Earlier this year at CES 2012, Siemens subsidiary Thermador unveiled its Freedom Induction Cooktop that allows pots and pans of various sizes to be placed anywhere on its surface instead of being constrained to fixed cooking zones. Now Siemens has shown its own full-surface induction cooktop that provides the same freedom of cookware placement.
Unlike other induction cooktops that use four inductors under a ceramic surface to provide four fixed cooking zones, Siemens’ unit boasts up to 48 conductors to form a continuous cooking surface. Placing a pot anywhere on the ceramic surface activates a group of induction modules that automatically interconnect to form a single unit that can be controlled like a dedicated cooking zone.
The surface can accommodate up to four pieces of cookware at once, with a color TFT touch screen displaying the size, shape and location of each piece. Power can be individually adjusted via the touchscreen and if a pot is moved, the display automatically updates and the power levels are automatically transferred to the new position.
Operating instructions in up to 15 languages can also be viewed in the cooktop’s display. Siemens says that because heat is only produced where it is needed, the unit is more energy efficient than fixed cooking zone induction cooktops.
Siemens is currently showing its full-surface induction cooktop at Eurocucina 2012 as part of the Milan furniture show and it recently picked up a red dot product design award 2012 for the unit. The company is currently offering two models, one for flush-mounted installation and the other a surface mounted version with a stainless steel frame. Both measure 80 cm (31.5 in) wide.
Source: Siemens
