Can I have advice on induction hob (also query Pans)

Vegastare

Some advice please
I am hoping to replace hob and at present have a ceramic hob which is down to just 3 zones working.

I have been told induction warms faster and warms the pan not pan zone as ceramic.  Plus wont start to warm unless pan on zone.
Are they really better and possibly cheaper to run than ceramic.  Any downsides.

I have a set Ninja pans which are suitable but have been used over 2 years and show use underneath, will it be safe to use or will they mark hob glass

Many thanks

Keep_pedalling

Induction hobs react almost as fast as gas ones, so are way better than ceramic hobs. 

grumpy_codger

Vegastare said:

Some advice please
I am hoping to replace hob and at present have a ceramic hob which is down to just 3 zones working.

I have been told induction warms faster and warms the pan not pan zone as ceramic.  Plus wont start to warm unless pan on zone.

Correct. If they warm pans, how can they start if there is no anything to warm?

Are they really better and possibly cheaper to run than ceramic.  

This is personal. After thinking a lot I almost decided to keep habitual ceramic in my new house. I don't think that they are a lot cheaper and for me this isn't a decisive factor.

Any downsides.

Only compatible pans, not any pans.

The diameter has to be bigger than the minimum one - see the specifications. E.g. a small coffee maker is likely not to work. There are adapters, but they are PITA.

I have a set Ninja pans which are suitable but have been used over 2 years and show use underneath, will it be safe to use or will they mark hob glass

Define 'mark'. If they don't mark your ceramic hob, why would they mark induction one? Basically, it's the same ceramic material that remains cold and gets heated only by a pan.

DullGreyGuy

Vegastare said:

Some advice please
I am hoping to replace hob and at present have a ceramic hob which is down to just 3 zones working.

I have been told induction warms faster and warms the pan not pan zone as ceramic.  Plus wont start to warm unless pan on zone.
Are they really better and possibly cheaper to run than ceramic.  Any downsides.

I have a set Ninja pans which are suitable but have been used over 2 years and show use underneath, will it be safe to use or will they mark hob glass

Many thanks

Induction heats the pan directly so it's much faster because with ceramic where you have to wait for the coils to get hot and heat the glass and the glass then to heat the pan. Glass/ceramic glass is not a great conductor of heat so it takes time, it also means you have to wait for the glass to cool down after turning heat down where again there is no direct heating of the glass by the hob with induction so its much more controllable. 

As long as the bases haven't warped they should be ok, the surface of an induction hob is generally tougher than a ceramic hob as they haven't had to sacrifice strength for heat conduction. Obviously different companies use different grades of materials so not all are equal. We put ours in 5 years ago, we use old cast iron pans on it, there is not a single scratch yet (ours was not a budget option)

They are more efficient so will be cheaper to run but I wouldnt expect night and day differences in prices as hob cooking doesnt typically make a massive difference to your monthly electricity bill. They may however be more expensive to buy and repair so savings on one side may be offset by the other. 

Vegastare

Thank you for your advice, and about pans.

FreeBear

grumpy_codger said: Are they really better and possibly cheaper to run than ceramic.  

This is personal. After thinking a lot I almost decided to keep habitual ceramic in my new house. I don't think that they are a lot cheaper and for me this isn't a decisive factor.

Any downsides.

Only compatible pans, not any pans.

The diameter has to be bigger than the minimum one - see the specifications. E.g. a small coffee maker is likely not to work. There are adapters, but they are PITA.

Re efficiency - You don't have to wait for the "ring" to heat up, so there is a saving in energy there. Having an induction hob has helped me to reduce electricity consumption over the years. Can't put a number on it as I didn't start recording energy consumption in detail until a year or two after getting the hob.

Also have a Bialetti stainless steel moka pot. Measures just 100mm across the base, so just on the limit of what my hob can heat. Piece of advice - Don't ever leave one unsupervised on a hob. The base can get dangerously hot and could wreck the glass (left mine and caught it as it was turning blue ).

WIAWSNB

Other advantages:
spills are far less likely to burn on to the glass, as the glass will only be as hot as the heat received back from the pan. Whereas a ceramic hob's surface temp will be a lot higher.
Induction hobs detect when a pan is present, and turn on to suit. Lift up the pan, and the plate goes off. Ergo, energy savings, but also far less risk from inadvertently leaving the control on.
Far less risk of receiving burns. 
Cons: check your pacemaker...

FlorayG

I would add - a cast iron pan can get very, very hot very quickly - I managed to actually blister my formica worktop putting one down straight off the hob.
Some wide pans don't heat up very evenly (cast iron does!) one of my very expensive steel frying pans has a definite hot spot in the middle on the induction.
On very low heat the hob cycles, it doesn't maintain a constant gentle heat but switches on and off (I presume because it can't stay that cool if on constantly). I've only found this a problem when poaching eggs; for ten seconds they poach gently then suddenly the water boils for a few seconds and wrecks them
Even with these problems, it's WAY better than any other electric type of cooking and as good as gas

flaneurs_lobster

FlorayG said:

I would add - a cast iron pan can get very, very hot very quickly - I managed to actually blister my formica worktop putting one down straight off the hob.

My first use of a new induction hob, cast iron pan. Recipe for steak says "heat pan to very hot".

The steak didn't so much burn as spontaneously combust.

Much smoke. 

Albermarle

OP- If you type 'induction hob' into the search box at the tope of the page ( you have to come out of this active thread first), you will see it is a subject that is regularly discussed. 

jonnydeppiwish!

I love an induction hob - find it as easy and controllable as using a gas hob. Given that gas will decline over the next 10-15 years, I went for a Samsung induction hob. Please don’t repeat the same mistake. They’re not great. In the end I go a refund and spent £50 more at the Miele outlet in Abingdon (70 mile drive each way) and got a job that works really well.