Modern kitchen appliances called an induction hob still remains a mystery to many. However, it is worth learning about its functions and capabilities more, as the choice will become obvious. Safe and modern, it will give you a lot of pleasant moments in the process of cooking and save a lot of precious time.
What is an induction hob?
If you do not go into the details of the operation of this technique and talk easier, the heating does not occur in the working surface of the plate, but in the dish itself. Cooking takes place faster, while the stove remains cold. An important characteristic, which has an induction cooking surface - the efficiency of heating it is as much as 90%. For comparison, in a conventional gas cooker, this figure does not exceed 65%, for a glass ceramic - 60%.
How the induction hob works
The furnace is based on electromagnetic induction, that is, the appearance of an electric current in a closed loop as a consequence of the change in the magnetic flux passing through it. The induction coil is located under the glass ceramic surface. It flows current with a frequency of 20-60 kHz. The coil is the primary winding, the dishes on the stove are secondary. Getting into the bottom of the dishes, the currents heat it and foods that are inside the pan or frying pan.
To understand how to use an induction hob, you do not need special knowledge or skills. Everything is extremely simple - you turn on the oven and place the cookware on the cooking zone with the contents. Only after this, will the heating process begin. By the way, cookware for cooking on such a plate will have to choose a special one. Aluminum, copper, ceramic and glassware will not work. You need pans and pans made of cast iron or stainless steel. In a word, all those to the bottom of which the magnet is attracted.
Induction hob - pros and cons
Among the indisputable advantages, which has an induction hob:
- High speed of heating and saving time for cooking.
- Energy saving due to its minimal consumption.
- Safety of the hob. Even if you forget to turn off the hotplate, neither you nor your children will burn it. Fire from such a furnace also does not arise.
- The surface of the plate itself determines the presence of dishes and the diameter of its bottom, adjusting to it.
- There are several cooking programs.
- If something is boiled out of the dishes or a product gets to the plate, it will not burn. To remove contamination, you will simply need to wipe the surface with a damp cloth.
Inductive cooking surface minuses:
- For such a plate not all dishes will do. Special pots, saucepans, frying pans, etc. are worth a lot. In order not to change the dishes and not to spend money on expensive sets, use any, even old objects of kitchen life, if the usual magnet is attracted to their bottom.
- The cost of the plate itself is also rather big. This becomes the main obstacle for the ordinary consumer. However, the economy and convenience of using the stove with a payback this shortcoming.
Functions of induction hobs
Each good induction hob has a mass of useful functions. The most significant among them is the function of intensive heating, which is called the Booster. When you need to quickly warm something up or cook, you press the button with the inscription Booster, and the oven throws the power from the next burner to the one where your dishes with food are standing. Very simple and convenient.
Among other important functions of the induction furnace, making it enjoyable and easy to use:
- delayed start;
- autosupply;
- automatic shutdown;
- maintaining the temperature;
- electronic or sensory control system;
- identification of the material and the size of the dishes;
- cooking time timer;
- shutdown when spilling liquid;
- protection from children;
- residual heat indicator;
- heating;
- defrosting;
- saving programs in memory.
How to choose an induction hob?
If we talk about free-standing induction cookers with an oven, in the domestic market their assortment is small. More precisely, this device is represented only by one firm - Electrolux. As for independent built-in models, an induction hob will be found in any home appliance store and it is presented by a wide range of manufacturers. We offer an overview of induction hobs from the most famous and reliable ones.
Induction hob Bosch
The choice of the induction hob of this company is represented by several models with 4 burners of different design. There are models with a combination of induction and conventional glass-ceramic hobs HiLight. Especially popular is the model BOSCH PIN675N14E with touch control, 17 steps of power adjustment and digital indication of the degree of heating. It has 4 induction burners, 2 of which are combined into one and can function as one large heating zone for stewpots and large frying pans (FlexInduction). Another convenient "little thing" - the button Booster.
Hobs induction surface
Another authoritative German company producing impeccable equipment, which includes the induction induction hob - Nansa. Easy to operate, reliable and safe plate is represented by several models of black and white, with 2, 3 4 burners, touch controls and an anti-injury protection system. On many models, there is a "booster" button for increasing power. There are plates with a combined set of hotplates - induction and HiLight.
Induction hob Gorenje
The leading Slovenian home appliance manufacturer Gorenje introduces its newest induction hobs on the market, which operate quickly, safely and flawlessly. They are equipped with the functions of SuperPower and PowerBoost, which allow you to increase the power of both one burner and all at the same time. Indicators of residual heat indicate which of the burners have not yet cooled down completely. The model range is represented by 2, 3 and 4 burners with combined heating zones and without them.
Induction hob Lex
While reviewing the induction hobs, we can not ignore the products of the Russian company Lex. An affordable price segment and at the same time a worthy quality of the goods make this trademark popular and popular. The range of induction panels is represented by 2, 3 and 4 burner models with modern touch control, a timer and locking of control elements.
Induction hob connection
If you have never had an electric stove, then the question naturally arises - how to connect an induction hob? Installation and its connection should take place in several stages:
- Selecting a location and preparing a hole for installation. It is important that the surface is flat and securely fastened. There should be a small gap between the rear wall and the side surfaces.
- Electrical connection. For this, a three-core cable with a cross-section of 4-6 kV is used. mm. The more powerful the device, the larger the cross-section is preferred. The length of the cable should be enough to connect the plate to the nearest outlet. As a rule, the cable comes complete with an oven. Turning the induction panel over, you will see the bottom of the connection diagram and a small box where the terminals for connecting the cable are hidden. By following the instructions, you can easily connect it. Note that some panels must be connected to a 380 V network, which can be a problem in older homes where wiring in 220 V is traditionally present.
- Checking and fixing the hob. After connecting to the mains, make sure to check the operation of the device and only then fix it in the hole.
How to care for the induction hob?
Induction glass ceramic hob requires certain rules. So, care of the induction hob should be carried out according to the following recommendations:
- It is desirable to remove any contaminants with the help of special detergents and necessarily a separate sponge.
- In the absence of special tools, it is permissible to use creamy products and gels, but nickname in any case is not abrasive cleaning powders. You can use the means for washing windows, but sprays for cleaning the oven to use is undesirable.
- Detergents should be poured not on the stove, but on the sponge
- It is better to wash the cooker immediately after the cooking process is over or immediately immediately after the contamination, especially if the syrup is boiled off or sugar is spilled onto the stove.
- After surface treatment with detergent, it must be thoroughly washed with clean water and wiped with a dry soft cloth.