They’ve got a quite unusual stove that’s got a large battery in it so that it can operate when the power is off, and doesn’t need the installation of a 240v power connection. This avoids the cost of an electrical retrofit of old apartment buildings, which otherwise costs far more.

If you’ve already got your home wired for 240v, you can get an induction stove for far less.

These battery-equipped stoves are expensive right now because they’re being made in quite small numbers. The parts needed are coming down in price quite rapidly, so I expect to see them sold in the $2000/unit price range within a few years.

  • Captain Aggravated@sh.itjust.works
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    9 days ago

    Your guess is wrong. Standard American electrical service is 220v. Our transformers are center tapped so if you measure from neutral to either of the two hots, you get 110v, and across both hots is 220v. Standard outlets are wired for 110, things like stoves, dryers, water heaters and HVAC units are wired for 220. I could go out and buy an induction range this afternoon and it would slot right in where my glass top electric range is.

    Why have Americans been slow to move away from gas stoves or to induction stoves? Well…

    1. Natural gas has remained very cheap in the United States. The United States has tremendous domestic natural gas reserves, so the pressure to move to other cooking fuels hasn’t really existed here like it did elsewhere.
    2. Earlier electric ranges, the ones with exposed coils, were legitimately inferior. They’re harder to do much other than boil water on because of how slow they are to heat and cool. They’re still seen as downmarket landlord specials today. Ceramic cooktop electrics were trendy for awhile.
    3. Early induction stoves were quite expensive, to the point of being gimmicky.
    4. Induction cooktops diddn’t work with the majority of popular American cookware. From the 60’s to the 90’s, trendy cookware such as Corningware ceramic, Pyrex borosilicate glass, Calphalon aluminum, Revereware copper jacketed stainless, and solid copper don’t work with induction stoves. In the 21st century, most pans made have been built with induction in mind, so your typical household now doesn’t have to replace their cookware along with their stove.

    None of that supports your America Bad narrative so you won’t pay attention to it though.

    • ProdigalFrog@slrpnk.net
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      8 days ago

      Earlier electric ranges, the ones with exposed coils, were legitimately inferior. They’re harder to do much other than boil water on because of how slow they are to heat and cool. They’re still seen as downmarket landlord specials today. Ceramic cooktop electrics were trendy for awhile.

      Technology Connections made a great video that touched on resistive stoves which showed how to overcome their slower thermal responsiveness, which I’ve used for most of my life to great effect. Once you know the trick of how to use them, they’re quite easy to cook almost anything on.