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We're redoing the kitchen - just wondering if there is any downside to an induction hob (other than having to ditch my nice copper-bottomed pans).

Thanks!

There are no pros and lots of cons. I hated mine.

Was just going to say the opposite to Palo! The only cons I've found are that I had to get new pans. Love everything about it.

Ah, just what I need - go on, specifics please?

Definitely no cons.

There have been threads on here before about them and I've been sure when people are negative they're talking about ceramic not induction.
1. They are so easy to clean
2. Mine cuts out if a pan boils dry
3. Incredibly controllable heat
4. Energy efficient
5. No direct heat generated so safer with kids around

I have genuinely not found any cons with it. I cook so much and just would not swap it.

I love mine. Very very controllable, no worries re naked flames/ gas etc. Don't always need new pans - most of my old ones still worked.

I like mine now.
I like that it boils a vat of water quicker than the kettle.
I like that it is so easily cleaned - it doesn't get hot and it's flush with the worksurface so you DH just wipe s over.
I like that it is programmable - you set it to stop cooking in 10 minutes and it does.
I like that it stops and starts when you turn it on and off. There's none of that lag of warming up you get with electric.

The only thing that's a bit dodgy is that you can't hear or smell when something is boiling over - I was used smelling gas to a gas hob hissing loudly when something had come to the boil, there was more than once in the early days where I stood staring at water coming over the top of the pan thinking there was something I ought to be doing, but what was it?

Biggest con is that you seemingly can't use non stick pans with them. We went through around one a year, including the Le Creuset frying pan that I invested in at an eye watering £95. No matter how careful I was, it created hot spots which basically knackered the non stick surface and, you guessed it, caused the food to stick.

We've recently moved to a house with a beautiful new kitchen and I was disappointed initially when I realised that they had halogen instead of induction, but it's been a refreshing change. Just as easy to clean / fast to heat up (mind you, it is a Neff, so pretty swish). It's also a myth that induction cools down straightaway - in a moment of madness I decided to try the theory out by touching a ring that had been turned off 2 minutes beforehand. Ouch!

Inherited one in this house. It's fantastic. I can think of no cons.
Have stayed in holiday home with a Miele one. Don't get Miele. It was really annoying in comparison to our perfect hob. (Neff)

Oh, I really wouldn't like not to be able to use non-stick pans. I'd never scramble an egg or make an omelette again. I realised the ones I've got won't work but assumed it was just a matter of finding steel-bottomed replacements.

Halogen - never even heard of those!

We've been using cheap IKEA non-stick pans on our induction hob for ages with no problems.

>Don't get Miele. It was really annoying in comparison to our perfect hob. (Neff)

interesting - we were originally thinking of Miele but the bloke who owns the kitchen company said he has all Neff himself so were tending that way anyhow.

We have two non-stick pans. One is from Ikea. It's not true that you can't use non-stick.

We have non stick pans too, no problems. We have a NEFF and certainly don't have any of the problems mentioned. 2 minutes after you've switched off you would definitely be able to touch it safely. The whole point with the new pans thing is that the rings themselves don't generate heat it's through electromagnetic induction, therefore the only heat on the hob is what comes back from the pan if that makes any sense!

Yes - the pans have to be ferromagnetic I think. So aluminium doesn't work and I don't think my copper-bottomed pans will either (a fridge magnet wont stick to their undersides) - and obviously non-metallic casseroles also won't work.

OK, majority view positive but maybe I should check out halogen too?

You can't use a wok on an induction, so we're getting a gas wok domino to match the induction and that way I can keep all my favourite pans!

Surely someone must make a flat-bottomed iron wok?

Domino? (we don't have gas in the kitchen anyway, else I'd be having a gas hob to start with!)

This is another similar thread you might find useful Grimma

Oh and you can't char aubergine for baba ganoush. I'm sure you can get a flat bottomed wok but I really don't want to let go of my favourite pans and yet I still want the convenience of induction. I'd like to teach the dc's to cook and flames close to their clothes concern me...and besides the wok burner looks cool.

You can use a wok...in fact I'm using one on ours as I write.

Have also had no problems with non-stick pans either.

Love, love, love my hob.

Thanks everyone - all very helpful. The kitchen designer chap reckoned it'd come with a free set of pans (though I bet I still have to buy steamer, wok and good nonstick pans.)

Not going to try to find those online just now - last night browsing for suitable wok my computer picked up a helluva nasty virus. First one I've had in 25 years with my company.

My dad had one it broke down and IIRC couldn't be fixed. Given the cost he went back to cheap gas.

Thanks for the thread - very useful - we are considering the same but DH is reluctant to abandon the gas in case of a power cut.

Also I think it might be horrendously expensive compared to a bog standard gas hob.

Unfortunately the builders idiotically omitted to run gas pipes to the kitchen. Our last house had gas hob, electric oven, which is obviously ideal.

So can't you use Le Creuset pans on an induction hob (will skupper my plans in that case....)?

Yes you can use le creuset on inductions.
And non stick.

I've used both professionally on an induction cooker. Using a le creuset is an art in itself however, so worth really learning how to do it.

Non stick induction pans are just fine.

I love it.

And much cheaper than either gas or normal electric.

I loved cooking on a gas hob and so really felt that the induction hob was a compromise (avoiding the cost of piping the gas in). If I had the choice now I would go for induction every time.

I've got one Le Creuset pan which was given me, I realised that's one of the few I've got which should work. But its so heavy, I wouldn't want to handle a large one full of boiling water. OTOH I could do with increasing upper body strength... ah, do French ladies cook with LC instead of going to the gym?

I don't think French ladies handle Le Creuset full of hot water - I've only ever seen them used here as casserole dishes - or for slow cooking meat on the stove-top.

I have an ikea wok, it is the £2 one and it works on my induction hob. I have just had my kitchen re done, i have bosch appliances which are appaerently made by the same people as neff but cheaper, they are all excellent.

Love love love my hob, no negetives, have cast iron pans so they work fine

No negatives with induction - as people have already said, really responsive, fast, easy to clean (spilt food doesn't burn on to the hob, as it doesn't get hot). We have a Stoves 1100 range, which comes with 4 induction rings, 2 halogen (halogen is the same as ceramic hob) and a warming plate.

We're not overly concerned about power cuts, and could always use the bbq!

We got new circulon infinite pans, which are non-stick and dishwasher proof. Our old ikea 360 frying pans and le crueset also work on induction. Circulon also do a flat bottomed wok for induction hobs.

For once, I'm going to be able to tell DH what to buy me for xmas

for me all pros and no cons - unless you count having to buy new pans (if indeed you do) a con. I rather saw that as a plus . I have both nonstick and le creuset and have no problems with either - have had hob since about 2007. I have just bought some of those circulon pans and they are fab, just to replace some others that were getting a bit scratched thanks to some idiot using metal on them. I thought I would miss gas but now I wouldn't go back through choice. If you are really keen to have gas for a wok then you can always have a domino arrangement. But I honestly haven't felt the loss. Ours is an AEG. I was lucky to try out MILs before we bought ours and I couldn't get my head round them before I did, but once I did I was totally converted and have converted loads of others. As for power cuts - well we live in the middle of nowhere in Scottish Highlands and we rarely get them, but we do have a logburner so I have been known to cook on the top of there when I had to before the kitchen was put in. So that is my back up plan.

thought gas was the only way but now a covert to induction. Have just ordered circulon infinite wok at huge cost, has anyone used one?

Word of advice for those with le creuset non-sticks that have gone belly-up. I had an induction hob installed in 2011 and love it. Like many, I needed to replace all my saucepans and elected to go with le creuset including 2 non-sticks - a frypan an a milk pan. Within 9 months the non-stick surface on both went very bad! I took both pans back to John Lewis and le creuset replaced - no questions asked. Manufacturer has acknowledged that there WAS a problem with their non-stick formula, but this has now been remedied and their non-stick pans now come with a Lifetime warranty. So, if you've been affected, don't be timid about asking for a replacement.
Now my next challenge - finding a reasonably priced induction-happy wok! Any suggestions welcome!

Can't toss a pancake with a Le Creuset frying pan

I've said this before but if it weren't for our induction hob we'd have a little boy with a skin-grafted left hand due to him planting it palm downwards on the ring.

Worth.every.penny

Never had an induction hob.

But I do like my halogen hob, cleaner and safer than electric ring or gas (well to me anyway).

From what I understand the only difference between induction and halogen is that the actual hob gets hot on halogen and not on induction could be completly wrong though

Love mine and we will very likely have an induction setup and a gas set up in the new kitchen.

Assume it OK for a caring Grandad and retired Engineer to raise a point. These hobs heat things quickly, well that's because they use a lot of power for short bursts (that's Eco wise). Having experience of induction heating on production lines, way back, I did some digging and it took a lot !!!, they need to be fused at 30-32 amps on an exclusive feed, the power rating is 7.5watts or more. Suppliers recommend installation with qualified electrician as you would expect. Perhaps it is therefore best to check the practical availability of a suitable feed before getting too far into appliances. A new consumer units, or even additional cabling may double or treble the cost and perhaps you are not expecting this. Trust its helpful or just avoids any Shocks.

I'm having an induction hob fitted next week when they install my new kitchen.
Does anyone know if I can use a diffuser on it please?

Some time ago I bought a ceramic Tagine but to use it on the gas burner (my old cooker is gas) it needed to be on top of the diffuser (it is steel, so is magnetic).

I can't bear the thought of not being able to use it.
Thanks a lot, hopefully someone will know.