Insight Into Induction
A range cooker with an induction hob can give you the best of both worlds. It combines both a sleek induction hob mixed with the practicality of a traditional range cooker.
When it comes to cooking, a lot of us still opt for the traditional gas hob, not knowing that induction cookers can often be quicker, cleaner and even safer. A range cooker is an appliance you will use every day for many years, so it is worth taking the time to choose a cooker that will minimise both your costs and carbon footprint.
In this post we will give you an insight into induction, looking at what is induction technology and the top features an induction hob can offer you…
What is induction cooking?
Induction refers to the heat transfer when cooking. They may look similar to other electric hobs, but they work in a completely different way. Beneath the hob’s ceramic plate, induction coils made from copper create a magnetic field as electricity is passed through. If a pan made of a ferromagnetic material is placed on the hob, the magnetic field causes it to directly heat up. The benefit of this is the hob stays cool, with only a little residual heat from the pan. Induction hobs are more environmentally friendly than gas and electric hobs due to there being no excess heat, with all heat being concentrated inside the pan and better cooking time. Some induction hobs also include smart technology that can detect when a pan is absent, meaning they switch off to save energy.
How easy is it to use an induction hob?
We’ve all had times when we’ve turned away from our cooking for a couple of minutes and the hob has been covered with water or sauce! With the induction heating the pan directly, the difference is almost immediate when you increase or decrease the heat on your hob. Induction rivals’ gas for both its responsiveness and precision. Electric hobs are often known for being slower at heating up, whereas induction hobs give you instant cooking control, therefore reducing the amount of wasted energy, with some saying they can even heat up a pan of boiling water quicker than a kettle can!
Induction hobs also provide greater control through touch controls, making them extremely easy to use. So if you want a hob that is efficient and speedy, but also cools down fast, then an induction range cooker could be the one for you.
Here are some of the main features of an induction hob that could not only make cooking easy, but also more energy efficient…
Booster Function
Allows you to focus all of the power of the induction hob in a particular zone, speeding up boiling and cooking times.
Liquid Spill Protection
If the hob overheats or liquid is split onto the surface, a safety device will stop the hob and make sure no burning occurs. It will detect if the contents of your pan starts to boil over, also identifying the temperature of the surface when it gets too high.
Slide Controls
A handy touch control system makes it easier when increasing or decreasing the temperature by simply sliding your finger from right to left or vice versa.
Residual Heat Indicator
This indicates when the glass surface is hot, making sure to be careful when touching it or placing things on top of it as it could cause damage.
Bridging Control
This provides you with the option of simultaneously controlling two zones next to each other as if they were a single zone. This can broaden the sizes and the types of pans used on the hob. It creates an internal ‘bridge’ that joins the zones together.
Child Safety Lock
Once this function has been set, and until it is then disabled, the induction hob cannot be turned on by pressing the touch controls.
Which are the best induction range cookers?
Here are our Rangecookers.co.uk top picks for an induction range cooker…
This range cooker is a sturdy, reliable and great looking induction range cooker - and it would really suit your budget nicely. It features a multifunction, programmable main oven with conventional second oven, two integrated grills and a sleek induction hob. The Select 90ei2 is manufactured to Rangecookers’ considered specification at a specialist Italian factory, chosen for its engineering credentials and great track record.
The Rangecookers Select series has been designed as a collection of maximum value, honest and reliable products which will work very well alongside existing appliances.
Bertazzoni Professional 90 Single
The main electric oven, on this 90cm single cavity model, has 11 functions ranging from convection and grilling to fast-preheat. As part of the oven door is the inclusion of soft motion hinges and anti-slam closing system. On top is the latest induction technology to give you ultimate power and controllability, plus the added benefit of an easy-to-clean vitreoceramic surface, with five heating zones that include a booster feature, pot detection and residual heat indicator for each zone.
The very handy bridging feature also allows you to use the two cooking zones on the right and left as one single cooking zone. Finishing this well-executed range cooker is a high-resolution LCD touch screen display, programmable clock/timer and available in this stunning new colour for 2022, Carbonio.
This 90cm single cavity ILVE range cooker offers copious capacity and A+ rated energy efficiency in a premium and very refined package. Behind the triple glazed door is an impressive 97 litre multifunction oven with a temperature range of 30°C-320°C and includes 15 different settings, including fanned, conventional, pizza mode, intensive cooking, rotisserie and more.
To complement this uniquely styled cooker are 6 highly efficient induction zones, with a combination of two 2.3kW zones, two 1.85kW zones and two 1.4kW. It includes specialist functions such as power boost, automatic boil and a heat-up function to give you convenience of fast cooking.
If you have always wanted an AGA in your kitchen but felt it was either a little beyond your reach or completely impractical, the AGA Masterchef is designed for you. This AGA Masterchef Deluxe 110 Induction brings with it all the simple and timeless visual qualities associated with its iconic brand, but instead of an expensive-to-run cast iron monolith, you get a very usable modern range cooker.
Top left cavity is a dedicated grill with dual circuit element and a heavy grade tray which glides out on telescopic arms for safety and convenience. To the right of this is a slow cook oven – great for stews and curries as well as plate warming. Bottom right is a large fanned oven and on the left is a main oven, a very versatile multifunction oven with fanned, conventional and grilling capabilities. There is also a meat probe in the main oven to allow you to cook meat and poultry to perfection. On top are next generation induction zones, giving you rapid power when you need it down to a gentle trickle, with comfort, convenience and energy efficiency.
This 100cm triple cavity range cooker offers a main electric oven with 11 functions, ranging from convection and baking to fast-preheat, and a second auxiliary oven with six different modes. Both ovens have triple-glazed doors to minimise heat loss, whilst on top is a five-zone induction hob delivering easy-to-control cooking power via rotary controls and digital display under the glass surface.
The new bridging function allows you to use the two cooking zones on the right and left as one single cooking zone. This XG model also includes a separate “extra grill”, complete with a full-width glide out grill tray. Finishing this well-executed range cooker is a characteristic temperature gauge and a choice of two stunning colours, Nero Matt and Avorio.
Built In Induction?
If a range cooker isn’t for you, built in hobs are a sleek addition to your kitchen after being levelled and integrated into the kitchen countertop.
Bertazzoni have coordinated their built-in hobs perfectly with their built in ovens and other appliances. Designed to provide greater accuracy and control, these built in hobs make cooking simple and precise. Available in a variety of styles, in Modern, Heritage and Professional models, the hobs in the Bertazzoni range are comfortable to use and make quite an impression.
This Bertazzoni Modern induction hob comes with wonderfully advanced features. This hob offers six powerful induction zones and three multi-zones, which can be bridged together and allows you to specify the cooking area to fit the pan you are using. The built in timer and digital slider controls allow precise and immediate temperature adjustment with 14 power levels and boosters on all zones for even faster cooking. It also features useful settings such as child lock, residual heat indicator and pause control and recall, meaning if the hob is accidentally turned off in the middle of cooking you can switch it back on and the temperature each zone was set at will have been recalled.
To find out more about any of the products mentioned or if you have any questions about induction, call our team on 01244 402 975 or visit our website.
