Induction Cooking Technology Design and Assessment

Induction cooking is often considered one of the most efficient cooking technologies. With this technology, up to 90% of the energy consumed is transferred to the food, compared to about 74% for traditional electric systems and 40% for gas. This technology has become popular in Europe, but its adoption in the US has been less enthusiastic. Several market barriers exist for this technology, including high first cost, the requirement of magnetic cookware, and lower perceived reliability. This paper presents findings from a technical assessment of induction cooking performed by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) for the California Energy Commission (CEC). This assessment evaluated the cooking efficiency of induction technology and estimated its energy savings potential. Total cost of ownership is considered, as well as market barriers and non-energy benefits offered by induction cooking technology. The findings of this study demonstrate that induction cooking is not always more efficient that conventional electric (resistive) technology. The energy savings potential of induction cooking is found to be greatest when used with small cookware. The impact of these findings on standard test procedures is discussed, and recommendations for improvement are suggested. Finally, a prototype cooker design is presented, with a discussion of the limitations of current designs that prevents their operation with non-magnetic cookware.