Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Anyone installed an induction hob after gas and regretted it?

154 replies

HalfWomanHalfChocolate · 06/02/2021 14:33

I’m planning a new kitchen. I currently have a gas hob as part of a range cooker (inherited with the house). Definitely going for separate oven /hob next time as the range cooker has been nothing but trouble, but I’m unsure what hob to go for.

Induction jobs are so much more streamlined and easy to clean... but I’m used to the fine tuning of gas. And I am a keen cook who cooks a lot.

Anyone made the switch? Were you happy with the induction hob?

OP posts:
Mmr224 · 06/02/2021 23:07

I'll go against the grain, we hAve gas, parents in law induction. We stay to house sit a couple of times a year while they go on extended holidays so I cook there a lot. I make a lot of one pit batch cooks like chilli, soup, stew on the job as well as sweets, jams, jellies etc. I hate working on the induction hob, it heats fast and us ok where temp can be approx like stews but I find it hard to fine tune to maintain specific temperatures with jam thermometer for making pancakes etc. I find gas much better, but it definitely depends what type of cooking and how much you want to do.

justasking111 · 06/02/2021 23:15

When we moved into this house new kitchen with induction hob. I hated it said we would have to change to gas again. After trial and error much bubbling over incidents I finally got the hang of it. Would never go back to gas hobs and all the cleaning again, just a wipe and it is done. Mine does not do wok work as well though that is another trick you have to master. I also had a pile of new pans because the ones that OH insisted would do did not work on induction Grin The pans also stay lovely and clean.

Updatemate · 07/02/2021 07:50

Besides, if you let something boil over, then keep cooking it on, then let it cool and harden then you deserve to have to scrub your hob

In fairness, trying to clean a gas hob before it's cooled down is a recipe for burnt hands!

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Home improvement
northender · 07/02/2021 08:09

justasking I was going to say it's not just the hob which is great to clean, but pans stay in much better condition too.
I cook a lot & love to cook. We got our neff induction 12 years ago and would never go back although I do like the sound of the induction with one gas burner.

Smidge001 · 07/02/2021 08:17

Almost all the good reviews here seem to be about how easy it is to clean. But I don't find any issue whatsoever with cleaning my 5 burner gas hob. Confused what do you do with your cooking that you're all spilling things on it? I honestly don't get it. I probably spill something on the hob maybe once a month with an over zealous stir, and a quick wipe cleans that up no problem.

NeverRTFT · 07/02/2021 08:31

I was nervous to make the change and went gas range. Was worried I couldn't control it enough for very low simmer eg when make low slow consommé or stew.
But soon gas will be phased out as part of carbon zero commitments. One day soon we will all have to make the switch so better get our heads around it!

DinoHat · 07/02/2021 08:42

@Smidge001

Almost all the good reviews here seem to be about how easy it is to clean. But I don't find any issue whatsoever with cleaning my 5 burner gas hob. Confused what do you do with your cooking that you're all spilling things on it? I honestly don't get it. I probably spill something on the hob maybe once a month with an over zealous stir, and a quick wipe cleans that up no problem.
It’s the grill bits on the top that mark and don’t seem to get clean. I’ve moved 5 times in the last 5 years and 4 of those moves have been gas. Never got them spotless!
DinoHat · 07/02/2021 08:43

@Updatemate

Besides, if you let something boil over, then keep cooking it on, then let it cool and harden then you deserve to have to scrub your hob

In fairness, trying to clean a gas hob before it's cooled down is a recipe for burnt hands!

Yes I’ve set a couple of tea towels on fire doing that!!
Camparispritzandcrisps · 07/02/2021 08:49

Just had my new kitchen fitted with induction, I will NEVER go back! Bloody love the thing, really easy to use and clean, just as much control over heat as gas.

NannyR · 07/02/2021 08:56

I have an induction hob at home and use a gas hob at work. Comparing the two, the induction hob is so much easier to clean. If I'm making a tomato sauce for pasta, the tomato sort of sputters and covers everything with small orange droplets, likewise, frying salmon fillets, everything gets covered in a fine mist of oil. With the induction hob, it's a quick wipe over with a damp microfibre cloth that takes seconds. With the gas hob, I have to wait for it to cool, then wipe down the grids, take them off and wipe down the metal, then try and clean the burner parts which never really look clean.

A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 · 07/02/2021 09:02

No i worried I’d hate it also, but really love it. Get a good quality one. Using ones on holiday rentals had always put me off, but our one is great. Easy to clean. Feels safer also, one button turns it all off, and it doesn’t get hot unless there’s a pan on it

BringPizza · 07/02/2021 09:03

@Updatemate

Besides, if you let something boil over, then keep cooking it on, then let it cool and harden then you deserve to have to scrub your hob

In fairness, trying to clean a gas hob before it's cooled down is a recipe for burnt hands!

Oh absolutely, that would be asking for trouble! My comment was meant to someone who complained you need to buy a glass scraper to clean an induction hob.
Floobydo · 07/02/2021 09:19

I love my induction.

I think some people here are confusing ceramic / electric with induction, they’re completely different.

It heats up so quickly, is really responsive and for those with small children is also much safer as only the pan gets hot.

Am a total convert!

TrickyD · 07/02/2021 09:43

@Love51

You can't use one with a pacemaker. My parents were looking at getting one, the saleswoman mentioned this in passing.

It may therefore affect resale speed/ value of your house as people might have to rip it out.

I was going to mention this. Dangerous, you have to stay two feet away. Unless you have unfeasibly long arms, cooking is very difficult.
Sgtmajormummy · 07/02/2021 09:45

We don’t have gas because it would only be used for cooking and in Italy the fixed monthly charges are huge compared to our consumption in this case.

Induction is great for its computerized functions.
Boil and stop.
Milk boil and simmer.
Timer and bleep.
None of which you get from gas. I can now get on with other things in the kitchen knowing that the hob is doing its job safely and reliably.

The only thing I miss is being able to deglaze the roasting tin (huge, expensive but not induction compatible) over a hob to deglaze it. So I use boiling water. No problemo.

FamilyOfAliens · 07/02/2021 10:03

We’ve just had a new kitchen installed in a house we’ve bought. I went for a gas hob with control buttons down the side.

If this thread is anything to go by it seems what people like about induction isn’t so much to do with cooking as convenience and aesthetics.

I’m not bothered if my hob isn’t shiny and if I want boiled water in two minutes I put the kettle on!

murbblurb · 07/02/2021 10:07

Exactly - I never boil water on any hob! It was a battle with our kitchen designer and installer to get function over form, especially as 'form' is easy money for them.

LOTM · 07/02/2021 10:10

Induction hob every time. So easy to clean.

HeronLanyon · 07/02/2021 10:13

Yes ! I was wondering why boiling water was such a good thing about induction when I turned my kettle on last night to cook pasta on my gas hob!

Medievalist · 07/02/2021 10:40

Moved from a house with gas to a house with an induction hob. Absolutely HATE it!!!

Yes it looks sleek and is easy to clean. And yes, the power button is great to bring cold water to boiling in seconds.

But actually cooking on it (the main purpose of a hob after all) is a pain. Anything where you might want to shake or tilt a pan (omelettes, pancakes, steak, stir fries ...) is really difficult to do well because as soon as the connection is lost, the heat cuts out.

But unfortunately don't have gas.

murbblurb · 07/02/2021 14:31

As I noted above - no mains gas does not mean no gas hob. Fortunately!!

This thread confirms induction hob definitely not for me.

Totaldick · 07/02/2021 14:41

Could you have both? A main induction plus a small gas burner on the side because certain dishes just need that flame. I miss my 6 burner but have an induction in the new house. I hate it but cleaning takes seconds! I can't change the kitchen so just bought a couple of camping stoves for the gas cooking.

Medievalist · 07/02/2021 14:50

As I noted above - no mains gas does not mean no gas hob.

Well it does for us as our oven and hob are against an internal wall and the nearest outside wall is about 4 foot thick and on the other side of the kitchen.

Twillow · 07/02/2021 14:56

Have had all three and while I 100% preferred gas to electric, of all three the induction has been my favourite. Gas sends more grease up and about I find.

ServeTheServants · 07/02/2021 15:05

We had a gas hob which I loved; we’re temporarily living in rented whilst relocating and we have an induction hob now, and I can’t stand it. Cannot wait for our new house when I will certainly be getting another gas hob.

I’m not sure if this is true of all induction hobs or just the one in this house, but I find the digital display so frustrating. Pressing the buttons up and down to adjust temperature is a pain.

I know cleaning a gas hob is a pain, but I think aesthetically they are so much nicer than an induction.