Ceramic Hobs (Good Or Bad)

benny5

We currently have an electric solid plate hob which is slowly dying (2 plated dead already) and need to invest in a replacement. Having researched this a little and bearing in mind that gas is not an option we are torn between another solid plate one and ceramic/halogen/induction option.

As we are familiar with the solid plate and are seeking opinions on the alternatives.

There is the issue of suitable cookware but more of a concern is how well the surface withstands wear and tear, does it scratch easily.


Any help appreciated.

bootman

I would say if you are a serious cook then ceramic Hobbs are too fragile. They do scratch and need to be taken care of to keep looking nice. No dragging of pans, you do have to get spills off quick so not to mark. My last cooker was a ceramic hobb.

Loobysaver

I've had a ceramic hob for 5 years and think it's great. I've got one small scratch on it but apart from that it's as good as new.

I clean it after every use with some Hob Brite and a special cloth and scraper.

jackieb

I love mine. It's still like new. I clean mine with Astonish paste (from 99p shop). It's not scratched either. The only concession I made was take down the mug rack I had on the wall behind the cooker, just incase one fell down and smashed the hob.

fatnan

I was so impressed with my ceramic hob that when we moved house and included white goods etc in the sale, I insisted on having a ceramic hob on my new cooker. They are marvellous, as they heat up almost immediately and retain the heat for quite a long time when you switch the ring off, so you can keep things warm. It's true that you need to mop up spills straight away, otherwise you get a dirty mark on the surface which is very hard to shift.

ozskin

all will scratch any glass, ceramic halogen induction may show it more. good ones are good and cheap ones can be solid plate masquerading with a bit of glass on top. ultimate performance and lowest running cost and easiest clean is induction but more expensive up front. we sell them, i have induction at home, if i had the choice i would have gas to be honest, more feel, better cooking experience, but if not an option i would always go for rapid coil ceramic or induction

benny5

A big thank you to all those who replied to my post.

A very Happy New Year to all.

jackieb

fatnan wrote:

It's true that you need to mop up spills straight away, otherwise you get a dirty mark on the surface which is very hard to shift.

You've got to try the Astonish paste with a non-scouring scourer. My mum used this on her one for years and i've been doing it for the past 2 years on mine. No scratches and no black marks.

Lazy_Runner

A few years ago I had a ceramic hob.

I was watching a tv program about not getting hot sugar onto the ceramic as it apparantly leaves a mark that cannot be removed.

A week later a solution containing sugar overflowed onto the hob. I attempted to mop it up immediately (heat notwithstanding) but I could not get it off. This became a permanent mark on the hob.

However at that stage I was not aware of products that may have done the job.

So you may have to be aware of sugar solutions or liquid sugar, but you should do your own research on that.

cabra1

love my ceramic hob its a
hotpoint and we have been rattling
pots & pans on it for eight years
looks as good as new.My family
dont know the meaning of gentle
when they cook especailly DH who
is a trained chef.

Very easy to maintain
mostly just a wipe down ,but on occasion
I use Hobbright or Astonish,Hobbright is
a touch better.One things certain the
days of heavy duty oven & hob cleaning
are long gone here.Everything inside the ovens
lifts out and fits in the dish washer and the
ceramic hob mostly just gets a wipe over.

adouglasmhor

we have had ours for 5 years, clean it with astonish or copper wool and it looks good as new. as long as you don't use alluminium pots you are OK.