Info re hob types please

m1618

I am interested in the advantages/disadvantages of different styles of hob, eg
gas v electric,
electric ceramic v electric non-ceramic.

What are the plusses and minuses of each type?

Which is the most reliable?

Which is the easiest to look after?

Which is the cheapest to run?

I'm not looking for model suggestions (yet!), just trying to understand the basic choices.

Thanks in advance.

m

lisal0u

Hiya,

we had an electric hob for years and I thought it was fine until we moved and fitted a gas hob! The gas hob is brilliant! Heats up instantly and cools down quickly unlike the electric hob!

I imagine the gas hob is more efficient as it doesn't take aslong to cook with!

Lisa

markdavey

Induction hobs are great and are almost as quick as gas for heat-up times when used with decent pans. Easy to clean as well.

ic

+1 for induction - better than both gas and other electric types.

cuttersblade

With induction you would need to check if your existing pans will work, it requires a ferrous metal base otherwise it doesn't work. Its also safer as the glass surface doesn't get heated directly, only from the pan its self.

G_M

I used gas all my life and hated electric whenever I encountered it.
My current house has no gas though, so I bought an electric ceramic. I love it!

2 rings are 'high speed' and boy they heat up fast.

And SOOOooo easy to clean! No gungk falling through below and needing cleaning up.

CKdesigner

Hi

Gas is gas, you can get different finishes, stainless steel, black glass etc. Its quick to heat up and cool with good control. Disadvantages - old fashioned, dirty, a lot to keep clean.

There are a few types of electric. The cheapest is cast iron sealed plates. These take forever to heat up and cool down. Easier to keep clean than gas and good if you are seriously into making jam!

Normal Ceramic - Response times to heat up and cool are OK, not as good as gas but OK. The control isn't brilliant. Very easy to keep clean as just a sheet of glass. Would always have touch controls rather than knobs.

Induction is generally regarded as the best hobs these days. Quicker to heat up and cool down than gas, more controlable, cooler at lowest setting, hotter at highest setting. Easily the most economical as 100% of the energy goes into the pan with no wasted heat up the sides. Easy to clean as looks the same as ceramic. Pretty much all touch controls.

The secret with all electric hobs is decent flat bottom pans and obviously Induction needs compatible pans.

CK

becs

I love my electric ceramic hob. It is so easy to keep clean. Been in 3 years now and looks like new still despite being used every single day and a lot by hubby who somehow manages to always get a fair amount of whatever he is cooking all over it!
It's not as quick as gas but as someone else said I have the 2 halogen rings as well which are superfast. I personally hate gas because it scares the living daylights out of me (not good with flames of any description!) , my mum has gas and every time I see her using it she's nearly always about an inch away from a teatowel over her shoulder catching the flame!:eek: As earlier post said though definately touch controls rather than knobs. Last one had knobs and lodger managed to spill a packet of angel delight or some such thing all over it and I could never get the stickiness off the knobs and crevices!

dollydosh

Hi
i've had gas, ceramic and an aga and the best by far is my present induction hob.It is also the easiest to clean, you just use a e-cloth and water.
Highly recommended