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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

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Original poster

Are ceramic hobs still rubbish?

18 replies

KathyMCMLXXII · 09/01/2007 12:17

...Cos we're thinking about buying a house which has one.
It's a fancy modern Neff thing with electronic controls, but I remember all ceramic hobs as being really uncontrollable - does anyone have more recent experience?

Thanks

OP posts:

LucyJu · 09/01/2007 12:32

If it's an induction hob, it should be fantastic - even more responsive than gas.
"Normal" ceramic hobs are still pretty unresponsive, IME.

Original poster

KathyMCMLXXII · 09/01/2007 12:41

Not sure if it's induction or not - the house info doesn't say so.
The seller seemed very proud of it.

I cook a lot so it will drive me mad if it's crap.

OP posts:

Flower3554 · 09/01/2007 12:49

Whats the difference between a "normal ceramic hob and an "induction" one

expatinscotland · 09/01/2007 12:53

I hate them.

becaroo · 09/01/2007 12:56

They are easier to clean than gas hobs, but nowhere near as controllable. And they stay hot for SO long afterwards - Very dangerous with little ones unless you get one of those guards.

Original poster

KathyMCMLXXII · 09/01/2007 13:03

I don't know the difference between induction and normal ceramic either (though it seems that induction ones cost more).

Dangerous with little ones around is a Bad Thing as half the point of us moving is to move to a house which is generally safer and more child-friendly than where we are at the moment.

DH won't be able to use his wok on it, which will annoy him as most of his cooking happens in a wok.

Looks like we would have to budget to replace it then....

OP posts:

caffeinequeen · 09/01/2007 19:20

yes yes yes they are still rubbish. It will drive you mad if you cook a lot.

Troutpout · 09/01/2007 19:26

had mine 9 years...and i like it. Had gas cookers before ...but i've got used to my hob.
hate the fan oven though!

pointydog · 09/01/2007 19:33

i moved into a house with one and it might lack in aesthetics but it's pretty damn good. Very controllable. Maybe it's induction.

You just want a lovely new gas one, kathy - admit it.

mamijacacalys · 09/01/2007 20:23

We don't have mains gas in our area and didn't want the faff of Calor, so we had a Rangemaster (same company as Aga-Rayburn) electric range cooker when we re-did our kitchen 2 years ago. It has a ceramic hob(no idea whether its induction or normal but it heats up pretty darn quickly) and 2 fan ovens. Have found hob to be excellent and easy to clean, and I cook meals from scratch most days. But most of the houses I've lived in have hade electric cookers, so can't really compare to gas.

DimpledThighs · 09/01/2007 20:42

I may have got this completely wrong but a friend of mine (who is very 'state-of-the-art') had her kitchen done and she has this ultra fancy hob -looks like ceramic but think she said it is induction - seems like magic. The actual plate doesn't get hot and you buy these special pans to go on it and it is really responsive. I have no idea how it works but she is very proud of it - better than gas she says and it looks fab.

Reading that back it sounds wrong - someone back me up or I will think I dreamt it!

springer72 · 09/01/2007 20:54

I'm a recent convert to induction hobs, after moving to an area with no mains gas supply, and it is fab - very responsive, heats up quickly, and cools down rapidly after use. Very easy to clean too.

Original poster

KathyMCMLXXII · 10/01/2007 11:00

Thank you for all those views!

Well the people selling the house with the ceramic hob have accepted our initial low offer (which was only meant to be a starting point for negotiations) so assuming we get as much as we expect for our houses we will have enough money to replace the silly hob

OP posts:

Bucketsofdynomite · 11/01/2007 13:33

I think the time spent waiting for them to heat up is less than the time needed to keep a gas hob clean. But then I have 8 gas hobs (oven came with the house) so I have been put off gas for life.
Depends on your priorities, I'd rather have something I can make look like new in 1 minute.

Original poster

KathyMCMLXXII · 11/01/2007 13:43

It's the cooling down more than the heating up that I think would annoy me, Buckets - you know when you've brought something to the boil and you need to find just the right setting for a gentle simmer.

But the cleaning would indeed be an advantage.

8 hobs Do you ever use more than 4 at once?

OP posts:

Bucketsofdynomite · 11/01/2007 18:05

I don't use more than 3 TBH, mostly because most of the knobs have snapped off (Don't by a Belling Countrychef!) And I find even the smallest ring is too hot, simmers always end up a boil with a (vented) lid on.

nutcracker · 11/01/2007 18:10

I have just brought a cooker with a ceramic hob and it seems fine to me, heats up as soon as I switch it on and seems to adjust the heat ok when I turn it down.

They do stay hot for quite a while after use though I have noticed.

pointydog · 11/01/2007 19:12

Well, my nasty hob heats up and cools down to a simmer very quickly.

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