Induction hobs - yes or no?

[PopcornAndWine]

Hi, having an extension with new kitchen built at the moment and trying to decide what hob to get. Have heard mixed things about induction hobs so looking for opinions/experiences. Thanks.

And I cook complex meals a lot. I am an experienced home cook and very adventurous.

I like induction far more than gas and yes I have cooked on gas. Induction is just as responsive, and it can sustain a low simmer much better.

Sorry, one more thing. I can tomatoes and make jams. I also make pickles. I have a huge hot water canner. It works like a charm on induction.

I burn far less pans on induction.

Yes it's that simple, though you'll look mad in a shop trying magnets on all the pans!!

If you're buying new pans they pretty much all say whether or not they're compatible with induction hobs.

@LoveFall - when you use a wok on your induction do the sides of the pan get really hot the way they would on a gas ring? They don't on mine which slows down the cooking process so you don't get that powerful flash cooking effect that you should with a wok. And when I tilt the pan - which seems a natural thing to do when cooking with a wok - it loses connection with the hob which then switches off.

Definitely get the induction. So much better, for all the reasons already mentioned. I've had induction in the last two places I've lived, and gas for many years before that, and I would never go back to gas. Induction is more environmentally friendly/energy efficient, safer, quicker to heat, easier to control, easier to clean, better looking, and yes, it boils water quicker than the kettle (we gave our kettle away, as we can just boil water in a milk pan and it's done in less than a minute). We cook a lot, and there's nothing we've found lacking on the induction hob relative to gas.

Regarding pans, we bought these four years ago and they work great, and are still as good as new, so don't feel like you have to spend hundreds on fancy pans for the induction hob: www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005XDFNFQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

We love our induction hob, it is so responsive. My experience is different to that of one or two pps. Scrambled eggs is a regular order in our house and they are super fast to cook using the induction hob, I have also just finished my latest batch of blackberry jam and have found it perfect for that. It's also really good when you're simmering something and need a steady heat. I wouldn't go back to gas now. Ours is a rangemaster and so doesn't do any annoying beeping at me either.

@Medievalist

Yes, the sides of the wok become hot. But I have had to try several woks before I was happy.

I just looked at it and sadly it seems without identifying marks.

It looks like cast iron with a very resilient non stick. It is quite heavy. I find it very hot. Stuff sticks a bit but soaks off quickly. It has good quality handles that are attached properly.

DH got it at an Asian cooking store. We have lots of those where I live, in Vancouver.

I cook stir fries and things like Mu Shu pork in it.

I wish I could help more.

In all honesty, I have difficulty seeing the downsides posters mention. Having cooked on old fashioned electric rings, smooth top electric, gas, and now induction, there is no contest in my experience.

Why would gas heat a wok better than induction unless we are talking a wok burner? A proper wok will quickly conduct the heat up the sides. Gas is not heating up the sides either.

I used to be very irritated with my gas hob about simmering. I bought some gadgets to put under the pot just to get a real simmer.

Searing and caramelizing are easy on the induction cooktop.

The biggest downside really is blackening peppers etc. Honestly not a big loss.

I think gas Is great to cook on compared to electric. But I do think there are some snobs about induction or people haven’t used a decent induction.

[quote Medievalist]@JosephineDeBeauharnais - I'm curious as to why you think induction jobs are no good for jam? I hate mine because gas is a million times better for stir fries, omelettes - and I agree scrambled eggs!

However, I've cooked jam on it a few times and not had any problems (other than my inability to gauge the right time to stop cooking) but maybe my jam would be better on a different style hob?! [/quote]
@Medievalist I’ve always made jam and marmalade on gas hob until I got this induction one and had no issues. I don’t know whether it’s the pans, but nothing will set - DH made fudge last week and had the same problem, ended up as sauce.
Scrambled eggs only work in the non stick frying pan for some reason, absolutely won’t scramble in any other pan, which is frustrating.

Absolutely yes

Mine is a rangemaster nexus

We are staying in a holiday home with a Miele induction heating job, and combined oven/grill. Hate it! I spend my time watching the pans, so they don’t boil over and get water everywhere - which iirc, is hard to remove!

I much prefer my 5 gas ring range cooker with an electric grill and 2 ovens!

@Realyorkshiretea

No, no and no again. I just moved house & went from gas to induction and I HATE it. Gas was so quick & intuitive to control, the induction hob takes ages to warm up and there is a lag in changing the settings and the heat adjusting. Any spills bake on to the glass and are difficult to get off. The glass always looks like it has a greasy film on. And to top it off if I put a pan or plate on it without the ring being on, it beeps at me.

In short, it’s ruined my life.

You don't have an induction hob. You almost certainly have a ceramic hob (they look identical).

Induction hobs don't heat up, they heat the pan (instantly). It's also physically impossible to burn anything onto an induction hob because the hob itself doesn't heat up.

I had a gas and moved to induction, I love it and it’s far safer when teaching my dd how to cook. No contest for me. Over the last few years far more pans are available for all Hobs even in supermarkets. Just check the label. I also love that my Cast iron pans work fine on it.

@EmmaGrundyForPM

Exactly what I thought. An induction hob would do none of those things, ever. I had a glass ceramic electric hob and it did all those things. I hated it.

They do look the same.

Thanks all! Really helpful definitely leaning towards induction from the replies here!

Ooh yes. Am a convert now! So fast.

No. Love my new gas hob. Bora with built in extractor.

I too have a very underused Siemens steam combi oven - steam & bake is a decent starting website for ideas - re the induction hob I was a reluctant convert from gas & love it!

I've recently changed from gas to induction having lusted after my DM's induction hob for several years. It's awesome. Really love it - and to the pp yes, I do cook from scratch every sodding day, and yes, it's wonderful.

Right though, there are two things against it in my experience:

1. I can't open smoke aubergines on it the way I did with the gas burners and a weird arrangement of kebab skewers. I am living with this tragic loss by using a BBQ.

1. If you make jam you have to be careful - the job is pretty good at taking burning pasta water etc and coming out clean but if you burn boiling jam sugar into it it can pit.

@abw94

No.

Hated it when we had one so we changed it to gas within 6 months of moving in. Difficult to find pans to work and the heat settings were either hot and burn everything or stand over the pan for what felt like your whole life.

Will never have one again.

😂😂 you can get pans that work fine from lots of places including Argos, Amazon etc.

They come on numbered settings and there are other choices than cold or burnt. You're not using it properly dear.

This has been a fab thread. I have just had a gas hob installed recently. TBF I love it. Got burned badly by old electric ring hob when I was 14.
Always favoured gas since then but I didn’t even consider ceramic or induction ( ceramic was disaster in a rented house)
I was stupid. Probably would have still gone for gas but I didn’t think.

Induction all the way here.
I love the fact it doesn't heat up so in essence I've got extra work top space.

I only had to replace one pan (my wok) as the rest of mine were all stainless steel/ cast iron. Most of my pans are 20+ years old. I have no idea why finding induction pans has proven difficult for some posters. They are everywhere!

I've had gas/ ceramic and induction in recent years. Prefer the induction. The only thing I've not been able to do is char peppers.

We love ours. It is very responsive and so easy to clean. Has a power button which boils water faster than a kettle.

As for not being the best option for people who like or are good at cooking, what piffle. My DH used to be a chef and loves the induction