Description. Bartscher IK 334Z Tabletop Induction Cooker
The Bartscher IK 334Z professional 3-burner induction cooktop is visually identical to a similar conventional glass-ceramic electric stove. The key difference is that in a conventional stovetop, heat is generated by a heating element and transferred to the pan through the glass-ceramic surface.
An induction cooker has no heating element at all: heat is generated in the bottom of the cookware by an electromagnetic field created by a special induction coil.
Thanks to the shortest path for converting electrical energy into heat, induction cooktops offer several advantages over their competitors: they heat up quickly and consume less energy.
Suitable for induction cooktops: steel and enameled steel cookware, cast iron cookware, stainless steel cookware with a ferromagnetic bottom, and aluminum cookware with a ferromagnetic bottom.
Cookware made of aluminum, copper, brass, stainless steel, glass, ceramic or porcelain is not suitable.
Induction cooktops are very easy to clean. On conventional glass-ceramic burners, spilled liquids tend to stick to the surface. With an induction burner, things are much simpler: spills don't stick, and the cooktop can be cleaned immediately. Furthermore, even wiping up spilled milk, for example, with a simple cloth, is enough.
- 3 burners, separate controls
- Right burner: 1400 W
- 2 burners on the left: total power 2000 W
- When using only the front burner (10 power levels), it delivers up to 2000 W
- When using both burners, the energy is distributed according to the set regulation, with up to 1000 W supplied to the rear burner (5 power levels).
Article: 105.934
Important : Induction cooktops priced between €1,500 and €2,000 are intended for short-term cooking and reheating only. Using budget cooktops for continuous cooking can lead to overheating and breakdowns, which are not covered by the manufacturer's or importer's warranty.
For professional cooking and long-term use, you can consider electric industrial cookers or induction cookers made in Germany, starting from 1,500 euros.
Included. Bartscher IK 334Z Tabletop Induction Cooker
- induction cooker
- instructions
- 12-month warranty
- package
Advantages of induction technology. Bartscher IK 334Z Tabletop Induction Cooker
The phenomenon of electromagnetic induction was discovered by Michael Faraday in 1831. Today, restaurateurs, among others, can thank this brilliant Englishman: the principle he discovered underlies the operation of induction equipment, which has been used in HoReCa kitchens for nearly two decades.
A new high-tech product with high efficiency – the induction cooktop – has been introduced to the Ukrainian professional kitchen equipment market. What are the advantages and disadvantages of induction cooktops, what does the market offer to Ukrainian consumers, and what criteria should restaurateurs use when choosing such equipment? We will try to answer these questions.
Advantages of the Technology
An induction cooktop is an electric stove with a glass-ceramic cooktop equipped with induction burners. It differs from all other types of cooktops in the way heat is generated. In electric stoves, food is heated in stages: the heating elements transfer heat to the surface of the burner, which then heats the bottom of the cookware, and from there, the heat is transferred to the food. Induction cooktops skip the heat transfer step from the heated surface of the burner to the cookware.
The operating principle of an induction cooktop is based on the use of magnetic field energy. In this case, thanks to a copper coil and a high-frequency electric current, heat is generated directly in the disk of the cookware's base and heats the food from the bottom. Thus, it's not the burner that heats up, but the pot or pan itself.
The surface of an induction cooktop typically heats up to no more than 60°C (140°F) and cools down in just 6 minutes after being turned off. This is because the cooktop is heated solely by the hot cookware. By comparison, a gas stove, at the same temperature, cools down in 24 minutes, while an electric stove takes almost 50. This is an advantage when working in the kitchen, as the surrounding air is practically not heated.
- This is especially noticeable if the kitchen is fully equipped with induction equipment. In this case, we use other air conditioning options, as a less powerful ventilation system is required. An induction stove creates a different microclimate in the kitchen, allowing cooks to work in a more comfortable environment.
Induction burners have a wide range of heating power – from 500 to 3500 watts. And this power can be smoothly adjusted using numerous modes. At minimum power, you can simmer food as if it were simmering, while at maximum power, water in a pot boils faster than on a gas stove.
Induction cooktops combine the advantages of other cooking equipment: they can provide extremely precise heating—down to the degree—which is an advantage of electric stovetops, while any temperature change occurs instantly, like on a gas stovetop.
In terms of cooking speed, an induction cooktop is comparable to gas burners and approaches that of microwave ovens. Water boils significantly faster on an induction cooktop than on any other stovetop, including gas (1.5 liters of water can be boiled in 3.2 minutes, compared to 14 minutes on a standard electric stovetop).
Will it save time and money?
One of the main advantages of an induction cooktop is its energy efficiency. Due to its cooking technology, induction cooktops save not only time but also energy. The stove consumes several times less energy than any other stove. This is because the heating mode, based on the pot's configuration, allows for the optimal setting to be selected, ensuring minimal power consumption. This means the stove automatically adjusts to the diameter of the pot's bottom and heats only the required surface area.
The stove will not start without a pot on it. Furthermore, if the pot or pan is empty, the stove will not turn on. Incidentally, a special sensor blocks the heating of items smaller than 12 cm in diameter. Therefore, if a spoon, fork, or knife is accidentally left on the stove, they will not heat up, preventing burns.
Undoubtedly, the positive aspect of cooking on an induction stove is that there is no smoke or fumes, as food accidentally placed on the glass-ceramic surface does not burn, as the burner itself does not heat up. Induction cooktops are also safe – they have no open flames, hot burners, or mechanical parts, reducing the risk of burns and fires. To ensure mechanical safety, the cooktop's corners are rounded.
This type of cooktop is easier to maintain: its surface is completely smooth, preventing dirt from accumulating. And since it barely heats up, maintenance is limited to periodically wiping the surface with a damp cloth.
Although an induction cooktop can successfully replace not only an electric cooktop but also a gas one, it does have certain drawbacks.
Only special cookware with a bottom made of a ferromagnetic alloy can be heated on an induction cooktop.
This includes cookware made of stainless steel, aluminum with a ferromagnetic bottom, and cast iron. However, cookware made of copper, brass, aluminum, heat-resistant glass, and other non-magnetic materials is useless on this type of stove. Typically, accessories suitable for induction are marked with a special pictogram.
An Expensive Pleasure
The first induction cooktop was introduced by the German company AEG back in 1987, but initially found limited adoption due to both its high cost and consumer wariness of the new heating principle. However, professionals soon showed interest in this new product. In the restaurant industry, cooking speed and quality are paramount. However, progress continues, and with increasing mass production, the technology is becoming cheaper every year and has now reached prices comparable to traditional stovetops.
All products are of very high quality. The advantage of induction cooktops over traditional ones, which can be decisive when restauranteurs choose kitchen equipment, is, of course, significant energy savings. In the West, the economic benefits of purchasing induction have long been calculated; they know that in this case, the money won't be wasted. These cooktops have a very high self-sufficiency.
Before making a choice…
Consumers are offered a variety of induction equipment. Their differences lie in design and concept:
tabletop induction cooktops and stationary floor-standing ones, which can be used as part of a heating technology line.
Undoubtedly, induction has many advantages; it generally improves production standards. However, before choosing it, it's important to carefully calculate the volume of food you plan to cook on the cooktop.
Based on this, you need to determine the volume of induction equipment you want to install. Sometimes, in a given kitchen, it's much more convenient to have a single surface with 6 cooking zones than six small single-burner stoves, and vice versa. This should be taken into account.
An induction stove combines an innovative approach with a compact design. It's ideal for presentations, off-site catering, kitchens with limited space, and areas where installing a gas stove is technically impossible. A mobile induction wok is ideal for catering, while a 4-burner induction stool, as well as a 6-burner stove, will be a valuable addition to a chef's kitchen.
According to experts, induction in our professional kitchens is a technology of the future that should find its way into the kitchen. However, it's still relatively new to Ukraine, and not all restaurateurs are aware of the existence of induction equipment. But saving energy, time, and effort, maintaining safety and cleanliness in the kitchen, and most importantly, speed and quality of customer service in the restaurant industry, as they say, are worth a lot. In today's successful business, the saying "time is money" always holds true.
