Over the past year, libraries throughout Minnesota have been incorporating a new activity kit into their collections to promote healthy and energy-efficient cooking. These new Induction Cooking Kits, provided through a partnership with Minnesota nonprofit Sustainable Resources Center (SRC), were introduced in an effort to make the clean and emissions-free cooking technology approachable, easy, and fun to use. The Arrowhead Library System has 15 library locations hosting these Induction Cooking Kits, available for checkout now with your library card!
SRC’s mission is to make Minnesota homes energy-efficient, healthy, and sustainable through a variety of programs, including weatherization services, lead hazard education and testing, and energy auditing. In an effort to expand this mission, SRC staff set their sights on making induction technology more approachable to Minnesota residents via a free, user-friendly learning experience: The Induction Cooking Kit Program.
Developed in 2024, this program aims to increase awareness of induction cooking by partnering with Minnesota’s incredible library network to circulate educational kits across the state. Each kit contains induction-compatible cookware, a helpful informational brochure, and a portable induction cooktop for patrons to try out at home.
The Induction Cooking Kits give library patrons a chance to explore a safe, energy efficient, and healthy cooking option without feeling pressured to commit to a new appliance right away. SRC hopes that when the time comes to switch out old stoves, patrons will keep the benefits of induction in mind.
What’s so special about induction cooking? While gas and electric units generate heat on the stovetop which is then transferred to the cookware, induction uses a small electromagnetic field to produce the heat directly in the bottom of the cookware itself. Very little heat energy is lost in this process, which is why induction is regarded as such an energy efficient technology. Additionally, the stove won’t power on until it makes direct contact with compatible cookware. There is no open flame involved, which lowers the risk of burn injuries, and the cooktop’s glass surface makes cleanup quick and easy. Plus, unlike gas stoves, induction stovetops don’t emit any air pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2) into your home.
As with all new technology, there’s a bit of a learning curve involved in mastering cooking with induction. First, stoves have both power and temperature controls to meet various cooking needs. Second, food heats far quicker than most people are used to; for example, a pot of water will come to a boil in 5 minutes or less! Finally, cookware must be induction compatible to heat up, meaning it must have a high iron content. Any pot or pan that a magnet sticks to, including stainless steel and cast iron, will work.
The Induction Cooking Kit Program currently includes four library systems across the state, and they plan to continue expanding the program in the coming months. The Arrowhead Library System has 15 library locations that feature these Induction Cooking Kits:
Babbitt, Buhl, Calumet, Carlton, Coleraine, Duluth (main), West Duluth, Mount Royal Duluth, Eveleth, Gilbert, Hoyt Lakes, International Falls, Marble, Two Harbors and Virginia.
If you’re interested in trying out a kit, all you need is your Arrowhead Library System library card. Visit your local library, and if one is available, simply check it out like you would a library book and bring it home to try in your own kitchen!
Note: Please consult your doctor before using induction if you have a pacemaker or metal implants.
With any questions about SRC’s Induction Cooking Kit Program, or to check availability in your area, please reach out to sustainability@src-mn.org or visit src-mn.org/what-we do/induction-cooking.html. With any questions about the Arrowhead Library System and their Induction Cooking Kits, contact us at als@alslib.info, or call us at 218-741-3840.
