Induction hobs

[Phil Pascoe]

BB - point taken. From what I've read on various sites one moan is that they scratch (contradicted by the above post ) and even crack if a heavy pan gets dropped a bit hard. For this reason I wonder why someone hasn't marketed some sort of protective mat? The pan doesn't need contact.

 

[bugbear]

BB - point taken. From what I've read on various sites one moan is that they scratch (contradicted by the above post ) and even crack if a heavy pan gets dropped a bit hard. For this reason I wonder why someone hasn't marketed some sort of protective mat? The pan doesn't need contact.

I've got a suspicion that the cracking may be slightly "causal". Of the two main types of pan that can be used, one is cast iron, the heaviest type of pan.

Once might reasonably infer that these hobs therefore see a disproportionate number of heavy cast iron pans compared to normal (physically similar)
halogen hobs, hence the disproportionate cracking.

BugBear

 

[RogerM]

It's all smoke and mirrors to me. All I can say is that we got a 5 ring Siemens induction Hob about this time last year and it still looks as though it is in a showroom. No cracks, no scratches. Cleaning is so easy because nothing gets baked on. Fast, clean and instantly controllable. Wouldn't go back to any other type of hob.

 

[bugbear]

It's all smoke and mirrors to me. All I can say is that we got a 5 ring Siemens induction Hob about this time last year and it still looks as though it is in a showroom. No cracks, no scratches. Cleaning is so easy because nothing gets baked on. Fast, clean and instantly controllable. Wouldn't go back to any other type of hob.

A quick targeted google shows a good number of first hand reports of them cracking - so I don't think it ALL smoke and mirrors.

Of course, people don't report hobs not cracking, so it's hard to judge what proportion crack.

Most interesting thing I found was here:

http://locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=165900

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"

So that might (just) be considered a sample size greater than 1.

BugBear

 

[Phil Pascoe]

From what I know from friends with buy to lets, I wouldn't be to quick to take as gospel that any tenant took any care of anything at all. That aside, all observations are welcome.

 

[Jonzjob]

The word that everyone is looking for for pans on an induction hob is ferrous. If it has ferrous properties then it will work on an induction hob.

As for cracking the top then you will have the same chance of cracking it as a ceramic hob. You just have to be a bit careful! As for taking an example of rented accommodation, from what I have seen from some instances the best installations had better be bullet proof! As in "'onest guv, I didn't throw anything at it"?

A great 'sacrificial mat' is a bit of kitchen towel and I chuck a bit under a pan if I am going to have to do any heavy stiring. The salt we get is from te Med, an hour east from here. It is largish granules and wet. So it goes in a small frying pan on a bit of towel on the hob, because one of the biggest culprits for scratching the glass is salt. Job done and no scratches.

We changed from a gas hob and wouldn't go back..

 

[siggy_7]

We have a Stoves 1100E (not the 1100ei) which has a mix of induction and halogen rings. We use the halogen on light weight frying pans, woks and steel hot plates. Both the induction and halogen are very quick, I would probably reason it's because a lightweight aluminium pan has much less mass to heat than a big le creuset stewing pot - plus the latter is often full of water rather than just preheating the pan. Induction is definitely better performing, but I don't think it's a night and day difference.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Went for a Zanussi in the end. Delighted so far, despite kissing goodbye to several 1st class stainless pans. They are so quick that it's quite easy to burn things if you are not paying attention. They are certainly easy to keep clean.

 

[mouppe]

We have a glass induction top and it is absolutely amazing. Not a scratch on it after ten years, it cleans up very easily, and you can place your hand on even when it's on full and you won't burn yourself (obviously you remove it pretty sharpish but nontheless...!). It's also excellent if you have children around.

We had one frying pan that didn't work but everything else does. No problem with stainless steel, Le Creuset, kettles etc.

 

[Distinterior]

I've supplied and fitted litterally hundreds of Induction hobs since they first became available in the Domestic market.

In all those years I have had to replace 2 due to the Glass tops breaking.

On both occasions, the clients stated that there was no reason for the damage that they were aware of, and yet on closer inspection, my guess would be that they had dropped lids from Le Creuset type pans on them.

They do use a lot of Power (Kw) when running, but as soon as you lift the pan off the power shuts down automatically and when the pan is replaced, the zone or ring turns back on again.

I currently have a 5 burner Gas Hob in my kitchen, BUT if I were to replace the hob for a new one, I would have a Flex Induction from Siemens in a heartbeat. Fantastic bit of kit....!!!!!!!

Tim.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I said to swmbo last night that I must knock up some large trivets - I can see her taking a huge full Le Creuset roasting pan out of the oven, burning her hands (because of using a damp T towel ) and banging it down on the hob for want of anywhere else to put it.

 

[Eric The Viking]

Our chopping boards have burn marks ;-)

 

[bugbear]

I've supplied and fitted litterally hundreds of Induction hobs since they first became available in the Domestic market.

In all those years I have had to replace 2 due to the Glass tops breaking.

On both occasions, the clients stated that there was no reason for the damage that they were aware of, and yet on closer inspection, my guess would be that they had dropped lids from Le Creuset type pans on them.

Thanks - that sounds like a well-founded opinion.

BugBear

 

[Phil Pascoe]

An update on this. Brilliant. No regrets whatsoever. Easy to clean, and unbelievably quick - and I'm used to gas. I'm on my own all day so I boil a mug of water at a time - if I use the smallest Le Creuset pan it takes 70 seconds, if the largest one nearer to fifty. I put a pan on with more than enough water to boil five decent sized potatoes and had to turn the power back before I'd finished peeling them. A world apart from halogen, which both of us loathed.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Twelve months on - no regrets whatsoever. So quick and so clean. Not a mark on it, and we've not not been silly careful.

 

[Jacob]

Got one. Very fast and controllable. Hot enough for big stir fries. Only a few pans didn't work, most SS ones did.

 

[Beau]

Yep they are brilliant. Had ours 6 years or so and looks as new.

 

[Sheffield Tony]

I will shortly be in the market for a new hob. I have been rather put off induction by the discovery that all my stainless pans are non magnetic grades of SS. In fact, back when I bought them only the ones made from cheap and cr***y grades of SS were magnetic. I can't face hauling cast iron pots about for everything, so looks like it might have to be gas again. I still quite like good honest fire to cook over anyway !

 

[Phil Pascoe]

New laminated pans designed for induction hobs work, but they're not not so efficient/quick as cast. They're always marked as suitable. You can still use non magnetic pans with an intermediate mat, although they're not very efficient afaik.

 

[RogerM]

Tony - you don't need to haul about heavy cast iron. These days, most new saucepans are suitable for induction. When we changed to induction about 2 years ago we needed new saucepans and my wife bought a set of stainless steel ones made by Judge. They appear to be well made, with machined bases, and definitely not heavy, and also dishwasher friendly. After daily use over 2 years they are still looking smart, and they work a treat on induction.

Having previously had both gas and a standard ceramic hob, there is no way we would go back to any other type of hob other than induction. We invested in a 5 ring induction hob by Siemens, and it's the best decision we could have made. It's fast, instantly controllable, "boil overs" don't get baked onto the surface of the hob so keeping it clean is a breeze, each ring has it's own individual timer and it's safe (no very hot surfaces). If you take a pan off the ring it automatically cuts out to prevent over heating and then switches back on when the pan is put back. It really is the "db's".

So go on, come in to the 21st century and take a leap of faith and go induction. You'll never regret it.