Fagor Induction Burner: World Gourmet Tableside, Sleek and Modern

We bought this induction burner for Chinese hotpot/Japanese shabu-shabu, and turned out using it for many other dishes as well, like BBQ, fondue, French crepe, Spanish paella, Japanese sukiyaki, yakiniku and yakitori, Korean Bi Bim Bap, Chinese Shengjian (生煎包 seared buns)…all tableside! (Click image, then click "Slideshow" on left right corner for bigger view.)



For years, I had wanted a tabletop stove to make hotpot/shabu-shabu. Growing up, hotpot dinner was a very special occasion. My parents' two-in-one copper pot/stove had a quality look and was beautiful in every detail. Back then, this was unusual in China, no cookware seemed to care about design beauty. Now I wonder where my parents got it and what company made it. My Dad who normally does not cook actually took charge at hotpot dinners. He would fill and light up the charcoal in the middle of the pot. I would always watch excitedly and add a piece of “my” charcoal. The cookware, process, and food all were a part of my fond memory of hotpot dinners.

Now in our own home, however, I prefer the convenience of electric stove for hotpot. I tried to look for one, in the U.S. and during vacations in China, Singapore and Japan, all were disappointing. No matter electricity- or gas-powered, they either looked makeshift (raw and ugly) or just lacked style. Then my eyes lit up when the waiter brought over our shabu-shabu at Kougetsu restaurant in Tokyo. Loved the simple and clean-lined design of the stove! (See picture below.) We took down the brand name (Iwatani) and hunted the exact model down next day after searching a few stores. I hesitated at check out, reluctant to compromise on the inconvenience of gas cartridge. I gave it up, but still held on to my "dream" of finding a tabletop stove that met all my criteria for function, design and convenience.

A month after we got back home, a Sur La Table catalogue got me ecstatic. I saw a Fagor induction burner, modern, clean and sleek, perfect for hotpot! But does it use electricity? What does “induction” mean? I did some research online, during which I also found a Viking version at Williams Sonoma. Viking’s is 2.5 times more expensive than Fagor’s though ($500 vs $200). We like our Viking gas range oven. But for this piece, we prefered Fagor’s more stylish design. We went to check out both. At Williams Sonoma, the Viking piece had not yet arrived. At Sur La Table in Soho, not on shelf either! Upon our inquiry, sales girl Julia excitedly answered “Just arrived!” She brought one out from the back room and passionately explained its functions and features to us. We were sold and Julia exclaimed “You are our first customer for this burner!”

After I tried it with hotpot/shabu-shabu, I was very satisfied with its heating speed and sensitivity to heat adjustments, felt no difference to a gas stove. Why not cook other things with it too? Anything that is appropriate to cook and eat at the same time should work, or simply for the fun and warmth of bringing the process tableside. I cooked many dishes across various cuisines with it, on our dining table or kitchen/bar counter. My next dish with this burner? Korean or Chinese soft tofu soup! Mmmm, the bubbling hot, silky and spicy tofu stewed in an intensely flavorful stock.

I noticed Fagor’s tout about how this burner boils water in seconds and melts chocolate like a double boiler. While true, I won’t buy it just for these two purposes. I love it for its perfection in all aspects of function, design and convenience. In addition to what already mentioned, it’s safe—touches cold on the surface during cooking, and it even has a childproof lock button; it’s easy to clean—one flat surface. And according to Fagor’s website, it’s energy efficient compared with gas-powered or non-induction electrical burners.

Because of its induction feature, the pot/pan sitting on it needs to have 100% iron or steel bottom. Our Lodge cast iron pan works in perfect duo with it. For soup pot, we looked everywhere and every brand and could not find the perfect material/design/size combination. Eventually we found one—AllClad 3QT Cassoulet at Crate & Barrel. (We were told it was to be discontinued. It’s a shame!) For fondue, we had a Bodum fondue set. Before we had to ensure flamable gel supply, and after each use, clean the container and store the leftover gel. Now with the induction burner, we just put the Bodum fondue pot (stainless steel) on it. No hassle ☺

P.S.
Fagor makes a beautiful pressure cooker too. I would check it out if I had room for it in our kitchen ☺

For people who prize the actual flames of hotpot/shabu-shabu over the inconvenience of gas cartridge, I recommend the Iwatani model. It sells for about US$200 in Japan when we found it last year. It may not be available in the U.S.