With energy bills rising being more efficient in the kitchen can save money. Whether you choose an induction hob, ceramic or solid plate style, they all offer great energy efficiency.
Induction offers superior temperature control and enables you to boil water within seconds, rather than waiting for a gas hob to heat up. They also offer safety features like residual heat indicators and time limit settings.
Enhanced cooking safety
Energy efficient hobs come in a range of designs and colours to match your kitchen. Many models come with smart features that can help you save even more, such as a pause function that reduces the heat while you’re cooking or a built-in sensor that prevents boiling over by precisely regulating the temperature of your pots and pans.
Unlike traditional gas and vitroceramic hobs, which heat pans indirectly by heating the hob surface, induction models use induction technology to directly heat your pan. This makes them much more energy efficient than other hob types, as only the pan itself is heated and no wasted energy goes into warming up the hob’s surface or surrounding air.
Induction hobs are also significantly faster to heat up than gas or ceramic models. In tests we’ve carried out, the fastest induction hob brought a litre of water to boil in just over three minutes. This is due to their unique electromagnetic induction system that heats the pan directly and not the hob’s flat black surface.
Fast cooling system
Energy efficient hobs use a ceramic or solid plate that generates the heat, but induction hobs are the most efficient. Induction works by using electromagnetic energy that directly heats the pans on top, so there’s no energy wasted heating up the hob or the air around it.
As a result, these types of hobs offer precise temperature control and are extremely safe to cook on. They also shut off automatically if the pan isn’t in contact with the element and can detect when they are boiling dry, switching them off immediately to prevent any accidents.
Gas hobs are the least efficient, but they can save you money on electricity bills as bep tu munchen they are cheaper to run than gas central heating. According to Uswitch, a gas hob uses about 30p per hour of use. This is partly because of energy losses that happen when converting primary fuels to gas before it’s delivered to homes. However, they still cost less than electric and induction hobs.
Temperature conversion
Induction hobs heat up pots and pans using electromagnetic energy passed through an induction coil underneath a glass or ceramic plate. This means that only the heat is transferred to the food, no wasted energy like on a gas or smooth top electric hob. They can bring water to a boil significantly quicker too as no energy is lost heating the space around the hob.
Gas hobs heat the food and water using a flame generated from natural gas coming out of the cylinder. This means that they are less efficient than both ceramic and induction hobs. Gas hobs are however still cheaper to run than electric models despite being the least energy efficient. This is because the unit cost of gas is far cheaper than electricity.
Easy cleaning
If you choose a ceramic or glass hob, you’ll benefit from an easy clean as food won’t stick to it. You can use a non-scratch cleaning cloth or even a dishwasher safe cleaning solution to keep your hob looking pristine.
If you opt for an induction hob, your energy efficiency will be improved as there is little to no electricity wastage. When you place a pan on the ring of an induction hob, it creates electromagnetic energy that passes straight into your pan, heating it and cooking your food.
However, gas hobs aren’t as efficient as an induction hob but the omitted heat warms up your kitchen faster – ideal for making that morning cup of tea. Plus, if you’re using gas you can be sure that it’s coming from an energy source that’s far better for the environment than fossil fuels. In addition to that, a gas hob can be incredibly responsive and is quick to get your pans up to the temperature you need.