Frequently Asked Questions

Induction is an electromagnetic force across an electrical conductor.  For our purposes, we use induction to stimulate heat in commercial appliances by oscillating the electromagnetic fields to induce electrons to bounce off each other at a rapid rate creating heat.  (Simplified)

Induction creates heat rapidly, without combustion, and can be precisely focused and controlled. In a side-by-side test, the same volume of water was heated by a gas stove, electric element, and induction. Induction heated the water to boiling long before the other two methods. Additionally, induction is far more efficient.  

At I-4 Induction, we focused on a water well based on our experience with food handling as well as our having tested different methods.  We concluded that a water well is superior to all other panned-food-holding methods for several different reasons. First and foremost, steam is the best conductor of evenly distributed heat under a pan of food.  Air is a miserable conductor of heat and, therefore terribly inefficient.  Second, air heating requires the sides of the pans to get heated and the bottom is shallow to bring the heat to the pan bottom.  This makes the edges of the heating unit and pan edges dangerously hot for the user and guests. Worse, If the pan is even slightly uneven, hot air escapes around it, wasting energy and creating a possibility for burns. Food holding time decreases as the product crusts up around the overheated edges. The heater temperatures have to be regulated much hotter to achieve the same holding temperatures in the food.  Lastly, air-heated wells, due to their profile limitations prohibit the use of deep pans and soup pots.  

The I-4 Induction drop-in hot food well is dimensioned to handle standard hotel pans in every configuration and the wells come in three sizes; Single, Half, and Double (Shotgun).  Our heater units can additionally work with properly configured custom wells. The exterior dimensions and the installation kits are suitable for new builds and retrofit into existing counters as our dimensions match precisely nearly all popular food wells in use today.  Buffets, Cafeterias, School Lunch Rooms, College Dining Halls, Custom installations for portable catering, and Food Trucks.  

Induction heating is up to 70% more efficient compared to the typical drop-in well.  This is done without sacrificing the time it takes to heat or the temperatures it can achieve. The reason is the induction focuses on the pan bottom to make the heat that heats the water. The sides are insulated and not heated because we don't need heat there.  Our drop-in pan doesn't heat the air around it or make the pan sides so hot its dangerous to touch.      Employees working in Cafeterias and Buffets reported much more comfortable temperatures in their work areas.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

We designed the induction unit, and the pan to work with each other without actually attaching the induction base to the pan with any fasteners.  This gives our unit several advantages. First is the ease of installation. Second, no tools are required to remove the induction base from the pan for servicing or swapping. Additionally, the base can be removed if the user's menu changes and a cold item is desired in that position.  The base unit can be easily removed and the pan can be converted to an ice pan without any additional expense.  The 18 gauge stainless steel pan is much heavier and more durable than all other pans available today and that durability means these pans could outlast your existing buffet counter and be transplanted into your new counter without buying new equipment.