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Original poster

Induction hobs - do they look scratched and battered after a while?

53 replies

Housemum · 08/06/2019 23:26

Looking at getting a new hob and have always used gas. The induction hobs look lovely and shiny (and I have pans with magnetic bases so don't need to get new ones), but my worry is that after a few months' use they will look all scratched and battered?

Also, the touch sensitive controls look hard to read on most - just thinking of when my mother wants to cook on there, her eyesight isn't great so whereas she can feel the knobs (oo-err, missus) on a gas cooker she'd have no chance on induction?

OP posts:
user1474894224 · 09/06/2019 09:32

@BusterGonad Induction hobs don't heat up like a ceramic hob - which is what it sounds like you have. They are instant and work with magnets. So when you switch it off the pan stops cooking - like gas does.

BusterGonad · 09/06/2019 12:14

Thanks @user1474894224 I've realized my mistake! Blush

Original poster
Housemum · 09/06/2019 19:54

On balance they are sounding good - heart issues haven't been in our family so should be ok from the pacemaker point of view. And to be honest, if her eyesight goes, I'd rather she wasn't cooking with anything (I'd do it) - at least this way she might be less tempted than if she had "easy" gas controls.

OP posts:
Mrsstrange · 10/06/2019 11:50

What about venting hobs. We’re trying to decide between a hob with downdraft in the middle or a separate pop up downdraft. Any thoughts?

QuantumWeatherButterfly · 10/06/2019 12:04

Mine is still immaculate after 5 years. No chips, no scratches, nothing.

My parents and inlaws are all around 70, so I wouldn't exactly describe them as 'elderly', but none of them struggle to operate it. It's really very intuitive. Certainly no harder than having to hold a gas knob in a certain place to click and ignite.

I took a lot of persuading to induction, as I really wanted gas - but I am so, so pleased, and would never go back to gas now.

ST127 · 15/12/2019 23:23

Hi
Does vinegar remove scratches? Are you extra careful lifting pans rather than dragging them? Ours scratches easily, but only when DH uses it

PerkingFaintly · 15/12/2019 23:53

There's an electronic display, but the knobs still have markers to show you what setting you have it on.

Lougle I neeeeeed to know what hob this is!

I was due to get an induction hob because I'm not really safe around gas (bad memory, poor co-ordination), but I'd basically given up because I couldn't find one with knobs displaying the setting – whereas at least the gas knobs I can see even from doorway are all Definitely Off.

(It's not a huge help to me that an empty induction ring switches off – I am more than capable of leaving an empty pan on a ring. I can tell you that cast iron glows a charming dim red after a while...)

twolungs · 16/12/2019 00:01

Still looking brand spanking new 3.5 years later. Very impressed with the new ones. Wouldn't bother with gas now.

I bought one of those scrapers and the recommended hob cleaner for the brand. I did try Hob Brite but it didn't feel as glossy. It works a treat, ever if it's a caked on mess.

If I was to look with a magnifying glass there's probably one scratch, that happened not long after I got it.

PerkingFaintly · 16/12/2019 21:48

@Lougle I'd rilly rilly rilly love to hear more about your hob.

Pretty please.Grin

Bonkersblond · 16/12/2019 21:57

Converted to induction hob from gas and would not go back, takes a bit of getting used to but I love it now, worth investing in decent pots and pans, I have the ones which were recommended for the hob and cost £££ but they are far superior to the supermarket induction pans and much quicker as more magnets I guess. No scratches yet but only had it 6 months!

Lougle · 16/12/2019 23:19

It's quite old now, @PerkingFaintly, but here's a photo of the display. It's a Zanussi.

Induction hobs - do they look scratched and battered after a while?
PerkingFaintly · 16/12/2019 23:28

Thank you so much, Lougle – that's exactly the sort of thing I'm after!

I fear the "quite old" bit will be the undoing of my hopes. When I looked recently there simply wasn't anything for ordinary domestic use that wasn't trying to be a smartphone you could cook on... Context-specific menus and shite, all on a screen you had to view from above (so no checking from the far end of the kitchen). Big chefs' units, those had proper knobs. 'Cos no way would a pro faff around with this nonsense...

PerkingFaintly · 16/12/2019 23:37

Oooh, hobs with knobs with actual markings (as opposed to nudge-knobs) seem to be coming back in...

Sorry to take over your thread, OP. This has been really useful for me and might stop me setting light to the place.

TeaAndStrumpets · 16/12/2019 23:41

Thanks lougle, that looks good. Perking I am also a disaster-in-waiting in the kitchen. I'm forever switching on the wrong electric ring and come back to a cold pan while the opposite one is glowing merrily! Something foolproof would be good! I don't fancy a hi tech one at all.

TeaAndStrumpets · 16/12/2019 23:43

Also, I wouldn't trust myself with a hot water tap, either!

madcatladyforever · 16/12/2019 23:44

i had my last one for 8 years and loved it. You do have to be careful cleaning it, no sourers etc obviously but it still looked great when I moved house. So easy to clean, just as good as gas. No twiddly bits to clean.
I've moved into a house with a built in gas hob so I'm going to change it to induction asap.

TeaAndStrumpets · 16/12/2019 23:48

Btw housemum you could send your Mum into Wren to scratch a pan over the hob, you needn't get in their bad books yourselfGrin

TheUnquestionedAnswer · 16/12/2019 23:48

I'm in rented accommodation, and to be honest my induction hob looks grim. It hasn't been looked after over the years, and it really irritates me as it is scratched and has stubborn burnt on 'rings'. It's a beko.

I had a nice range cooker in my old 'own' house, that was a Belling, and it was lovely, although needed to use hob bride on it to keep it looking good.

Chocmallows · 16/12/2019 23:50

10 years and no marks. Considering I use it every day you think I'd know that it's super fast, but I regularly get caught out with overboiling pans (I choose 9/boil option from habit).

I still miss having a wok on a gas ring, induction is flat circles of heat, but overall induction is clean and quick.

Lougle · 17/12/2019 07:47

This is a currently selling induction cooker that looks exactly the same as mine Zanussi zci66278xa It's £649.

PerkingFaintly · 17/12/2019 08:29

Oh my word, that might possibly do, Lougle. Thank you!

Actually, now I think of it, part of the problem might have been that I was looking for just a hob before: for reasons unexplained, all induction cookers are 60 cm wide (requiring additional works and loss of precious storage space).

Moreisnnogedag · 17/12/2019 09:56

We’ve got the same induction hob as Lougle and it is fab - i much prefer the knobs than the electronic displays and its easy to see which rings are on.

DH loves it and is an excellent cook so it must do everything it needs to -and quickly. The biggest faff was getting new pots and pans as we had very old stuff that didn’t work.

Soontobe60 · 17/12/2019 10:04

@PerkingFaintly
My hob is above a set of wide drawers and there’s no loss of storage space as the actual hob is thinner than the worktop.

Lougle · 18/12/2019 14:26

I've just seen one on Facebook for £100 www.facebook.com/groups/176360642453786/permalink/2600611400028686/?sale_post_id=2600611400028686 - a bargain if anyone is local.

(Not mine!! I'm not giving mine away for anything).

starfishmummy · 19/12/2019 11:08

I'm a le creuset pan user. I believe these work on induction but are they more likely to scratch the top as they are heavier?