Induction Cooking (the kind that uses magnets)

[ascii_man]

You should not quote me out of context to make your point.

I apologize if you feel offended: I just took your post at face value. What you write below is excellent.

My explanation was only to insure that you understand, each minute your microwave is running, 100 amps are flowing through your wire going to your inverter. It is still called amps, and it is how we size the cables and fuses.  Like Bob pointed out, you need 2/0 cable from your battery. I don't care about all the theoretic details, I want the right size wires, the right size battery, and the right size charger, if I use my microwave. I need about 2000 watt inverter, that will draw about 100 amps when operating, that is not 2 amps per minute, that is 100 amps every second and every minute it is operating. Then we can find a sufficient battery to supply that for the 2 or 5 minutes the microwave is heating 4 or 5 times during the course of my day. That and recharging is a different thread.

 

[akrvbob]

Okay, I think we've all had our fair say, and in fact we are all saying the thing, we just disagree with the way the other is saying it. That happens with us frail humans.

So, after a wide detour, lets focus back on induction cooking.
Bob

 

[akrvbob]

I'm totally able to run an induction cooker, but it still comes back to "Why bother?"

One compelling reason is with solar my cooking is free from now on, no need to buy and burn propane to cook. But that is really a very small amount of money every year.

Worse, in the winter I use my cooking time as a source of heat for comfort heating and would lose that. In the summer, it would save me from pumping heat into the van and I must admit that is tempting.

Why are you considering Induction cooking? Or are you, did you already decide it wasn't worth the effort?
Bob

 

[GotSmart]

Okay, I think we've all had our fair say, and in fact we are all saying the thing, we just disagree with the way the other is saying it. That happens with us frail humans.

So, after a wide detour, lets focus back on induction cooking.
Bob

That was educational, as well as entertaining.

Now as to inverters.  The induction top I am looking at lists this.

10 power levels from 200-1300Watts;

]So what inverter should I get to be on the safe side.  I doubt I will have it cranked all the way up.  Money is an issue.  (Inexpensive, not cheap)

 

[akrvbob]

I'd go with a 1000 watt pure sine and just be aware you could never use the higher settings. I'd go with this one:
http://amzn.to/1X5dK8D

Its a Xantrex 1000 PSW. I have it's big brother the 2000 watt PSW and it has been perfect for about 4 years.
Bob

 

[LeeRevell]

With the cooker rated at 1300W, I'd play it safe with a 2KW inverter.  The rating is the power needed to get the heat, but it will actually use more, as we see with microwave ovens.  Having greater power capacity is better than not enough.
In any case, make sure you have a robust solar/battery system.  And don't cook too long at a time.  

 

[GotSmart]

With the cooker rated at 1300W, I'd play it safe with a 2KW inverter.  The rating is the power needed to get the heat, but it will actually use more, as we see with microwave ovens.  Having greater power capacity is better than not enough.
In any case, make sure you have a robust solar/battery system.  And don't cook too long at a time.  

448 AH should be enough.

 

[jimindenver]

1300 watts, wow.

At that level of consumption I wouldn't want to run it long even on my system. We can run our microwave pulling that for 12 minutes or more but even using the solar as a boost it takes a lot out of the bank.  The hotplate takes longer but we can run it for hours.

When I was interested in a induction plate I was looking for the lowest wattage possible. That was 750 or 800w if I remember right. That wattage our system can handle with ease.

 

[ccbreder]

My quick tests on my inductive burner. Six settings. The top 4 hold steady draw. The highest, #6, results in >1400 watts. #5, #4, #3; 1230, 1000, 800 watts. On #2, it cycles up to 1000 watts then down to 0. #1 cycles slower, but i didn't get a good measurement.

 

[ascii_man]

@GotSmart: how much and what kind of insulation is in that photo?

 

[GotSmart]

@GotSmart: how much and what kind of insulation is in that photo?

That is a 1/4 inch radiant barrier going over the step.  It sure looks like I have 4 inches if insulation! 

http://www.bondedlogic.com/ultratouch-radiant-barrier/



I might need to ad another solar panel if the draw is that much!  Or look for a induction unit that does not draw as much power.

 

[ccbreder]

Induction is not magic as is a microwave. It uses magnetic fields to physically heat the pan which then heats the food. A lower setting, less watts, will just take longer to heat things.

 

[jimindenver]

Lower wattage and slower heat up time is what I do with the regular hotplate. Once it is hot you wouldn't know the difference.

 

[ccbreder]

One thing I forgot to mention about induction stove. They tend to hold the temperature steady at the power setting. I noticed this as i tried to record the power use as I cooked corned beef hash and eggs. On my lowest steady setting, #3, I drew 715 watts. But after 5 minutes the hash was melted fat with no browning. I switched up to #4, 865 watts. The pan heated immediately and started to brown the hash and was done to my spec in another 4 minutes. I then scramble two eggs at the side of the hash, lowered the setting to #3, and had my meal on the plate after a total of 15 minutes. The first 5 were a rip. The meter showed a total of 0.20 KW/H. This was mostly at 7.5 amps.

 

[akrvbob]

Another big advantage of induction is an excellent simmer. I'm not much of a cook so it's no big loss but it's really hard to get a Coleman stove low enough to summer--almost impossible.
Bob