A "Cool" Alternative to Radiant Heat

Sexy, powerful, elegant, kissable and sensitive. This could be a checklist for choosing the perfect date. Or maybe a one-of-a-kind automobile. But an appliance?

In fact, these are just a few of the positive attributes assigned to what must be the sexiest cooktop in North America - the newly released Diva de Provence induction cooktop, known affectionately as DDP-5. The sleek, shiny glass cooktop features touch controls and five burners.

The Diva made its Valentine's Day debut in the Pacific Northwest at Kitchen Showcase of Vancouver February 14 and 15 during a series of cooking demonstrations. Kitchen Showcase, owned by Stan Wesolowski, is the exclusive Diva dealer in Washington and Oregon.



Animal magnetism

The technology of using magnetic induction for cooking is not new, but after American appliance manufacturers gave up on induction several years ago, it's a big deal to have a North American alternative back as a player in the residential induction cooking market.

"Diva is the only [North] American manufacturer that produces a cooktop totally dedicated to induction," said Amir Girgis, director of sales & marketing for Toronto-based Diva de Provence.

Induction works by passing an alternating currant through coils made of ferromagnetic material (magnetic metal) contained in the stove's hobs (area where the cooking vessel sits). An alternating current passed through the coils creates a magnetic field of the same frequency. When a pan of magnetic based material, such as steel, the magnetic field creates a current in the pan itself, exciting the molecules in the metal and heating up the pan and not the cooktop. When the pan is removed from the cooktop, the energy transfer stops.

"There are absolutely no drawbacks to using induction," Girgis said. "Some people may tell you that using electromagnetic energy is harmful and affects pacemakers." Not so, he said. "The electromagnetic energy created by the cooktop is absolutely harmless."



Watching the pot

"People say a watched pot never boils," Wesolowski said, as impressed as anyone over the cooktop demonstration at his showroom. "Well, this thing was boiling in less than a minute. You can actually see the movement in the water as it heats up."

The safety features of the Diva are "incredible," he said. If a pot boils over, there is no burning on the stovetop because the pan, not the stove is heated. The stovetop senses the boil over and shuts down until the liquid is cleaned up. "If a pan boils dry, it senses that the pan went dry and shuts down," Wesolowski said. The same technology protects against grease fires. "It can't go past flash point," he said.

Wesolowski also said the cooktop features a seemingly infinite range of settings. At five levels below simmer, for example, "it becomes a plate warmer," he said.



Power Play

The new Diva cooktop uses induction technology to heat the pan itself and not a burner for powerful, efficient cooking. With induction, there is no radiant heat. In fact, induction cooking is considered ultra-safe because the stovetop does not get hot. There is no danger of plastic lids catching fire, grease exploding or children's fingers being burned during cooking. And better yet, no steamy kitchen in the heat of August.

Induction cooking is also highly efficient (85 to 90 percent efficiency compared to gas at 43 percent and electric at 44 percent efficiency). Induction cooktops are also significantly more powerful than gas or electric stoves. The new Diva cooktop has 2,800-watt maximum output elements. As a comparison, the General Electric induction cooktops had 1,400-watt elements.

Diva touts its new residential induction cooktop as not only being powerful but also as having all the sex appeal of that fancy French meal you're dying to prepare. But is it worth the asking price of $5,000?

The answer to that question is a resounding "Yes," according to Eric Walker, an induction cooking afficianado from Ritzville, Wash. (near Spokane) who maintains "The Induction Site," a Web site devoted to induction cooking.

Though Walker whips up his home-cooked meals with a now-discontinued Sears Kenmore induction cooktop, he is familiar with Diva and said the new model, while expensive, is well worth the price.

"It looks like an excellent, top-quality unit," Walker said. "It's not cheap, but when compared to analogous-quality stoves from premier names, it is actually a bargain. We especially like the fifth element, which can be a real convenience for serious cooks."

What's more, Walker said, is Diva's perk for buyers. The company includes a full set of All-Clad cookware with a cooktop purchase.

"The All-Clad set, the same cookware we ourselves selected, also after much study, is not some cheapie throw-in but a valuable plus," Walker said.



Here to stay

Walker believes that the American induction cooktop flop can be blamed on "abysmal marketing" and will not stop the success of future induction cooking here.

"It seems inevitable that with the rest of the world using them so extensively, they will sooner or later, and probably sooner, catch on here in a big way," Walker said. "As we keep saying, it's really a no-brainer. Nothing else compares."

Diva's Girgis echoes that sentiment and believes induction is here for good.

"Induction is back and here to stay," he said. "Finally."



Say 'I do'

Like other pricey items, such as that perfect date, once you've had perfection, you'll never settle for less, promises Girgis.

"Once you use induction you can never go back," he said. "It's such a cool toy - you can never go back to gas or electric."

In other parts of the world where electricity and natural gas prices are sky high, induction units make more economic sense because they quickly pay for themselves, Girgis said. Because induction does not waste energy on creating radiant heat, he said, "it is far more efficient and therefore far more powerful."

"In Europe and Asia the money is well spent since consumers actually can receive the difference in energy savings. Payback is usually 3 to 5 years depending on use," he said. "In North America, we too can save money by using induction but our cost per kilowatt hour is far less and so for the most part this would be considered negligible. People spend the money on induction because of the power."



SOME LIKE IT HOT

Before Diva de Provence acquired its manufacturing facility in France, the company held court as an importer of fine kitchen equipment to chefs and home cooks in North America. In the mid-1990s, the company helped kick off the North American induction movement by installing a custom cooking suites with induction units for two top Microsoft employees, including scientist-slash-French chef Nathan Myhrvold, then head of research and development at Microsoft.

Another keeper of the induction flame is Ferdinand Metz, president emeritus of the Culinary Institute of America. Metz brought induction cooking to the institute and his own home where he presides over a Bonnet Maestro induction cooking suite.

Eric Walker, an induction cooking enthusiast operates the induction cooking Web site, theinductionsite.com. Induction cooktops are worth the price for any cook, he said, not just the rich and famous. Why? Let him count the ways. "Heat safety, cool kitchen, perfect instant control, air purity," Walker said. "It's really a no-brainer. Nothing else compares."