Do you choose ceramic or induction? It’s the question an employee of a large electronics shop once asked me. For a moment, I was at a loss as to what to say, because what is actually the difference? Fortunately, the employee was kind enough to explain it to me. Now that I know the difference, it is my turn to explain it in this blog.
Do you choose ceramic or induction?
That we will all be going off the gas in the Netherlands, that seems obvious by now. More and more new-build homes are no longer being fitted with gas at all, so the only option is to go electric. But here the question – ceramic or induction – is indeed in place. Which is better? Which is more user-friendly? And which is better for the climate now?
Similarities and differences between ceramic and induction
The similarity between the two cooking systems is, of course, that they both run on electricity. The only difference is that whereas a ceramic hob uses heating elements with infrared or halogen lamps, the induction hob cannot actually be called a heat source at all. This is because the induction hob uses a magnetic field.
How does a ceramic hob work?
A ceramic hob is a glass plate with elements underneath that can heat the pan. Basically, you can put any pan with a flat bottom on this and cook your food with it. Depending on the quality of the hob, you can control the temperature and set the time such a plate should be hot.
How an induction hob works
An induction hob works very differently. There are no heating elements in the plate, but is more of a device that generates a magnetic field. The bottom of the special pans for this plate is magnetic and the small particles of iron vibrate to such an extent that the pan itself becomes hot. The pan gets hot, not the glass.
Heating time
One of the biggest advantages of the induction plate is that the contents of the pan boil quickly. With the ceramic plate, it really does take a lot longer before the pan is finally hot and before anything comes to the boil. On average, a litre of water boils about 40 per cent slower.
Spill
Because the hob gets very hot, food spills on a ceramic hob will quickly burn in, which is not so good for the hob. With induction, the plate does not get hot, so you can easily wipe up any spilled food without it destroying the glass plate.
Safety
Whereas a ceramic plate often needs minutes to cool down, the induction plate is not hot at all when you take the pan off. So no child can burn themselves on the hob (only on the pan bottom) and neither can you. So always be careful with the ceramic plate when you have already put the pans on the table.
Cost
The glass ceramic plate is often much cheaper than an induction hob, but because it is more expensive to use, the final cost will come closer and closer to each other after a few years. Also, connection costs are lower with an induction hob because a dedicated electricity group is not always needed in the meter cupboard. Also keep in mind that the induction hob requires special pans. Not every pan from your old kitchen can still be used.
Which one to choose now
Although after all these years I still haven’t figured out what exactly is better for the wallet – it’s different with every model – that the induction hob is generally more energy-efficient, safer and faster seems to be a fact. The choice is now yours.
Note: if you have a pacemaker, an induction hob is not recommended. This is because you will be sensitive to electromagnetic fields.