Chatham University Introduces Induction Cooking Courses

Published: January 12, 2025

Chatham University Introduces Induction Cooking Courses

This month, Chatham University and the American Culinary Federation (ACF) will debut three new online courses offering official certification in induction cooking methods. This partnership marks the first time in the ACF’s 95-year history that it has involved outside experts in its training.

If you visit the two large kitchens serving Chatham University’s Eden Hall campus, you’ll notice a big difference from most other high-volume kitchens. Instead of the high heat and low precision of gas-powered cooking, both The Lodge and The Esther Barazzone Center kitchens at Eden Hall use electric induction cooking to improve the precision and quality of the food they serve. 

Chatham’s unique hood system is heat-activated, dramatically reducing energy consumption while storing and recycling heat to help control temperatures in the building. The resulting improvements in time savings, energy efficiency and ambient heat in the kitchen have even led companies like Microsoft to visit Eden Hall to learn more about the future of cooking. 

“We don’t have to burn things to cook. We can do better, so why wouldn’t we?” said Robert Sroufe, professor of sustainability and Falk Chair of Sustainable Business at Chatham University. “Induction reduces the environmental impact of cooking, gives people effective ways to combat climate change, and diversifies America’s energy grid by making it easier to move away from fossil fuels, all while creating a cooler, safer, cleaner, healthier and more precise kitchen.” 

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Research shows induction cooking transfers up to 90% of the energy consumed directly to the food, as compared to 74% for traditional electric systems and just 40% for gas, making it one of the most efficient and environmentally beneficial cooking technologies available. 

“When you have a more precise kitchen, you’re able to get better results,” said Chef Chris Galarza, who assisted in Chatham’s induction conversion and who helped design Chatham’s ACF courses. “Induction cooking improves food quality and also the quality of life for chefs and staff, so they waste less time and can invest more attention and resources in creating better experiences for customers.” 

In recent years, U.S. sales of induction stoves, which had long been much more popular in Europe than America, are on the rise, representing 18% of sales in 2023. Last year, the global induction cooktops market was valued at more than $9 billion, and is expected to surpass $15 billion by 2032. 

“Converting Eden Hall’s kitchens to induction enables us to lead by example in sustainable environmental practices and to teach others how to do the same,” said Sroufe. “Just as Chatham alumna Rachel Carson’s pioneering work in sustainability changed America’s understanding of the environment, our induction advocacy will change the future of the culinary industry.”

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