Induction hob - do I need the bells and whistles?

[jamaisjedors]

We are currently making lots of decisions on a new kitchen and want to get an induction hob.

I've only ever had gas so not sure what I'm looking for, my head is spinning with the zillions of options.

I definitely want one where you can control each ring separately to make it simpler to use.

I'm quite tempted by the smeg option with actual knobs on
https://markselectrical.co.uk/si964nm_smeg-induction-hob?sref=item_colour

But will I miss not having individual timers or any of the other fancy features?

Mine has one central control knob but it is really easy to control each ring.

I don't really use the timer on the rings, I do use the count-down timer for other things going in the kitchen as the 'beep' is really loud.

My hob has two rings and one half of it is a 'zone' where you can control each half like a separate ring, or a have a larger area working. This is good for my large oval Le Crueset pot and for doing gravy in big roasting tins. Apparently it's good for fish kettles [if you ever cook a whole salmon!]

We went into J Lewis at a quiet time and spent ages with the induction hob lady who knew all the different models and functions.

IMO the main thing you need is decent power, and you may need an electrician to ensure that your consumer unit can handle this (we needed a new one but it was part of a bigger refurb).

My hob has individual timers for each ring but I rarely use them as I mostly use Alexa for timing. Flexi zones like @VeronicaBeccabunga describes are handy for irregular shaped pots, eg I have an oval cast iron casserole.

OK, all good to know thanks! I find the timer function super useful on my airfryer but it's true that even if you turn the pot of pasta off, you have to drain it straight away otherwise it turns to mush so my good old kitchen timer will be fine.

I have to say I like the timer function on my induction hob in that I put something on to cook, eg vegetables for soup and then make a phone call or have a shower. I love that the hob turns itself off after the time I have set it for.

I also like having no knobs as it's extra easy to clean.

I use my timers constantly, I was even thinking the other day that this is the most useful feature and I'd hate to be without it.

I can easily steam veg for 4 minutes, boil pasta for 9, simmer meat sauce, etc, at the same time. I get easily distracted as usually dealing with children and dogs at the same time.

I would have liked a removable knob though, but as my induction is part of my range cooker, my budget and the space in the kitchen didn't allow one as an option.

Agree that a removable knob is a useful safety feature if you have small children. My AEG doesn't have one but PILs' Neff does and it is very handy.

If you’re usedtogas you will hate induction. 7 years with mine and I still can’t cope.

I couldn't disagree more! I'll never go back to gas. My hob boils water much faster than my gas hob ever could and there is much more precision at very low temperatures.

My experience of people disliking induction, is usually because they have mistaken a ceramic hob for (the far superior) induction.

Or they have used a low-rated one that uses a regular 13A plug rather than a hard wired 30A connection.

The only thing I miss gas for is using the flame to char certain foods, but a chef's blowtorch or the bbq grill have been an ample substitute. The benefits of induction outweigh this minor inconvenience. No regrets in replacing my gas hob with induction.

I thought I wanted gas, but we got an induction and 99% of the time I much prefer it. And for the other 1% I use the gas bbq or grill (aubergines).

It's so easy to clean. We've got the removable knob one and we have lost it a few times as it's magnetic and attached itself to something. A common problem is that people end up melting it as it has attached itself to something that has gone in the oven.

The touch screen sometimes sends very hangry impatient husband into a spin and he shouts that he'd rather have knobs...but it's actually easy.

Get one with enough power.

Ours has zones that link up and that is handy.

I've got a Neff induction without any knobs. It looks very sleek and is super easy to clean.
I'd had gas for 35 years when I got the induction. I've found it very efficient and straightforward. I've never used the timer function but I do use the power boost if I'm in a hurry to bring something to the boil.

Loved gas, love induction even more. Don't even have an electric kettle just use a hob one.

All really good points, thanks again!

Still torn about the knobs, but now think the timer function would be useful.
I think I'll try and find a "real" shop and have a look at some IRL, and also check out the power issue.

Definitely not in my case. I had only ever cooked on gas before buying my current house. I had planned on ripping out the cooker and getting an all gas one. I had never even used an electric oven My son, a chef, persuaded me to give induction a try before getting rid of it. So glad I did. I love it. 3 years later I wouldn't give it up for anything.

I went from gas to induction and brought almost the cheapest, and two years on it still makes me happy! No knobs = super easy cleaning

We love induction. Had an AEG induction hob until it just stopped working one day. AEG were utter shockers at customer service and getting it fixed. No one ever returned our calls or did anything helpful even though we paid up front for the repair. We were over 3 months without a hob before they declared it unfixable for unknown reasons. Their own engineer said he wouldn't buy AEG.
We now have a Bosch. It's really important to me that when things go wrong, the company will be helpful and responsive. Do read trustpilot or similar reviews before buying to tell you what the company is like because when they go wrong you need to get that same company to repair it.
I still shudder at the 30+ phone calls with unhelpful people!

I found gas so messy if there was a spill. Ceramic and induction are both incredibly easy to clean and I wouldn't get a knob version- unless they are removable.

I'd wrongly assumed that as soon as the pot is removed from the induction hob- its instantly cool again and you can put your hand on it. This is not the case! Its still hot/warm for sometime. To check if your pans will work on the induction, use a magnet on the bottom. If it stills solidly, it will work. If it sticks only weakly, it either won't work at all, or very poorly.

You can also get hobs with half gas and half induction. We got a miele induction. TBH- it does have timers on each hob, but I've never looked into using them. They do have a factory outlet, so if you chose one, you can check when one is reduced. They change the list daily.
https://application.miele.co.uk/resources/pdf/MieleOutletPricelist.pdf

No, got our unknown brand on Amazon because it was long and fit an error a drunk carpenter left us with (don't ask!) and it has been going strong for 3 yrs no issue.

Induction is amazing! Definitely get one with timers for each of the rings. We have no knobs on ours, which can be a bit faffy as you have to stab the panel a few times occasionally, but it’s worth it for ease of cleaning.

@jamaisjedors What induction hobs have knobs? I have a 13 year old Miele induction which is still amazing. No knobs. DD has a Bosch induction: no knobs. All are tough controls. You just wipe the whole hob and it looks great. 32A are the better ones and you must get the power supply sorted.

Look at the Which Best Buys. Usually helpful reviews.

Don't do it @jamaisjedors

We went from gas to induction and I can't stand it. I will be going back to gas as soon as possible.

We had gas until we inherited a Neff induction hob. Had to buy some new pans. At first it drove me batty, we were going to rip it out for gas. But once I got used to it I came to love it. So easy to clean.

My DM has an induction hob and I have to say I dislike cooking on it with quite a passion.

The rings turn themselves off at the drop of a hat and the main power touch button is really easy to touch by mistake and switches the whole thing off.

I have to reset something several times every time I cook. Am willing to admit this may well be user error that wouldn't happen if I was more familiar with it.

We have a NEFF induction hob (no knobs) Initially it was trial and error when cooking but we all love it now. Lots of extra functions and the speed to bring things to the boil is mind blowing!

Whichever brand you choose, make sure you get one that is hard wired in by an electrician, which provides optimal power to all 4 zones consistently. If you opt for a ‘plug and play’ hob, the power will be significantly reduced when using 3 or 4 zones at the same time.