They might be the future of cooking, but for some reason induction cooktops limit where you can place your pots, like the burners on a traditional stove. Siemens is breaking free of those constraints with a new design that boasts an all-encompassing cooking surface.
It’s not unlike Thermador’s Freedom stove unveiled at CES, which is not that surprising given that company is a Siemens subsidiary. And the secret to both cooktop’s omni-heating abilities is a large array of inductors, in this case, 48 in total, covering its entire surface.
When you plop down an induction-friendly pot or pan, no matter how big it is, the stove will determine which of the magnetic elements are needed to heat it, allowing you to then control all of them with a single setting. You can even move the pot in the middle of cooking, and the stove will automatically figure out what elements and power levels are then needed in the new position.
But there is a catch. While you’re granted the freedom to place your pots anywhere you’d like, you’re still limited to just cooking four at any one time. So it’s one of those “can’t have your cake and eat it too” deals, even though you’re only making macaroni and cheese.
[Gizmag]