Heard of induction but not sure what it’s all about? Read the Kitchens Bedrooms & Bathrooms 10 top tips of everything you need to know about induction.
- How does it work? Magnetic technology beneath the glass surface creates a magnetic field when a suitable pan is placed upon it and the resulting energy is transferred to the base of the pan, which will instantly start to heat up.
- Induction-ready cookware must contain a ferrous material – such as stainless steel or cast iron – to create the magnetic field. Aluminium or copper won’t work unless the base is bonded with a magnetic metal.
- What are the advantages? Because only the pan is heated, rather than the whole hob, it is very energy efficient.
- Also, because the hob remains cold, any spills and splashes don’t get burnt on and the hob is very easy to keep clean.
- Induction is as instantly controllable as gas but it is much faster. It can boil water nearly twice as quickly as a gas hob and 30% faster than a ceramic hob.
- At the other end of the scale, its ability to offer very low, consistent heat makes induction perfect for making delicate sauces or melting chocolate.
- Perfect for households with children, induction is safe because pan detection systems generate heat only when a pan is placed there while the rest of the hob stays cold.
- In addition, child-safety locks stop the hob being turned on accidentally and ‘stop and go’ systems mean you can turn the hob off instantly if the doorbell rings.
- Available in different sizes with four or five induction zones on one hob, many manufacturers also offer zoneless induction where you can place the pan anywhere on the hob surface.
- If you’re not ready to commit to a full induction hob, choose a compact modular or domino hob (30-40cm wide) that can be mounted alongside gas, electric and hotplate modules to create a bespoke cooktop.
Smeg’s 60cm touch-control MultiZone hob has two zones on the left and two on the right that can be combined to create two large MultiZones, each 400 x 230mm. Each zone detects the size and position of the pans and only heats the pan. Priced around £999.
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