Induction hob power

Peter_Lanky · 19 May 2017 at 7:04PM

I am in the market for an induction hob, and it seems that the power rating of hobs is either 3kW (13a) or 7.4kW (32a), or something very close to these, and nothing in between.

When I search online for (say) a Neff hob, to me the two types look very much alike, have similar size and weight, very different prices, and similar features when reading the simplified features shown on most retailers sites. If I try to delve deeper, then I get into the realms of detail that only a trained electrician would understand. Neither version is much use to me.

So am I getting something considerably better with a 7.4kW model, or am I just purchasing overkill? Do I need what the high power model offers, even when I find out what it actually is. I'm more than happy to buy a 3kW version, but before doing so I just want to know if I'm missing something that I would regret later. Real experiences of both types would help.

Lorian · 19 May 2017 at 7:08PM

You need to consider what wiring you have to your cooker spur, and what size MCB it runs from.

AndyMc..... · 19 May 2017 at 7:20PM

You're going to need something like a 10mm cable so where is the hob in relation to the consumer unit.

Owain_Moneysaver · 19 May 2017 at 9:25PM

I assume you're talking about a 4-"ring" hob.

3 kW would usually be sufficient for 2 ordinary electric radiant rings on full power simultaneously.

A 7 kW hob will be able to run all 4 "rings" on full power simultaneously. A 3 kW will spread the available power round the "rings".

If you do a mixture of simmering on the hob then 3 kW is probably adequate for 4 rings as they won't be on full power anyway. If you wanted to have 4 frying pans on max at the same time you'll find a 3 kW underpowered compared to a standard 7 kW hob.

thescouselander · 19 May 2017 at 9:32PM

Personally I'd go for the full 7 KW - 3KW is going to be a compromise and assuming you're wiring into a standard cooker circuit the higher power hob should be fine.

economic · 20 May 2017 at 12:11AM

Personally I would go for gas if you can. Much better saleability and for renting. And no need to worry about power. You can use all four rings at same time at full power!

Peter_Lanky · 20 May 2017 at 5:57AM

If a 7.4kW unit requires physical disruption to the house, then it's a non starter. I am having an electrician in to look at my existing wiring next week, as I don't have enough knowledge to draw my own conclusions. At the moment my cooker circuit has a 32 amp breaker, but that's not to say the existing wiring is not capable of higher, but the electrician will tell me that.

I'm more interested in whether I really need a 7.4kW unit if my present circuit will accept it, especially with the generally higher price. In these days of more efficiency, it seems odd that I need to consider something requiring double the power of something that has served satisfactorily for 23 years. It is extremely unlikely that I would want more than 2 rings on full power at any given time.

I have no intention of selling or renting, nor running a gas supply to a room that doesn't already have one.

theonlywayisup · 20 May 2017 at 7:17AM

If your electrics can take the more powerful one, do it.

We went to a Miele demo some years ago when we were looking for our induction hob. The lesser powered models (they used a Siemens) wouldn't allow the P setting (super heat) on more than one ring and even wouldn't allow 2 rings to be on higher than a 5 at the same time.

As Owain Moneysaver says above, it is how you use it.

We don't use every ring on P but, there are occasions when I want to quick boil water in two pans simultaneously and if I'd bought the less powerful hob I wouldn't be able to do it.

Another point to note, when you come to replace your pans you will need to understand there isn't an 'industry standard' with hob circuitry and some smaller pans won't work on all hobs.
http://www.stellarcookware.co.uk/Support/Induction-FAQ.html Go for all stainless rather than coloured/coated pans and use the smallest ring on your hob that you can get away with. If the ring is too big it won't induct the pan.

Whatever you decide, induction will be the best thing you've done in your kitchen!

thescouselander · 20 May 2017 at 7:56AM

Peter_Lanky wrote: »

If a 7.4kW unit requires physical disruption to the house, then it's a non starter. I am having an electrician in to look at my existing wiring next week, as I don't have enough knowledge to draw my own conclusions. At the moment my cooker circuit has a 32 amp breaker, but that's not to say the existing wiring is not capable of higher, but the electrician will tell me that.

I'm more interested in whether I really need a 7.4kW unit if my present circuit will accept it, especially with the generally higher price. In these days of more efficiency, it seems odd that I need to consider something requiring double the power of something that has served satisfactorily for 23 years. It is extremely unlikely that I would want more than 2 rings on full power at any given time.

I have no intention of selling or renting, nor running a gas supply to a room that doesn't already have one.

Only you can determine what your requirements are. I'd say this though - 4 ring hobs have been around 6kw when you add up the ratings of all the rings for donkeys years.

Also think about the peak load situation - will you be cooking Christmas dinner or some other large meal that will require use of all 4 hobs? In a situation like that you might find a 3 KW hob is slower to get the cooking going.

ryder72 · 20 May 2017 at 8:01AM

Here are some facts that may help you make a decision.

The ideal hob to get is the 7.2kW one for which you will need a 30A/6mm cable run from the board.

BSH do 2 other models-
A 13A one which is designed for the replacement market for those moving up from ceramic hobs. The circuitry is designed to cap power draw at 3kW but if you add up the individual rings they are more than 3kW. This means you will be able to run any 2 rings at full power but 3 or more at reduced power. If you do a large bulk of your cooking on 2 rings at any one time, then there is no problem buying this one.

A 20A one which is a halfway house. This is designed where only 1 30A feed is available and there is a need to run a hob and an oven off it. As long as you have overload protection you can run a 20A (or even 30A) hob and a 16A oven off this. In the event that the maximum draw exceeds 30A, the circuit will trip and will need resetting. The likelihood of this happening as very remote as you have to have all your appliances at peak power draw at the same moment in time. This is allowed using a principle called diversity. PLease consult a qualified electrician before you go down this route though.

Jonesya · 20 May 2017 at 8:47AM

If you've got a gas supply, then strongly consider a gas hob.

- As controllable than induction.
- Massively lower running costs - gas @ 3-4p/kWh, electricity @ 10-13p/kWh.
- Very simple, no complex electronics and power controllers to go wrong.

Induction hob power

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