Induction hob costs

Markinjapan99

I can't find a definitive answer to this question so please excuse me if this has already been answered.

Seriously considering induction hobs instead of our gas ones when we change our kitchen (fairly soon) and want to check which is best value.

Is the yearly cost of running induction hobs (regular 4 hobs, assume moderate usage) more than gas?
Is the cost of using the induction to boil (for example) 1 pan more expensive (considering the time taken, costs of gas and electric, plus respective efficiency of gas vs induction)
What is the cost of running the induction bearing in mind that it seems that even when not in use, it is using some electricity?

Hope this all makes sense and thanks for any help in advance!

System

Google is your friend:


http://theinductionsite.com/proandcon.shtml

Whether it is true or not is up to you.

macman

Electricity is still 3 times the cost per kWh of gas, induction or not.
The greater efficiency (100%) of electricity does not cancel that differential out.
Induction is certainly faster to heat, but that does not mean it is any more efficient.

matelodave

I don't know the answer, as macman says electricity is three times the cost of gas (unless you compare it with LPG).
Induction hobs are more efficient as virtually all the power is transmitted into the cooking pan whereas gas heats the room as well. It would be hard to quantify the difference without doing some testing ie how long does it take to boil a litre or more of water and how much energy is expended using both methods. I'd doubt in the great scheme of things that it would actually make much difference to your energy bills unless you do a tremendous amount of cooking. We shut our hob & oven off at the wall when not in use so we have no worries about a constant power drain.

We've had all sorts over the years (gas, halogen, ceramic) and until we had an induction I (and my wife who does most of the cooking) would have chosen gas. As far as we are concerned, there is no contest - it's induction all the way.

It's faster to heat than gas, it's so much cleaner as there's no condensation from burning gas so the kitchen stays cleaner. It's as controllable as gas. As only the pan gets hot there's no risk of fire and and less likelihood of actually causing a fire. It can't blow out like gas does

Stuff still burns in the pan if you overdo it but the hob itself stays pristine - nothing burns on it or on the outsides of pans, even if the pots boil over. We've always had to scrub halogen & ceramic hobs and gas ones are just a bu@@ger to keep clean as food burns onto them and they discolour.

There are no nooks or crannies for food to spill into there's no gunge under the gas taps either It's like new after a quick wipe over - ours is now four years old and there is no sign of any scratching.

You won't believe how good they are until you've tried one - the only downside is that you need compatible cookware, but hey, if you are refurbing the kitchen, posh new pans would finish the job nicely

whitegoods_engineer

Induction, every time.

Much more efficient. Get yourself a heat-pump tumble dryer and you'll save a lot of power on your tumble drying too!

Markinjapan99

Thanks for your help!

I may sound stupid here (nothing new there) but it just didn't cross my mind that you could turn off the hobs at the mains. I'm presuming you would simply have a separate power switch just as we do for the electric oven (though we never turn that off, although hobs would certainly not have a clock display as the oven does!)

Certainly not made my mind up yet, but you've all helped me at least be more informed.

Thanks!

Cardew

matelodave wrote: »

We've had all sorts over the years (gas, halogen, ceramic) and until we had an induction I (and my wife who does most of the cooking) would have chosen gas. As far as we are concerned, there is no contest - it's induction all the way.

We had a kitchen completely refitted a couple of years ago.


Normally I don't argue with my wife - a keen cook - about appliances; it makes for a simpler life!


However the one exception was her wish to have a gas hob. I insisted on a 5 ring induction hob for all the reasons stated above; and lo and behold my wife is a complete convert. In every way it is better than a gas or conventional electric hob.


2 of the rings have a boost facility giving 6kW for each ring; the heat instantly available, and instantly turned down.


The savings on cleaning materials alone would pay for any possible higher running costs over gas.

Richie-from-the-Boro

What is value ?

Single glazed ice on the inside of the windows, cold, damp, draughty splintering wooden floorboards, a poss tub & green carbolic hard as bricks, and the fireback oven to cook in while reading from the hissing worn flickeringly dim gas mantle.

My hob does everything in double speed time - including importantly instant - yes instant turning down or off, has a timer, does the lot, was relatively cheap, and almost never needs cleaning. Dusting the armoured glass once a day with a clean tea-towel is the most cleaning it has ever needed. I never ever want to go back to the 'good old days'.

Grumpy_Old_G*t

You might need a new set of pans with induction. Check the bottom of existing pans with a fridge magnet. If it sticks they are ok if not then a new set will be needed.