San Rafael, CA – Thanks to a partnership with the Sustainability Team of Marin County’s Community Development Agency and the Bay Area Regional Energy Network (BayREN), each branch has an induction cooktop available for 1-week check-out.
What is induction cooking?
Induction cooking runs electricity through a copper coil to produce a magnetic field. Induction cooking is more efficient than conduction (electric) heat or gas because the magnetic field passes the heat directly to your pots and pans. With gas or electric stoves, only 40-50% of the energy goes to heat your food. Induction cooktops also heat up faster, are safer to use, and are easier to clean.
What kind of cookware do I need?
Because induction cooking is creating a magnetic field, this means the pots and pans you use need to be magnetic: either cast iron, stainless steel with a magnetic bottom, or magnetic iron. The easy test is to hold a magnet to the bottom of your pan: if it sticks, the pan will work with the induction cooktop. Cooktop borrowers will need to provide their own cookware.
Why are we doing this?
Induction cooking provides an energy efficient cooking experience that is better for indoor air quality and the environment. Because induction cooking is a relatively new way to cook for most people, checking out an induction cooktop gives you an opportunity to get comfortable with the technology before investing in an induction replacement for your gas or traditional electric stove.
Visit BayREN’s Induction Cooking page for more information and resources on induction cooking and other residential efficiency programs: https://bayren.org.