Bosch, Siemens, Gaggenau or Miele. Which Induction Cooktop is the Best?
The kitchen is the centre of the house, and the hob is the centre of the kitchen. Therefore, it stands that the cooktop is one of the most important items in your house. Nowadays, there are so many options for different types of cooktops, but no traditional cooktop quite stands up to induction hobs.
Induction hobs are quite different from traditional hobs. Rather than using a thermal transfer of heat from gas fire stovetops, induction hobs use magnetic coils that can be individually heated up. The use of these magnetic coils allows for a direct transfer of heat to the pot or pan you are using, meaning greater cooking efficiency since there is no wasted heat from traditional cooktops that heat up the whole area. This also means there is increased safety – with the heat directly on the pan, the rest of the cooktop remains cool, so you’re less likely to accidentally burn yourself, and safety features automatically switch off the hob when there is no pot or pan on it, so the hob doesn’t stay hot for long after cooking. When you’re done cooking, you can easily wipe the area clean with a dish cloth, since there is no open flame, and the magnetic coils can’t connect to the dish cloth to heat it up. Not only is cleaning up faster, but cooking is too, since the direct heat allows for more precise temperature control, meaning your food is less likely to burn or boil over, and you’re able to cook as efficiently as possible.
There are, of course, some downsides to induction cooking. For one, the magnetic coils require special pots and pans with metal bottoms, so that they can easily connect with the hob and create a magnetic field. The induction hobs, while easy to clean, can also get scratched quite easily, since they feature a glass top panel, and extensive damage may require the whole cooktop to be replaced. Lastly, induction hobs are slightly louder than traditional cooktops, since they require an amount of electricity to run; however, newer models are now made to minimize the noise level.
If you simply need an efficient way to cook your food, then a standard induction hob is the perfect choice – however, if you’re an amateur cook, or have guests over often that you want to impress, or cook large meals, then you should consider a flex induction hob. While a standard induction hob has certain size perimeters, and can usually only have a set amount of pots or pans on the hob at the same time, a flex Induction hob allows more versatility. You can use pots or pans of any size, without limits, and the flex Induction hob will always be able to detect them when it’s placed within the cooking surface. The cooking surface is also larger – meaning you can place more cookware on the hob at the same time, and they can cook individually to their own required temperature.
Various brands offer both standard induction and flex induction hobs. The Bosch Series 8 PXX975KW1E induction hob, is a flex induction hob, with a width of 90cm, allowing for ultimate versatility in cooking zones for multiple pots and pans. The PXX975KW1E also features a PowerBoost setting, for when you only have one cooking zone activated, that uses 50% more power for faster heating, so cooking quick meals is easier than ever. It also features up to 17 different stage controls, allowing for precise temperature settings to cater to all your cooking needs.
View Bosch PXX975KW1E Induction Hob
The Siemens iQ100 (EH801FVB1E) is a traditional 80cm induction hob. While it doesn’t have a flexible cooking surface, it still offers 5 zones in varying sizes. The EH801FVB1E features powerBoost function for shorter heating times with up to 50% more power and a touchSlider, so temperature can be adjusted through a touch sensitive slider – rather than a traditional knob – for easier access and cleaning. It also offers a quickStart function, meaning that the second the hob is switched on, if there is a pan placed in a zone, it will automatically begin to start heating.
View Siemens EH801FVB1E Induction Hob
Gaggenau offers the ultimate luxury with it’s full surface CX492100 400 series induction cooktop. At a size of 90cm with full flex induction surface, this hob offers free positioning of your cookware in different sizes and formats. There are multiple cooking functions offered as well, such as for Teppanyaki cooking, or Dynamic cooking, where you can quickly move pots and pans across the surface without having to input the temperature at each new location. The CX492100 can also connect through Bluetooth or WiFi to a suitable cooking hood, allowing for you to control the ventilation along with your cooking temperatures for ultimate efficiency.
View Gaggenau CX492 100 Induction
Lastly, the Miele KM 7667 FL is another great selection if you want to keep it simple. At a size of 62 cm, offering up to 4 cooking zones, the KM 7667 FL is smaller than our other suggestions on the list, but no less efficient. The KM 7667 FL offers various safety features, such as child locks, an integrated cooling fan, and a residual heat indicator, to prevent burns. It can also automatically connect with a suitable cooking hood to work in tandem, and a TwinBooster setting means that you can choose to evenly distribute heat between two cooking zones, or focus all onto one zone, for faster cooking.
View Miele KM7667 FL Induction Hob
It is safe to say that induction cooktops are the most innovative cooking surfaces around, making cooking cleaner, more efficient, and more fun than before. Whether you are looking for a traditional or flex induction cooktop, EuroHomeDirect® offers plenty of options, aside from the ones listed above.
