Any views? Pros and cons? My current hob is gas, but 25 yrs old and needs replacing. I don't cook a lot. Indeed, I don't really cook at all. I peel veg and steam them, I heat water and oats to make porridge, I fry the odd omelette, I wrap fish in foil and bung it in a mini oven, but that's pretty much it. I never combine ingredients or make sauces. My store cupboard has about 3 items in it. Delia Smith, I ain't. So, given my frugal demands on any heating appliance, would induction fit the bill? I'm thinking it would be easy to clean, because one of life's many unfairnesses is even if you barely cook, the kitchen still needs cleaning.
We got our first induction hob about five years ago at our last house. It was brilliant and so when we redid the kitchen here in Wales, induction was a no-brainer really.
Go for it! I had one put in in 2019 to replace my gas rage and I love it. I do lots of cooking as it's something I enjoy very much. The control of induction is faster than even gas! If something is about to boil over, just tap a lower heat level and it stops boiling in a second. It also heats up MUCH faster than gas. If something does boil over, it will switch off immediately. Mine has no knobs, just a sheet of glass with touch controls, so it only needs wiping over even after a fry-up - bliss!! You will need iron/steel based cookware - aluminium does not work, nor do most pans that say they're 'induction safe'. I bought a Waitrose induction safe fry pan and even on the highest setting it barely got warm, they happily gave me a refund. Nothing can get burnt-on to the hob as the hob doesn't give off any heat whatsoever. Only the pan gets hot. Mine has a 'bridge' setting so you can use a long casserole that covers both the front and rear burners and it will act as one burner.
Pans for an induction hob are heavier - something to think about as we get older and more frail. Also, because I have an implant similar to a pacemaker, I'm told an induction hob interferes with it, so I can't have one. But, if you have strong wrists, can afford new pans, and don't have any implants, it certainly is the way forward.
M&S suitable for all hobs range are good value, light and easy to clean. Handy for when we come round for your first trial run @ViewAhead .
If you don't do much cooking, maybe a single or double plug in induction may fit the bill, if you have room. Argos sell Tefal ones.
I was thinking that, @Penny_Forthem. I don't have a built-in, proper size oven any more. It broke a decade ago and I've never replaced it. I use a counter-top mini one. No bending required. So maybe a portable hob would fit the bill too. I would only need the smallest size pans, so hopefully wrist strength would not be an issue. I don't mind replacing my current ones as they are 24 yrs old, except the frying pan which is newish but has worn very quickly. I don't have a pacemaker currently. If I ever needed one, I guess I could reinstate a gas hob as all the gubbins to connect it would still be in situ. If you use the wrong type of pan accidentally, does it damage the induction hob at all? I have a few weeks to decide.
Induction hobs do not create any heat whatsoever. They induce magnetic fields in the base of the pan which causes the iron or steel to heat up. It's for that reason you need ferrous cookware for induction hobs. I showed my neighbour when I put a magazine on the hob and a saucepan of cold water on top of the magazine and tuned it on. The water was boiling in about 30seconds. I removed the pan and magazine and got my neighbour to put their hand on the hob where the saucepan was and they were astounded that it was still stone cold
I got a set of Schultz Ufer pans cheap from eBay for my induction hob. They are very light and easy to handle especially compared to our Le Creuset stuff! They were commonly supplied as a starter set with Siemens hobs which is why there were plenty on eBay.
I miss my induction hob, moved six years ago to a kitchen with a stupid gas range beast... hopefully will have another one at some stage in the future. very easy to keep clean and responsive as it has been said before. They also come in unconventional layouts I had one with three hobs arranged next to one another and made cooking very easy as you could have all three working and not had to put your arm over hot pots.
I have another qu. I keep reading that you need to use a pan the same diameter as the ring. Is this true? It seems odd given the ring itself does not get hot. Does it mean a 20 cm ring would require a pan with a 20 cm base rather than a 20 cm top (if the pan was wider at the top like a frying pan)?
Yes - it's the diameter of the base of the pan that needs to fit over the 'ring' I have a 6.5L saute pan that's 30cm at the top and 22cm on the bottom that I often use and it works very well. The most important point is to get proper induction pans - 'Induction Safe' pans generally do not work well, if at all. If your hob has a bridge function (as mine does) then you can use a big oval casserole that covers both front and back rings. I find this excellent for a very gentle simmer.
I haven't got the proper hob yet. I have purchased a single portable one, both to try out to see if I get on with it and to use during the week my kitchen is out of action. My current saucepans don't work on it (as I expected they wouldn't as they are 25 yrs old, kinda pre-induction ), so I have been looking for a new one, but 20 cms (the size of my portable ring) is way bigger than I need, so I was hoping to go smaller. It seems that won't be possible. The ones I am looking at all say "suitable for induction". Is that a good enough guarantee they will work?
