How an induction cooker differs from a ceramic one: which is better, useful recommendations for choosing

Before buying a hob, women always begin to wonder what kind of stove to choose for the kitchen? The modern home appliance market offers a huge variety of Russian and foreign options. But all of them can be conditionally divided into induction and ceramic models. Therefore, we will devote this article to their analysis and find out how the induction hob differs from the ceramic one..

There are two types of kitchen hobs.

Features of each type of household appliances

The main feature of an induction surface is how it works. Heating in this case occurs due to a special type of current. The latter only heats the dish circle. At the same time, the rest of the surface of the slab remains cold. With the glass-ceramic version, everything is different. In this case, when the circle for dishes is heated, not only the working area is heated to high temperatures, but also the entire zone of the hob.

On an induction hob, the surface remains cold during cooking.

General characteristics

On an induction hob:

When it is turned on, only specific zones are heated. This is due to the fact that the incoming electric current through the built-in coil acts immediately on the magnetized bottom of the cookware..
Food rarely burns due to a special heating mechanism.
Since when this type of household appliance is heated, only certain zones are heated to high temperatures, little electricity is consumed.
High performance indicators are always noted (efficiency is 90%).
The maximum possible power of one hob of a hob of the described type is 2 kW. Power of four burners – about 8 kW.
The dimensions of a single-burner hob are usually 28-30×35-36 cm. Two-burner stoves have parameters of 28-30×60 cm. Four-burner versions of kitchen appliances differ in dimensions of 59×52-60 cm..

Thanks to the special technology of induction cookers, food rarely burns.

For a ceramic hob with a spiral heater:

First, the working area is heated, then the dishes placed on a certain zone are already heated.
Power consumption is low (when compared with household appliances that run on gas).
The burners can be presented not only in the form of a circle, but also in any other shape..
The dimensions of the standard four-burner options are 50×50 cm, there are surfaces measuring 50×55 cm and 50×60 cm. There are also options 60×60 cm.
The glass ceramics is heated by a spiral heating element, which is located between the glass and asbestos.
Glass-ceramic models can have halogen, rapid and induction burners. The first type of heating zone allows you to quickly fry any content in a pan. But they quickly fail and consume a lot of energy. Rapid burners heat up more slowly than halogen burners, but they are more durable. Induction zones involve heating only the hotplates (the rest of the household appliance remains cold).

With ceramic plates, the work surface is first heated and then the dishes are heated..

Advantages and disadvantages of an induction hob

The induction hob has the following advantages:

economical power consumption;
fast heating of the burners;
16 (and in some models up to 20) levels;
auto shut-off in the absence of cookware set on the hotplate;
blocking in case of overflow of boiling water;
the ability to quickly change the temperature regime;
a spoon, fork, ladle left by chance on such a stove will not provoke its inclusion.

The biggest plus of an induction hob is the savings in electricity..

This type of plates also has disadvantages. It:

the noise they make during operation (it can annoy some);
heating of specially selected dishes on such a stove will not occur if its diameter is less than 6 cm (therefore, it will not work to make coffee in a Turk);
fragile surface requires careful handling.

The delicate surface of an induction hob requires careful handling.

What is the difference between a glass-ceramic surface and an induction hob?

The key difference between a glass-ceramic hob and an induction hob is the type of heating. The second option involves the transfer of heat by a magnetic field to the bottom of the special cookware. Glass ceramics works differently. It transfers heat energy to the heating element of the hob.

The main difference between induction and ceramic hobs is the type of heating.

Glass ceramics and induction

Glass ceramics can heat any cookware that can withstand high temperatures. Its peculiarity is slow heating and long cooling time. Glass-ceramic is relatively cheap and this is its main advantage..

Induction implies rapid heating of the burners, a short cooling period, safety of use, the need to purchase special dishes with a ferromagnetic bottom. Induction can also differ in price (the glass-ceramic version of the stove is always cheaper).

induction cooker is more expensive than ceramic.

Requirements for cookware

The glass-ceramic hob sets only two requirements for the cookware – it must be even and perfectly smooth. In this case, there will be maximum contact between the dishes and the stove. An induction hob is more demanding. It involves the use of special dishes with a ferromagnetic bottom. Any other options will not be perceived by household appliances.

For an induction cooker, you need to purchase special cookware..

What kind of home appliances is better?

An induction hob is best suited for a demanding housewife, as its hotplates heat up quickly (in 2-3 minutes). Ceramic household appliances take longer to heat up (the average heating time for one hotplate is 5-7 minutes). In addition, using this option, you will not have to worry about the strong consumption of electricity, about the fact that you can burn yourself and spoil the work surface with randomly sprinkled granulated sugar..

An induction hob heats up faster than a ceramic hob.

If your budget is tight, it makes sense to look at the ceramic hob. Such variants of household appliances can also have many protective functions..

What to choose?

If the family has children, experts recommend buying an induction-type hob, since only the working round area heats up. The surface itself remains cold. This will reduce the risk of burns in children. But when buying this option, you should prepare yourself for the need to change all the existing utensils to kitchen sets with a special bottom. And this, of course, is additional costs. But such a purchase in the future will demonstrate its usefulness with energy savings and high efficiency..

If there are children in the house, it is advisable to buy an induction hob for safety..

If there are no children in the house, and financial opportunities do not allow purchasing expensive household appliances for the kitchen, you can give preference to a glass-ceramic hob.

Helpful tips for choosing

The experts have compiled a list of recommendations for the correct selection of induction cookers. They indicate the need to pay attention to the following factors when choosing:

Power regulator. He must have many positions (the maximum possible level is 16-20 positions).
The function of switching off the stove when water is spilled on it (it is important from a safety point of view).
The ability of the hotplate to adapt to the place where the pan was placed.
Temperature mode memory function (it is optional, so if there is a problem of lack of money, you can ignore this option).

When buying an induction cooker, special attention should be paid to the provisions of the temperature regime..

Important clarification! When installing such household appliances near metal parts, it is important to observe the distance indicated in the technical passport..

If you decide to buy a ceramic plate, you need to consider the following:

Decide on the type of burners. This parameter is important, as it will provide prompt heating of the surface. If the moment of the fast heating rate is extremely significant, it is worth abandoning the ceramic version in favor of the induction.
Decide on the format of the device. If you want to have one control panel, you can buy a dependent type, which implies a combined option for controlling the stove and oven. Independent household appliances are considered fashionable..
Look for a touchpad. It is comfortable, easy to operate, looks stylish.
Pay attention to the possibility of programming. This option will allow you to efficiently consume electrical energy.

when buying a ceramic plate, special attention should be paid to the presence of a touch panel.

So which is the best modern induction or ceramic hob? Now you know what the key difference is between induction and ceramic hobs. The article also talked about the pros and cons of glass ceramics and induction. Having a good understanding of their characteristics and differences, you can understand which stove is better than a ceramic or technological induction hob.

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