More and more cooking enthusiasts, kitchen princesses and housewives (or husbands) are discovering the induction cooktop. There are a number of ideal advantages of the induction plate that I, too, have recently had the pleasure of discovering. Pans on the glass plate heat up extremely quickly, and an induction plate allows water to boil about 40 percent faster than its ceramic competitor. Electric cooking is “here to stay.”
How long does an induction cooktop last?
The question that concerns many people is how long an induction cooktop will actually last. You can invest a lot of money in such an induction cooktop, but if it loses out within a few years, it’s a pity. I would like to give you some tips on how to make sure that a good induction hob will indeed last a long time, so that you can actually get your investment out of it.
The risk of burn-in with an induction cooktop
The great advantage of this method of cooking is that the glass plate does not get hot at all. So to speak, you can put a bar of chocolate on one half of an induction stove and half a pan on the other half and the bar of chocolate will melt only in the pan. This is because an induction plate works by means of electromagnetic fields – the bottom of the special magnetic pan gets hot from these vibrations and thus causes the contents to get hot.
How to clean the surface
Be careful never to scrub the surface of a glass plate with a scouring pad. The best way to remove a stain is to use lemon or vinegar in warm soapy water. Just use a soft cloth. It also often comes with a special scraper that you can use to remove food residue.
Avoid scratching your induction cooktop
Of course, as an enthusiastic cook, you have no qualms about turning on your induction hob every day to make the most delicious dishes. Yet, due to this intensive use, it often happens that the plate gets scratched. How do you make sure that doesn’t happen? Well, often it is salt, sugar, spices or sand that causes the glass plate and the pan to rub together. Also, the bottom of the pan is not always even. You can make sure it doesn’t get scratched yourself by, among other things….
- check the pans for burrs and bumps. Sharp edges can be filed off;
- avoid the cooktop in other kitchen use. Don’t put other items on it, especially items that could be sharp;
- slide pans on the stove as little as possible;
- keeping the stove clean as gently as possible.
The average lifetime of the cooktop
Induction cooktops last about anywhere from 10 to 15 years. That’s not as much as a gas stove, which can sometimes last 30 to 40 years. Extend the life of the cooktop by regularly cleaning and keeping the glass plate clean. Make sure the cooktop is completely cooled, make a soapy water and gently go over the surface of the plate with your microfiber cloth in a circular motion.
It is a wonderful investment and there are a lot of benefits to an induction cooktop. That’s why it’s good to know how to properly care for your cooktop.