Best induction hobs 2022

The induction hob for many of us looks like a real alien from the future. The burner here is completely cold, and the soup in the pot is boiling. Miracles? No, it’s all about the alternating electromagnetic field, which drives the electrons at the bottom of the dish, and it already heats the contents. One question remains – do you really need such a stove? In order not to be disappointed in the choice, you need to know about some features of the technology, says Sergey Smyakin, an expert on kitchen appliances at the TechnoEmpire store.

– Many are afraid of induction, they say, electromagnetic waves have a bad effect on health. No, of course, if you are close to the stove, then they really are, but in such portions of EMP it is completely safe for humans and pets. Rather, you will experience psychological discomfort from the fact that the usual pots, pans and cauldrons may not “make friends” with the induction hob and you will have to buy special dishes.

Top 12 rating according to KP

1. LEX EVI 640 F BL with merging zone

An excellent model that even professionals will appreciate. There is a convenient touch control, lock, programmable timer, residual heat indication. All four burners expand for large dishes and turn off when overheated. 

If there is no time, then you can use the BOOST mode to speed up cooking or pause work, saving the settings. Induction guarantees savings and additional safety.

The conditional disadvantages include the absence of at least one standard electric burner.

Features:

Advantages and disadvantages

2. Bosch PIE631FB1E

Popular induction hob made of glass ceramic. Measuring 59.2 x 52.2 cm, it has four standard burners. There is also a proprietary PowerBoost function, which significantly speeds up the cooking or boiling process. The effectiveness of this mode is evidenced by the fact that in it the panel is able to boil three liters of water in more than two minutes. Bosch offers a temperature scale from 1 to 9. The stove accurately recognizes the presence of dishes on its surface. Buyers should be aware that in high power mode, it starts to make a noticeable noise. In addition, some users report increased power consumption even when the stove is in standby mode.

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3. LEX EVI 640-2 BL

Sufficiently powerful induction hob with a standard width of 60 cm with a modern slider type of control, a timer and a Stop & Go function.

Burners have different diameters, provide a high heating rate and an acceptable noise level for their class. Furthermore? there is an option to recognize dishes, blocking from overheating and boiling over.

Cooking installation requires certain skills: removing the ground wire, the manufacturer insulated the body of the hob.

Features:

Advantages and disadvantages

4. Electrolux EHH 56240 IK

Inexpensive induction hob with four burners and a rated power of 6,6 kW. The surface quickly heats up the cookware, even if it is not directly designed to work with induction. However, this model has some nuances. For example, a power management system that limits the load per phase to 3,6 kW. In practice, this means that if you cook simultaneously on two vertical burners, the stove starts clicking the relay loudly, turning on the fan and switching the burners at intervals of 2-3 seconds. The problem is solved by a home electrical network with two phases.

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5. MAUNFELD HOUSE 292-BK

Budget induction hob, only two burners. Suitable for those who are looking for a compact solution and for those who want to try induction, but do not want to overpay. The stove power is only 3,5 kW. Despite the budget, there is an accelerated heating mode, which allows, for example, to boil water in a little more than a minute. EVI 292-BK has 10 cooking modes, a timer and a touch panel lock, which is useful for homes with children and animals. When installing the panel, you should pay attention to the installation of the fan, if it is in the wrong position, it makes noise and may break. The panel works rather strangely at minimum power modes, there are questions about the durability of the device – for some users, burners burn out after a year of operation.

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6. Gorenje IT 640 BSC

Relatively affordable induction hob with four burners. The model received a residual heat indicator and a safety shutdown. Problems with the power grid, which are observed in many competitors, are not here. The stove is able to recognize even small dishes, for example, a cezve for brewing coffee. True, you will have to put up with the characteristic sound that the Gorenje IT 640 BSC emits, despite the average load.

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7. Zigmund & Shtain CIS 219.60 DX

Cooktop with designer frills. The glass-ceramic here is not just made in the original colors – it has a pattern. Dimensions for a four-burner induction cooker are standard – 58 x 51 cm. The panel performs its functions properly – fast heating, responsive touch controls and a timer. But many may not like the soundtrack of work – the induction panel makes noise with a fan.

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8. Hansa BHI68300

“People’s” induction cooker, which is very often recommended for purchase on the Internet. The advantages of this model include its price, stability and simple operation. For example, there are also light indicators for finding dishes on the surface around the burner, which can be useful. Protection from children and pets will come in handy for many. The reverse side of the advantages of Hansa BHI68300 is the often occurring marriage, when the stove at one fine moment stops turning on. In addition, some users complain about the persistent smell of plastic in the first months of cooking on the hob.

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9. Indesit VIA 640 0 C

Induction cooker from a well-known manufacturer of kitchen appliances. By the way, Indesit promises that the surface will last 10 years (however, the warranty is still standard – 1 year).

The four-burner hob has dimensions of 59 by 51 cm. VIA 640 0 C is distinguished by intuitive touch controls and is unpretentious to the dishes. The disadvantage of induction panels in this price range is that there is a hum and click of the relay when three or more burners are operating simultaneously. In addition, this model is very susceptible to the quality of wiring and voltage drops.

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10. Whirlpool SMC 653 F/BT/IXL

This “induction” boasts not only functionality, it will be a real designer decoration of the kitchen. Here, a non-standard placement of burners is implemented, of which, formally, there are three. In fact, the SMC 653 F/BT/IXL has two huge heating zones, each of which recognizes the area on which the dishes are placed. At the same time, the stove works with any dishes, and not just with special ones. By the way, this model from Whirlpool is also distinguished by the increased strength of glass ceramics – some users note that even a fall of the pan cannot damage the surface.

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11. Beko HII 64400 ATBR

A four-burner hob that differs from its competitors in not the most common color – beige. We will not talk about the practicality of such a solution, but some buyers will definitely like it. The stove is able to recognize the presence of dishes on it, and the burners are turned off if there is nothing on them. Surface control is quite simple – there are touch buttons. As a liability, you can only write down the fact that competitors have models similar in functionality at a more pleasant price.

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12. Hotpoint-Ariston ICID 641 BF

This induction hob has an increased power of 7,2 kW. The increase in power fell on one burner, which is made according to a two-circuit scheme and can almost instantly heat up the contents of a pot or pan. An advanced timer will prevent soup or milk from “running away”.

The glass-ceramic coating here is very strong and can withstand the fall of even a large pan. However, it is subject to rubbing and scratching, which must be taken into account when caring for this panel.

Advantages and disadvantages:

How to choose an induction hob

The superiority of induction panels over gas and classic electric stoves is so obvious that every year more and more of them are sold on the market of household appliances. Cold, powerful, economical and easily integrated into any kitchen set. In stores you can find dozens and hundreds of models of induction hobs. So which one to choose for your needs?

Design

The use of induction coils, which themselves practically do not heat up, has opened up a huge field for manufacturers to rethink the design of the stove. For example, if the glass-ceramic coating of a conventional electric stove could often be made only in dark and light colors (customers did not particularly like this – after several years of washing, the stove in white looked worse than black), then the appearance of a cold induction panel (which should be kept clean easier) is limited only by the imagination of designers. In addition to very exotic colors, there are often an unusual arrangement of burners, which are even combined into cooking zones.

Burners and heating zones

Two- and four-burner induction panels are now common on the market. But there are some nuances. For example, advanced models have combined cooking zones, and smart sensors determine the exact location of the dishes, directing induction there. Large areas have another plus – they can cook in bulk dishes, for example, in a cauldron. But if the bottom of the pot does not cover 70% of the area of ​​the cooking zone, the stove will not turn on. By the way, the standard diameter of burners for induction cookers is 14-21 cm. The boundaries of the heating zone are usually marked on the surface. For the sake of style, they can be any shape, but the heating zone is still round.

Power and energy efficiency

In terms of energy efficiency, induction is much more economical than a conventional electric stove. So, the efficiency of the surface can reach 90%. But this has a downside – induction cookers are somewhat more powerful than their traditional counterparts and they consume more energy per unit of time. So what are their economics? Here is a simple example. In order to boil 2 liters of water on a classic electric stove, it can take up to 15 minutes, and induction will do it in 5, and in Boost mode in 1,5 minutes. This is how electricity is saved.

Management

Problems with smooth control of the degree of heating of induction got from conventional electric stoves. But this disadvantage is somewhat smoothed out by a large number of temperature regimes. On some panels, their number can reach 20.

Sensors are now used in control. Such buttons, for all their futuristic appearance, have one significant drawback – their sensitivity is greatly reduced due to liquid or dirt.

About dishes

When thinking about choosing the best induction cooktop 2022, one should not miss the question of cookware. The fact is that the “physics” of these panels is fundamentally different from gas or conventional electric ones. Not every pot or pan is suitable for an induction cooker. Cookware must be made of material with ferromagnetic properties – steel, cast iron and other iron alloys. Roughly speaking, kitchen utensils should be magnetized. But this does not mean that you have to go broke on buying a complete set of new dishes. By the way, induction cookers are so “smart” that they simply won’t work with an unsuitable frying pan, which means that the risk of breaking the stove is minimal.