Ok, Mrs Russ wants a new kitchen, Jeez, & they say OUR hobby is expensive!!!

So, when we fit the new hob, it will be either ceramic (glass top) or induction, she wants the ease of cleaning, fast, clean heat etc. From everything I've read the induction hob is faster, more energy efficient & generally better - shame they are about 4 x the price of a ceramic!

Are there any downsides to induction (apart from the price), for instance does anyone on here fit these things for a living & has found that the Joe Bloggs xzy123 is highly unreliable etc etc., is there any maintenance required with either ceramic or induction or is it fit & forget till it breaks?

Any recommendations for good manufacturers & those to avoid? & are there any "bells & whistles" that are particularly worth having which aren't always included?

Also, this will need a new power supply, what sort of current do these things draw, do they need a dedicated supply & if so I assume permanently wired in, not just on a plug socket - not that I'd dream of putting it in myself you understand, I just want to check the electrician is doing it properly!

I got a glass hob..........

You should see me move when the missus leaves the spuds & I hear it boiling over...........

Being flat .. the water goes 'everywhere'!!!!

Induction require ferrous pots and pans to work (which most are, but worth checking all your current ones are first). They are very clever tho, as pretty much the moment you remove the pan, they are cool.
We have a glass cerramic, pretty good for cleaning, but take a while to heat and cool, so not as controlable as gas or induction. Have you considered Gas on Glass? they are easier to clean and look cooler than normal metal gas hobs, but still retain the control of gas - obviously!

"Have you considered Gas on Glass?"

Hadn't even heard of that one, wouldn't it slow the heating ability & controllability of the gas down?

It's gas every time for me. If ceramic/induction hobs were so good why don't they use them in professional kitchens?

As a letting agent with hundreds of managed properties I can say that they are quite fragile and we constantly have complaints that "it cracked all by itself" and "we definitely did not drop any pans on it ever"

Gas is great to cook with and I have yet to see a satisfactory solution for using a wok on a ceramic hob - I couldn't live without my wok...

Other than that they are great - go for it

its not that complicated, its just a glass base with the gas rings on top.

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Originally posted by russbost
"Have you considered Gas on Glass?"

Hadn't even heard of that one, wouldn't it slow the heating ability & controllability of the gas down?

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Well thats a CGI, but like this:


Or if your feeling very fancy:

induction hobs need the same power supply as ceramic, usually a 32A feed via a 6mm cable. You can have a double oven on the same circuit though.

Ditto marks coments on them breaking, mine is well smashed but still works.

I fitted the 5 burner version of that cda hob last week!


PS i was under the impression that most pans arent ferrous and dont work on induction hobs, and that a new set of suitable pans can be expensive. A magnet will tell if your pans are ok for induction

[Edited on 31/1/12 by JoelP]

Lots of proffesional kitchens are now moving over to induction hobs, the reason for this is that they they are more energy efficient as they dont heat up the Kitchen, just the pan.

Just designing two new Kitchens for a Catering College Restaurant and Refectory and they will be using Induction Hobs

I've got a top of the range NEFF induction hob, had it for about 4 years now and wouldn't ever have anything else! I love cooking and had always had gas before and swore I would never use anything else, but after trying one out I was instantly won over.

The power is instant, it boils water faster than our new quick boil kettle and much faster than gas, and yet you can take the pan off and touch (just!) the glass and it won't burn you, which means food never sticks to it - you just wipe it over with a damp cloth. It saves HOURS of cleaning compared to a gas hob that's for sure.

It's superbly controllable, 18 different temp settings so you can really control the cooking. Totally wipe clean touch sensitive surface, though get one with a bit of a lip around the edge as over-boiled water will run off the edges.

It is NOTHING like a regular ceramic hob, completely different to use.

Spend the extra, it really is worth it:

http://www.neff.co.uk/T44T43.html

We got the one with the magnetic knob which makes setting the temps much easier.

As for pans, most will work, they have to be stainless steel, steel or iron - which most pans are anyway. It's only the ali ones which don't work.

And as for commercial kitchens not using them - if you watch TV you'll see just how many professional chefs and top cooks use them - including Heston.

[Edited on 31/1/12 by Jasper]

do you still find yourself playing with the button jasper?! I've spent hours trying to slide it into orbit

have had a ceramic hob, but our induction hob, with touch controls is the 'bees knees', I even do some cooking on ours and it's so easy for her to clean!

Ceramic hob breakage is covered by your home contents insurance (or should be!)

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Originally posted by 40inches
Ceramic hob breakage is covered by your home contents insurance (or should be!)

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Doesn't the glass get scratched up by the saucepans?

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Doesn't the glass get scratched up by the saucepans?

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forget all the above

get a turbo wok

Reasoning behind this....................... Anything with a TURBO is a must have item

quote:

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Originally posted by Jasper

quote:

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Originally posted by 40inches
Ceramic hob breakage is covered by your home contents insurance (or should be!)

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Oh yes, my wife dropped the stainless steel filter from the extractor on it and smashed the glass, 3 days later we had a brand new one installed, covered by the insurance.

And yes, I do find myself playing with the magnetic knob

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Yeah - sold my damaged one too


And no, they don't scratch unless you put rock salt on them and then put a pan on top of that. Mine hasn't got a mark 4 years on.

had an induction for 4 years now and it's great. It's glass touchscreen so very bling
It's hardly marked and very safe - almost instantly off.

Had a gas on glass (well mirror actually) and that was really good too - harder to clean though.

They are both very different but I like them both although we had to buy new pans for the induction (Her indoors was happy with this bit)

Steve

Many thanx for all the info guys, looks like it'll be the induction jobby then!

So how about a group Acewell buy? Someones got to pay for this!!!

I got hold of a free indution hob last week, so tested my pans with a magnet. Only 1 out of 7 is magnetic, and as youd expect from sods law, its the one we use least that would work! So im pondering whether i can be bothered buying new pans now...