What is the difference between a gas, electric, induction or ceramic stove? How does the material of manufacture affect the cooking performance and how does that translate into energy efficiency? What type of kitchenware can be used?
If you like to steam, simmer, grill, fry… there is a plate for you!
The hob is one of the most important parts of any kitchen equipment, so in addition to deciding which one to choose, you also need to consider its location.
The most appropriate place to place it determines what type of purchase you need. If you want a gas hob, which are usually the most popular, then you need to be very clear that the gas supply needs to be close. On the other hand, many new buildings do not have a gas connection.
The most common cooktop configuration consists of one large burner, two medium burners, and one simmer burner. However, you can also choose a unit that allows you to mix and match your burners according to your needs.
Discover today the differences between a ceramic hob and an induction hob, and they explain which one is the best for each of us:
Differences between glass ceramic and induction hobs
Vitroceramics: mode of use, operation, and advantages and disadvantages
The glass ceramics are characterized by keeping the heating systems hidden under the resistant ceramic glass surface.
The size and position of the heat source are stamped on the surface of the zone. In addition, they have a device that prevents the ceramic glass from protruding.
One of the greatest advantages of glass-ceramics is their ease of cleaning, given their smooth and flat surface. On the downside: the heat distribution around the bottom of the pans is not as good as when using a gas stove.
Induction hobs: mode of use, operation, and advantages and disadvantages
Induction hobs have a coiled copper coil under the surface of the glass that produces heat to cook food. In this way, the glass itself does not need to be heated for cooking, as this coil is inactive until an iron-based magnetic tray is placed on it.
You simply need to lift the pan so that the plate begins to cool. This, added to their ease of cleaning and their energy efficiency, make them an increasingly popular option among those who want to make a reform in their kitchen.
The main disadvantage of induction hobs is that your current pans and pots may be incompatible with these devices, so you will have to invest in new ones based on magnets to use with your new induction hob. Also, if you use a pacemaker, you may want to check with your dealer if the powerful electromagnetic field used by this type of card can affect its operation.
Which is better when cooking?
While both induction and glass ceramic hobs offer the same streamlined appearance and are made of glass, there are several differences when using them for cooking.
Ceramic plates are ideal for those who have a limited budget. They are usually more affordable than the induction equivalents, and you can find countless styles and dimensions that make it perfectly fit the size of your kitchen. Vitroceramics stand out for their speed when heating up, but they are always usually slower than gas or induction hobs. If energy efficiency is important to you, ceramic plates are often inefficient in that regard, as they heat the entire surface when in operation.
While induction hobs are easy to clean and offer a modern, streamlined look, the technology they use is completely different from that of glass ceramics.
The technology used by induction hobs uses magnetism to heat the pan, and not the hob itself. Which means that the heat permeates the food incredibly quickly. Induction hobs directly heat the pan, making them truly efficient and safe, as they also minimize the risk of getting burned.
Although induction hobs are usually more expensive than glass ceramics, most of the time it is worth the investment that you can recover in energy and time saved during its useful life. In addition, the price of induction hobs has been falling over the years, so this is undoubtedly one of the options recommended by almost all manufacturers.
So the question of which one to choose is already settled. It all depends on the budget and the performance that is most important to you. If you cook a lot, you may want to spend a little more on a product that guarantees better performance. If, on the other hand, you only cook just enough, then the ceramic hob is the quintessential option for you.
