Induction hobs

[Phil Pascoe]

We have to buy a new cooker or oven and hob this week. I need to get in first to sort a kitchen plan, it might be a range though it probably won't be. Any advice on pans? (fortunately I've got a load of stainless and Le Creuset, except for frying and omelette pans). Are they much quicker than halogen? We've no gas, so must keep to electric (unfortunately). Any cookers to avoid? We don't want to spend a fortune, but it's going to be there for a long time. Any comments would be appreciated - I've only got internet until 10.00am Tues. (after Friday, I should have broadband that isn't on permanent go slow). We'll go with AO, as we've had stuff from them before and their service is brilliant.

 

[Waka]

I've used AO a couple of times in the past, and like you have had excellent service. I have also found their advice first class as well, so if in doubt you could ask them, if they know your needs they will find the best product for you.

 

[bugbear]

We have to buy a new cooker or oven and hob this week. I need to get in first to sort a kitchen plan, it might be a range though it probably won't be. Any advice on pans? (fortunately I've got a load of stainless and Le Creuset, except for frying and omelette pans). Are they much quicker than halogen? We've no gas, so must keep to electric (unfortunately). Any cookers to avoid? We don't want to spend a fortune, but it's going to be there for a long time. Any comments would be appreciated - I've only got internet until 10.00am Tues. (after Friday, I should have broadband that isn't on permanent go slow). We'll go with AO, as we've had stuff from them before and their service is brilliant.

The main issue with induction is incompatibility with some cookware - copper and aluminium. Most people can't
afford copper, and aluminium isn't essential.

The only pot I can thing of that is (almost) always Al is a really big stock pot, and many people don't bother.

BugBear

 

[DennisCA]

we got induction here and it's really fast, it's like gas but without the problem of most of the heat just spewing out into the air. The only issue I got is that the cermaic cooktop isn't very sturdy, it scratches despite me trying to be careful. My parents have a glass electric top and its a decade+ and no scratches. I wonder if there's an induction hob that isn't ceramic but looking more like a traditional gas or electric unit.

The brand of our induction hob is a Danish brand called Gram.

 

[paulm]

What/who is/are AO and AI ?!

Cheers, Paul

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I got rid of all my aluminium pans 30yrs ago when I realised that aluminium was associated with alzheimers, ( my friend, a retired chemistry teacher, told me he's never cooked in aluminium pans), so that's not a problem. If the pans heat through paper etc (which they do for demos), I wonder if there are some sort of sacrificial mats that can be used to help prevent damage to the top? (Design opportunity here for someone??? )

 

[Phil Pascoe]

What/who is/are AO and AI ?!

Cheers, Paul

Al is an abreviation of aluminium, AO is Appliances Online. Brilliant company to deal with.

 

[jimmy_s]

We have an induction hob, installed it about 8 years ago. I think its great, it heats up faster than halogen and as fast if not faster than a normal gas ring. The only thing that its not as good at heating as the gas hob was is the Wok I would say.

The induction hob is easy to clean and the heat is very controllable.

Jimmy

 

[bugbear]

I got rid of all my aluminium pans 30yrs ago when I realised that aluminium was associated with alzheimers, ( my friend, a retired chemistry teacher, told me he's never cooked in aluminium pans), so that's not a problem.

30 years on, that remains (at best) unproven.

Link to the page of the Alzheimers Society on the Topic.

BugBear

 

[NickWelford]

I thought that stainless steel alone didn't work on induction. Needs a copper bottom. We didn't get an induction Bob as all our expensive pans are SS.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

No, it needs to be magnetic (which most stainless is now, apparently).

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I got rid of all my aluminium pans 30yrs ago when I realised that aluminium was associated with alzheimers, ( my friend, a retired chemistry teacher, told me he's never cooked in aluminium pans), so that's not a problem.

30 years on, that remains (at best) unproven.

Link to the page of the Alzheimers Society on the Topic.

BugBear

Quite so, but it surely isn't harmless, certainly not to residents of Camelford. I'd sooner not take the chance. Stainless is far easier to clean, anyway.

 

[doctor Bob]

All my pots are aluminium, my sausages are aluminium and my tuesdays are aluminium and I have no banana with my...... where am I..................

 

[Eric The Viking]

... but it surely isn't harmless, certainly not to residents of Camelford. I'd sooner not take the chance. Stainless is far easier to clean, anyway.

IIRC, that was aluminium sulphate, and in HUGE quantities.

Hardly relevant.

 

[Eric The Viking]

By the way, why don't induction hobs work with aluminium and copper pans?

I thought the idea was to generate eddy currents, for which both ought to be very suitable.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I believe it's because they are too conductive?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

... but it surely isn't harmless, certainly not to residents of Camelford. I'd sooner not take the chance. Stainless is far easier to clean, anyway.

IIRC, that was aluminium sulphate, and in HUGE quantities.

Hardly relevant.

it's still aluminium. And it was in huge quantities of water. I wouldn't have wanted to take the chance, given the option.

 

[bugbear]

... but it surely isn't harmless, certainly not to residents of Camelford. I'd sooner not take the chance. Stainless is far easier to clean, anyway.

IIRC, that was aluminium sulphate, and in HUGE quantities.

Hardly relevant.

it's still aluminium.

Compounds are not the same as elements. Common salt is the famous example.

Sodium - very nasty
Chlorine - very nasty
Sodium Chloride - nice on chips.

Seriously - there are enough real, proven issues to worry about without worrying about
ones for which there is no evidence.

Don't google electro-smog whatever you do!

BugBear

 

[Eric The Viking]

Don't google electro-smog whatever you do!

I thought they're doing Jool's Hootenany on dec 31st.

Can't stand the new album tho.

 

[henton49er]

We have a black glass induction hob from Bosch. It boils water faster than our electric kettle and the microwave. The only downsides are (a) the controls are very touch sensitive and it is quite easy to switch the whole thing off while leaning one hand on the front of the hob (e.g. when stirring, or in our case when bending down to get something out of the fridge which is next to it) and (b) only steel/cast iron pans will work on it. On the plus side, if you put a small pan on a big "ring" it only provides energy to the area occupied by the pan rather than the whole "ring".

Induction hobs work by applying an alternating magnetic field to a pan sat on the right area of the hob, as defined by the "rings". A fast alternating magnetic field causes the iron atoms to vibrate. Vibrating atoms equals hot atoms - hence the heating. Aluminium and copper pans will not work because they cannot be magnetised. When we bought our hob it came with a small magnet which can be used to test any proposed purchase to see if it is suitable.

The glass on our hob is not scratched at all after 5 years of use, although there are one or two minor chips at the edges where we have caught heavy Le Creuset pans on the rim of the hob.

Would I have another one? Yes, without hesitation.