Induction cooker question

[rattman]

Sailor,

I ended up purchasing: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Better-Homes-and-Gardens-Tri-Ply-Base-18-10-Stainless-Steel-12-Qt.-Covered-Stockpot/14915151
I also ordered the ADCRAFT IND-E120V n ebay as well and I'm excited to try it out.

I'll proboably fire it up as soon as I get it and experiment with it using water instead of milk. I'll be curious to see what the response time is with induction compared to traditional heating methods.

Do you have any tips or tricks to share regarding using induction Sailor?? Do I just set the temp to the desired level and forget it..... or should I expect some level of "chasing the thermometer" as we all exjoy with more traditional methods??

I can't wait to try my new toy??

[Sailor Con Queso]

The Adcraft has 2 heating options - by wattage and by temperature. The wattage option goes from about 500 to 1800. The temperature option goes from 140F to 410F. So neither of these options are perfect for making cheese.

Induction cookers are MUCH faster than either gas or electric. You have to keep in mind that when heating fast, you can still scald the milk, so it isn't a "set the temperature and walk away" solution. You will have to play with it and see what works best for you. The faster you heat, the more often you will have to stir. Once you have coagulated the milk and cut the curd, there is much less chance of scalding the milk, so you can be more aggressive with the heating.

[rattman]

Would a double boiler setup be more effective for controling temp cooking via induction Sailor?

and for clarification..... say hypothetically that you have cut the curd and need to raise the temp one degree per minute over 30 minutes to get to a temp of 100 degrees. then you have to maitain that temp for 15 minutes.

in that scenario are you just pulsing the induction element on and off for 30 second increments, or are you leaving the element on the entire time and perhaps using a double boiler? It would seem that if the lowest temp setting is 140 degrees then it would be impossible to leave the element on the entire time without affecting acid development too quickly.

Thanks a bunch for your thoughts! When you said in an earlier post that you felt that the induction cooker was a fantastic addition to your cheese making kitchen, I immediately got excited about the technology! I hope it helps me as I develop my skills!

[Sailor Con Queso]

The induction cooker is definitely a fantastic addition for any cheese making kitchen. However, like any tool you have to learn how to use it. Think of it as a really fast version of your stove. You still have to stir or use a double boiler setup. And, just like your stove, you have to tweak the settings to achieve your desired temp. Different units have different options and settings. The Adcraft's lowest temperature setting is 140F so that is not a good option for many cheeses. It is wonderful for others such as yogurt or Ricotta that need to be heated to 190F to denature the proteins. It's also wonderful for heating water for washed curd cheeses such as Gouda. I use it in classes to heat whey for stretching Mozz. I use it almost every day for sterilizing milk for Mother Cultures.

You can use induction cooking for any cheese if you heat gently and stir. The 500 watt setting on the Adcraft does a good job. However, for most home cheese makers, I really recommend just using your kitchen sink filled with hot water. Impossible to scald your milk and easy enough to maintain temperature with a little practice. When you need higher heat during cooking, thermophiles like Swiss or Parmesan for example, the induction cooker will again do a great job.

[rattman]

So Sailor, in your classes when doing a hard cheese..... once you get to temp, ripen milk, add rennet, cut curd etc.... is all of this taking place with the stock pot still on the induction cooker, or have you moved to a sink to maintain a constant heat for an hour and then to raise the heat after adding rennet?

Since I'm primarily making hard cheeses, I will frequently be raising the temp slowly after cutting curd and now I'm wondering if I should just use the sink method instead? I'm wondering if this induction cooker is really something that will help me with my technique? I was hoping it would give me more control over heat control/acidification than the sink method???

[Sailor Con Queso]

The induction cooker is not the best choice for maintaining a low temp for cheese. I would use your sink.

[zenith1]

I use an induction cooker run through an Ranco temp controller. The Ranco has a temperature probe and you can control the temperature within 1 degree of accuracy. Like Sailor has mentioned- you can heat the milk way too fast if you are not careful.

[rattman]

Hey Zenith.... that is a great idea!

So if you set the Ranco for say 90 degrees and stick the probe into the pot of milk the unit will stop heating at 90 and kick on and off as the temp drops below 90? That sounds like it would really help with temp control.

Are you using a model similar to this one?: http://morebeer.com/view_product/16666/beerwinecoffee/Ranco_Digital_Temperature_Controller_-_Wired

[zenith1]

That's exactly the one that I use. Got it on Ebay, I forget the price but it was reasonable.

[rattman]

Can you set the temp as low as 86-90 degrees on the renco and the induction heater kicks off once that temp is met?

[Sailor Con Queso]

The Adcraft will certainly cut off at a set temperature using a Ranco or similar temp controller, but it will not cycle on and off. When you cut the Adcraft off and back on, it will go into a wait mode and you have to manually start heating. Other induction cookers might not do this.

[zenith1]

Yes there is no problem using the controller in that temp range and
Sailor is correct about the way the unit cycles-mine works in the same manner.

[rattman]

Thanks guys!!

Sounds like trial and error will be in order!

[rattman]

Zenith.... by the way, do you use a double boiler setup with the induction cooker?

[zenith1]

I had a small SS diffuser plate made that covers the entire bottom of my pot. The only other issue I believe Sailor addressed in another thread previously was insulating the side of the pot to slow down the heat loss in that area. If you were using a double boiler setup that obviously would not be an issue.