01 Jun Induction cooker comparison 2022

Posted at 02:21h in Blog by Brenda Cao 0 Comments

Induction cookers are becoming more and more popular in European kitchens because, on the one hand, their power consumption in the practical test is lower than that of electric cookers and, on the other hand, there is less risk of burns from the hotplate.

Some people fear effects on their health from electrical or electromagnetic radiation, but in the opinion of the Federal Office for Radiation, these should not exist if the induction cooker is installed and used properly .

Purchase advice: How to find the right product in our induction stove comparison 2021

the essentials in brief

An induction cooker heats the cookware and the food it contains using eddy currents generated by a magnetic field. It is therefore sometimes called an eddy current hearth.
Cooking on an induction stove is harmless. However, suitable cookware with a level base for good contact must be used, which must not be too small for the respective hotplate.
An induction stove can be cleaned very easily and without great effort. A blade scraper for Ceran, for example, can be used for this.

Anyone who moves or wants to refurbish the kitchen is often faced with the question of which kitchen appliances and which stove should be used in the future. Many customers nowadays choose an induction cooker or induction hotplate to take advantage of various benefits.
If you want to buy an induction cooker, there are a few things to consider. Among other things, the dimensions, the number of hobs, the annual energy consumption and useful functions play an essential role. The reason for choosing a device from a certain manufacturer can also be because of the good service they offer.

1. How does an induction cooker work?

The induction cooker is not new

The first attempts to cook using electromagnetic induction were made in England at the beginning of the 20th century. It was not until around 70 years later that the first induction cooker by the Westinghouse company from the USA was to come onto the market. This was so expensive that there was hardly any demand for it. Since the late 1970s, the induction cooker has first established itself on a large scale in France. From the mid-1980s, induction cookers were offered in the USA by the Kenmore company.

To operate an induction cooker, electromagnetic induction is used, which was discovered by the English naturalist Michael Faraday at the beginning of the 19th century . Faraday tried to convert magnetism into electrical current , but only found success with it after many years and numerous attempts. He used copper wire windings that were connected to a magnetic needle and poles of a battery by copper wire.

This principle also works today with an induction hob : a copper coil through which alternating current flows is attached under a ceramic plate, usually glass ceramic. This creates an alternating magnetic field that creates eddy currents in the bottom of a suitable saucepan . This in turn heats the pot and thus the food and liquids it contains. If there is no pot on the stove, no alternating magnetic field can arise. This means that the hotplate is cold again immediately after removing a saucepan.

2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of an induction cooker compared to an electric and gas cooker?

ADVANTAGES

only the cookware is heated, not the hob
Since there is hardly any risk of burns on the hob, the induction cooker is safer for children
the consumption of energy is lower
the heating of food is faster

DISADVANTAGE

special pots and pans are required
the price is higher

3. Purchase advice: Which criteria should you consider when comparing induction cookers?

Aspect for the purchase	description
Energy efficiency class	The current induction cookers are all very energy efficient and therefore most in energy efficiency class A settled.
Number of hobs	From a single plate to six cooking zones , the number of fields can vary depending on the type of induction cooker. The more hot plates the appliance has, the more pots can be heated at the same time. If you often cook large meals, choose an induction cooker with a large number of plates.
Type and capacity of the oven	In built-in cookers and free-standing induction cookers, an oven is often integrated. The interior volume usually varies between 58 and 74 liters . A self-cleaning oven is practical . An additional grill function and a removable door are also convenient.
Dimensions	There are induction cookers and induction hobs with different dimensions. Are usual Niche dimensions 56-80 centimeters , so there is a model to suit every kitchen.
Useful features	Certain features can increase the convenience of use. These include, for example, retractable rotary knobs, an additional defrosting stage, an oven door made of glass, variable hobs . An induction cooker with a timer function is useful when food is to be heated or cooked at fixed times. Induction hobs with integrated extractor hoods have also recently become available in stores, so that the steam is extracted directly from where it is created.

Attention: As the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) has established, there is no health risk from electromagnetic radiation when an induction cooker is used properly with suitable cookware. Correct use also includes the professional connection of the stove, which should definitely be carried out by a specialist. However, the BfS points out that people with pacemakers should consult their doctor before buying an induction cooker. The function of the pacemaker can be impaired by magnetic fields in the vicinity of the cooker.

4. Which manufacturers and brands do well in the induction cooker test?

Most manufacturers of large household appliances now also produce induction cookers, so customers can choose between many models and brands. The most important producers are currently:

Siemens
Bosch
Smeg
Beko
AEG
Emperor
Bauknecht
Gorenje
Nephew

5. What types of induction cookers are there?

As with every type, there are also different types of induction cookers . In the induction cooker test, it is therefore first necessary to narrow down which type or category of cooker is required for your own kitchen. The best induction cooker will not do its job if it does not fit into the room and the rest of the furnishings.

type	description
Built-in cooker	The built-in induction cooker is used in a designated cupboard or on the worktop of a fitted kitchen.
Freestanding stove	The free-standing induction cooker can be set up anywhere compared to the built-in cooker. It is well suited for a large kitchen and usually also has an oven.
Induction hotplate	A self-sufficient induction hotplate is very compact and is therefore suitable for use in small kitchens, in the weekend house or for campers. Such devices are also available with a single plate or only two hotplates.

induction cooker pots — For an induction cooker, pots with a ferromagnetic base are required.

6. Why is cooking on an induction hob only fun with the right pots?

In order to be able to cook and fry on an induction stove, you need pots and pans into which the electromagnetic alternating field can be directed so that a resistance is built up and electricity can be converted into heat. It is best to choose a saucepan, pan or induction cooking set made of ferromagnetic materials such as nickel, iron or steel. An induction cooking set is available in many online shops such as Bosch Home, Amazon or MediaMarkt. There are, for example, offers from Hincoo Cook.

Tip: There are now pots and pans on the household market with a base that is suitable for any hob. Cookware with such a pot base is usually provided with the term universal base. The bottom of the pot must be level in any case. In addition, the cookware should not be too small for the selected hotplate.

7. What do induction stoves reveal in the Stiftung Warentest test?

The Stiftung Warentest has also subjected induction cookers to a test as part of a hob test. A total of ten induction hobs were tested. In particular , devices from Bosch and Siemens scored points in the cooker-with-induction hob test . The T54T86N2 from Neff stands out due to the large number of induction hobs. The device offers five hotplates. With a price of around 650 euros, this is an inexpensive induction stove.

Stiftung Warentest does not name a clear induction cooker test winner . The first two places are shared by the Bosch PIB645B17E and the Siemens EH645BB17. If you want to buy an induction hob, however, it is worth not only looking at the induction hob test , but also looking at current models for the year 2021. After all, technical devices regularly experience improvements in terms of security, energy consumption and the finesse of the technology.

8. Are there any interesting questions from customers in the induction cooker comparison?

8.1. How is an induction cooker cleaned?

induction cooker cleaning — An induction cooker should only be cleaned with a soft cloth and gentle cleaning agents.

Since the hotplates of an induction cooker hardly heat up during the cooking process and are immediately cold afterwards, nothing can burn into them. The cleaning is very easy . In most cases, it is sufficient to wipe off any splashes or spills with a damp cloth.

Coarse contamination can be removed with a ceramic hob scraper, because the difference to the ceramic stove is often small. The cooking zones on many induction stoves are also made of ceramic. Abrasive cleaners, the hard side of a cleaning sponge or steel wool must not be used for cleaning because they can scratch the surface.

8.2. Can you keep an induction hob clean with baking paper?

Although some users on the Internet recommend placing baking paper, crepe or even newspaper between the pot and the induction hob in order to save cleaning afterwards, experts say: hands off . Even if the hotplate itself does not get hot, fat can cause a fire.

8.3. How fast does water boil on an induction stove and do you need a special kettle?

If you want to heat water on an induction stove, you can do this in any suitable pot. There are also special kettles with a ferromagnetic base that are specially designed for this purpose. One and a half liters of water boil on an induction hob within a maximum of seven minutes . If the device has a booster, the cooking temperature of 90 degrees is often reached after around four minutes.

8.4. Can Using An Induction Cooker Have Any Harmful Effects On Health?

In connection with the purchase and use of induction cookers, concerns have been raised about the electromagnetic radiation that is generated when working with the cooker. The Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) considers the fear of people to expose themselves to serious health risks by cooking with the induction stove to be unfounded.

In the case of the herds, the respective requirements are adhered to, so that the irradiation remains within the legally legitimate framework for the consumer. However, people with a pacemaker or otherwise ill must be careful when using an induction hob. The WHO has issued a corresponding statement on this. We recommend that those affected consult their doctor.