What kind of cooker do you have in your kitchen? Electric or Gas? Do you think they represent value for money?
This blog from the Kitchen Warehouse team will show you the benefits of induction hobs, why they are generally a lot better than electric or gas and why you need to consider having one in your home.
What Is An Induction Hob?
Firstly, it is important we establish what exactly an induction hob is. An induction hob generates heat through induction, while other types of hobs that you find in the majority of homes around the country tend to use a conduction method of heating. An induction hob creates an electromagnetic field between a coil underneath a glass top and the pan. This connection through a copper coil magnet then produces a current and heats up the pan in rapid time.
It sounds complicated and like a school science class all over again but it is actually a very straightforward and easy way to produce heat that you will use to cook with. One thing that we need to mention is that to use an induction hob properly you need to have pots and pans made from ferrous metal like iron or steel.
Induction Hobs vs Electric Hobs
An induction hob still uses electricity to produce a high level of cooking heat however unlike an electric cooker the hob itself stays cool. Pretty weird, right? Well, while you may get some heat from the hob as the pan will be in contact with the surface you can basically touch it without burning yourself. This form of safety is just one of the many benefits of an induction hob.
Compared to using electrical hobs, induction cooking is generally a lot cheaper too. This is because it will not take as long for the hob to heat up so you will not burn as much energy. In fact, it has been discovered that an induction hob can be 90% energy efficient whereas electric hobs are only around 55% with gas hobs falling even further to 50%.
Benefits of Induction Hobs
So, now that you know what heat induction is, let’s take a look at the three main advantages of induction hobs and why you need one in your kitchen.
They Are Safe Especially With Children Around
We mentioned above that one of the main benefits of induction hobs is that they do not heat up as much as gas or electric hobs. You may still get some heat from the hob but it will not be like leaving an electric cooker for example where the ring burns intensely and long after you have removed the pan.
Induction works by a connection between the pan and the hob and once that is broken it automatically turns itself off. If you have children or are just a bit forgetful yourself (it happens to the best of us) then an induction hob is a far safer method than a gas or electric cooker top.
Your Food Cooks A Lot Quicker
How many times have you waited around staring endlessly for the hob to heat up? Probably more times than you care to remember.
With an induction cooker top, your food heats up far quicker than any other method. In fact, induction hobs produce 50% more power on output than a traditional hob. This means that your food will be cooked thoroughly a lot faster. If you have a busy lifestyle, screaming kids waiting for their dinner or you are just plain impatient then an induction hob is a fantastic option thanks to its time-saving advantages.
Cleaning Them Is Far Easier
Perhaps one of the biggest benefits of induction hobs is that they are just far easier to clean after cooking. Who really likes taking a scrubbing brush to the marks that are left on your electric hob? What about the spillages that get into the crevices of your gas hob? They can be an absolute nightmare to clean.
The great thing about induction cooking is the completely flat surface of the hob in addition to the fact that it is pretty much cold right after you take the pan off. This means you do not need to risk a burn trying to clean up any liquid and spillages will not become encrusted on the surface as with an induction hob you can simply wipe clean any mess in seconds without any need to wait for it to cool down.
An induction hob is something that you should consider for your kitchen. Not only does it give you these advantages but it also takes you a step closer to having a smart kitchen while offering a modern and stylish design as well. For many people, once they install an induction hob they find it very hard to go back to gas or electric.
Have you used an induction hob? What did you think of it? Was it better than gas or electric? We want to hear your thoughts! Add a comment below!
