Kenmore Elite Induction range coming tonight!

[Silver]

Sorry, but I'm REALLY excited about this.

We bought our first house last year and are putting in a pseudo-suite downstairs for family...needed a range for downstairs so... when we couldn't find anything cheap/decent on Craigslist or cheap enough in stores...so we bought a new range for upstairs.

I've long pined over not having gas <insert obligatory fart joke here> and thought about running a gas line, but when I hit up the Sears Outlet to check for a cheap range...they had a mint condition Kenmore Elite induction range on for a great bargain...as it does everything that I want/need it to do and only a couple of my pans won't work (Calphalon anodized aluminum everyday pan, in particular), I'm set!

I'll look into upgrading some cookware down the road but I've already got a Le Creuset DO and some good Lagostina magnetizable SS pots/pans....so we're set.

I love new stuff.

 

[chopper]

Congrats! That sounds great! I love getting new things, especially for the kitchen. You have fun now!

 

[Silver]

Awesome, it's in...and it stinks! I've never had a new oven before and I checked for break-in procedure in the manual and it didn't say anything...so my bro cooked a pizza and now it's smelly. Ah well. Will probably run a self-clean on it and see how it goes after that.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

How fun! Probably neede to preheat it to 500 for 20 minutes before using it.

Enjoy!

 

[babetoo]

didn't it say to let the coating to burn off before use? many cooking appliance do. i would call company before using clean cycle. just in case the smoking means something is wrong.

 

[Silver]

Thanks guys - it isn't smoking, just smelly. My dad says (which corresponds with all of the research I've since done on the subject) it's just the burn-off from manufacturing residue. Kenmore doesn't have a "burn-in" procedure in the manual, which is odd because they tell you to use ceramic cream on the stovetop before first use....silly Sears.

I'll try the 500 for 30 minutes method and see how that goes. Thanks!

PS - boiled a big pot (3-4 qt) of cold (from the tap) water in just under 5 minutes to full rolling boil. Not *quite* as fast as I was hoping for, but I'm guessing the really fast boil claimed of induction is dependent on cookware and amount and temperature of water.

 

[Silver]

Okay, so an update for anyone wondering about induction:

Rad.

Seriously, stuff heats up so fast (I think I boiled pasta water in about 3 minutes last night). Pans get to temp quite quickly (best practice is to heat the element on a higher heat that you need and to bring it down...I think the manual suggested that, which I would never have thought to do) as they'll heat up faster. The temperature control while cooking is fantastic (did a trout meuniere kinda thing) all came out great.

Aside from re-igniting my burning desire to buy tri-ply cookware (instead of encapsulated base), the induction cooktop on the range is awesome.

Still haven't used the oven as it still freaking reeks when we run it. I've done about 4 30 minute cycles at 500. I might run a self-clean today to see if that'll take care of the last of it.

In any event, the whole thing is rad.

 

[NAchef]

Is the top similar to that of the "Glass Top" units? I have had bad luck with a circular "stain" that has appeared and I can't get it out. I do have a very cheap model and was thinking of going with a gas unit in the future but the induction sounds really nice as well!

 

[Silver]

It is a smooth top, yes. I believe it's ceramic, if I'm not mistaken. Have you tried any of the ceramic top cleaners that you can get? Not sure it'll work for you, but it may be worth a try.

And the induction is great - although I do have to adjust my cooking style, definitely. I made eggs yesterday and went to pre-heat the pan and it was ready long before I was ready to put the eggs in. My bad...but otherwise, all went great.

 

[chopper]

Is the top similar to that of the "Glass Top" units? I have had bad luck with a circular "stain" that has appeared and I can't get it out. I do have a very cheap model and was thinking of going with a gas unit in the future but the induction sounds really nice as well!

You know, I have seen the ring like that on all of the stoves I see at other's houses, but have kept mine at bay. I clean it every night with the stovetop cleaner I get at Sears. It says that it will protect it if you use it regularly, and I agree. I also remove things right away if I run something over and turn the burner off, and switch to the other burner of the same size (after wiping the bottom of the pan). I really love my stovetop, and wouldn't trade it for anything. If you want to get rid of the rings, try soaking in the cleaner from Sears. Also, you can scrape with a razor blade, but if it is sugar or starched based, it may never come off. Good luck!

 

[Silver]

That's the other good thing about induction is that that "burn on" is less likely to happen as the stove top doesn't get as hot for as long and in as wide an area.