More and more cooking enthusiasts, kitchen princesses and housewives (or husbands) are discovering the induction hob. There are some ideal advantages of the induction hob that I, too, have recently had the pleasure of discovering. Pans on the glass plate heat up extremely quickly and an induction hob allows water to boil about 40 per cent faster than its ceramic competitor. Electric cooking is “here to stay”.
How long does an induction hob last?
The question on many people’s minds is how long an induction hob actually lasts. You can invest a lot of money in such a hob, but if it loses out within just a few years, it’s a shame about the money. I would like to give you some tips on how to make sure that a good induction hob will indeed last for a long time, so that you can actually get a return on your investment.
Burn-in risk with an induction hob
The big advantage of this method of cooking is that the glass plate does not get hot at all. You can, so to speak, put a bar of chocolate on one half of an induction hob and half a pan on the other half and the bar of chocolate will only melt in the pan. This is because an induction hob works by means of electromagnetic fields – the underside of the special magnetic pan is heated up by these vibrations and thus causes the contents to heat up.
How to clean the surface
Make sure you never 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, which you can use to remove food residues.
Avoid scratching your induction hob
Of course, as an enthusiastic cook, you have no qualms about switching on your induction hob every day to make the tastiest 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 cause 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.
- checking the pans for burrs and unevenness. Sharp edges can be filed off;
- avoiding the hob in other kitchen use. Do not put other items on it, especially items that could be sharp;
- slide pans on the hob as little as possible;
- keep the hob clean as gently as possible.
The average lifespan of the hob
Induction hobs last about somewhere between 10 and 15 years. This is not as much as a gas cooker, which can sometimes last 30 to 40 years. Extend the life of the cooker by regularly cleaning and keeping the glass plate clean. Make sure the hob has cooled down completely, make some suds and gently go over the surface of the plate with your microfibre cloth in a circular motion.
It is a wonderful investment and there are a lot of advantages to an induction hob. That’s why it’s good to know how to properly care for your hob.