Hello! After years of use, my electric stove spoils the look of a renovated kitchen. I want to change. There are many good reviews about built-in induction panels: beautiful, economical. What is the optimal power of such a stove, does it consume less electricity, by how much? What to look for when buying?
Igor Markov
The perfect choice! So you can call an induction cooker. This type of hob is completely safe: by remaining cold, it heats only the cookware on the hotplate. If there is no pots or pans on the stove, it simply does not turn on. It is impossible to burn yourself on such a panel: heating stops automatically when the pan is removed. The hotplate itself cools down in just 10-15 seconds.
Nothing burns on the ceramic surface. To maintain cleanliness, it is enough to wipe it with a soft cloth with a special agent.
See also - 10 best glass ceramic hobs
Electricity consumption can be calculated
Let's compare the consumption for boiling water on burners of the same power for conventional and induction electric stoves: kettles of 2.5 liters, power 2 kW, boiling time 30 minutes. and 6 minutes, 1 kW and 0.2 kW were spent, respectively. Savings - 0.8 kW. "Score" 5: 1 in favor of induction.
Modern cookers of this type have a power of 3.5-10 kW. For an apartment, especially in old houses, the smallest is optimal - it does not need any special wiring or permission from the power supply organization. Home owners can install more powerful appliances.
The number of burners can be determined based on the needs of the family and the size of the kitchen. It is more convenient to have 4 burners, you can 2. Expensive models differ from the budget ones also in the set of functions, the number and method of heating regulation: a rotary switch, touch control or a remote control.
Quite affordable at a price (from 13,000 rubles), the 4-burner Hansa BHI64383030 stove has 9 steps of heating adjustment, touch control, overheating protection, there is a 1.5 times increase in the power of the burners (Booster) and other functions. Plugs into a home outlet. Actually, functionality, not power, determines the usability. But, the more complex the functionality, the higher the price. True, there is also wider scope for creativity.
What will require attention when choosing
At home: the presence of magnetizable dishes with a flat bottom. Unevenness increases energy consumption and can cause the hob to chirp due to uneven heating. Enameled, cast-iron, steel containers are suitable, the bottom of which is held by a permanent magnet (it is the bottom that heats up, the boiling liquid heats the walls). If there are none, you can purchase steel discs that transfer heat from the burners as a temporary replacement for special dishes. Carefully measure the intended installation location.
In the store: select the type of hob: dependent or independent. The first ones work only together with the oven and cannot be installed separately, since the control knobs are located on the front panel of the oven. The second ones are installed anywhere. The presence of the edging of the ceramic plate - the edges of the surface - is the most vulnerable place: on impact, chips may form.
Important! Using aluminum or copper cookware may cause permanent stains on the ceramic surface. And yet, ceramics are destroyed by sugar. Spilled sugar or syrup must be removed immediately.
See also - Is an induction cooker harmful to human health?
