Induction Hobs - an Update
I last wrote about the features of induction hobs nearly two years ago when I went through the pros and cons and also complained that there wasn't a standard, free standing cooker available - that had both a double oven and an induction hob. So how have things changed in the meantime?
Well, to start with, praise must go to Belling who have brought out just the sort of free standing cooker I was asking for. The Belling FSE60i appears in Majjie's shop (where you can find out all about it's features) and it does indeed have two ovens and an induction hob:
If you've got more space available, then there are now plenty of range cookers with induction hobs - so I won't list them here (they were relatively new when I wrote before).
My original list of disadvantages to induction was as follows:
- your pans have to be magnetic (you can actually test them with a magnet) so copper or aluminium pans (which you might have already) won't work.
- you can't pre-heat the pan in order to, for instance, seal meat quickly. It's a safety feature that most induction rings won't work with an empty pan.
- induction hobs tend to be expensive
- you need to be careful if you have a heart pacemaker (check with the manufacturer). If you get too close you may find your heart rate speeding up and slowing down, in tune with your cooking
It's still true that your pans have to be magnetic - but most new pans, these days, have some magnetic material introduced into the base (even copper and aluminium ones) ... precisely in order to make them suitable for induction hobs.
It's also still true that you should avoid induction hobs if you have a heart pacemaker.
I have revised my opinion a bit, though, when it comes to pre-heating pans. I recently visited Bunny Appliance Warehouse and met Carol Potter, a home economist with Britannia, who was doing a cooking demonstration. I had an interesting discussion with her, and one of Bunny's customers, about induction vs gas hobs.
Carol uses an induction hob, when she's cooking at home, and she reckons there's no problem with pre-heating pans for quickly sealing meat and fish. It is true that you can't leave an empty pan on an induction hob for several minutes, whilst it gets hot (because of the safety cut out) ... but you don't need to. People forget just how quickly induction rings heat up. Put your pan on the hob, switch it on and, after a few seconds, put in your steaks ... they'll be sizzling in no time at all.
The disadvantage of induction is in the fact that the pan has to be kept flat on the hob. If you're a cook who likes to mix and stir - or flip oil over your fried eggs - with the pan at an angle ... then you might not like induction. You'd have to consider whether or not you could change your cooking habits.
Another thing to be careful of, is how your induction hob is to be fitted (which I only just touched upon before). Because they're quite thick (50-60cm) and need good ventilation (because of the overheating cut out) ... they can't usually be fitted above a double, built under oven (a single one is fine) or into a thin worktop (check with your kitchen supplier).
The advantages of induction hobs are:
- they are very much more energy efficient than gas hobs (good for both your pocket and the planet)
- they heat up a pan of water very quickly indeed
- they are very controllable. A pan can easily be held at simmering point and the heat can be reduced at lightning speed once a pan reaches boiling point
- the hob itself doesn't get hot (apart from heat transferred from the pan) - which makes it safer - and easier to clean
- many have a "keep warm" function - if your meal is delayed
So what about that final disadvantage - the high price? And what new models have become available since I last reviewed induction hobs?
Well, the cheapest 4-ring gas hob you can buy is going to cost you around £160. You're not going to get an induction hob for that sort of price. When I wrote two years ago, I said that the price of an induction hob started at about £350. That would have been for a 4-ring, 60cm hob, with knob controls.
Looking today - the best value 60cm induction hob is this Fagor IF-64R - which is £305 at Appliance City.
Not only is it cheaper than a similar sized hob two years ago ... but this one is frameless (with a bevelled edge); it has touch controls (much easier to keep clean than knobs); and it also comes with a free 5 year parts and labour warranty. Induction hobs aren't cheap - but they're getting to be much better value.
There are now a lot of larger induction hobs around; like this 90cm Smeg SE2951ID1 frameless hob, with bevelled edges and 5 rings, including a giant, 29cm central multi-zone - it will cost around £999:
You can also go one step further than a frameless hob ... and have a flush fitting one, level with your worktop surface (as long as you're having granite or quartz tops - but bear in mind that it'll increase the cost of the worktop slightly). And, if you frequently use more than two pans on your hob, look out for shallow depth (or linear) hobs that are only 35cm deep (front to back). They make it much easier to work with all of the pans at once.
This Neff T45P90 hob is a 90cm, flush fitting, shallow depth hob (expect to pay around £850):
There's a similar shallow depth version with a steel surround, suitable for fitting into laminate worktops, the Neff T43P90.
One other type of hob to look out for, is a "zoneless" induction hob with flexible heating zones. They're great for awkwardly shaped pans like fish kettles and make it very easy to work with several pans at once. Try Neff or AEG ... or De Dietrich. The De Dietrich DTI1053X hob is 65cm wide and has two flexible heating zones, which can be used in the same way as two, three or four individual rings. It will cost around £789 (and it also comes with a free 7-piece pan set - if you buy it before the end of June 2010).
And finally ... I originally suggested a De Dietrich mixed fuel hob, for those of you reluctant to go the whole hog and convert entirely to induction. That model is no longer available but Whirlpool do have a mixed gas and induction hob - the Whirlpool AKT477IX - with three gas on glass rings and one induction ring - it features in Majiie's shop:
(Note: the links above - apart from the Belling free standing cooker and the mixed fuel hob, above (which take you to Majjie's shop) - are links to one of our retail partners, Appliance City. Clicking on them involves no obligation - but if you do buy on-line we receive a small payment. Any money received helps to keep this website going as a source of independent opinion and advice. Thank you.)
Comments
I acquired a John Lewis induction hob - cheaply - as a pepper pot had fallen on one of those oh-so-popular beveled edges and cracked right accross the hob.
I replaced the glass (with Electrolux written on it but same hob - £200!), 11 months later another pepperpot and another destroyed £200 bit of glass.
Don't install them under cupboards and be very, very careful around the edges!
Apart from the fragility of the design I love induction cooking, and certainly 100 times better than electric ceramic.
Whoops! Are those hefty pepper pots that keep attacking your hob Paul?
Thanks for the warning, though. If anyone's worried about defending their new induction hob from pepper pot attack - then perhaps best to go for the framed style of hob, with a bit of protective stainless steel.
Most kitchens don't have cupboards above a hob; but it's worth bearing in mind for any adjacent cupboards - don't keep heavy stuff in them, that might fall on your hob.
Good to hear that Paul loves induction cooking, anyway.
Rachel, Beautiful KitchensHi Rachel,
No - I don't know anyone who's used a wok hob like the De Dietrich one. I guess as long as your wok fitted snugly it would be fine.
Interestingly enough, someone was asking about that hob when I was at the Bunny Appliance Warehouse - and the sales guy recommended an ordinary induction hob - he reckoned that people are moving away from round bottom woks and using flat ones.
I don't know how true that is ... but that hob is certainly an expensive way to cook. I think you'd have to be awfully keen on wok cooking to pay over £1,000 for a single ring hob that only fits one pan!
Majjie
Hi Douglas,
The quick answer is that you don't have to.
You can use an induction hob with a steel (or enamelled) surround, or a bevelled edge, in any worksurface, including laminate.
The only induction hobs which you can't use in a laminate worksurface are the flush fitting ones and I wouldn't use one of those in a tiled worksurface either (why would you go for a flush fitting hob, when you've got the ups and downs of the grout lines anyway?). Flush fitting hobs are designed for use in granite or quartz composite worktops.
Actually, I wouldn't recommend tiled worksurfaces anywhere! (I've rarely come across anyone who's had a tiled worksurface who'd have one again). I don't know why some retailers have started to say you can use them for flush fitting hobs.
Hi
I've had a service engineer come to test my induction hob today and he told me that there was not enough space between my single oven and hob which can cause overheating and malfunction.
How can this be, as my oven housing is standard as so too is my oven, and both oven and hob were recommended by the kitchen wholesaler?
My worktops are 30mm Quartz. The induction hob is Lamona by Howdens and...should an induction hob make any noise?
Well - I'm afraid I can't tell you whether or not your hob should be making a noise (note added: but see comment below) - I don't have an induction hob myself. Didn't you ask your service engineer?
If not, then I suggest you pop over to the UK Whitegoods Forum ... where helpful service engineers will answer questions.
As I mentioned above, there is a problem fitting induction hobs above double ovens, because of the need for good ventilation. If you buy a single oven and an induction hob - of the same make - then you should be fine. I'm guessing that your oven is from a different manufacturer and that's why there's insufficient ventilation. Built-in single ovens do vary a bit in their design.
If Howdens recommended that particular combination of oven and hob - then go back to them and complain - or get whoever bought it from them to do so (your builder perhaps?). If it was their mistake, they should put it right.
Thanks. After furthur research it seems induction hobs can make some noise when heating up.
Howdens say they have never come across the overheating problem with the hob/oven combination that they recommended and I bought, but have arranged for another engineer to come to my house for another opinion.
This all started with my fusebox tripping after the induction hob was installed some 3 weeks ago. Hopefully it will be sorted soon and I can start to enjoy my new kitchen.
Thanks for your reply
You're welcome.
Fingers crossed that it gets sorted soon!
Hi,
Why can't you fit a flush induction hob in a laminate surface? What about wood?
Thanks,
Chris
Hi Chris,
The reason you can't fit a flush fitting hob into a laminate worktop, is because it wouldn't give enough protection to the innner core of the worktop ... which is chipboard, of course.
If you just cut a stepped hole in a laminate worktop and fitted the hob into it, you'd soon get grease and water (from spills and from cleaning the hob) seeping into the chipboard at the cut edges ... and the inside of your worktop would swell up.
I'm afraid that flush fitting hobs aren't recommended for timber worktops either. It's just not a good combination - a cut edge of timber, with a little ledge to support the hob. It would be very difficult to keep the timber around the edges of the hob oiled (to stop the wood getting wet and then drying out - which can cause cracking)... and some woods (like beech) are notorious for moving. You might end up, after a few years, with a bit of a gap around the edges of your hob ... which you certainly don't want!
There are lots of nice looking hobs that aren't flush fitting, though. A bevelled edge would be fine in either of those worktops (just keep the pepper pots away!).
Hi,
My DeDietrich induction hob seems to have problems heating the middle element uniformly. It is a large 25cm diameter element and seems to be heating only the middle bit very quickly while the outer sides heat up quite slowly. I have to move the food around in the pan a lot, so as not to burn in the middle but get it right on the outer sides in the pan.
The pan fits exactly 25cm onto the middle element and I assumed should be all heated up equally. Is that right?
Ivette
Hi Ivette,
Well it certainly doesn't sound good - but I'm not an expert on using induction hobs - since I don't have one myself.
Have you tried asking DeDietrich? They do have a customer support and advice line: 01256 308 045.
Or, the other place to ask, is the public forum of the UK Whitegoods website. The service engineers there are very helpful.
Oh dear! Thanks for telling us about it Will
Hi Barbara,
It's the pan, apparently. Some pans make a noise and the hob makes a clicking noise, caused by the transfer of energy from hob to pan. Most induction hob instruction manuals mention it - and say that it's nothing to worry about.
The other noise that induction hobs can make is a buzzing sound - which is the cooling fan - and it sometimes stays on after the hob is switched off.
We have a Neff induction hob - 2yrs old and tonight has starting making a buzzing noise and a click when you place a pan down.
These pans I have been using for the past 2yrs with no problems. There has always been a quiet buzz but this is noisy by comparison and gets worse as the heat increases. Still works perfectly. Any ideas??
Thanks
Sorry Anonymous - can't help with that - you need to talk to Neff's customer service department. It does seem odd that using the same pans, the hob has suddenly become noisy.
Having read ur blog which was very helpful, you mentioned you dont have an induction hob, why?
If you were to buy a new one would you buy gas or induction.
I love cooking with gas and very wary of changing then not liking it!
Hi Jill,
I'm sorry to say that the ceramic hob (and the kitchen) came with the house and whilst not necessarily what I would choose, they're not bad enough to warrant a change ... especially since I'm not sure how long I'm going to stay here.
If I was going to buy a new hob, I'd definitely go for induction. I don't think it's quite as good for cooking as gas - especially if you do a lot of wok cooking - but...
- it's much more energy efficient
- it's safer
- the kitchen heats up less when you're cooking a big meal
- and - the biggest deciding factor for me - it's SO much easier to keep clean than gas. I love cooking but really don't like the cleaning up afterwards and I hated cleaning the burners and pan supports on my old gas hob (and as a result didn't do it as often as I should!). Even my ceramic hob is so much better.
Newer gas hobs often have pan supports that can go into the dishwasher but - overall - I think induction wins out for me. There are some new flat bottomed, cast iron woks about, that should work better on induction hobs and, for everything else, induction wins hands down. But ... as you've said ... I don't actually have one myself, as yet ...
Oh - and if you have a generous budget and plenty of space, there are now quite a few manufacturers making induction wok hobs with a depression to take the wok pan - some even provide the wok to fit.
HTH
Hi Jo,
Well Fagor is a good choice at the lower price end ... whilst if you can stretch the budget a bit further I'd go for Bosch (they have a better reputation for after sales service).Those links take you to the appliances as listed by Appliance City - with whom we have an affiliate partnership - but there's no obligation to buy.
The granite is more expensive because the cut out is more complicated - you need a recessed ledge below the top surface of the granite - to support the hob.
I have mains gas and my immediate intention was to go with a gas hob, but even with a cheap model the additional cost of a proper gas connection (ie. not using a flexible hose) far exceeded the cost of an Induction Hob.
The cost of making connections to gas and electricity as opposed to electricity alone is a game changer.
If you are considering installing a new gas hob think again — I would save on the gas connection charges and pay just the £70 for an all-electric hob and oven combination. I recommend the IKEA Induction Hob at £249 as it comes with a 5 year warranty and looks stunning.
That's a good point Andrew!
And yes, IKEA appliances have improved a lot in the last few years ... they're made by Whirlpool or Electrolux ... so reasonable middle of the road brands. And IKEA's buying power keeps the prices low.
Hi There,
I'm afraid each hob is different. You need to find a few hobs that you like the look of and then find the technical diagram for the cut out size.
The good thing, these days, is that they're mostly available on the web sites of the manufacturers. Or, alternatively you could phone the technical helplines of the manufacturers ... but that could take some time.
With a granite worktop, you really need a hob that'll fit exactly the same aperture as you have now. It's easier with laminate - because you can always go for a slightly larger one.
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