Which is better to choose an independent induction hob

What is the most important element in the kitchen? Naturally this hob or hob, because it is there that cooking is carried out. But if a few decades ago the range was limited only to ordinary gas stoves, now the choice has become wider. The most modern at the moment are induction hobs: they have several advantages compared with gas and electric stoves.

It is worth stopping at the fact that independent hobs are more convenient than their dependent counterparts. Dependent is the design in which the hob and oven are interconnected and cannot be used separately. This is convenient when you are going to use the oven often, because it is cheaper than buying two separate items. But an independent panel gives great freedom in terms of organizing a kitchen interior: it can be built anywhere, it does not take up much space, and for kitchens where an oven is not popular, this is generally an ideal and compact option.

Induction hob benefits

Among all cooking surfaces, induction stands out. Their action is based on electromagnetic induction, and the main difference from a number of other stoves is that there is no intermediate heating stage. In this case, the dishes are immediately heated, under the influence of which the food is cooked. Moreover, heat losses are minimal, and Efficiency of induction cookers is at the level of 90%while gas can boast 60-65%, and electric - 50-60%.

Among other advantages of induction hobs:

• fast and economical heating, since the dishes are heated directly, which means that cooking time is reduced and electricity consumption is reduced;
• security. The risk of burning yourself on such a panel is less than when using gas and electric stoves, because the surface itself does not heat up here. But it is better not to lose vigilance, because with prolonged cooking, the panel can be warmed up from dishes. Heating is switched on only if the burner surface is occupied for 70% or more, so a knife that is forgotten on the surface will not bring it into effect. It is impossible to make a fire with such a surface, even if you forgot to turn it off, because without pots and pans heating will not occur. There is no more harmful radiation from such a device than from a TV, so an induction cooker can not do anything bad for health;
• smooth adjustment of the degree of heating;
• improvement of the microclimate in the kitchen, since the induction surface does not heat the air, unlike competitors;
• products that have escaped from the pots do not stick to the surface of the stove, so cleaning becomes as simple as possible.

Among the disadvantages induction surfaces perhaps only their cost, which is still high for many buyers. Some are also repelled by the myth that for normal use of such a surface you will have to completely change all the dishes, but this is not entirely true.All those pots and pans to which the magnet is attracted can also be used on an induction cooker: cast-iron, enameled dishes, stainless steel products. But cooking in aluminum and glassware will have to be abandoned, as well as placement under the oven panel, because any metal product can affect the work process.

Induction hob selection

Nevertheless, induction panels still have many more advantages than disadvantages, and use brings one sheer pleasure, helps to save and monitor your own safety. Despite the fact that the principle of operation of all such products is the same, at the moment there is a huge assortment, which is not so easy to understand. Therefore, before choosing an induction panel, evaluate it by several parameters, which are listed below.

Manufacturer

It is important to remember that the probability of getting high quality at a low price from an unknown manufacturer is very small. Therefore, there is no point in trusting the “no name” induction panels - “the avaricious pays twice”.

Number and size of burners

If you need to cook food for one person or a couple on the stove, it makes sense to stay on the model with two rings. For a larger family, it is better to buy a panel with four burners. It’s probably not worth explaining this state of things, because the more people live in the house, the more often someone will need to cook or heat something and the more they will have to cook, which is more convenient to do with a 4-burner stove. There are devices with an odd number of burners on sale, so if necessary you can find a panel with three or five heating zones.

The dimensions of the entire cooking surface also depend on the number of burners and their arrangement. You need to choose a specific device after all measurements so that the induction panel fits exactly into the working area of ​​the kitchen.

Burner shape it can be round, oval, or even honeycomb, but this almost does not affect the process and speed of cooking. It should be based on your own aesthetic preferences.

As a rule, hobs are located on the same hob. different diameters. This parameter must be selected depending on which cookware will be used, since heating is activated only if 70% of the cooking area is closed. By the way, almost all models have a function to adjust the heating area: it can be narrowed to a certain level so that cooking in dishes with a small bottom is more efficient and faster.

Adjustment range and energy efficiency class

When using an induction surface adjust the degree of heating, and some dishes require compliance with a strictly specific temperature regime. The flexibility of choosing the optimal temperature depends on how many temperature conditions are provided in the model. The optimal amount is 14-16, if there are fewer, then in some cases cooking may be a little difficult, and a larger quantity is not necessary anymore, but why pay more?

Choosing the right temperature regime will allow not only to cook the dish correctly, but also save electricity. You can also evaluate the economy of a particular induction surface by energy efficiency class. Class A and A + devices are preferable because they have the highest efficiency and the lowest possible energy consumption.

Modes

The advantage of using induction surfaces is not only in the heating method, but also in the mass of additional features. Even the simplest device is equipped with several functions that can be useful in the cooking process. Focusing on your own needs, you need to make sure that you have the following modes:

• 

  Booster Mode

  Booster - a mode that can significantly reduce the amount of time for cooking, boiling water, etc. The principle of operation is that in induction hobs the burners work in pairs, and when this mode is activated, the powers of two adjacent burners are combined, which allows for faster heating;

• Timer. A useful feature that allows you to completely entrust the cooking process of the induction panel. After the porridge, soup, pilaf, broth or something else has started to boil, using the timer you can set the time before the shutdown - a guarantee that you will not forget to turn off the dish while you are busy with another matter;
• Recognition of the size and material of dishes. This function is necessary so that the induction hob does not turn on when there is empty cookware on it or a signal is given that this material is unsuitable for use;
• Auto power off. This mode is provided in almost all devices and allows you to turn off the burners if there are no dishes on them, or if any manipulations are not carried out for a certain period of time;
• Auto boil and maintain temperature it will be required for those who, during cooking, often go away from the hob;
• Child protection. This function completely blocks the surface, so the child will not be able to harm himself;
• Heat indicator shows the temperature on the induction surface in order to exclude the possibility of getting burned on the panel heated from the dishes;
• Automatic cooking, defrosting, and heating programs, recording certain cooking programs in the device’s memory, and shutting down when spilling liquids — these and other additional features can also be found in induction cookers. But if they are available, the cost of the device increases, and some never even use a huge number of additional features, so you need to weigh soberly before buying whether any functions are really needed.

Panel surface

Induction panels are made mainly of glass ceramicsbut there are tempered glass products. The second ones look a little better, they cost more, but from the point of view of functionality they are no different.

Control and display

Induction panel control can be magnetic touch and type of slider. The latter is the most modern and advanced, found in a small number of devices, but the touch is the golden mean for convenience, reliability and functionality. The digital display should conveniently and correctly display all the necessary information: temperature mode, all enabled functions, etc.

Appearance

As a rule, induction panels are hi-tech, therefore excellent fit the interior modern kitchen. The black surface is in good harmony with both light and dark furniture, and the burners on it can be indicated in white or red. It may also be that there will be no rings of rings on the surface, which means that heating can be carried out by any zone of the surface.

Designers decorate some devices with different patterns: abstraction, flowers, drawings in Japanese or Egyptian style. When buying just such panels, you need to be extremely careful and analyze whether they fit into the existing interior.

In conclusion

Induction hob - modern functional devices with high efficiency and safety. With them you can cook your favorite dish much faster and not be afraid to get burned, they save electricity, allow you to smoothly adjust the temperature, do not heat the air, have additional features. Despite the widespread prevalence in Western countries, our induction panels are only just beginning to gain popularity.