HOBS - GAS OR INDUCTion?

Having downsized from a big Brighton Victorian open plan combined kitchen and living space to a functional flat built in the 1980s with a small separate galley kitchen, I had no option when it came to choosing gas over induction, as the block of flats has no gas supply! So induction it was, whether I liked it or not. So now I have cooking zones rather than rings, induction rather than gas. 

And happily for me, like it I do! Noting LivingEtc Magazine’s recent article on the power of induction confirmed my belief that I won’t ever revert to a gas hob especially since I started to work in Halo Interiors Horsham kitchen showroom. Below are a few thoughts behind my own reasoning. 

Keeping It Clean!
For me, the best part of owning an induction hob is that I’m now cooking rather than cleaning. I used to pull the gas caps off regularly to get to the bits of burnt or greasy food stuck under them. Now I wait for my induction hob to cool down and then run a soft damp cloth or sponge over it. That’s it! To rid it of a bit of fat that may have spat from a hearty breakfast fry-up I might use a Dettol wipe, having first fallen in love with these during pandemic days; after that, a piece of kitchen towel gets rid of smears very quickly. No more putting gas caps in the dishwasher to keep them clean or using wet cotton buds to get into the fiddly bits! If I had to think of only one benefit of induction over gas, this would be it and it’s a major time saver which makes cooking far more enjoyable.

Tips: Make sure you don’t use an abrasive sponge as this will scratch the surface of your induction hob. And wait for the surface to cool down first; glass gets hot. 

Fast Food!
If I’m in a hurry, I love my quick speed ‘9’ that heats an induction zone in super-quick time; this really suits me as it’s especially good for boiling a pan of water for vegetables or pasta, or kicking off a stir fry, when I’m short of time.
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Neff has gone one step further now. Their PowerBoost function enables the chef to heat up large quantities of water even faster than when using the 9 speed. It’s also available for all cooking zones, provided the other cooking zone on the same side is not in use. Otherwise, P and 9 flash on the display for the selected cooking zone. 9 is then set automatically without activating the function. Simplicity really is the key. 

I used to think that I could control all elements of cooking with my gas hob, endlessly turning it up and down to ensure it was at the correct temperature and watching it at close quarters but that’s something I don’t think about anymore. I know that I can switch on my induction hob zone/ring and it will reach temperature quickly and efficiently, plus it really does heat the contents of the pan rather than all around the pan! 

​Stretching out!
A few years ago in a kitchen shop in Italy I splashed out on a gorgeous griddle pan that has been one of my soundest investments, particularly for using with my induction hob. Neff’s griddle plate is a vastly superior super-sized version of mine, and I love their Teppanyaki plate too. These plates can sit across a zone and provide heat to the whole steak, seafood or vegetable dish and no longer do I have bits of food that are cooked or burnt in one part and almost raw in another! Not just that, but many hobs now have intuitive flex zones – you can put your cookware of any size or shape on to any part of the hob and it will detect it, instantly. 

Not least, with the App that comes with our range of induction hobs at Halo, you can programme your appliances to come on when you need them to. 

​I did sell a few pans which weren’t compatible with my new induction hob, but it was about time and I’ve now invested in some new induction-friendly saucepans and frying pans that I can really manage and will last years. For those pans that I simply couldn’t say goodbye to, I bought an induction plate diffuser, which I needed for my little espresso moka coffee machine (which was definitely going nowhere!) and that has constant use with several ancient but dependable gravy and milk pans I wanted desperately to keep. 

​Technical Knowhow with Safety at their heart!
In our showroom we have two induction hobs set up on islands that prove how it’s possible to cook using a hob on an island without the need for an overhead extractor fan. Induction hobs can now come with an integrated ventilation system or a separate system can be built in, and one of the coolest island extractors must be the one featured in the photo below.

​I would never have felt very safe with a gas hob on an island, a naked flame in the centre of a kitchen and although (as I’ve said above) the glass will stay hot after use for a short time, my induction hob shows me its temperature using a clever red light, that dies away once it’s cooled down. Plus that magnetic dial that can be taken away from the hob is another fantastic safety feature – hide it in a drawer away from little hands!

All in all, I’m sold on an induction hob but please don’t take my word for it – come and have a look at our range of induction hobs and decide for yourself!

With thanks to Living Etc Magazine for prompting our look into our newest range of induction hobs.

To see our range of Neff & Siemens appliances, visit our showroom: Halo Interiors, 6-7 Medwin Walk, Horsham RH12 1AG (diagonally opposite the entrance to Swan Walk at Carfax)