01 Sep Gas, induction or electric - which hob is right for me?

In addition to the oven, the hob is the heart of the kitchen. So it's no wonder that kitchen enthusiasts are divided into three camps: gas, electric and induction . Cookers with mass hobs made of cast iron, as we know them from the past, are considered obsolete. Nowadays, due to the high energy and cleaning requirements, they are no longer installed in new kitchens. Regardless of whether gas, electric or induction: every hob is suitable for frying, boiling and steaming. Even so, there are advantages and disadvantages that you should consider before making a purchase. Not only usability and energy efficiency play a role here, but also the safety of the people living in the household.

Induction hob: quick, clean and economical

With induction, the hob itself is not heated. There is an induction coil made of wire under the glass ceramic plate. Current flows through the coil and generates an alternating magnetic field. The energy that is generated in the process is transferred to the pot and the food in it in the form of thermal energy.

With induction hobs , it is not the hob itself that heats up , only the pot. If you remove the pot, the hotplate is only slightly warm due to the waste heat. Burning like with electric hobs is not possible here. Families with children especially appreciate this. An additional safety aspect is the pot detection: If there is no pot on the induction surface, no coil is activated. Since the hotplate does not heat up, spillage does not burn on - an enormous advantage when cleaning.

Only the bottom of the pot is heated

Another advantage of induction is that only the bottom of the pot is actually heated, regardless of its size. For induction novices, it should be mentioned that noises can be made when cooking on the induction hob. These result from the rapid heating of the bottom of the cookware, which works “mechanically” due to the heat. And the hob itself can also start to hum or crackle, especially when it is at full power.

Advantage number three is the enormous efficiency of this technology. With induction, you can bring the spaghetti water to the boil about twice as quickly as with gas and almost three times as quickly as with a conventional hotplate. This can influence your cooking habits under certain circumstances: While you used to be able to put water on to wash the potatoes in peace and quiet, as an induction cooker you will now have to do this beforehand. Because the water really boils after a very short time! When it comes to operation, the induction cooker control is convenient and easy on most devices using the touchscreen.

There is one thing you must keep in mind when deciding on induction technology: You may only use pots and pans that are suitable for induction. With your conventional stainless steel or aluminum pots, the food stays cold on the induction stove. In the meantime, however, there are cookware from all well-known manufacturers that can be used for all types of stoves - and at affordable prices too. You should therefore by no means make your decision for or against induction based on your equipment with pans and pots.

The induction hob - advantages and disadvantages

Cooking and frying without constant control

Unfortunately, something goes wrong every now and then when cooking on the induction hob. Because without constantly checking, the risotto burns quickly or the milk boils over. Solutions for this can now be found on the market using sensors attached to the potprevent exactly this. All you have to do is specify the required temperature level and the induction hob, in conjunction with the sensor, does the rest. This saves you from having to constantly monitor the temperature and can use your valuable time more sensibly. Intelligent sensors integrated into the hob serve the same purpose, making it possible to work with constant heat even with pan-fried dishes. The sensors constantly check the temperature and the hob regulates the energy supply so that the temperature that has been set is maintained. So the juicy steak always succeeds to the point.

Electric hob: A classic for decades: the electric hob with glass ceramic. For safety and energy reasons, however, many prefer the induction hob.

Electric hob: inexpensive solution with proven technology

Electric hobs made of glass ceramic began their triumphant advance in the mid-1970s and dominated technical kitchen equipment worldwide in the years that followed. In terms of energy, these hobs are far superior to the well-known cast iron hobs. Because of the smooth surface, these fields are easy to clean. One disadvantage, however, is the burning-in behavior: Even a little spilled milk mutates into ugly crusts that can only be removed with a razor-sharp special knife.

However, when it comes to the rapid availability and the exact dosage of the heat required for cooking, induction technology has now outstripped them. Since the hotplate stays hot longer even after it has been switched off, a lot of energy is lost on the one hand and there is also a risk of burns.

Convenient operation

The operation of the electric hob is very convenient: all functions can be easily accessed with the fingertip on a touchscreen control panel . Select the hob, regulate the temperature and set the timer, all of this can be done with your finger without buttons and switches.

You can also vary the size of the hob with most manufacturers. For small pots, for example, you only use a small part of the respective hob, which is shown graphically. In addition, there is now also "pan recognition" for electric hobs. The hob switches off automatically when you remove the pot. Another disadvantage of glass ceramics: if the glass surface is roughly hit, it can crack or break.

The electric hob - advantages and disadvantages

Gas hob : Typical in the professional kitchen: the gas stove. The heat is quickly available and easy to dose. However, cleaning the pan supports is not that easy. In addition, gas is not entirely harmless.

Gas hob: the professionals' favorite

The gas stove is a tried and tested concept and is particularly popular and appreciated in the catering trade. There are different variants: self-sufficient gas hobs, stove-bound gas hobs, domino gas hobs and even gas hobs under glass. Usually the hobs have four, sometimes only two burners. The systemic advantage of a gas stove is the rapid availability of great heat - and the fact that the heat is gone immediately when the flame is extinguished. In addition, there is the visible, fine controllability of the flame . All of this makes the gas stove the favorite appliance in the professional kitchen.

But the good properties of the actual cooking fade a little when it comes to cleaning the gas hobs after the menu has been prepared. In most models, the pan supports for pots and pans can be cleaned in the dishwasher. But the raised gas nozzles have to be cleaned by hand or in the sink, which is very laborious. The stove surface is also not as easy to wipe as an electric or induction hob, thanks to the integrated gas burner.

Gas is cheap

To do this, the gas stove requires that your building has a gas connection. Otherwise you have to work with gas cylinders, which are ideally placed in the stove, which of course entails regular replacement of the cylinders. And in order not to suddenly stand in front of the cold stove, it is advisable to stock up with a spare gas bottle, which also takes up space. However you design the gas management: Cooking with a gas stove is definitely more economical than with the electrical systems. Even with the gas supply with the deposit bottle, the operating costs are well below those that you have to calculate for an electrically operated stove.

Nevertheless, the gas stove has a decisive disadvantage for many. Leaky lines, defective valves or ailing connections can in extreme cases lead to a gas explosion. In addition to regular self-directed checks, the annual routine check by a specialist company (such as a gas installation company) is definitely worthwhile. Although this is not required by law, you are on the safe side. With a gas hob, you work with an open fire, so it is particularly important not to leave children unattended in the kitchen. You should also not leave pot holders or other textiles too close to the gas hob, otherwise there is a risk of fire. If you play it safe and still don't want to do without gas cooking, you can opt for a gas hob under glass.

The gas hob - advantages and disadvantages

The kitchen professional advises: choose domino hobs!

It is also feasible to combine the various properties of the different types of stove with one another - with so-called domino hobs . These are usually 30 or 40 centimeter wide hobs that can be flexibly combined with one another. For example, gas and induction hobs can be used at the same time. If you like pan-fried foods, a hearty breakfast with fried eggs and fried bacon or fresh minute steaks, you can have a teppanyaki grill built in - this replaces a pan and is a wonderful addition to the other types of cooking.

Kitchen professional Claudia Frey, owner of a kitchen studio in Kandel that is qualified by kueche.de , explains: “The manufacturers offer you a wide range of technical solutions that can be combined with one another. In this way, even with high demands, we will find the technology mix for you that ideally suits your requirements and habits. ”When planning your hob, you should therefore work out with your kitchen planner how your habits can best be reconciled with the right technology permit. For this, of course, the technical requirements must be clarified.

Tips for the planning meeting

• Which connections can be implemented (gas / electricity)?
• How important is the safety aspect (children in the household)?
• Are you more of the roast type? The wok type? The pot type?
• Which oven suits your planning (gas oven, built-in oven in the stove block)?
• How many hobs does it have to be?
• Key point energy: When does the induction cooker pay for itself due to lower power consumption?

If you clarify these questions, you will come to a result together with the kitchen professional that will make your kitchen a perfect living space and that you will enjoy for a long time.