Induction hob woes

E17saver

FreeBear wrote: »

This one by any chance ?
https://www.blomberguk.com/appliances/integrated-appliances/hobs/min54307n-60cm-touch-control-induction-hob-product

Looking at the specs, the heating zones are rated at between 1.4KW & 1.6KW and in boost mode. 3KW - That is right on the limit for a 13A plug when running two zones, or just one in boost mode. A plug & play is a really poor design for an appliance that one would expect to use four zones simultaneously.


For comparison, I have cheap induction hob from B&Q (own brand Cooke & Lewis) that I got half price. Hard wired in, and rated for full power on all four heating zones. Whilst it lacks the 15 or so steps in power that more expensive brands/models have, I am quite pleased with it.

Yep, that’s the one. Which funnily enough the manufacturer/shop have discontinued and replaced with a model that is hardwired instead. Funny that. I really do feel like I was sold a pup and am very annoyed that my local independent electricals shop didn’t think to tell me before I bought it. I’m going to ask them if they will do me any kind of deal on a replacement or else take my business elsewhere.

Ectophile

You could just boil a kettle of water. Stick the boiling water in the pans, then they will come to the boil much quicker, even at the reduced power.


Also try to stagger the cooking. Work out what cooks slowest. Stick that on full power, then when it's boiling, turn it right down and start the next pan going.

E17saver

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this thread. It’s been extremely useful and educational. It may not seem like it but I did loads of research before buying the hob - as a Which? member I trusted their glowing review which never thought to mention the rather obvious design fault that I imagine most people wouldn’t know about if no one told them.

E17saver

Ectophile wrote: »

You could just boil a kettle of water. Stick the boiling water in the pans, then they will come to the boil much quicker, even at the reduced power.


Also try to stagger the cooking. Work out what cooks slowest. Stick that on full power, then when it's boiling, turn it right down and start the next pan going.

Cooking isn’t just boiling stuff though, is it? My wife loves to cook and be creative and this means sometimes she wants to use three hobs and it just isn’t possible with that bloody thing

stragglebod

It's not a design fault. It outputs the maximum power it can for a 13A supply.

E17saver

stragglebod wrote: »

It's not a design fault. It outputs the maximum power it can for a 13A supply.

But what is the point of a four ring bob where you can only use two at best at a time? How and why is that even a thing?!

FreeBear

E17saver wrote: »

I really do feel like I was sold a pup and am very annoyed that my local independent electricals shop didn’t think to tell me before I bought it. I’m going to ask them if they will do me any kind of deal on a replacement or else take my business elsewhere.

Getting a good deal on a replacement is about all you can hope for after nearly a year. Don't be too quick to discount another induction hob - The next best thing compared to gas in my opinion.

Belenus

neilmcl wrote: »

If you want to increase your hob capacity you could get one or more of these induction hobs from Lakeland - https://www.lakeland.co.uk/17883/Lakeland-Smart-Touch-Induction-Hob

They are very good and lot of professional chefs swear by them..

The OP would need to be sure that using one of those doesn't risk overloading the kitchen electrical supply.

That device uses up to 2000 watts which is about 9 amps. Using it at the same time as the 13 amp hob, plus maybe a kettle, toaster, dishwasher, washing machine etc, might be too much for the existing wiring to handle safely.

E17saver

The shop/company I bought it from are coming round on Saturday to check if our wiring etc will handle a wired in one. Didn’t ask them about a discount as they laid the blame (nicely) at the hands of the manufacturer. I guess the free electrics check is better than nothing and it means I can choose to buy from another supplier if I choose.

Printsofwhales

Ovens and hobs are on a different circuit in the home for a reason. They can require considerably more than 13 amps. Other sockets in the home take plugs which have a maximum ampage of 13-15 amps. If you could run a 4 ring hob off an ordinary socket houses would not be built with a special circuit.