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Just met up with some friends who moved to Italy. They are now cooking with the induction system. Is there anyone out there in LBF who is also cooking with this magnetised induction system and if so, could they please give us their experiences, good or bad. Looked at Darty website yesterday and found several cooktops - they are very expensive, but if the saving is worthwhile and it cuts down drastically on the electricity bill......... TIA for all postings.
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You can only use certain types of pan etc. on them, according to the mayor's wife (she has one).  She said that if a pan has been used on a gas hob it can't be used after on an induction hob.  I have no idea why that should be.  Probably cobblers.

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That last bit strikes me as pure rubbish, Cassis!  A gas flame can't change the properties of the metal.  The only reason that I could imagine would be if it was a cheaply made pan that warped from being in contact with the flame, but any solidly made cast iron or stainless steel pan should not warp.

I really wanted to go induction, but the cost of the cooktops was so expensive that I wound up sticking with gas.  Everything I've read indicates that induction is a fabulous system though.

PG

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Main benefit is that they are offer better control than any other type of electric hob . They are also probably easier to control than bottled gas, plus no need for a gas bottle under the sink!. It is very very easy to get a "gentle simmer" , something we never achieved with ButaGaz. A typical demonstration trick is to show a pan of milk boiling with the level maintained two thirds of the way up the pan for a long time. Try that on Butane!

They are a bit more expensive than other types, but we find it well worth the extra expense. They may be a bit more energy efficient than other electric hobs , but it would take a long time to recover the extra capital outlay.

They are very easy to clean because the glass top doesn't get very hot, and it switches off as soon as the pan is lifted. This means that you get less burned on cleaning problems.

It also means less risk of burned fingers or cats paws!

As far as the pans are concerned anything to which a magnet will stick will work. It used to be hard to identify which ones would work, but French pans have far better lables (still) than in the UK. Most aluminium pans will not work, though there are a few specially adapated ones. Most hypermarche will have at least one range of own brand pans that will work. Using a pan on a gas hob won't have made it impossible to use on an induction hob. All Le Creuset will work, though its better to go for the more modern types with an enamel uder surface, over time the older ones can scratch the glass surface.

We were so pleased with our French induction hob that we ditched the natural gas hob back in the UK, even though we had to have a new electric supply fed from the main supply through to the hob position.

They really aren't that expensive now, and it is quite easy to find them for less than £500. Money well spent in our opinion.

 

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Cassis have you and the Mayor's wife been on the cooking sherry again?

I can endorse everything BJSLIV says about inducion hobs. It's the sheer controlability of the heat that makes them so convenient.

Whilst agreeing that you need to use saucepans marked as suitable for these hobs as, I think, they have been magnetised to make them work or they may have a magnet in them,

we have also found that some of our cheap enamelled Spanish market bought pans also work.

Benjamin

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[quote user="PossumGirl"]That last bit strikes me as pure rubbish, Cassis!  A gas flame can't change the properties of the metal.  The only reason that I could imagine would be if it was a cheaply made pan that warped from being in contact with the flame, but any solidly made cast iron or stainless steel pan should not warp.

[/quote]

That's what I thought.  Hence my look of disbelief when she said this and my note about it probably being cobblers.  I actually think it's because she didn't want to lend Jude her fancy new jam pan with some sort of inbuilt filter and tap to make jelly.

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Everything BJSLIV says about induction cooking is true but they can take a bit of getting used to.

I have a portable induction hob which I take to France with me (I'm just a part timer living in England). I can use it in the motorhome on the journey as well.  Mine was bought at a Camping and Outdoor Leisure Exhibition at Earls Court complete with a set of pans.  I have seen a similar hob (different manufacturer) in a small electrical shop in North Yorkshire - cost £59.00 so they aren't terribly expensive.

Mary

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We've just installed one in one of our holiday rental properties. It is absolutely fab. We went for one of the glass top ones which have touch controls and therefore no knobs etc. so it is very easy to keep clean. As others have said, the  level of control is excellent and the safety  factor should not be underestimated either. Not sure about  economy - didn't really think about that.

They're not cheap at the moment but will almost certainly come down in price and, in a couple of years, will probably become one of those "must haves" for the kitchen.

There is a good range of quality pans available now which can be used with induction. In fact, our hob came with a booklet listing all the manufacturers (and their websites) who make compatible ranges.

(If you are interested, ours is a Sauter PVI3B1 and we paid 900€ for it)

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We "inherited" an induction hob when we bought our house in Normandy. I agree they are easier to keep clean, and are easy to control - once you've got the hang of them! In  the early days I had quite a few burnt meals! When cooking anything from a tin it is necessary to initially use a very low heat to allow time for the liquid part of the tinned contents to "melt" before the other contents get so hot that the rest of the meal burns!!(Especialy tins of cassoulet or beans!) We haven't noticed any reduction in our electricity costs though!

Happy cooking!

Joy[:)]

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[quote user="Cassis"][quote user="PossumGirl"]That last bit strikes me

as pure rubbish, Cassis!  A gas flame can't change the properties

of the metal.  The only reason that I could imagine would be if it

was a cheaply made pan that warped from being in contact with the

flame, but any solidly made cast iron or stainless steel pan should not

warp.

[/quote]

That's what I thought.  Hence my look of

disbelief when she said this and my note about it probably being

cobblers.  I actually think it's because she didn't want to lend

Jude her fancy new jam pan with some sort of inbuilt filter and tap to

make jelly.

[/quote]

Doesn't ferromagnetic suseptability decrease with increasing

temperature? Does anyone with better physics than me know whether this

effect could be permanent? I would very much like one of these hobs,

but I would be pretty sore about having to jettison all my precious

iron pans. Do they work with tinned copper?

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Wow! Super folks, thank you to all those who have taken the trouble to reply so speedily. Now we know. Only other question is, can these hobs be fitted anywhere in France. May sound silly, but some Telecom offers only extend as far as our neighbouring town and haven't quite reached us yet....
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I just did a search on google because I have never heard of an induction hob. The images that came up looked to me to be the same as the old ceramic hobs [8-)]. We inherited one years ago, I hated it because the glass became scratched and just looked really shabby after only a few years before we replaced it.

I do hate the idea of using gas bottles in France so would love to know what the difference between an induction and ceramic hob is.

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They look the same as a ceramic hob, and as I said earlier they probably need a degree of care to avoid them getting scratched.

Where they differ from ceramics is that instead of the glass itself getting hot, the coil under the glass "vibrates" the material in the base of the pan ( not literally!)  causing it to become hot, ie It  induces heat in the pan.

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I bought an "aeroccino" pot from Nespresso for making hot milk and foam for coffee.  As far as I can tell, it's a mini-induction unit and is absolutely brilliant.  It heats up milk for a latte in about 90 seconds, the milk never burns and is perfect.  The bottom of the unit is magnetized, and there are two little whipping attachments (one for just foam and one for hot milk) which hold on to the base magnetically.  Makes me wish for an induction cooktop eventually.

PG

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The laymans explanation of what an induction hob does, without going into how it does it . . .

The induction hob heats the contents of the pan without heating either the top of the hob itself or the pan.  If you switch the hob on without a pan on top, the hob remains cold to touch - you can put your hand on it quite safely without feeling any heat. Likewise, the pan does not heat up directly from the hob. The only heat that is generated is from the contents of the pan. This will obviously cause both the pan and the hob to heat up but only to the extent of the temperature of the pan's contents.

The heating process is very quick. If you place some water in a pan and put it on the hob, you will start to see bubbles rising almost instantly. If you turn the hob off then it stops boiling instantly - there is no delay.

Because the hob does not heat the pan, it is important to use an induction ring that is either the same size or larger than the base of your pan for effective cooking. Obviously, the size of induction ring needed for a frying pan is quite large so some hobs only have room for three rings to accommodate this.

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Unfortunately Eslier, you are getting a bit confused.  If “the only heat that is generated is from the contents of the pan” you could use any pan material (i.e. aluminium) which you can’t.  Also, putting your hand on the hob would instantly cook it!

Induction hobs deliver heat to the pan using a magnetic field. The electric current passes through a coil which creates a very strong magnetic field under the ceramic plate. This field creates an induction current, which generates heat in the ferrous pan.  The pan then passes its heat on to the food it contains.

Brian

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Sorry Brian, I can assure you that you are wrong. The fact that I am using my fingers which are attached to my hands is living proof !   I have laid my hand flat on the switched on induction ring on a number of occassions and held it there. I guarantee that no heat was generated.   I do however concede that I was being a little over simplistic before - yes the base of the pan does heat up but the transfer of heat is rapid so the outside of the pan will heat up at a slower rate. Many induction hob suitable pans are in fact made of aluminium but with a pice of encapsulated steel or stainless steel in the base. This is to prevent hotspot areas as the aluminium conducts the heat more evenly across the base of the pan.

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Many induction hob suitable pans are in fact made of aluminium but with a pice of encapsulated steel or stainless steel in the base

As Brian said, only ferrous material will heat up, aluminium won't so the steel is there so that it heats up.You would wait a very long time for a plain aluminium pan to heat up , ie forever.  As he said unless you have ferrous metal fingers, perhaps as a consequence of going around testing heated hobs, you can put them on the glass and they will never burn. Interpose a ferrous sheet and things get a bit hot, but its the metal that is initially getting heated not your fingers.

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Oh dear oh dear…  You stated that “The only heat that is generated is from the contents of the pan”.  As you stated that the metal of the pan is (literally) immaterial any contents, be it chicken or your fingers, would cook!  As your fingers are obviously ok you must be wrong.  In your first post you stated that “the pan does not heat up directly from the hob”.  Now you are saying “yes the base of the pan does heat up but the transfer of heat is rapid so the outside of the pan will heat up at a slower rate”.  If the transfer of heat is so rapid how can the outside of the pan heat up at a slower rate?  Two other errors: 1)  “Many induction hob suitable pans are in fact made of aluminium but with a pice of encapsulated steel or stainless steel in the base..”  Stainless steel is not used because it does not work consistently on induction hobs.  2) “This is to prevent hotspot areas as the aluminium conducts the heat more evenly across the base of the pan.”  Aluminium does not heat evenly, hence the use of steel for professional Woks etc.

 

I hate to say it Eslier, but I can assure that it is you who is wrong.

 

Brian

 

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Doesn't ferromagnetic suseptability decrease with increasing

temperature? Does anyone with better physics than me know whether this

effect could be permanent? I would very much like one of these hobs,

but I would be pretty sore about having to jettison all my precious

iron pans. Do they work with tinned copper?

Jon D

The curie temperature for iron is 770 deg C above which it will become

paramagnetic. I dont expect that such a metal temperature will be

achieved in a domestic situation and, as such I would not expect a

problem. I could of course be wrong, all the usual caveats apply.

Regards

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Induction vs ceramic - any difference in the energy required? For instance, I think I read in the publicite recently details of an induction hob at BUT or similar which uses 6kw of electricity when all "rings" are switched on. Is that the same as a ceramic hob would consume? We're pretty much wedded to gas hobs but I will be needing to buy a hob soon and I did like the point made earlier that the smell of burning cats' paws is less likely with an induction hob. [8-|]

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Major disadvantage of induction hobs is that you cannot listen to the radio while cooking, because the field generated interferes with the radio signal and makes it unlistenable - nothing but a loud buzzing noise. I find this really annoying as I love to listen to radio 4 whilst cooking.

Jo

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