The Cooktop with a Cool Secret

Hello there. My name is Induction Cooktop, and I have a wonderful secret. If you look at me, you might just see a smooth, shiny, flat surface in the kitchen. I don't have big, fiery orange flames like a gas stove. I also don't have circles that glow bright red like an electric stove. I look quiet and cool, and that’s a big part of my magic. My secret is that I can cook your favorite foods without getting super hot myself. This makes me a much safer friend to have around. I use a special kind of science to make the pot hot instead of my own surface. It’s a clever trick that keeps the kitchen cooler and little hands safer. I wanted to make cooking a magical experience for everyone.

My story began a long time ago, even before your parents were born. It was in the mid-1950s when some very clever people at a company called Frigidaire first had the idea for me. They wanted to show everyone how amazing I was, so they did a fantastic trick. They put a newspaper on top of my flat surface, and then they put a pot of water on top of the newspaper. Everyone watched with wide eyes as the water started to bubble and boil, but the newspaper underneath didn't even get warm or catch on fire. It was amazing. People asked, 'How is that possible.'. It’s all thanks to my secret handshake. I send out a special, invisible energy field. Only pots and pans made of a certain metal can feel it. When they do, it’s like we shake hands, and the pot gets warm all by itself. After that first amazing trick, other companies like Westinghouse worked hard to make me ready for kitchens everywhere. By the 1970s, I started showing up in people's homes, ready to help cook dinner.

Today, I am a happy helper in kitchens all over the world. I love making life easier for families. Do you need to boil water for pasta. I can do it super fast, sometimes in just a few minutes. Because my surface doesn’t get blazing hot, spills don’t burn and stick. A simple wipe is all it takes to make me shiny and clean again. Parents feel better having me around because I am so much safer than other cooktops. I am proud to be a modern kitchen friend. I use the power of science not just to cook delicious meals, but to bring families together safely. I show that even everyday things, like making dinner, can be full of wonder and clever ideas.

Reading Comprehension Questions

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Answer: The induction cooktop is safer because its surface does not get very hot, which means you are less likely to get burned.

Answer: The 'secret handshake' is the special, invisible energy the cooktop sends out that makes only the pot get hot.

Answer: You boiled water in a pot that was sitting on a newspaper, but the newspaper did not burn.

Answer: The special pot gets hot and begins to cook the food inside it.