Hobs: ceramic vs induction cooktops, practical considerations and experience (plus which stove mode/brand)

Forums › Home Workshop DIY › Hobs: ceramic vs induction cooktops, practical considerations and experience (plus which stove mode/brand)

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58 posts

Master Geek

#1187048 2-Dec-2014 12:58

Horseychick: Early last year I went from ceramic cooktop to induction. The one thing I hated about the ceramic is that once something has burned onto it it was almost impossible to ever get it off. So the cooktop never looked clean after a couple of 'accidents'. Having OCD tendencies it really annoyed me.

My induction hob has all the benefits already mentioned and still looks pristine. I cooked prawns in white wine sauce on the weekend and the pan got knocked by my husband so a fair bit of the cream sauce spattered across the top. A quick wipe with a damp cloth even across the 2 other rings that were in use meant nothing burned. If I'd been using my ceramic top then the cream sauce would have burned on one of the other rings that was in use. Then I would have had to wait for it to cool down before I could try and get it off.

Maybe my housekeeping skills are not as good as others but my ceramic hob never seemed to be pristine whilst my induction hob looks the same as the day it was installed.

This!

We had the exact same experience on more than one occasion while renting in an apartment with a ceramic cooktop. PITA to clean if something got spilled/burnt onto it.

timmmay

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#1187134 2-Dec-2014 14:39

Ok that one probably rules it out for us - my wife likes things to be clean, and I'm quite messy when I cook!

Batman

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#1187149 2-Dec-2014 15:09

there are commercial products you can use to remove those stuff

mattwnz

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#1187158 2-Dec-2014 15:17

timmmay: Ok that one probably rules it out for us - my wife likes things to be clean, and I'm quite messy when I cook!

Induction will probably be the easiest to clean, as stuff shouldn't get baked on as much. Gas can be a pain to clean too.

qyiet

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#1187169 2-Dec-2014 15:25

Now while I'm not going back from induction to gas, I will note that gas was fun just form the 'I'm playing with fire' point of view. Fire is fun :).

Why are you all backing away from me slowly?

Warning: reality may differ from above post

andrewNZ

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#1187310 2-Dec-2014 18:31

While I don't like ceramic hobs, cleaning them is pretty simple. You need a razor blade scraper, and ceramic cooktop cleaner.

(When cold) Scrape the burnt stuff off with the razor, then use the cooktop cleaner. I often scrape spills off the hot element when they happen too, makes cleaning later less of a hastle.
If spills are left for a long time uncleaned they can be a serious PITA to get off, but elbow grease normally does it.

If you have a sugar rich spill, it's important to clean it immediately. Sugar will actually burn into the cooktop and leave permanent pitting.

This video is fairly good for instruction.

Niel

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#1187398 2-Dec-2014 20:05

I'm interested in the cleaning aspect. Could people please mention the brands of ceramic vs. induction where cleaning was found to be easier? Just wondering if it has to do with the quality, because the pots will be at a similar temperature so the glass surface temperature will be similar so there should not be much difference.

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richms

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#1187400 2-Dec-2014 20:07

There is a significant difference in temperature between the ceramic and induction cooktops.

Spills on the induction start to simmer and bubble a little and wipe off no hassles, on the glass, they hiss and burn immediately.

Richard rich.ms

Horseychick

150 posts

Master Geek

#1187722 3-Dec-2014 10:04

The ceramic top did have a couple of burnt food rings on it when we bought the house and it was never possible to get them off. Tried the razor blade and recommended ceramic cleaning products, but to no avail. Added a few more burn bits myself so it never looked good.

The Induction hob rings never get hot. I can put my hand on the ring after taking off a pan and it's warm, but it doesn't burn me. Hence why spills don't seem to be such a problem. And the minute I remove a pan the ring stops working and starts beeping at me. This is a great feature for my husband who has a tendency to take the frying pan off the hob and go put the food on the plates without remembering to switch the ring off. Also known to put empty frying pan back on ceramic hob and still not switch ring off causing burning smell as you're sitting down to eat your meal

Lostja

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Master Geek

#1187867 3-Dec-2014 11:49

Does this topic come at the right time! Looking to gut my kitchen and put a new one in over the holidays. From what I gather, induction would be the way to go for us... I am not the most tidy person...

Lostja

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#1187868 3-Dec-2014 11:49

Nety

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#1192166 9-Dec-2014 13:32

We have recently gone from induction back to Ceramic and I can very definitely say I HATE Ceramic tops! We went from a stove with old coil elements to induction then to ceramic. Have also lived in a house with gas so have fairly much covered all bases. Personally I think ceramic and coil are almost the same. Ceramic is easier to clean although the amount of heat does eventually damage the surface beyond what can be cleaned but both really are just horrible. Then comes gas which is fast and quickly adjusted but I hated the radiant heat and burnt gas smell and affect (damp).
Induction is the very best option by far. One of the things we curse now is how incredibly slow ceramic is to heat. It takes SO long to boil water. Gas is fast but still slower then induction by about 30% I seem to recall. There is basically no radiant heat other then what is coming off the pot itself which brings me to spills. Cermaic, pot boils over whatever is being cooked is instantly burnt to the ceramic surface and much work to remove once it has cooled down. Induction, something boils over. You pick up the pot, give the surface a quick wipe with a cloth and keep cooking. No need to wait for it to cool down or burning the cloth because it is only has hot as the heat from the pot has made it. Perfect.
Safety was one of the reasons we went with induction as at the time my wife was providing child care at home. If there is not a pot on the element then no heat and nothing happening either. Unless there is a pot on the element then the induction does not turn on and it uses less energy to cook then any of the other options to.
So for us we cannot wait to do the kitchen in the house we now have so that we can go back to induction.

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timmmay

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#1192233 9-Dec-2014 14:21

Thanks Nety. I'm thinking induction may be a worthwhile investment, and that I'd probably rather have a basic old style element rather than ceramic.

Niel

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#1192297 9-Dec-2014 16:31

I'd trust Nety's comments.

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pctek

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#1195753 11-Dec-2014 18:38

I have a ceramic top oven. First one ever - here when we bought.
I bought some of that cleaner - waste of money.
I find cleaning straight away with a soapy cloth works just fine. Just don't hold it down for ages....

Anything stuck and mild scrubber works, can't comment on something that was left for months though....

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