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scrappy25

induction cooktop noise and pets?

scrappy25
14 years ago

I have a gaggenau induction cooktop sitting in my basement awaiting my remodel, and I had read a thread here recently about high pitched noises from induction cooktops. We have a little hedgehog (Truffles) who is sensitive to high pitched noises, I know that because the kids can hear some of the noises but I can't. I know that not too many people have hedgehogs, but I thought that perhaps there are some people out there with dogs or other pets who have induction (built in), who can comment if their pets are disturbed by the high pitched sounds from the cooktops. I know it won't bother me if I can't hear it, but I am worried about Truffles.

Comments (35)

  • stir_fryi SE Mich
    14 years ago

    I have an induction slide-in and frankly, I cannot believe what a big deal some people are making about the humming. From my experience, it is so infrequent (I think it depends on which pan I use and how full the contents are), so unimportant and so not an issue for me.

    When, on the rare occasion it happens, it doesn't bother me in the least. Usually I am quite busy preparing other food and take no notice of it.

    Maybe people with other brands have more of an issue with it -- I don't know.

    I have a cat and he could care less about my stove or it's noises.

  • 59 Dodge
    14 years ago

    I have 5 cats and none of them have even picked up their ears when I run the Icon, but it makes no noise at all, and I'm not deaf, You will see where another poster said the same thing about the Icon, cept for a slight hum with biggest pan , as I recall.
    It does seem the portable units are a bit more noisy, from reading the other thread.

    Gary

  • plllog
    14 years ago

    It's the clad pans that do the whining, and the more mass in the pan the less they whine. I've heard it on Gaggenau and Miele (the two I got demos for) and all the others I've seen along the way. I haven't specifically paid mind to the Electrolux, but I don't know why it would be any different. Fagor makes all the inductors. More likely Gary's and the other guy's pans are less whiny pans. But that's an empirical question which we don't have sufficient data to answer.

    I'd say your best bet would be to keep the hedgehog in a separate room while you first use the cooktop, and see how it goes. Cast iron doesn't whine. Enamelled steel doesn't seem to from the few reports I've seen. All-Clad whines less than the thin skillet they had at Miele. Once you've tried out your pots, you can reintroduce Truffles carefully, and keep an eye out for any reaction.

  • warmfridge
    14 years ago

    I recently bought a Viking tabletop induction unit. I can hear the magnets clicking and a fan whirring, but no whining. It doesn't bother my parrots.

  • 59 Dodge
    14 years ago

    HeJ Pillog (Scandanavian for Hey)
    There are two, yep two makers of inductors. You are correct about Fagor making Inductors, but they don't make all of them. Guess who else makes Inductors---nope--- try again , it is a Swedish company that makes them, Not German.Right!!!!!!! Electrolux. So that may be the reason the noise characteristics are a bit different on the Icons?
    I have the Emeril clad set----yea I know, not the same quality of all clad, but we really like em and find they work well, with no noise , whatsover. I just covered the stove with paper towels, had a batch of bacon frying in one pan, and poaching eggs in another pan. The only noise I heard, other than my over head hood was the sizzle of the bacon. My cats, well the cooking did "Peak their interest" but Guess what???? It wasn't the sound of the icon but the bacon aroma that "Brought them to Attention"
    Now I don't mean to correct you , or be nasty, but you may have seen my efforts with a prince and a bug, on another post where I had to explain what the Icon Speed Oven really is. Why do I bother, I think folks that ask questions here, should get the most factual and accurate answers as "Humanly Possible" (Don't Ya Thinks)?

    Gary

  • lip2000
    14 years ago

    I have the electrolux...it actually works fine and it's the quality of the pans that make the difference...I have some pans from a Danish company(can't remember the name) but it heats up so fast that it's actually almost too fast...haha
    However, the tfal ones are basically junk as they just add the magnetic part to the bottom of their pans and they make a noise...

    I will say that perhaps Electrlux make the inductive parts for other manufacturers but their actual design of their own range sucks large...the ss housing gets crap in there all the time and is impossible to clean and if there is too much water spilled, the unit literally stops working and has to dry out for a couple of days(happened a couple of times...if there is less water you just get a fault code)...

    not a fan of the induction electrolux unit design...although it does work...

  • 59 Dodge
    14 years ago

    I suspect we have the same cooktop lip2000. I bought mine specifically because the controls on it (touchpad) was separated from the cooktop by the stainless steel strips.
    I had a very expensive and elaborate cooktop that failed in less than two years, due to someting getting on the touch pad, and clean as I might(even razor blades), I couldnt save that succer. To add insult to injury the cooktop was a 36 inch semi circle and I had it flush mounted in the granite---so of course I had to redo that when I replaced that unit with induction.
    After reading about induction for more than 2 years now, I have not seen a single complaint about touch pad problems with any induction unit----so maybe I over reacted.
    However your problems have "peaked my Interest" as i'm sure we have the same model.
    I always line mine with paper towels before I cook on it, I'm lazy and ya can't beat "tossing paper towels for cleanup"
    I haven't experienced any boil overs or spills as the thing is so fast boiling, that I just set it to the setting I want to boil at----I ran nuff races and entertained my friends and neighbors enough now by showing how fast it can boil.
    Have you called Electrolux about the problem? Is it actually a separate piece of glass that goes over the touch pad----separate from the main cooktop glass?---or where do you think the water gets into the touchpad?
    I recall a very old post, can't even recall if it was an Electrolux induction unit, but somebody had suggested using silicon to seal the stainless steel to the glass.
    Anyway, as you can imagine, after having one disaster with a keypad, I certainly don't want another.
    If you find anything out , please let us know.
    We sure love ours, but due to using the paper towels and the fact that I rarely boost it, we aren't comparing apples to apples as far as use of the cooktop goes.

    Gary

  • lip2000
    14 years ago

    Hi dodge1959:
    We will have the same unit I'm sure unless you are using the one that has the hybrid design(regular and induction together). Ours is all induction.
    The reason electrlux has that ss "frame" is to raise the unit up so they can have a fan exaust which allows the mounting of an oven below it...it's actually not a bad feature as most don't allow ovens or any heat source below the unit and also many require a much larger gap than the electrlux does.
    I believe they are two separate pieces of glass. I didn't call electrlux as they are now beyond the warranty with electrolux but I was all set to call the place where we bought them because I have a 5 year warranty with them. When I went to call them I tried it one last time and it worked(now this has happened twice to me)...Basically we are talking about a small boilover of water...not a ton, but enough to pool water into the ss separator in front of the controls. If it's just a dap of water then you get the F code fault which I'm ok with...This fault actually causes the panel to completely go blank and the only solution I found was to wait a couple of days with the main breaker off and then turn it back on and like magic, it comes back to life...I'm only guessing that there is no sealing, or not enough between the glass and the ss housing and the electronics below. Thus I assume it gets in between the ss housing(not one piece of continuous glass.

    I think I have the parts breakdown and looked before at the exploded view of the unit and it was two separate pieces but I'll check again.

    We tried putting down paper and those silpat mats below the cooking pans but usually we don't.

    Don't you get food stuck between the SS housing though? It's a pain I find.

    LIP2000

  • 59 Dodge
    14 years ago

    We have the same unit. Thanks for your post. I going to start a new thread "Electrolux Icon Induction Cooktop" so I don't step all over this person's thread.
    C U there!!! Gary

  • baver
    14 years ago

    Have I told anyone how much I dislike Electrolux? But, I digress... my Miele makes some noise with the cheaper pans or on very high heat. Cast iron, totally silent. Cat doesn't seem to mind, either way.

  • scrappy25
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    thanks for the advice about the types of pans and acclimatizing the hedgehog. I guess he'll get used to it. I have used the ultrasonic plug ins for keeping mice away (pre-hedgehog days) in the past and have never been able to hear those, that's why I became a little worried about the induction.

  • 59 Dodge
    14 years ago

    "Peace" Pillog. I will take your suggestion and take one of my Emeril (clad pans) to Pacific Sales tomorrow. I also have an older circulon pan it that will help. They have a pretty good selection of Induction cooktops down there---I just hope they are connected.
    I will keep everybody posted.

    Gary

  • leel
    14 years ago

    I have been trying a portable Fagor unit and, because I needed a new set of Teflon frying pans anyway (mine were shot), as well as Kohl's giving them away (well, almost) Farberware Millenium, I bought them. They're induction ready, of course. Absolutely silent, plus they are heavy and well balanced.

  • lucypwd
    14 years ago

    I hae a DIVA and love it. However, my 14 year old daughter does hear a high pitched noise with one burner set on its highest setting. And yes, it bothers her. In fact she will leave the room when that burner is on. I can't hear a thing. The overhead fan, a miele, bothers her as well. My guess is you will know right away if there is a noise that bothers your little hedge hog by its behavior.

    The audible noises that I hear vary depending on induction zone used, pan type, and setting. In general I find it quiet.

  • pammypoo55
    9 years ago

    Ever since I got a portable induction stove, my dog (a Yorkie mix) gets frantic every time I use it. She runs to the door begging to get out of the house and stays out there until I turn off the stove. There is a hum to it but nothing that bothers me. Just the dog. What could be cause of this?

  • a2gemini
    9 years ago

    I have a wolf
    It took me 2 years to figure out the LED and induction cause most of the noises. When I turn off the LED can lights, the noise is minimal

    Least noise- Staub and lecreuset enamel pans.

    Noisiest are the clad pans, especially when they are cold. (Cooktop is on outside wall). It doesn't matter which brand - all clad, DeMeyere, calphalon, CIA, LeCr clad, ScanPan, etc I have one or more of a wide variety of pans. I buy the intro specials to test the various pans. I bet most of us didn't even know LeCr makes a clad pan or some calphalon pans work on induction ðÂÂÂ

    They all work as long as magnetic. I like a good base to distribute heat.

    I don't even have a favorite,although combining the CIA base with my calphalon glass lid is nice!

    And I recently bought a scanpan ctq(or something like that and haven't tried it yet. I do have a SP Pro IQ with the disk on the bottom which does make some noise.

  • Linda
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    I have an Electrolux slide-in induction range, which I love. However, my dog will often run and hide under the bed when I turn it on. I don't hear anything, but there is obviously something that bothers him! He is not afraid of storms, fireworks, or any other noises.


  • kaseki
    7 years ago

    The induction fields are usually ultrasonic (above 20 kHz) but purely electromagnetic. By themselves they are unlikely to induce audible noise. However, when they interact with a pan base they will induce forces into the pan at the frequency of the induction field and any modulation that this field frequency has -- deliberate or due to imperfect line filtering. The base frequency is too high for most pan base sized materials to resonate with, even beryllium, but sub harmonics are possible, as well as lower frequency modulation, so some noise (usually pan humming) is sometimes heard, particularly with laminated pan bases.

    All that theory aside, I can't rule out some tiny fraction of the ultrasonic frequency power going into acoustic noise. Linear theory doesn't perfectly apply to real objects, particularly when induced currents and resulting forces are concerned in materials with non-linear B-H curves. Dogs, cats, hedgehogs, and many other animals can hear ultrasound, and conversion of microwatts of the kilowatts of power being generated at a hob to acoustic noise could be sufficient for them to hear it.

    A microphone of sufficient frequency range connected to a personal computer running a spectrum analyzer app could be used to test for ultrasound.


    Link to animal hearing ranges

    kas

  • Kelly F
    7 years ago

    I wonder if I am unusually good at hearing high pitched noises, as mine was a noise, very high pitched, that disturbed my body and soul! I couldn't stand to be near it, nor could my dog.

  • Murray Charlebois
    6 years ago

    We have a new kitchen aid induction cook top that causes our dog to run to another room and shakes till it is turned off. I called Kitchen aid and they did nothing. Maybe a lawsuit might wake them up.

  • PRO
    Abbie Joan Fine Living
    6 years ago

    I just purchased a Jennair Induction range and am very sad that the sound is sending one of my dogs through the roof. I absolutely love the performance and look. I just purchased new Cuisinart pans, but after reading the comments below I am wondering if other pans might make the difference. I can barely hear it but she sure can. I would appreciate any thoughts.

  • boba1
    6 years ago

    I bought the KitchenAid freestanding double oven induction range last May. My two dogs don't notice it at all. In fact, they're always hoping I'll drop something on the floor, so they're around in the kitchen.

  • sonni1
    6 years ago

    Have a Miele. Have no idea what noise you are referring to.

  • jackiemcgill
    6 years ago
    When i use my portable induction i myself can hear a noise. My dog runs and shakes violently until i turn it off.
  • Steve Root
    4 years ago

    Building a new house and am considering induction cooktop rather than gas (which I have always used and liked over other choices). So I bought a Duxtop model 8100 portable induction cooktop (1 burner) for $50 from Amazon. My Golden Retriever (5 years old, a bit skittish about some noises) immediately raced out of the room when I turned on the cooktop. He came back almost immediately when I turned it off. (He was hiding under the bed in the mean time.) Looks like we will be cooking with gas. Other than that (Mrs. Lincoln) it seems induction cooking has a lot to offer.

  • jwvideo
    4 years ago

    Portable induction cooktops (PICs) generate way more pet annoying noise than most full size induction cooktops and stoves like sonni1's Miele and Boba1's Kitchenaid. By way of anecdotal tales, my cat hid under a bed upstairs whenever I used a Max Burton PIC that was here, briefly, a few years ago. No problems with my current induction cooktop nor with robust commercial PICs like Vollraths and Cookteks.

    Of course, as with humans, pets vary in sensitivity, and there really is no way to know without trying it out. Any chance you can find a place that has some full size induction cooktops hooked up for demonstrations and which will let you bring your dog along?

  • Zandro Zaragoza
    4 years ago

    I wish I saw stories of people with induction stoves and pet. We just renovated our kitchen with a new induction stove. I've only used the stove three times so far, but all three of my dogs will eventually leave the space and hide in the bedrooms. They have never been afraid of the kitchen.

  • akrogirl32
    4 years ago

    We have the Miele induction range and seven dogs. We haven’t seen any reaction from them so far.

  • j9swimmer
    4 years ago

    Zandro Zaragoza, could you share the make of your induction stove? We are looking hard at induction for our kitchen renovation. And, we share our home with dogs whom tend to "help" us whenever we are cooking. I am wondering if certain induction stoves are better with pets, than others? For instance, I have yet to learn of anyone with a Miele induction cooktop or Miele induction stove/range that has had issues with these units bothering their pets.


  • kevinande
    4 years ago

    Zando Zaragoza: Try higher quality pans. The dogs may be hearing a frequency that they are not comfortable with. All sounds that come from induction cooking use is generated in the pan. Other than the cooling fan, the cook top/range itself does not make any noise. The construction of the cookware in question is more than likely your issue.

  • kaseki
    4 years ago

    The frequency of the power feed to the induction coil is above the upper frequency limit of human hearing, but not necessarily above the limit of hearing of various animals. It is possible that the coils themselves react mechanically to the current fluctuations, and this potentially could be acoustically propagated. I agree that the mechanical motion of the pan cladding due to forces created by the induced currents in the cladding is a more likely cause of acoustic noise.

    To avoid annoying animals, it would seem that finding an induction cooktop with the highest frequency of operation would be desirable, or at least a frequency above the hearing limit of the particular animals affected. The frequency can be measured easily with an oscilloscope, but otherwise obtaining the data from the manufacturer may be difficult. Dog hearing is fairly well documented, I think, but Hedgehog acoustic limits may be difficult to find.

  • Teresa Storey
    last year

    I bought a Duxbury double burner induction cooktop off from Amazon to use temporarily while trying to find a cooktop that will fit into the cutout in our granite countertop.
    My dogs would run and yelp when I turned it on.
    I would immediately put them outside, because I have to cook.
    It only took a few times before I discovered that it was setting off their pet safe collar and zapping them. Poor babies!
    I don’t usually keep the collars on them in the house anyway, but we occasionally have cows in the barn behind our house and they run over there to feast on cow pattie’s. ughhh
    We are a busy house with kids in and out and adults coming and going, so it makes it a challenge when they really need the collars to keep them contained to our yard.
    Do you suppose all induction cooktops do this? Incredibly scary to think pets are being shocked if they have containment collars on in range.
    Has anyone noticed this besides the high pitch noise?
    I hear that, but it does not really bother me.

  • enduring
    last year

    this is very interesting @Teresa Storey.

  • kaseki
    last year

    To start investigating, or at least speculating, one would need to know what type of signal (RF or ultrasonic) is used to trigger the collars.