transfer through radiation is scientifically proven to be fast and efficient, making halogen cooktops a must-have kitchen appliance. Other benefits you can expect from them include:
1. They save on space
Whether you have a small or big kitchen, getting a cooking appliance that saves on space is crucial. Halogen cooktops are smaller and more compact than other cooking appliances, taking up minimal space. Also, they make it easy for daily use.
2. They cook food 40% faster
The last thing you need is an appliance that slow-cooks food, particularly when you have hunger pangs. If, for example, you want to bake muffins or a cake and intend to use an electric oven, you might need to preheat the oven first. That means you’ve wasted 10-15 minutes; leave alone the extra minutes it takes to bake it. Fortunately, the radiation properties of a halogen cooktop speed up the cooking process by 40%.
3. Easy to clean
Cooking can get messy, and it takes time to clean it up. Conventional cooking gadgets like gas and electric stoves can be hard to clean, depending on what spills over them. A halogen cooker has a ceramic glass plate that is easy to clean, saving you time.
4. They have complete control of the temperature
Have you ever left your food to burn due to forgetfulness? That doesn’t make you a bad cook, as even the best chefs can face the same predicament. You don’t have to worry about your food getting burnt with a halogen cooker as it has complete control over temperature. So, burning food or over-cooking will be a thing of the past.
5. It saves energy
Utility bills keep skyrocketing as oil prices and other market trends keep changing. The last thing you need is hefty bills. The best thing about owning a halogen cooktop is its ability to cook faster; hence it is energy-efficient. If you’re budget-conscious, it’s best to invest in this gadget.
6. It doesn’t alter the food’s nutrients
Food cooked in a halogen cooker tastes as good as other traditional cooking methods. You don’t have to stress over the taste regardless of the amount of heat setting you choose.
Conclusion
A halogen cooktop can save you energy costs and time when cooking. The only downside to this appliance is the frequent replacement of its ceramic plate needs. Overall, its tried-and-tested heating capability makes it one of the best kitchen appliances you can invest in.