The main difference between glass ceramic and induction hob is that induction hobs are more energy efficient and cook faster than glass ceramic hobs.
Glass ceramic hobs and induction hobs have several advantages over traditional gas cookers. They use electricity for cooking food and do not possess a naked flame.
Key Areas Covered
1. What is a Glass Ceramic Hob
– Definition, Features, Pros and Cons
2. What is an Induction Hob
– Definition, Features, Pros and Cons
3. Difference Between Glass Ceramic and Induction Hob
– Comparison of Key Differences
Key Terms
Glass Ceramic Hob, Induction Hob, Electric Cooker
What is a Glass Ceramic Hob
A glass ceramic hob is a cooktop with a smooth surface made of black tempered glass. Glass ceramic hobs are easy to clean and fit any type of kitchen. These hobs have a coil hidden beneath the glass surface. When cooking, electric current pass through this coil, and control knobs can adjust the current passing through it, generating heat. Here, the heat radiates through the glass to the base of the pot.
Generally, glass ceramic hobs heat up more quickly than cast iron hobs. We can use any type of heat-sensitive pan and pots with this hob. However, the cooking area of the hob is slow to warm and cool. If the hob is still hot, even if it’s switched off, you can notice this through the hob’s indicator lights. Moreover, these hobs have safety systems that prevent the hob from heating in case of overheating or overflow. When compared to other cooktops, ceramic hobs are more affordable. Nevertheless, they are not as responsive as induction hobs. In addition, glass ceramic hobs have a higher consumption of energy than induction hobs.
What is an Induction Hob
An induction hob is a cooktop that heats a cooking vessel using direct induction rather than thermal conduction, convection, or indirect radiation. Here, heat is delivered by currents from an electromagnetic field positioned beneath the glass surface to magnetic induction cookware placed on the cooking surface. An induction hob, unlike a gas burner, does not have a naked flame.
Generally, gas or electric hobs heat cooking vessels indirectly by heating a burner or coil or by producing a flame. But in an induction hob, there is no need for heating another element as heat passes directly to the cooking vessel and then passes to the food in it. Therefore, induction hobs can heat faster than other types of cooktops. When you use an induction hob, you can boil a pan of water in nearly half the time that it would take you to boil it on a normal gas cooker. In fact, induction hobs are faster, more energy-efficient, and safer than traditional cookers. However, you can only use certain cooking vessels on an induction cooker – it must contain ferromagnetic metals like stainless steel or cast iron.
Difference Between Glass Ceramic and Induction Hob
Definition
A glass ceramic hob is a cooktop with a smooth surface made of black tempered glass while an induction hob is a cooktop that heats a cooking vessel using direct induction rather than thermal conduction, convection, or indirect radiation.
Cooking Vessel
Any type of heat-sensitive pan and pot can be used with glass ceramic hobs, whereas only pots and pans made of ferromagnetic metals can be used with induction hobs.
Mechanism
Ceramic cooktops have coiled metal elements; they can be electronically heated to the desired temperature, and this coil then heats the ceramic surface, consequently heating the pan. Induction hobs, on the other hand, have powerful electromagnets instead of coils; these magnets generate a magnetic field that directly heats the pan.
Cooking
Induction hobs heat up very quickly since they use a magnetic field to generate heat, whereas glass ceramic hobs take some time to heat.
Energy Consumption
Induction hobs are more energy efficient than glass ceramic hobs because they only heat the pan and not the cooking surface.
Conclusion
In a ceramic hob, metal coils get electronically heated and transfer heat to the ceramic surface, consequently heating the pan. Induction hobs, on the other hand, have powerful electromagnets instead of coils; these magnets generate a magnetic field that directly heats the pan. The main difference between glass ceramic and induction hob is that induction hobs are more energy efficient and cook faster than glass ceramic hobs.
Reference:
1. Carr, Cathy. “Everything You Need to Know About Ceramic Cooktops.” Daniel Appliance.
2. “What Is Induction Cooking?” WebstaurantStore.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Glasstop cooker” (CC0) via Free Images Live
2. “Potatoes boiling in the pots on multi zone induction hob” (CC0) via Raw Pixel
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