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Original poster

Is having your hob on an island a really terrible idea?

51 replies

IShouldBeSoLurky · 04/03/2016 12:04

I know this has been done before, but please indulge me!

We are planning a kitchen-diner extension, avec island. Partly because the layout of the room makes it difficult to put the hob elsewhere (I want a floor-to-ceiling run of units + oven on one wall and there is a window on the other) and partly because I like the idea of being more sociable while cooking, I want the hob (induction) on the island. Island will hopefully be quite deep and we have no DC so I'm not particularly worried about safety, but I am worried about fat splashing on to the floor behind it and being annoying to clean.

Any thoughts?

OP posts:

FreddoFrog · 05/03/2016 13:59

We had induction hob on island, loved it. No issues with our young children (but we didn't put stools on other side). Induction is so so good. We also put in an electricity plug - don't know what you call it - but it sits flush in the island top and you pull it up and it had two electric sockets and two usb plugs for charging mobiles. Very handy.

sleepwhenidie · 05/03/2016 14:03

Job on island here with a downdraft extractor. Very happy and it's easier to clean up a worktop after cooking than it is to clean a splashback.

sleepwhenidie · 05/03/2016 14:04

Job=hob

Humphriescushion · 05/03/2016 14:11

induction on island here. No issues at all. We use our ipads and laptops on the island all the time and no issues at all. Certainly no issues with fat splashes either ( use mostly the front hobs).

If the sink was there and my induction on the the other run of work tops i would have my back to my family nearly all the time, and we spend a lot of time together in kitchen talking whilst I am cooking so I would hate that.

Humphriescushion · 05/03/2016 14:13

Well I seem to have lots of issues!

LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett · 05/03/2016 19:31

Also, IMO if you have an induction hob you won't need a boiling water tap. My hob can bring a massive pot of pasta water to the boil in 1 - 2 minutes.

Original poster

IShouldBeSoLurky · 05/03/2016 20:02

Oh, that's great about the boiling water! I've been hankering after a boiling water tap, but yes, if the induction hop will do the job...!

Sleep, do you mind me asking which down draft extractor you have?

OP posts:

Plateofcrumbs · 06/03/2016 11:23

I'm taking notes here too...

So people would go for induction over gas?

And I'd love more information about extraction for an island too!

Waypasttethersend · 06/03/2016 11:26

Sideline you can rent your house for food filming. We always need island hob spaces to get the right camera/presenter angle

needastrongone · 06/03/2016 11:33

We have an induction hob with an island. They island is pretty large I guess, these a breakfast bar at the end, but far enough away for splashing not to be an issue.

Luckily, the house was new build, but the plan was for the island to have no specific purpose. We redesigned to accommodate the hob, which mean running and extractor fan into the ceiling too.

We also used the island for storage, so changed it to have pan drawers, cupboard that can be lit, with the wine glasses etc. Again, you need to consider electrics etc before the flooring.

Highly sociable kitchen though, works really well.

Original poster

IShouldBeSoLurky · 06/03/2016 11:34

Plate I've pretty much decided on induction because it is easy to clean, looks great, is more energy efficient and is just as responsive as gas.

OP posts:

needastrongone · 06/03/2016 11:37

Also consider the gas supply/plumbing to have a gas hob would be considerable no?

SandrasAnnoyingFriend · 06/03/2016 11:47

I ruled out induction on the basis that I wanted copper pans more than I wanted the benefits of induction. I may have made other decisions based on aesthetic over practicality too...

Believeitornot · 06/03/2016 11:50

When you're cooking, how much time do you stand at the job?

I have decided when we have our new kitchen that I'd rather the sink was more sociable than the hob as I find myself standing at the sink more.

But I don't really have many dinner parties etc 😫

Roussette · 06/03/2016 12:03

We have induction hob (large one) flush with the island and I love it. Personally I just don't like taps on an island.

No splashback in any shape or form unless I leave something to boil and forget about it, then I just wipe down the granite.

I just love induction, so clean and instant. I've never been able to cook a steak as well as I can on induction.

Plateofcrumbs · 06/03/2016 13:08

I just can't get myself convinced by induction - I've always had gas hobs and have found induction utterly baffling when I have come across them eg in holiday lets.

Original poster

IShouldBeSoLurky · 06/03/2016 13:32

Not so much standing at the hob as chopping, mixing, seasoning etc. I probably spend about an hour a day cooking and about 10 minutes washing up

OP posts:

Believeitornot · 06/03/2016 16:46

I should have added I love our induction job. The trick is that the heat wont work until they're on the hob. so pan on job, turn on the heat. As soon as you take it off, it stops. Brilliant.

sleepwhenidie · 06/03/2016 17:29

Our downdraft extractor is De Dietrich and it's good. Had to be down draft as the roof is all glass. Our island is 3m x 1.2m so people sitting on the other side from job aren't too close and I have a strict no climbing/sitting on the island rule with DC's.

SignedUpAgain · 06/03/2016 19:12

We are planning a new kitchen at the moment, and the only thing my DH insisted on was a hob on the island.
We will probably go for gas, although i do like the look of induction and we are currently researching the downdraft extractors.

CiderwithBuda · 07/03/2016 08:36

We have a Neff extraction fan which sits flush in the ceiling. I'm not entirely convinced by it however. I think our ceiling might be too high for it to be really effective.

Original poster

IShouldBeSoLurky · 07/03/2016 10:44

SignedUp as far as I know downdraft extractors aren't a good idea with gas. There may be exceptions though.

OP posts:

NancyDecca · 07/03/2016 15:27

Plateof , are you sure what you have had in holiday lets is actually induction and not one of those electric smooth topped ceramic hobs. They are totally different to use.

I was always a gas girl (had some feeling that I needed actual flames to cook ). DH kept pointing out all the advantages of induction - e.g. just as variable , so much easier to clean etc. I, on the other hand thought it looked like trying to cook on an iPad. In the end practical considerations meant we went for the induction and it is great. I am a convert. That said - I did have to get rid of some much loved, good quality (albeit old ) pans. That's the only disadvantage thus far for us.

One thing I did last time (with gas) and this time (induction) , both hobs on islands, was have the individual burners / pan areas arranged side by side (i.e. four - left to right , one deep) rather than two at the front, two at the back.

And we use iPads etc on the island ok. Thus far I have managed not to stick a pan on one .

marchtulips · 27/08/2017 08:11

Nancydecca with the hob 4 alongside each other is there actually enough space for 4 pans at one time? I'm trying to maximise the "free" space on the other side of the hob and this would give me this, but we do a lot of cooking so ultimately need the hob to work well too!

5rivers7hills · 27/08/2017 12:25

My last place had the hob on the island. I loved it. Didn't waste and wall space so got more cupboard space. I could cook looking out to the room and be more social. No issues with splashes or anything.

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