Incogneeto hides induction power in your countertop (hands-on)

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The kitchen as an entertainment space was a big theme at the Architectural Digest Design Show in New York City this week. A new product from Viking taps into this desire to play host while you prepare a meal for guests.

The Viking Incogneeto Induction Warmer, which costs $3,529 (around AU$4,650 or £2,440 converted), turns your counter into an induction cooktop. When you mount the warmer beneath your countertop, it pairs with a connected trivet so that you can heat dishes or keep them warm away from your traditional cooktop. The trivet has a red light that will let you know when it is in range of the under-mounted warmer, so you have flexibility to move the trivet and your cookware around as needed. You use a small control panel beneath your countertop to control the temperature of the warmer.

Induction cooking uses heat from electromagnetism to cook food, so an induction surface won't work if it's not in contact with magnetic material. This makes induction a safe and efficient way to cook food, and it's growing in popularity in countertop devices such as the FirstBuild Paragon Induction Cooktop and the Oliso SmartHub & Top.

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The Incogneeto is a more subtle way to keep food warm than old-school chafing dishes or portable burners, especially since you only have to store the trivet and you can use the countertop as you normally would when the warmer's off. But the Incogneeto's price, which trumps the cost of many induction ranges I've tested, will make this out of reach for the casual entertainer-slash-cook. And the product is built primarily as a warmer, not for heavy-duty tasks like searing, which makes the Incogneeto's appeal even more limited.

Features

• Works beneath stone or engineered-stone countertop
• Four temperature settings: 150, 160, 175 and 190 degrees Fahrenheit (65 to 87 degrees Celcius)
• 650 watts of energy