[Stoves] solar cooker response (changing thread name)

[Crispin Pemberton-Pigott]

Dear Andrew

>”…wonder how a 900W microwave compares if it is only heating for a few minutes."
A microwave oven heats only the food (assuming it is an appropriate container). An induction cooker works by heating the pot so it is inherently less energy efficient.
If both have the same input energy (“fuel consumption”) the picture is not so clear. Microwaves are not nearly as electrically efficient. As soon as you see circumstances which are different in that way, it means the ‘correct answer’ will depend on the mass of food.  The answer will be a performance curve for each device. Plot them, and it will be obvious which is ‘better’. You can define ‘better’ as speed, energy consumption, fine control, durability…

Nikhil sez >What matters to me is 1) the purpose, and 2) whether I need to use a glass or ceramic container or a metal pot and whether I just need to pour out small quantities in three different containers.
Item 2 is an efficiency.

>I inherited one from a friend; it has some 40+ programs for cooking and reheating a wide variety of Indian dishes.
Why doesn’t the induction cooker have the same thing?
I agree with Nikhil’s mention of the outsourcing of food cooking. I no longer bake bread even though I have both a convection gas oven and a dedicated bread maker. I buy it already baked. It is more time and cost efficient.
Crispin

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