Induction vs Microwave

[bcroe]

I keep hearing about how my precious solar collected energy is more
efficiently used by an induction stove top than old electric burners. BUT
I never hear a comparison with a microwave oven. I suspect the micro
is even more efficient. Bruce Roe

[organic farmer]

Electricity is very efficiently converted into light, or mechanical motion [like a fan], or moving electrons in a computer. But when used to make heat there is a huge amount of wasted energy.

Solar energy is NOT the best way to make heat. Not for a coffee pot, not for a stove top range, and not for a microwave oven.

[bcroe]

Electricity is very efficiently converted into light, or mechanical motion [like a fan], or moving electrons in a computer. But when used to make heat there is a huge amount of wasted energy.

Solar energy is NOT the best way to make heat. Not for a coffee pot, not for a stove
top range, and not for a microwave oven.

If electricity is ever determined to be bad for the environment, we
will truly be doomed. But in the mean time I am using that solar
generated energy for all, heating the place and everything else, not
burning or even paying a connect fee to fossil fuels. The effort is to
do so as efficiently as possible. I do not consider keeping myself,
my food, or my house warm a waste.

Not sure how all methods of cooking stack up, but electric are safer,
more convenient, and do not involve bad gasses. After finished
cooking, that tiny amount of energy remains inside where it also
contributes to keeping me warm, if not as efficiently as my heat pumps.
Bruce Roe

[peakbagger]

I was surprised with the results Induction wins hands down while a microwave was the worst.

A Watched Pot: What Is The Most Energy Efficient Way To Boil Water? | Inside Energy

I got a counter top induction stove and temporarilly set it top of one of my electric burners. I rarely use anything else now and am considering taking out two of my resistance elements, cutting hole in the cooktop and putting a two burner drop in 240 volt induction stove and wiring it into ranges power supply.. I like the speed, its lost faster than using electric elements and also cools down quick. I have cooked with cast iron for many years so the need for ferrous containing cookware was not an issue


The only thing preventing me doing the conversion is that these countertop units dont have a good longevity record so if it dies finding one the same size could be a problem.

[bcroe]

I was surprised with the results Induction wins hands down while a microwave was the worst.

The only thing preventing me doing the conversion is that these countertop units dont have a good longevity record so if it dies finding one the same size could be a problem.

Those sounds like reasonable numbers, the magnetic field generated
at 70% efficient, the microwave magnetron system at 50. Perhaps the
difference is in the need to heat the magnetron filament. But that does
not seem to jive with Bens experiment. The text says a current meter
was used, but that is only accurate for pure resistive loads. The typical
microwave uses a ferro-resonant transformer, which likely has a pretty
poor power factor, meaning a high out-of-phase current that is NOT
power used. I am expecting the power comparison to be 70:50 ratio.

Reliability is a big consideration here, cost and special tools also. My
70s electric range uses less than 1/2% of my energy, has been quite
reliable and easily repaired. The used microwave in the house when I
bought it, is going strong 20 years later. Bruce Roe

[peakbagger]

Very akin to Microwave ovens, the countertop Induction stoves are almost throwaway at the current cost. WIth the upcoming $800 credit for induction cook tops I see a lot companies coming out with ranges with Induction cooktops but I know a few folks who have owned them and loved them until they cracked them or they stopped working.

If we could convince people that water does not need to be boiled to kill most pathogens, they can save a lot of energy, them bubbles of steam cost a lot of power to create .

[azdave]

I have several of the portable NuWave counter-top induction units. I find them at Goodwill or garage sales for $10 or so. They are handy for some uses in the kitchen, like when the gas stove is too crowded during holidays, but mostly I use one in the garage when needing to heat chemicals or cleaners for immersion baths.