Want a cooking hob that’s energy efficient, easy to clean and fast to heat? Then you need induction hobs.
Key benefits of induction hobs:
• the hobs don't get hot, so they're easy to clean
• your plastic tongs won’t melt if you accidentally leave them on the hob
• when there's no pan, there's no heat
• heats up and cooks food faster than a regular hob – try boiling a pan of water to see
How do induction hobs work?
Electromagnetism heats the pans, rather than the hob itself. Induction hobs also recognise the size of your pan to provide just the right amount of heat.
All-in-all, this means they use less energy, so are cheaper to run than regular hobs.
Other things to consider:
• You need pans with a high iron content – so may need to buy new ones
• An induction cooker will cost more than a regular gas or electric one
Which induction cooker is right for me?
We've picked out three of our favourite induction cookers – at the top, middle and bottom of the price range.
For budgets around £1,000 - AEG 49106 IU
When it comes to induction cookers, this one's the daddy.
You can control the heat on your induction hobs with ultra-responsive touch controls. Tweak the temperature of your hob by tapping your fingertip against the glass surface.
And because there are no knobs they're even easier to clean – gone are the days of dried-on pasta sauce stubbornly gripping to the groove in your temperature dial.
Speaking of cleaning, this cooker also boasts technology that turns dirt and grease into fine ash that can be easily wiped away. No more reaching for the rubber gloves and deep-cleaning bucket on a Sunday afternoon.
As well as all the usual benefits of induction hobs, this also has both a fan oven and a regular oven – meaning it's an absolute demon when it comes to the stress-fest of cooking a big family meal.
For budgets around £750 - Belling CFE60MFTi
Spend a lot time cooking for friends and family? This Belling induction cooker is just what you need to take the hard work out of the Sunday roast.
Boil your carrots and spuds and simmer your gravy with easy grip knobs – push them in while you’re cooking so they don’t get knocked about.
There's a double oven too. Roast your chicken or joint of beef in the main oven (61 litre capacity) and cook your Yorkshire puds at a higher temperature in the smaller second oven.
Set the oven to switch on when you head out for a walk with the programmable timer and arrive home to the smell of perfectly golden roasties.
And when you're done, effortlessly wipe away any spills from the easy-clean enamel surface.
For budgets under £500 - Zanussi ZCI68000BA
Want to have a stab at induction cooking without spending too much? This Zanussi is a great introduction.
Multi-task like a pro with the double oven. Pile up several trays at once in the main fan oven – it evenly distributes heat so you can cook at the same speed on different shelves. The smaller top oven heats like a conventional oven and is great for roasting or baking.
With four induction hobs on the go, you can be sure you'll keep on top of your numerous pots and pans. You'll enjoy all the benefits of induction cooking - easy cleaning and faster cooking - for less than £500.
