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Induction Hob again

Former Community Member
Former Community Member
I hope that you don’t find me impudent but I am having difficulty finding an electrician to explain why they will not install the induction hob and double oven that we are looking to fit in our new kitchen.
We have chosen a hob 7.4 kW and oven 6.3 kW. The cooker radial circuit has 6mm2 cable with 40A MCB. The run is some 12 m. The house was built (converted) in 2002 and inspected last year (DPN18C). We cannot run an extra cable because the CU is separated from the kitchen without a horizontal floor or roof space and presumably runs the existing cable through the stud walls.
The kitchen fitting company electrician has visited but won’t carry out the work unless we sign an indemnity as it would invalidate our insurance and the appliance guarantee. He suggested instead two plug-in ovens which we could add to the ring main. I have contacted four other local electricians but they all use 13.7 kW means 59.7 A which means 10 mm cable and ignore my request to consider diversity.
Should I give up and accept the two oven solution or perhaps a gas oven?
Do you know of a way of finding someone who understands diversity?
Am I simply wrong?

  • 0
    Zoomup:

    Induction hobs heat the pan not the hob using an electrical current. Induction hobs can heat a pan faster than a traditional gas or electric hob, and are more energy efficient. They’re also easier to clean, as you can wipe the hob shortly after using it.


    At risk of thread drift ...


    Yes the pan is heated (but only if iron or steel - copper and aluminium do not work), but does that not then heat the hob?


    They may well heat a pan more quickly, but only by virtue of being more powerful.


    Energy efficiency is a bit like EVs with their "zero emissions" - I'll bet that gas is more efficient when used direct. At the very least it is 1/3 of the price.


    What has the timing of cleaning got to do with it. The last thing that I want to do after eating my dinner is to clean the kitchen. That can wait until morning. ?


  • 0
    Zoomup:


    I found this listing.....



     




    Bosch PXV851FC1E Induction Hob, Black



     

    (5)

    Induction hobs heat the pan not the hob using an electrical current. Induction hobs can heat a pan faster than a traditional gas or electric hob, and are more energy efficient. They’re also easier to clean, as you can wipe the hob shortly after using it. Remember, not all ceramic hobs are …

     

    "Amperage: 32A

    Aperture needed: H5.1 x W75 x D50cm

    Brand: Bosch

    Burner Power: 1x 1.8kW, 1x 1.4kW, 1x 2.2kW, 1x 3.3kW or 2x 2.2kW

    Cable Included: YES

    Control Position: Front"


    Z.




    So just a categorization by a retail site, rather than a recommendation by the manufacturer?


      - Andy.


  • 0
    What has the timing of cleaning got to do with it. The last thing that I want to do after eating my dinner is to clean the kitchen. That can wait until morning.

    I think what they're suggesting is that if something boils over on an induction hob, it's easy just to turn it off, move the pan and wipe it up - before it burns on (helped by the fact that the hob surface is naturally cooler than than pan as well as being a smooth glass surface) - unlike conventional gas hob where you'd have to move the (very hot) pan stands before wiping up (or wait until it's cooled down) or traditional electric elements where it's likely to burn-on instantly.

      - Andy.
  • 0
    There is no question that less energy is used in an induction cooker than either a gas ring or a traditional electrically heated one, mainly as you are not heating a load of metalwork and losing as much energy to the air that is not going into the food.


    Actually you do better still with microwaves and HF dielectric heating, though the latter is not really practical for the home (though a 10kW 27MHz transmitter in every home would be interesting and allow for all sorts of things you cannot do with an ordinary cooker, like very large meringues and bread loaves that are crust all the way through - ideal for making croutons)


    For any given household, if you could manage to meet your catering needs on a given KW of supply with thermal rings, then cooking the same with induction will use no more electricity overall, and probably quite a lot less at peak as well.


    When you get to places in the world with poorer supplies, the  induction cooker that plugs into the normal socket comes into its own -  often with stacked multi-level steaming pans to make the best possible use of the energy.

    Mike
  • 0
    When you get to places in the world with poorer supplies, the induction cooker that plugs into the normal socket comes into its own

    Not just due to poorer supplies - I saw a description of a posh new "concept" kitchen where they replaced the conventional 4-ring hob with a number of single-ring portable induction hobs - the idea being you could plug in as few or as many as you needed for a particular meal - and indeed space them around the worktop as best suits your work pattern - or put them back in the cupboard and reclaim the worktop space for other uses.


    They're also popular with caravaners (why pay for gas when you can use the site electric for free).


      - Andy.
  • 0
    The surface of an induction hob is ceramic and is very easy to clean. I still prefer gas though, it is more controllable, heats any pan, and has only the pan thermal mas in the way of control. I suspect it is probably cheaper too, and an induction wok wouldn't work without a specially shaped induction holder and a special wok (proper wok burners are 7-10kW gas). Very few professionals like induction hobs, I used to have a single pan one but I don't miss it. Mike a gas ring has virtually nothing extra to heat, a curious saving! Electric cookers are fairly inefficient and very slow from bad experiences, gas is best.
  • 0
    Gas used to be king in commercial kitchens, but one does see induction hobs used in TV cookery programmes, and brochures for commercial stuff include them. I suppose that if you have the sort of restaurant kitchen where selected customers can gawp at the craftsmanship, you would want to have the latest gear on show.


    As far as I am concerned, I would have to replace my cast aluminium frying pans and various copper pans. The alternative is to place a steel disc between the hob and pan, which rather seems to miss the point.
  • Former Community Member
    0 Former Community Member
    Chris Pearson:
    biglouie:
    I am not an electrician, I have not been trained, not passed an exam nor do I have years of experience.


    OK, the majority viewpoint in here is that the existing circuit is suitable.


    So what work needs to be done?


    And who is contracted to do what?




    Thank you for what I take to be attempting to find a way for finding a qulified electrician who is also able to see that fitting the appliances is acceptable. Those I have contacted may be too busy but some don't understand the OSG, use rule of thumb "just to be on the safe side" or lack confidence in calculations. I was hoping to be able to discern advice that I can trust on this forum and am pleased to say that both my wife and I are now happy to go ahead with confidence. Thank you everyone who contributed (particularly the University of Sheffield). As for looking for some way of finding an actual electrician - though I was hoping something might come up here - it wouldn't be appropriate to advertise. Thank you all again and I hope that you'll carry on the discussion without me!


  • 0
    and an induction wok wouldn't work without a specially shaped induction holder and a special wok

    How a wok would work was my other half's worry when we got an induction hob - she does like a stir-fry. But purchase of one induction compatible wok later (only real difference seemed to be a somewhat flattened bottom) - we found it worked perfectly well on the largest normal ring - certainly just as well as the dedicated 'wok burner' on her previous domestic gas hob.

       - Andy.
  • 0
    From use of both gas, radiant and induction, I have no doubt that Induction Hobs are more economical and can be more responsive than gas.  In my experience the problem is the touch controls, which do not always do what you expect when you want it to, and woe betide you if the pan strays on to the control area.


    David


    Edit: spelling

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