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Gas Hob versus Induction Hob

(59 Posts)
Beesh Fri 11-Aug-23 23:33:55

We are off to look at Range cookers tomorrow and I can’t make up my mind whether to go for a gas hob or induction hob. I am used to gas but the induction hobs look easier to clean and are greener, although we may have to buy new pans. I have done lots of research but would like the opinions of real people, ie: Gransnetters. Your opinions would be appreciated.

Bella23 Sat 12-Aug-23 11:13:25

Gas hob and Electric oven would be my choice, unfortunately, I moved into a house with an AGA so had to have an induction hob and electric oven fitted for summer months as there is no gas in the village.
DD still has a gas hob and I like the super quick response. Maybe I need a new Hob? We did have a new one a few years ago When DH slipped while cleaning the Aga and smashed the hob right across with the pressure of his knee.

Nannarose Sat 12-Aug-23 11:08:39

Love my induction hob - but do make sure you get a good one. Most pans these days can be used on induction hobs, though you may have to hamd on some old ones.
Safety point - cooking with grandchildren is so much safer!

Skydancer Sat 12-Aug-23 11:03:37

Induction definitely. I think the pans have to be magnetic otherwise they won't work.

Curlywhirly Sat 12-Aug-23 10:59:35

I have cooked with gas all my life (though I do have an electric oven). Tried an induction hob when in a holiday let - sorry, but I still prefer gas! Maybe a week trying to get used to the induction hob wasn't enough?

Whiff Sat 12-Aug-23 10:48:56

I have an induction hob and love it. If you go for one . Make sure it has crosses not circles. Crosses means you can put any size pan on each one. But if you have circles you can only use a pan which is the same size as the circle.

On my crosses I can use a milk pan up to a preserving pan on any of the 4 .

Nandalot Sat 12-Aug-23 10:09:24

We have an induction hob and love it. However, about three years ago I had a pacemaker fitted so DH does all the cooking now! ( Don’t tell him about your DH, Whitewavemark2!

annodomini Sat 12-Aug-23 09:59:58

I've always had gas hobs, but when I experienced the induction hobs in my sons' kitchens, I could see the advantages. So when I planned the new flat, I stipulated that it had to be an induction hob and I'm very happy with it. Fill a pan with water, turn my back and it's boiling. I needed new pans anyway, though my relatively new pressure cooker is suitable for induction.

ParlorGames Sat 12-Aug-23 09:57:51

There was a gas hob in our house when we first bought it and we both hated it. Not only had it not been cleaned very well by the previous owners but the extraction hood was far too low to meet with the legal criteria - we learnt this from the gas engineer who serviced the boiler on the first day.

Gas hob was removed and an induction hob installed and we both think it is great and we did have to buy new pans as all ours were multi-functional - there's a serious of images embossed in the base of most pans showing where they can be used.

LadyGracie Sat 12-Aug-23 09:56:40

We had gas hobs until 5 years ago, our range cooker was no longer efficient.
We now have an AEG slot in cooker with an induction hob, I would never go back to gas, the kitchen is so much cleaner, the hob just needs to be wiped over, I dry mine with a soft cloth, it looks like new.

1summer Sat 12-Aug-23 09:51:19

Last year I changed my gas hob to induction. I really like it, so easy to keep clean, boils water really quickly especially on power boost. Mine is a Hotpoint and the only drawback is I find the touch controls sometimes a bit slow to respond or unresponsive- need to tap a couple of times.
My daughters hob is on the kitchen island and just after fitted her husband accidentally threw his car keys on it and chipped the corner. So on her recommendation I bought an IKEA stainless steel trivet to protect it but my hob has a metal surround but I find the trivet useful for putting the hot pans on.
I did have to buy new pans and bought a set of Scoville pans, they are brilliant, not expensive, very easy to clean - still look brand new.

DiamondLily Sat 12-Aug-23 09:50:24

When my DH had his pacemaker fitted, they told him to steer clear of being too near induction jobs.

www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/medical/ask-the-experts/induction-hobs-and-pacemakers

karmalady Sat 12-Aug-23 09:44:39

induction every time and apart from cleaning, neat appearance etc it is supremely energy efficient. Energy goes directly into the steel in contact with the hob, so I can often use much smaller pans knowing that I am not heating the surrounding air. Safety aspect is also a biggie. I like that mine has timers on two of the four rings.

Induction is a very simple process, copper coils producing an emf, electromagnetic field. This magnetism changes direction quickly with the alternating current and the magnetism goes directly into the pan, producing eddy currents which heat the pan. Nothing dangerous about any of it and no gases to breathe in

I am aware of winter power cuts and have a standby triangia set and meths in a safe container, in my garage

Greyduster Sat 12-Aug-23 09:32:46

Forgot to say, all the rings have individual timers.

Sago Sat 12-Aug-23 09:31:51

Gas hob and electric oven for me.
I have a Lacanche range and love it, it’s a real workhorse.

kittylester Sat 12-Aug-23 09:31:50

Timely thread. We are having our kitchen refitted in a week's time. My current Ragemaster has a gas oven and hob but we have opted for an all electric Smeg with an induction hob. Slightly scared but heartened to hear all the positive comments. Dd2 has one too which she loves.

Greyduster Sat 12-Aug-23 09:29:22

In our last house and in this when we moved in I had a gas hob. Then when we had the kitchen replaced my son recommended that I have an induction hob fitted. Wouldn’t change it for anything. It’s super fast (it can boil a pint of water faster than an electric kettle), very controllable and easy to clean. Biggest plus for me is that if I forget to turn it off it does it for me. Don’t hesitate. It’s a no brainer.

dragonfly46 Sat 12-Aug-23 09:24:45

I love my induction hob and hate cleaning my DD''s gas one when I go there. I have a Miele and it has a metal rim all around so no chance of chipping.
You can get good pans from ProCook online although I found some of my old pans still work. They just need to be magnetic on the bottom.

Franbern Sat 12-Aug-23 09:21:14

chestnut you appear to have a ceramic hob - not an Induction one (which is why your saucepans did not need replacing). Ceramic hobs are not as fast nor as safe as induction ones. Uses a different way of heating.

I cooked with gas all my life. Moved into a flat when I was 78 years old with a ceramic hob and when cleaning it all up discovered the sealed off gas pipes underneath. For a few minutes I seriously considered having gas re=installed, then thought better of it. Used that cermic hob for two years, slower to heat saucepans, but learned to turn off before finished cooking. Easy to keep clean. When I had kitchen re-done, changed that for Induction hob and would never now have anything else. So quick, so clean, so safe.

Someone on here mentioned a cover for such hobs (to help prevent damage from dropping thing on it - it is after all toughened glass). I purchased something, which looks good, and is supposed to stay in place when in use, but I cannot see the circles or controls through it, so cannot use it all. Has anyone got one that tays in use but does show all the controls?

Commonground Sat 12-Aug-23 08:53:02

Chestnut

I bought this one, and although it's no longer available there are other similar ones. It's as smooth as glass and so easy to clean. I'd never go back to a messy gas hob.
]]

That's a ceramic hob, not an induction hob.

Vintagewhine Sat 12-Aug-23 07:57:59

I've also got an induction hob, 8 years old and still looks like new

Scribbles Sat 12-Aug-23 07:55:09

I used gas for 40+ years and loved it. Then I moved to a house with an electric ceramic hob and absolutely loathed the horrible thing. So, when the kitchen was rebuilt last year, it was the ease of cleaning which persuaded me to opt for induction.

Nine months on, I'm a complete convert - fast, responsive, simple to clean. You can boil over a pan of custard and all you need to do is mop up with paper towels and a wet cloth. No dried-on scorched brown bits and no horrid burning smell. Bliss!

The only downside was having to give away my lovely old crêpe pan which didn't have a steel base but it was a great excuse to spend hours in the cookshops to find a replacement.

Katyj Sat 12-Aug-23 06:23:10

Love my induction hob. Fast and clean always looks neat and tidy. I could never get my gas hob clean too fiddly.

vegansrock Sat 12-Aug-23 04:04:53

We had a dual gas- induction hob a few years ago as my OH insisted gas was better to cook with. After a few years he admitted the gas was never used and was much more difficult to clean. We got rid of the hob and bought a bigger induction one. It’s brilliant. It switches itself off if anything boils over, you can’t burn yourself on it and it is so easy to clean. We have a little camping stove in the garage which we still keep in case of power cuts! ( hasn’t happened yet).

V3ra Sat 12-Aug-23 02:05:21

Induction hob every time for me! I've had mine for six years, and no chips 🤞
It's far quicker than the gas hob we had in a rental property just beforehand.
Any saucepan that attracts a magnet will work on an induction hob so it's easy to check if your current ones are suitable.
A quick wash over with a soapy cloth and a buff up with a towel is all the cleaning required 🙂

Whitewavemark2 Sat 12-Aug-23 01:42:42

Re -pacemaker. DH has one - no problem.