Problems deep frying on induction stove

Question

I recently bought an Aga Rangemaster 90cm range cooker with induction cook top. The oven and hob are great except when attempting deep frying, which seems not to work. I have nothing but induction compatible cookware.

The pans initially heat up fine, but refuse to come up to anything above approximately 150C (300F). Monitoring the temperature with a remote thermometer I can see the temperature cycling as the element comes on and off, but I am never able to get the pan up to say 180C.

I have reviewed the operating instructions and no mention is made of it not being possible to deep fry, so I wondered if this is something that others have experienced, or if there is some workaround.

Answer 1

While I can't say exactly what the issue is there are some possibilities:

1. Induction compatible doesn't mean ideal for induction. I've had pans which are compatible, as in they work, but they don't heat up well. Only ferrous metals will get heated by induction, many pans are a sandwich of metals with a ferrous base, how well the pans heat up depends in part how thick the base is, if it's too thin it won't be able to convert all the energy. You want something with a nice thick ferrous base, or even better cast iron
2. Your induction top may not be powerful enough. In the same way gas ranges are limited by the size of their burners induction is limited by the underlying electronics. A big pot full of oil is a lot of mass, the cooktop's electronics need to be able to create a large enough magnetic field to heat it

Answer 2

I have this same issue with a Tefal IH2108.

I have opened the cook top and removed the thermal paste between the sensors and the glass. Now the sensor is colder, the stove no longer throttles and deep frying is possible.

(Obviously when you apply this hack any temperature-dependent setting no longer works).

Answer 3

Another possibility: even if it has the power to heat a pan > 180C it could start throttling once the internal stove temp hits 150 to prevent circuit damage.

So one way to work around this is to start from a cold stove, then quickly heat a smaller amount of oil to your desired temp and cook the food before the internal temp gets too high.

Another workaround that might work is putting a ceramic tile beneath the pan.