Reply to: Question for the Experts: Gas or Electric Induction hob

[john999]

Induction Hobs

Hi,

Ive got 2 induction hobs from Control Induction. One is a drop in unit for domestic use and the the other is a commercial induction hob that I use at work. They are both superb. I was a 'gas man' for years and wouldnt have dreamt of using electricity to cook but am now an induction hob convert. We switched to induction at work after being offered a free trial hob by control induction. I dont know if they do trials for domestic users but would recommend looking into it.

John999

[milanbenes]

maybe in your house



Milan.

[The Lone Gunman]

granted, the easiest hob to clean is the flat glass induction/halogen one

but, modern gas hobs, you take off the iron work, and wipe the glass/stainless steel over and wipe the iron work ?

not much harder

Milan.

You still haven't quite got it have you Beans. The kitchen is just for show, it will never need to be cleaned as it will never be used. Real contractors dine out.

[milanbenes]

granted, the easiest hob to clean is the flat glass induction/halogen one

but, modern gas hobs, you take off the iron work, and wipe the glass/stainless steel over and wipe the iron work ?

not much harder

Milan.

[boxman]

Do you have induction because you don't have gas on site ?

Nope we have mains gas. Looks like you've already decided on gas. Good luck to whoever has to clean the hob though...

[wendigo100]

isn't that the Mrs's job ?

Milan.

Not sure - someone obviously does it in my house but I don't know who.

[milanbenes]

isn't that the Mrs's job ?

Milan.

[The Lone Gunman]

Suprised nobody has mentioned the drawback with gas hobs (the same goes for electric ovens): cleaning the things is a pain

Cleaning?

[bobhope]

Suprised nobody has mentioned the drawback with gas hobs (the same goes for electric ovens): cleaning the things is a pain

[The Lone Gunman]

Hi Sas,

thanks for the summary.

Yes the house is on mains gas.

Ok Gas it is.

Surprising how these days there is not the choice on gas hobs compared to the electric ones, especially in the 2007 miele catalogue

ok next question, should we take the extra $$$ plunge and get the 5 ring job with the wok hob ?

70cms wide instead of the standard 60.

Milan.

Good boy, go for gas. 2 electric ovens. Go for the widest hob with as many rings as you can fit. I have a 6 ring on a 90 base, all set in pearl blue granite with pan stand bars set into that, don't forget the pan stands.

[milanbenes]

Hi Sas,

thanks for the summary.

Yes the house is on mains gas.

Ok Gas it is.

Surprising how these days there is not the choice on gas hobs compared to the electric ones, especially in the 2007 miele catalogue

ok next question, should we take the extra $$$ plunge and get the 5 ring job with the wok hob ?

70cms wide instead of the standard 60.

Milan.

[sasguru]

Benes,

Gas hob without question. I've had both. No opinion on oven.

Here's why:

1) Gas is faster and more controllable. There seems to be a time lag with induction. There's a reason no restaurants use induction - no decent chef will use it.

2) Not sure where you are but isn't (direct piped)gas cheaper in the long run, as a few other posters have noted?

It's a no-brainer for the gas hob.

[milanbenes]

thanks for the detailed info boxman/Rob.

What to do eh ?

Do you have induction because you don't have gas on site ?

Milan.

[boxman]

I've heard that you have to be very careful with them to avoid scratching them.

I suspect that some of the posters on this thread may not have actually tried an induction hob. They are instantly hot (I've got 2 boost sectors that set the initial power at 5.5Kw and will boil a large pan of water in 90 secs). Because the induction system heats the metal in the pans which in turn heats their contents the actual surface stays warm (rather than hot note) for just a few minutes after you've finished cooking.

There are no pilot lights to blow out (a problem if you're cooking on gas with the back door open in my case) and you can program each hob separately if you get a good model.

Mine's into its third year now and I've got no visible scratches. It's smoked glass anyway which helps to reduce the visibility of any marks anyway. It's also easy to fit and actually drops into the hole in the worktop under its own weight and forms its own seal. The actual depth of the hob in total is about 40mm so you can also use the space under the hob if you have a cupboard there.

The only thing I would say is that need to watch the pans for the first few times that you use an induction hob as they really do heat up quickly! The heat is instantly controllable (just like gas). Rather than take my word for it I'd recommend trying one in the flesh and see if it's for you.

My hob has been superseded now but take a look here: http://www.miele.co.uk/Products/Prod...duction%20Hobs

regards

Rob

[Sysman]

Definitely a gas hob fan here, and I too have always thought it daft to burn gas to produce electricity to turn back to heat.

The big problem with electric fan assisted ovens is that I've never made decent Yorkshire puds with them.

You might be surprised when I say this, but my last apartment had an Electrolux oven and it was excellent (except for the Yorkshire puds of course).

This was of far superior quality to any Electrolux I've ever come across in the UK. If a recipe called for 35 minutes at x degrees, the oven got it spot on. The spit roast and meat thermometer options were worth their weight in gold.

Back to Miele for the dishwasher. I've a mate who has one and even though he's got an open plan kitchen/dining area, you don't even hear it when sitting at the table.