A guide to cooktop power levels and oils | V-ZUG China

A guide to cooktop power levels and oils

Gentle boiling, steady frying or high-temperature searing: Find out how to choose the right power level and oil for every cooking method and ingredient.

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The right power level helps food cook evenly and achieve the desired texture, colour and flavour. Watch and listen as you cook. Sizzling, bubbling and colour changes are useful cues, but do not always mean to change the heat. A dish often needs variation, so adjust the power level as cooking progresses.

Power levels 1 to 2

Use these levels for melting butter and chocolate or gently warming delicate sauces. The low, steady heat helps prevent scorching, seizing or splitting, giving you greater control over sensitive ingredients.

Power level 3

This level is ideal for simmering rice, quinoa and similar grains, and for gently warming prepared dishes such as mashed potatoes. Heat builds gradually, helping food warm evenly without sticking or catching.

Power level 4

Choose power level 4 for dishes that need to stay at temperature after heating. It is ideal for continued cooking, very light reductions, steaming vegetables or poaching fish and eggs without browning.

Power level 5

This power level is well suited to gentle braising, where ingredients benefit from reliable, even heat over time.

Power level 6

Level 6 is perfect for casseroles and stews that need time to develop tenderness and flavour. The consistent heat keeps everything cooking evenly without constant stirring, allowing ingredients to soften, sauces to thicken and aromas to deepen.

Power level 7

It is ideal for omelettes, hash browns and breaded foods that need controlled heat for an even, golden finish. Heating the pan slowly at this level helps it hold heat more consistently, making it also a good choice for keeping pasta water at a gentle boil.

Power level 8

Power level 8 is the right level for frying meat and vegetables when browning and a crust are desired. The strong, steady heat is also suitable for deep-frying foods such as chips, helping them become crisp and evenly cooked.

Power level 9

Power level 9 is the highest power level, best for fast searing over a short time. Use it to create a crisp, flavourful crust on steak or other ingredients, or to bring smaller amounts of water quickly to the boil before reducing the heat.

Power level PowerPlus

PowerPlus, or P, is suited to bringing larger quantities of water quickly to the boil, delivering fast results without remaining at maximum power for too long.

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How to select the right oil

For high-temperature frying, choose heat-stable oils such as refined rapeseed oil, high-oleic sunflower oil, peanut oil, refined olive oil, coconut oil or ghee. Their high smoke point helps prevent bitter or burnt notes.  

Cold-pressed oils are nutritionally valuable but less heat-resistant, making them better suited to cold dishes or gentle cooking at low temperatures. Examples include virgin and extra-virgin olive oil, flaxseed oil, toasted sesame oil and walnut oil.