Yet Another Cycling Forum
Off Topic => The Pub => Food & Drink => Topic started by: rafletcher on 01 January, 2024, 06:12:25 pm
-
As I mentioned elsewhere my stepson and his husband have had a full house makeover, with the obligatory living/dining/kitchen area. It’s very nicely done. The husband, who is the principal cook opted for a touch control only induction hob with integral “suck-down” extraction, something like this…
https://www.appliancesdirect.co.uk/p/eiq80indd/electriq-eiq80indd--4-induction-hob-hob?refsource=apadwords&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_id=17997676053&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqIjkzuK8gwMVTYtQBh33OgBrEAQYAiABEgILlfD_BwE
He admits the extraction is much worse than an overhead, but he preferred the aesthetic. I had two thoughts about that type of so perhaps there are users who can enlighten me;
Firstly I do on occasion let a pan boil over, often when on max power. This results in a significant spillage. As I have a free standing stove this is captured by the 4-5mm upstand around the edge allowing me to mop up. With a flush built-in induction hob I can only presume it just flows over & off the worktop?
And secondly, I assume the extractor would need coupling to a drain? - this hob is on an island with a sink on a unit against the wall behind the cook.
-
Wow, that's ...
bonkers the ventilation equivalent of a saniflo.
Presumably if it's on an island it won't be venting to Outside? Which means it's basically a hole in your hob with a bonus fan to go wrong for little benefit?
If I were designing one of those, I'd include some sort of awkward condensation trap that the user can fail to clean the schmoo out of on a regular basis...
-
I hadn’t thought of that, but yes, I assume it’s recirculating and using carbon filters. It’s daft, as it’s a flat roofed extension so could easily have vented outside.
-
We had a recirculating internal extractor hood in a flat once. It wasn't much good at anything other than making a noise and generating grubby filters. Rented flat, I guess the landlord didn't want to the expense of a hole in the wall.
That design looks mad though, given that steam and vaporized fat etc. go up, not down, so it would need to suck with some enthusiasm.
-
I'm not FISEing that :hand:
-
Two of the advantages of an induction hob (we have one) are that things boil over much less frequently, and when they do, it's much easier to clean. You just wipe down the smooth surface and that's it. I've never known anything spill over or reach the edge, despite my habit of putting things on to boil and then wandering away. But a hole in the middle of the hob like that does seem like asking for trouble. And yes, recirculating extraction is basically a farce.
-
Two of the advantages of an induction hob (we have one) are that things boil over much less frequently, and when they do, it's much easier to clean. You just wipe down the smooth surface and that's it. I've never known anything spill over or reach the edge, despite my habit of putting things on to boil and then wandering away.
Hmmm, well putting mine on Turbo whilst simultaneoulsy draing something else in the sink opposite has seen some spectacular eruptions from saucepans. And yes it's easy to wipe clean but as I mentioned my cooker has a rim. Their hob (any all the others like it) are flush fitting. I guess they just have to be careful!
As for the cooker hood aesthetic, the room has two large raised roof lights. They have been fitted with LED strips that can be made to change to any colour desired, but of course provide virtually no illumination, they're just for mood. Ugh.
-
Gimme gas any time.
-
You can't beat a good external extractor fan or hood. Getting the steam out is as important as getting the smells out.
-
Gimme gas any time.
Yep, but when we got married my wife had spent a lifetime (having had an AGA at honme as a young person) cooking electric, so that's what we had - then I ended up doing nearly all the cooking. The induction hob was a compromise I guess, I like electric ovens but prefer gas hobs.
-
You can't beat a good external extractor fan or hood. Getting the steam out is as important as getting the smells out.
Treu enough, but generally theres just the 2 of them, and it's a big room - 5m x 10m with a 3m ceiling - plus part of the refit was a steam oven (which, unlike the microwave and oven isn't a "connected device"..) so maybe there isn't too much ambient steam. I'd be more worried about aerosolised fat getting everywhere.
-
Gimme gas any time.
I used to think that, and then I discovered induction.
Of course with gas, the extraction is even more important. Not that it stops you breathing the nasties, but it keeps the humidity down to manageable levels. I've yet to see a gas hob with an integrated arsebackwards extractor fan...
-
I used to think that, and then I discovered induction.
I’ve long maintained that there are two kinds of people: those who prefer cooking on induction and those who haven’t tried it yet.
(Don’t @ me.)
-
I used to think that, and then I discovered induction.
I’ve long maintained that there are two kinds of people: those who prefer cooking on induction and those who haven’t tried it yet.
(Don’t @ me.)
I've used induction and I'm impressed that it is almost as responsive as gas ("Sufficiently" would be a more accommodating term) and it seemed that low settings appeared to have less of an issue with hot spots, so I have nothing against them as a genre.
But REALLY. Touch switches? As many seem to have. Whoever thought that was a good idea? Actually, whoever thought that was an ACEPTABLE idea? Apparently many manufacturers.
-
But REALLY. Touch switches? As many seem to have. Whoever thought that was a good idea? Actually, whoever thought that was an ACEPTABLE idea? Apparently many manufacturers.
They're cheap, wipe-clean and an accessibility nightmare. And more reliable than knobs du fromage (which our current cooker suffers from).
In this particular context, where it's going to get splattered with sauce almost every time I use it, I'd personally consider that an acceptable trade-off. But I hate touch interfaces in general, and fully support anyone who wants or needs their cooker to have proper knobs on, dammit.
-
I'm a gas-man through and through, but should I require a new hob, the induction cultists probably have me.
-
But REALLY. Touch switches? As many seem to have. Whoever thought that was a good idea? Actually, whoever thought that was an ACEPTABLE idea? Apparently many manufacturers.
They're cheap, wipe-clean and an accessibility nightmare. And more reliable than knobs du fromage (which our current cooker suffers from).
In this particular context, where it's going to get splattered with sauce almost every time I use it, I'd personally consider that an acceptable trade-off. But I hate touch interfaces in general, and fully support anyone who wants or needs their cooker to have proper knobs on, dammit.
Thing is, on my induction hob (with knob control as it's part of a cooker) moisture on the touch part of the controls (for power boost, global "off and run away", maybe some other suffs) stops it working and turns off the hod after it gives a few warning beeps. And you can't beat a rotary control (out of the splash zone, not on the hob itself) for fast control ina "crumb's that's boiling a bit fast" moment.
One reason I like a free-standing cooker is it's a double oven with separate grill in the top one. I heartily dislike integrated ones with the grill in the top of the main oven. Fortunayely our tiny kitchen precludes in-built appliances.
-
But REALLY. Touch switches? As many seem to have. Whoever thought that was a good idea? Actually, whoever thought that was an ACEPTABLE idea? Apparently many manufacturers.
Not a format-specific complaint though, is it? More of a general bad design complaint.
Ideally, I'd like the controls to be on an entirely separate panel to the cooking surface but I imagine if models exist with such a feature, they are likely very spendy.
To get back on topic, separate control panels would also be far more sensible and useful feature than an integrated extractor.
-
Someone mentioned yesterday they were "between cookers" due to some breakdown, and that they were getting a gas hob because, among other considerations, if you have a gas hob and an electric oven (or vice versa) you can still cook in the event of a power cut or gas main shutdown. But not, of course, if both happen together in some sort of preppers' delight.
-
That's certainly useful, but unless you get an awful lot of power cuts[1] it doesn't seem worth the faff of a gas hob for the rest of the time. You can plonk one of those cheap butane cartridge stoves on top of your inoperative induction hob just fine (unless of course it wobbles on the arsebackwards extractor vent).
[1] In which case you probably[2] want a gas oven too, so your partly-cooked roast doesn't get ruined.
[2] Assuming you're on the gas network. Otherwise you're into LPG territory, and LPG ovens all seem to be a bit rubbish.
-
We had a huge (took 4 standard supermarket pizzas on one shelf) oven and hob on the barge. All cooking was done on hob or that oven.
The oven was more than decent.
A 9kg bottle of gas lasted us about 3 months.
Cooking with gas really doesn't use much.
-
That's certainly useful, but unless you get an awful lot of power cuts[1] it doesn't seem worth the faff of a gas hob for the rest of the time. You can plonk one of those cheap butane cartridge stoves on top of your inoperative induction hob just fine (unless of course it wobbles on the arsebackwards extractor vent).
[1] In which case you probably[2] want a gas oven too, so your partly-cooked roast doesn't get ruined.
[2] Assuming you're on the gas network. Otherwise you're into LPG territory, and LPG ovens all seem to be a bit rubbish.
Or roasting over an open fire, like a Georgian feast.
-
But REALLY. Touch switches? As many seem to have. Whoever thought that was a good idea? Actually, whoever thought that was an ACEPTABLE idea? Apparently many manufacturers.
Not a format-specific complaint though, is it?
I'd argue it is, actually - it's part of the whole clean surface thing. To be clear, bad controls are not a uniquely induction thing, the Neff & Co "flameselect" thing : "LOOK WE'VE MADE A GAS HOB THAT JUMPS JUST LIKE AN ELECTRIC" is a case in point. And yes, while I can cook with the jumps natural to electric, I much prefer the infinitely adjustable gas.
-
You can get a gas hob with touch controls if you really wanted...
And some touch controls are better than others. Some of just plus/minus buttons, which means it takes multiple presses to change power (with an annoying beep for each press). I've now got one with a slider type, so can just press any position on the line, to go straight to that level.
It goes from 1 to 14, which is enough levels for most things. And means you can repeat things with the same power level each time, instead of twiddling a knob to exactly the right place.
-
I'd argue it is, actually - it's part of the whole clean surface thing.
The "clean surface thing" is not an inherent or necessary feature of cooking with induction.
-
I'd argue it is, actually - it's part of the whole clean surface thing.
The "clean surface thing" is not an inherent or necessary feature of cooking with induction.
mmmm, that's why you will be able to show me one - just one - currently made without touch controls?
(there may well be, but not in https://www.currys.co.uk/appliances/cooking/hobs-built-in/induction-hobs AFAICS)
-
I did find one (soemwhat surprsingly cheap too)- but kims rule of knobs getting gunked up will apply I guess.
https://cookology.com/product/collections/black-products/cookology-59cm-induction-hob-with-rotary-controls-black/
-
I think you'll find that reinforces the point I was making, that for all intents and purposes, choosing induction means choosing touch controls.
-
I think you'll find that reinforces the point I was making, that for all intents and purposes, choosing induction means choosing touch controls.
Maybe but the point I was making is that this is down to bad design decisions, not inherent flaws in the cooking method. And bad design of controls is not unique to induction hobs, as you yourself have said (see also: kitchen scales).
Of course, if touch controls are a deal-breaker for you, it will limit your options. That's just the way of the world though - things aren't designed with practicality or ergonomics in mind these days, they're designed to look nice and sleek and compact (see also: integrated extractors). This is the dream the marketers have convinced us is what we want, so that is what they will offer us.
Most people don't actually do any cooking on their appliances anyway so they care more about being able to easily wipe the surface clean.
-
I think you'll find that reinforces the point I was making, that for all intents and purposes, choosing induction means choosing touch controls.
To be clear, I found quite a number of similar hobs with rotary controls, including a not-so-cheap Smeg, but certainly a more limited selection than pure touch control. As I noted though, I prefer a stand alone double oven stove, and there there is more choice available. And I’ve never used a touch only integrated job, hence my original question re usability.
-
I’ve never used a touch only integrated job, hence my original question re usability.
As lissotriton says, they vary a lot. Some are good, some are awful.
Some people will have particular reasons for not being able to use them or not wanting to use them. I don't know if that applies to you.
-
I think you'll find that reinforces the point I was making, that for all intents and purposes, choosing induction means choosing touch controls.
Maybe but the point I was making is that this is down to bad design decisions, not inherent flaws in the cooking method. And bad design of controls is not unique to induction hobs, as you yourself have said (see also: kitchen scales).
Of course, if touch controls are a deal-breaker for you, it will limit your options. That's just the way of the world though - things aren't designed with practicality or ergonomics in mind these days, they're designed to look nice and sleek and compact (see also: integrated extractors). This is the dream the marketers have convinced us is what we want, so that is what they will offer us.
Most people don't actually do any cooking on their appliances anyway so they care more about being able to easily wipe the surface clean.
Well, yes, no argument here.
I suspect my mode of kitchen use, with occasional forays into catering for 50+ and relatively frequent meals for 12 or more makes me an edge case, but I'm not as precious as I might sound. I'm looking around at replacement hobs, as it looks possible that my 5 burner/90cm wide Neff might well kark it soon, in a way that will make it difficult to repair. This year, I cooked a christmas dinner for 15 on an induction hob in our ski apartment. Yes, I noticed the lack of precision control (pans going from boiling too quickly to off the boil, etc) and yes I loathed the touch control, but I could work with both features, which oddly made me happier about settling on a "Flameselect" if I have to.
My drop dead criteria are: same or larger dimensions (not easy at 90cm) and 2 minimum high output burners/plates. After that, flameselect would level the choice of gas against induction in my book, all my pans would work with induction so no issues there.
ETA - I hated the touch control because of its sensitivity/lack of sensitivity when wet/wet fingers, and the way this particular one made you select the plate you wanted to work with before using (an admitedly long and easy to stab at) a single up down control
-
We had a huge (took 4 standard supermarket pizzas on one shelf) oven and hob on the barge. All cooking was done on hob or that oven.
The oven was more than decent.
My prejudices against LPG mostly come via my Lincolnshire correspondent, who has suffered a series of cookers with dodgy oven thermostats and bemoans the lack of alternatives. (His competent but difficult-to-motivate dad refuses to run some 6mm^2 for an electric cooker, ostensibly out of fear of Part P.)
I also note that our current cooker was given to us for free when Mr Barakta's-Dad moved to the arse end of Essex and discovered you couldn't get LPG wossnames for it, which is presumably normal.
-
Agree with the grumbles about touch controls, some people seem to be invisible to them!
-
But REALLY. Touch switches? As many seem to have. Whoever thought that was a good idea? Actually, whoever thought that was an ACEPTABLE idea? Apparently many manufacturers.
Not a format-specific complaint though, is it?
I'd argue it is, actually - it's part of the whole clean surface thing. To be clear, bad controls are not a uniquely induction thing, the Neff & Co "flameselect" thing : "LOOK WE'VE MADE A GAS HOB THAT JUMPS JUST LIKE AN ELECTRIC" is a case in point. And yes, while I can cook with the jumps natural to electric, I much prefer the infinitely adjustable gas.
The eldest child has an induction hob with a completely smooth surface - the controls are magnetic disks, stay in place due to magnetic majik. Lift off for cleaning.
Best of both worlds, until your children play with and lose the controls.
-
A visually impaired friend of mine got an induction hob, but had to pay more than £400 extra (for a much higher end model than they needed/wanted) just to get one with physical knobs she could make accessible for her needs as she can't see touch-controls well enough to use them. We call this criptax but it adds up if you consider washing machine, dishwasher and any other fairly standard kitchen equipment that is essential. Friend also has talking scales which again cost a bit more although those are cheaper these days as it's becoming more mainstream, children like them and it's cheap to just add talkie stuff.