So the real reason I'm thinking that I can make it work to hold classes in my home (factory portion) is reading about Sailor's induction cookers that he uses for his classes.
My question is, how large of a cooker surface would I need for a 22 quart kettle? The kettle is probably about 13 or 14 inches across. Does the surface of the induction heater need to be the same or larger than the kettle?
TIA!
Yes, the "burner" needs to be close to the size of the stockpot but most of the cookers are big enough anyway. I am using induction cookers in my classes. I have 2 now and will be increasing that to 4. My classes are 8 people, so that will be 2 students at each station. I use a 22 gallon pot on a regular basis but I prefer a 2-1/2 gallon pot for each workstation.
The induction cooker is wonderful for heating water for washed curd cheeses. Be sure that your cooker goes up to 1800 watts. That's the most you can generate without going to 210 volts.
Sowhat size are the induction cookers that you are using? Do you mind sharing the brand & model, too?
TIA!
NEW ADCRAFT 120v INDUCTION COOKER IND-E120V
Price: US $179.99
Shipping: FREE
Readily available on E-Bay.
There are cheaper units, but this is stainless and I really like this cooker.
Congrats Karen, on deciding to give induction a try. I've been wanting to go induction for a while now, but I'm ready for the whole cooktop to be induction, however, that requires 240V. :) ANd I'm an apartment dweller at the moment. In the meantime I got my mom a Max Burton brand Induction single burner. Amazon seems to have them at a good price as I paid something in the low $60s for it and it does go up to 1800W.
She loves it.
Whether I decide to host classes in my home or not, I have decided that I will get an induction cooker and do some rearranging in the factory portion of our home to set up an area for cheesemaking, canning, and maple syrup making. I'll add a sink for washing up, too.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Quote from: Sailor Con Queso on February 09, 2011, 05:09:16 AM
NEW ADCRAFT 120v INDUCTION COOKER IND-E120V
Price: US $179.99
Shipping: FREE
Readily available on E-Bay.
There are cheaper units, but this is stainless and I really like this cooker.
Sailor:
What is the approx. diameter of the cooker you mentioned? There weren't any dimensions in the ads for it and it is hard to estimate from the pictures. Thanks!!
About 14-16" square
Hey Sailor
Could it hold the weight of a 10 gal pot 15" wide?
Thank you
Mike
That's pushing it a little but I believe so. It's not just the weight, but the diameter and depends on the brand of the induction cooker. I would talk to the manufacturer first.
Hey folks,
I have 5 - 2 pound hard cheeses under my belt and thinking of trying 4 gallon recipes.
Can I use the following canner for cheese making.... and more importantly will this metal work on an indiction cooker?
I'm thinking of getting the induction cooker that Sailor uses. Found em for $160 online.
Here is the canner: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Granite-Ware-21.5-Quart-Canner-With-Rack/10543332?findingMethod=rr (http://www.walmart.com/ip/Granite-Ware-21.5-Quart-Canner-With-Rack/10543332?findingMethod=rr)
If not reccomended, then I'm going to return this canning pot and order stainless steel online.
Thanks all!!
I dont think its intended for cooking (direct food contact). Enamel and most other traditional coating such as portezlan are no longer in use today.
I would favor SS followed by alumium (you cant sanitize it with bleach (oxidizer), strong acid or base).
i found aluminum at Wal-Mart.... but I thought that Aluminum was not magnetic and would therefore not heat via induction??
Thanks Tomer... and Happy New Year!!!
John
I think your right, you will likely need to get SS for an induction setup.
The enamel pot will work just fine, but long term, SS is a better choice.
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 (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?? :)
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.
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!
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.
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???
The induction cooker is not the best choice for maintaining a low temp for cheese. I would use your sink.
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.
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 (http://morebeer.com/view_product/16666/beerwinecoffee/Ranco_Digital_Temperature_Controller_-_Wired)
That's exactly the one that I use. Got it on Ebay, I forget the price but it was reasonable.
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?
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.
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.
Thanks guys!!
Sounds like trial and error will be in order! :)
Zenith.... by the way, do you use a double boiler setup with the induction cooker?
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.
Keith - how thick is your diffuser plate? Round or square?
Hmmmm.... I wonder what I'm going to find that is large enough to place a 22 QT stainless steel pot into for a double boiler setup.
Any creative ideas that wont cost a fortune?
I garbage can perhaps?? just joking. :)
Sailor- I went to a local metal fabrication shop and they had a piece of 1/8 SS sheet left over from a previous project. I had them cut a 13 circle from it. They basically gave me the metal and told me to give the mechanic a few bucks for coffee. Nice guys! The also told me that all stainless is not created equally when it comes to magnetic properties. It has to due with the amount of iron in the composition. I think if you search ss properties you can find the properties of each type. I can't remember which type offhand but I think it was 3 something series. Anyway the shop manager told me it was OK for the application and it seems to work. Like anything new you there is a learning curve involved but it definitely smoothed out the hot spot in the middle of the plate.