In recent years i induction hobs they are revolutionizing our kitchens. But how do they really work, and what makes them so different from traditional gas stoves? In this video we explain everything you should know about it: from the physical principle that makes them work to the most advanced technologies for heat control and cleaning.
Unlike gas hobs that heat the pan and the surrounding air via the flame, an induction hob generates heat directly in the bottom of the pan thanks to a magnetic field produced by a copper coil hidden under the glass surface. This makes heating faster and more efficient, with less heat loss.
To work, however, you need pans with bottoms ferromagneticthat is, capable of reacting to the magnetic field: steel yes, while ceramic, glass, copper or aluminum no. A simple trick to check compatibility is to use a magnet: if it sticks to the bottom, the pan is fine. The quality and thickness of the bottom also affect performance: the more magnetic material there is, the better the efficiency, as can be seen in the video.
But what are the fundamental characteristics of an induction hob?
First of all, the power: each induction hob has a maximum power, generally, around 7.6 kW. But if you want, you can set the power limiter, so the hob never exceeds the allowed consumption and we don’t risk having the electricity go out.
And then there are all the accessory functions: for example the Whirlpool model shown in the video has a technology called Heat Control, which allows you to directly set the temperature in degrees, just like an oven. In fact, it has temperature sensors positioned on the coil, which automatically regulate the power and keep the temperature constant. This way there is more precise control over cooking and you can avoid burning your food.
But you might ask: does the induction hob consume more or less than the gas one? And which of the two is faster?
In the video we compared an induction hob and a gas hob in an experiment with two identical pots, each with two liters of water. The time to bring the water to the boil was timed, and the induction hob won with 4 minutes and 53 seconds, being faster thanks to less heat dispersion, while the gas hob took 11 minutes and 16 seconds. Subsequently, we calculated the consumption: the induction hob used 0.23 kWh of energy, while the gas hob consumed 0.07 cubic meters of gas, with a higher cost for the latter.
The test you can see in the video is an official consumption test, the kind that is done before putting the product on the market, and was done inside the Beko Europe factory in Melano, in the province of Ancona. Here, not only consumption tests are carried out, but also mechanical resistance tests, where the hobs are left to run for around 500 hours, shock tests, efficiency tests are carried out and new advanced technological features are tested. Around one million induction hobs come out from here every year, for the entire European and global market. As you can see in the video, this is where they are produced and assembled, piece by piece. Then, before canning the product, it is tested, tested and checked in every detail.
