I’m not exactly a stellar cook. I do excel at consuming the results of good cooking, even if I haven’t played much of a role in the process. Recently, I came across a new product called the Tramontina Guru that helped me up my game in the cooking department.
Curiously, the Tramontina Guru doesn’t look like it could help someone like me become a better cook. After unboxing the product, I had the first impression that it just adds another “burner” if you are cooking a complex meal. Preparing a meal means you have another way to cook beyond what you have available on the stove.
It wasn’t until I fired up the app that I started seeing the real benefits. The Tramontina Guru is an induction cooktop that comes with a 9.5-inch Fry Pan that is made of ceramic non-stick aluminum and a 4-quart Covered Dutch Oven made of stainless steel. So, enough for a newbie like me to get started.
I found several recipes in the app, and the guided video tutorials are easy to follow. As I learned through my test period, cooking is all about temperature. I actually knew this tangentially because of cooking on the grill and other items on the stove, especially bason. I had learned over the years that low heat works better for bacon because the entire piece of meat cooks more evenly.
I tried a pasta dish and — I am just being transparent here — with some help from a few family members, managed to cook up one of the recipes without burning myself or setting the entire house on fire. I liked how the cooktop helps you focus on the recipe right in front of you, with clear directions, as opposed to a more chaotic stovetop experience where you are adjusting multiple burners. One thing at a time, that seems to be the Tramontina Guru mantra.
I’ve since learned that a cooktop like this is a staple of a true professional chef, especially since you can adjust the temperature of the product so easily. It also saves space in the kitchen because you can cook some items on the stove that don’t need precise control — like boiling potatoes — and then do your true focus work with this cooktop.
Did it make me a guru? I would say — far from it. I do feel like I could put myself on the road of making more complex meals, including a few eggs dishes that rely on temperature control and paste recipes where the goal is to not undercook or overcook anything. The fact that the Tramontina Guru has a built-in scale also makes the cooking process easier.
My only slight issue is with the touchscreen controls. I found that I sometimes had to tap a little harder and longer to turn the device on and adjust settings, but that might be due to having bigger hands and fingers that cover up the touch-sensitive controls.
For actual cooks who know what they are doing, I do think this is a product that can help with cooking chores — and the app is a welcome aid even for people like me.
