Anything to consider when changing ceramic hob to induction hob?

TanDiy

Hi, our ceramic hob has gone wrong and we are considering replacing this with an induction hob. I know that we will need special pans and I have checked that the power will be ok. The current hob is in the work surface above a built under oven and I wondered if an induction hob would be ok in this position - I don't need to add any special screening or anything underneath? I can simply swap the hobs?

I have been reading good things about induction hobs but would be grateful for any advice if I am missing something.

Many thanks.

freezspirit

I don't think you need to buy special pans unless your current pans are the wrong metal something to do with a magnet.
http://www.marksandspencer.com/s/home-and-furniture/cookware-buying-guide :
If you have an induction hob (which doesn’t get hot, but heats pans via a magnetic induction coil), you should choose pans made from magnetisable metal such as cast iron or steel. Pure aluminium or copper pans will not heat up unless the base is bonded with a magnetic metal.

Mr_Hippo

Induction hobs are excellent but they will only work with ferrous (iron/steel) pans. It isn't a case of not work as well - they just won't get hot if they aren't iron or steel.

Easy to tell if they are iron or steel - if a magnet sticks to them then they will work on your induction hob.

Chunks

As above. I had to replace all our hob cookware when I went induction in the summer.

Flippin amazing how controllable and quick to heat up they are. Caught me by surprise when I first fired it up given that the cooker it replaced would boil water in about the same time that it would take to paint the lounge! Unless your hand is made of ferrous metal, when you hover it above the hob when it is first on - nothing. In my case the hob doesn't work at all unless it 'senses' ferrous metal and switches itself off.

The hob does get hot in use incidentally but this is indirect heat from the pan (or whatever you are using, which is energized by the alchemy below the glass)!

The hob you select should be a straight swap just check the cutout and dimensions including depth.

Good luck.

bouicca21

It's not just the metal that matters for the cookware - though that is obviously crucial. You also need to make sure they sit well on the hob, I'm tempted to say make sure they have nice flat bottoms but someone might take that the wrong way.

Chunks

Agreed re cookware bases; same consideration as cookware used on your existing ceramic hob of course.

Avoid overheating cookware ('just waiting for the pan to heat up....oh!'). You might end up with a concave/convex bottom and no one wants that!

Chrishazle

I replaced an electric hob with an induction hob above our built under oven some time ago, it's fine. We have an AEG 70cm induction hob that has 4 equal heating areas rather than 1 large, 2 medium and 1 small circular heating areas, I think the 4 equal version works better - I can sit a long fish steamer across 2 areas and use both at once!

The one problem we had is our small 16cm Le Creuset TNS saucepans are not 16cm at the base, the steel bottom is actually 128mm. The manual for the hob specifies a minimum pan base of either 120 or 130mm (confusingly it gives 2 different sizes!!) so our 2 small pans confuse the hob at low power settings, it turns on, then beeps and flashes F, then turns on, then beeps and flashes F - we had an AEG engineer out, but he could not figure it so we just got used to it!

You'll love the induction hob - the control of a gas hob (ours has about 15 power settings per heating area!) but the easy clean of a halogen etc hob!

TanDiy

Thanks for the info. I have just gone head and ordered an AEG. We were a little concerned about safety - touching metal saucepan lids, stirring things with metal spoons, etc. but I guess this is all fine. It seems that people are going over to induction as I just found 48 induction hobs and 12 normal hobs when ordering. Just need to get some new saucepans now! Thanks again

teddysmum

My current hob is halogen, which involved buying special triple based pans, but for my new induction hob, I've had to buy stainless steel ones.


Do check what you buy with a magnet, as the salesman in one of our local hardware shops showed me that some are more drawn to a magnet than others.


My new pans are Judge Vista, obtained 'free' from Amazon, using vouchers earned from surveys.