Induction hobs are really useful, especially if you need to cook while having work done on your house. They’re also great to have in the kitchen when guests arrive or for camping trips.
Induction hobs use coils to generate heat under the pan, but the surface itself stays cool. They’re easier to clean and are safer for families with children or inquisitive pets.
Boiling hob
Boiling hobs work differently to traditional gas burners. They use induction technology to heat the pan instead of a heating element beneath it. This means water boils much more quickly and your pans last longer too. They also respond quickly to power changes, making them very easy to control.
To work on an induction hob, your pans must be magnetic. This is because induction cooking uses coils to induce an electrical current in a pan that’s in contact with the hob. Unlike gas or electric hobs, which remain cold until you put a pan on them, induction hobs transfer energy to the pan itself and are therefore more efficient.
The hobs have an indicator 1680 that can be a text display or an optical display such as a light-emitting diode. It detects a boiling state of the cooking substance on any of the hobs’ heating zones and controls bep dien tu munchen the power supplied to it accordingly. This ensures that the substance is heated to a simmering point without overcooking it.
Frying hob
Frying hobs work by electrical induction, and only heat the pan itself (and not the surrounding surface), so they’re super-efficient and can be turned on or off instantly. They’re great for cooking with metal utensils too. It’s worth noting that not all cookware is suitable for induction hobs; they must be made from or contain a ferromagnetic metal such as cast iron or stainless steel. Copper, glass, and aluminium pans won’t work unless they have an induction plate built into their base.
Induction cooktops are also very safe since the coil only heats the pan, not the kitchen. However, there’s still a risk of fire if you use the wrong pan or there’s a fault with your hob. It’s best to avoid cheap frying pans which are more likely to burn or melt from a lack of quality. Invest in one that has a hard-wearing, flat base and a durable, long-lasting coating such as a ceramic or nonstick finish.
Searing hob
Induction hobs use electric currents guided by magnetic induction to directly heat independent cooking zones. This means only the area of your pan that comes into contact with the hob becomes heated, leaving the rest of the surface cool to the touch (especially good for kids!)
The quicker heat-up times on an induction hob help reduce energy bills as you won’t be heating up your kitchen for as long as you would on a gas hob. Induction hobs also have a neater surface, preventing spilt food from burning on the hob and making it easier to clean.
However, because induction cooktops generate an electromagnetic field this type of hob could interfere with certain medical devices such as pacemakers. The British Heart Foundation recommends keeping a distance of at least 60cm from the device if you have one fitted.
Portable hob
Induction hobs work in a completely different way to gas or ceramic electric hobs, they heat the pan itself rather than the cooking ring. A coil underneath the cooking zone is activated when a pan is placed on it which generates an oscillating magnetic field that creates an ‘eddy current’ in the ferromagnetic bottom of the pan and this quickly warms it up. This type of heating is a lot more efficient and takes less time than other types of hobs as the ring only heats up once the pan is in place.
Induction cooktops are a great option if you have a small kitchen as they are space-saving and can easily be moved from room to room. However, you’ll need to invest in a set of induction-friendly cookware. You can test whether your pots and pans are induction compatible by placing a magnet near the base, if it sticks then it will work with an induction hob.