by ericmark »
Sun Feb 04, 2018 12:24 pm
I use an induction hob, a single unit rated 2 kW on turn on default setting is 1 kW and in the main we end up turning it down, so 500 to 750 watt is required for an induction hob per heat area to cook with.
However at home the induction hob can deliver 3.7 kW to a single heat area, can't use it at that setting other than to just boil water, but the induction hob does tend to have a much larger supply than required.
The old halogen hob needs a lot more power, the single induction hob is sitting on the old halogen hob as at 2 kW it is far too slow, so in real terms a induction hob uses half the power to a halogen hob but for some reason actually has more output in general.
However there are some configurable induction hobs which can be set not to exceed 13A or 16A as well as being able to use full 20A if so set, so much does depend on which electric hob you select.
So a google of "13A induction hob" gives me one 4 heat area at £155 so using one of those you could simply swap the fuse to 13 amp and fit the electric hob.
However if you go for an unrestricted then clearly it has an advantage, at home the main heat area without boost is 1.7 kW setting it to auto boil then simmer is very handy, not sure you will get that with 13A model?
The induction hob will allow slight tilting of the pan, and to remove and replace pan without switching off/on it auto switches off when pan removed and back on if replaced within set time, but the amount you can tilt without it switching off and the time before it auto switches off and needs a reset varies make to make, however they rarely tell you this.
Also with halogen there was a problem with burn food keeping the hob clean, but not with induction, so with halogen you may want touch controls, as easy clean, but with induction you want controls you can operate quickly, no need to remove pan because it is going to boil over, simple switch it off, that is easy with a knob, but with touch controls it takes too long to work them, so with induction you want knobs, with halogen touch controls.
Also be aware with touch controls although you can look down on them and see it OK, sit in a wheel chair and often you simply can't see the controls, same with a child, so they could switch some thing on without knowing, although the safety system means unless a pan is left on it then nothing heats up. We had to rip out an induction hob with touch controls as mother in wheel chair could not see them.
Out hob at home has knobs, it has boost by holding on detent, and auto boil simmer, auto turns off if too hot, auto turns off if pan left on too long, time varies according to setting but means hard to boil a pan dry, and after cooking if your hand was pressed on the hob it would burn, but a touch does not, before the plastic £5 note the demo was to boil water with a £5 note between the pan and hob and it would not damage the £5 note.
It also has child lock, although children soon seem to work out how to switch it on, it's my wife who gets stuck when the grand children set it!
So look around your kitchen, it may be there is a cooker outlet already, if so then no need for special 13A type, but if not then you can get a 13A version. And knobs are better than touch control in the main, but if the heat area can be switched off with a single touch then OK I suppose, one mother had you had first to select ring, then select heat level a touch for each drop, so with 8 heat levels that's 9 touches to turn off, by which time pan has boiled over.
