How To Cook Pancakes On Induction Cooktop? (Few Key Things To Consider)

Cooking pancakes on an induction cooktop is easier than you think. If you have mastered your breakfast game on the gas or electric cooktop, there is no reason you can’t do it also on this modern-looking shiny, smooth, black surface. But, before you get your eggs, milk, and flour out, there are a few things to consider that you probably didn’t know about induction cooktop.

What Is An Induction Cooktop?

An induction cooktop comes with a metal coil (usually made of copper) underneath the top glass-ceramic surface. The coil passes the electromagnetic radiation directly to the metal pan or pot placed on the cooktop and heats it up.

Unlike gas and electric hobs, the air between the cookware and induction cooktop doesn’t get hot. Therefore, no energy is escaped into the air when you use an induction stove. Not only does it make it safer to use as the cooktop won’t heat up in a conventional way, but it also improves cooking efficiency and keeps your kitchen cool.

Induction Cooktop Vs Electric and Gas Cooktops

While an electric cooktop also has a coil that heats up and starts glowing as the current flows through it. It transfers that heat through the glass in the form of infrared energy and the pan placed on top of it gets heated. 

It also heats the air between the coil and cookware, unlike an induction cooktop. It makes the top surface of the stove as well as your kitchen hot. 

The average energy efficiency of electric cooktops is just 49 percent. Whereas an induction cooker converts 90 percent of electricity to heat. In addition, it also heats up your pan and pots faster than an electric stove.

Induction cooktops also perform better than gas ones. The biggest difference between the two is that an induction stove heats up cookware way faster than the gas one.

For example, an induction cooktop takes just 9 to 11 minutes to boil water in an 8-quart pot. Whereas the gas stove takes about 19 minutes to boil the same amount of water.

In addition, the gas stoves use gas as fuel and produce a continuous flame to heat up cookware. They also release a lot of heat into the surrounding environment and make your kitchen hot. 

What Pans To Use With Induction Cooktops?

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You’ll need to use cookware with magnetic properties to cook pancakes on an induction cooktop. Otherwise, your pan won’t heat up and your pancake batter will remain undercooked.

Using a magnet is the easiest way to determine whether you can use a pot with your induction stove or not. Just place the magnet on the bottom of the pan and if it sticks, you can use it to cook pancakes on your induction cooktop.

You can successfully use most iron or iron-based pans such as steel or stainless steel to cook food on induction stoves.

Whether you want to use an induction cast iron griddle, polished stainless steel, or even a stainless double burner griddle, make sure that the pan’s bottom isn’t larger than the induction stove’s heating area. Otherwise, the pan will not heat quickly and evenly.

It’s important to note that most induction cooktops come with specified cooking areas, which are in a round shape. For such cooktops, you’ll need to use traditional pans with a round shape. 

However, there are induction cookers available in the market that don’t have a specified cooking space. You can use rectangular induction-capable double griddles or even a metal baking tray for such a cooktop because it’ll automatically detect the cookware’s entire surface to heat it evenly.

Another important factor is to use pans and pots that come with a flat bottom or they won’t get heated evenly. The bottom edges of your cookware should touch the cooktop in order to heat up uniformly.

How To Cook Pancakes On Induction Cooktop?

You can use any of these delicious pancake recipes to cook on your induction cooktop. Just make sure that you use a pan with magnetic properties and flat bottom to achieve the best results.

Instructions:

1. Wisk all the ingredients, such as baking powder, eggs, flour, and milk, according to your recipe.
2. Place your induction pan or crepe pan on one of the marked rings on the hob.
3. Switch on the cooking area you plan to use by holding your finger on the power switch.
4. Set the heat at about 4.5 by pressing the plus sign for your cooking area.
5. Spray your pan with cooking oil or use clarified butter.
6. Add once cookie scoop or 3-4 tablespoons of batter for each pancake.
7. Cook the first side for about 2 minutes until bubbles on top; flip the pancake, and cook the other side for about 2 minutes until it is golden brown.

Keep in mind that induction cooktops cook food quickly so it may need a bit of getting used to, especially if you are making thin, delicate French crepes. So don’t give up if the first few attempts fail.

When it comes to cooking temperature, make sure that you choose the medium heat setting which could be between 4-6 (from 1-10) on your induction stove. Keep adjusting the temperature level till you find the one that works best for your pancake recipe.

Benefits of Using Induction Cooktop to Cook Pancakes

• Induction technology allows your induction pans and griddles to heat up within seconds. It accelerates the entire cooking process which can save you a lot of time.
• Safety! Another great feature of this technology is that it only heats up the cookware and heating element. The rest of the induction cooktop remains cool, which reduces the risk of getting your hands burned.
• Better yet, induction stoves also don’t make your kitchen hot, unlike gas and electric stoves. You can work in a comfortable and cool environment while cooking pancakes or any other dish.
• This modern technology can also maintain very stable and precise temperature control with more temperature increments and finer performance at lower heat settings. The temperature setting you can choose from is usually from 1-10.
• Lastly, you can clean your induction cooktop within seconds as it doesn’t have any hot grates and burners that make spills hard to clean. You only need to use a damp paper towel to wipe the flat surface conveniently.

Disadvantages Of Using Induction Cooktop

• The prices of induction cooktops are often higher, which can be a limiting factor for many people. If you’re on a tight budget, it may be challenging to find an induction stove that’s both large enough and affordable.
• Induction stoves only work with cookware that comes with a ferromagnetic material, such as cast iron or stainless steel. It means you won’t be able to use pans and pots made of copper and aluminum. So, you might need to invest in a new set of cookware for your induction cooktop like the one below.

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• Some induction cooktops don’t come with well-defined cooking zones. Therefore, you will need to place your pots very carefully to make sure they get heated uniformly. 
• Because of the magnetic field, you may hear a humming or buzzing sound caused by the different types of cookware you use. Although the sound may be annoying, it is normal and nothing to worry about. To eliminate the sound use heavier cookware like cast iron instead of stainless steel pots or pans.
• In addition, these cooktops are very delicate, and sliding pans, shape kitchen utensils, and heavy impact can damage them.

FAQs

In Summary

Cooking crepes and pancakes on an induction cooktop is a quick and easy process that may take a little time to get used to. Also, you need to make sure that you use induction-compatible cookware and select medium temperature settings. Use your favorite pancake recipe and with a bit of trial and error, you have mastered this new sleek and stylish frontier of home cooking.