Need help operating halogen hob! Mrs Doubtfire moment!
Discussion
PH Wimmin... I implore you, lend me your pinnies 
I've just moved into a place with a very fancy new oven and hob. It's all lovely but I tried to use the hob for the first time last night and nearly burnt my kitchen down.
These halogen hobs are pretty simple looking but this one from NEFF is a pain in the arse...
The instructions are pretty lame, basically telling you how to switch it on, and then how to adjust the power settings. That's your lot.
It seems to have a number of 'safe' modes that prevent you using a pan of the wrong material, one that's too light, or heavy, or the wrong shape. It is sensitive to position on the plate and then when it does work, you get a massive blast of heat that blows a hole in the side of your favourite wok and fills your kitchen with thick black smoke.
Oops
So, any pointers on use? The NEFF website is pretty unhelpful.
Ta
I've just moved into a place with a very fancy new oven and hob. It's all lovely but I tried to use the hob for the first time last night and nearly burnt my kitchen down.
These halogen hobs are pretty simple looking but this one from NEFF is a pain in the arse...
The instructions are pretty lame, basically telling you how to switch it on, and then how to adjust the power settings. That's your lot.
It seems to have a number of 'safe' modes that prevent you using a pan of the wrong material, one that's too light, or heavy, or the wrong shape. It is sensitive to position on the plate and then when it does work, you get a massive blast of heat that blows a hole in the side of your favourite wok and fills your kitchen with thick black smoke.
Oops
So, any pointers on use? The NEFF website is pretty unhelpful.
Ta
I suspect it's and INDUCTION hob rather than a halogen. It will only operate if the pan you are putting on it is magnetic, otherwise I think it will just sit there and look at you!
Not come across one blowing up a wok though but I have read reports that cheap pans can generate significant hot spots in the pans.
Not come across one blowing up a wok though but I have read reports that cheap pans can generate significant hot spots in the pans.
KingRichard said:
It is sensitive to position on the plate and then when it does work, you get a massive blast of heat that blows a hole in the side of your favourite wok
That doesn't sound like induction...Quick test - an aluminium pan will do exactly nothing and stay stone cold. Swap it for an iron or s/s one and it will get hot, very quickly, and make a buzzing sound on max.
Does it say 'IN' on it or any other clue?
Depends on what you've got. If it's induction the pans have to be magnetic to work and then I think the "ring" only heats up where the pan touches.
We're putting an induction hob in the "Grandpa annexe" we're building for Dad and having wandered around our existing kitchen with a magnet virtually nothing other than the cast iron pans will work on his hob. Dad's isn't installed yet so I haven't actually tried anything on it.
Ikea sell some induction friendly pans and Asda had a set of Morphy Richards induction pans for about £35.
I've been warned off cheap pans that say they are induction friendly, apparently some of them just have a magnetic disk inserted between the layers of stainless steel so that disk superheats leaving real hot spots.
Have you got anything cast iron to try on it? Find yourself a fridge magnet or something similar and check your pans!
We're putting an induction hob in the "Grandpa annexe" we're building for Dad and having wandered around our existing kitchen with a magnet virtually nothing other than the cast iron pans will work on his hob. Dad's isn't installed yet so I haven't actually tried anything on it.
Ikea sell some induction friendly pans and Asda had a set of Morphy Richards induction pans for about £35.
I've been warned off cheap pans that say they are induction friendly, apparently some of them just have a magnetic disk inserted between the layers of stainless steel so that disk superheats leaving real hot spots.
Have you got anything cast iron to try on it? Find yourself a fridge magnet or something similar and check your pans!
Piglet said:
I've been warned off cheap pans that say they are induction friendly, apparently some of them just have a magnetic disk inserted between the layers of stainless steel so that disk superheats leaving real hot spots.
Wouldn't Stainless Steel work just fine? The Steel bit of Stainless Steel implying a pretty high ferrous content?KingRichard said:
It does make a buzzing sound... does that mean I need to buy new pans?
No, if they're buzzing then heat is being induced into the pan - which is what's supposed to happen!Piglet said:
Depends on what you've got. If it's induction the pans have to be magnetic to work
You're confusing very simple science. What you mean is that the pans must be FERROUS (iron) to work. There's no magnetism involved, but the coils in the hob need to be able to INDUCE a current and therefore heat into the pan. You can check that suitable pans are FERROUS by seeing if a magnet will stick to them, but they are not 'magnetic' (only a magnet is magnetic).I use cheap stainless steel pans from Homebase and they work just fine. Or if you're Gordon Ramsey, cast iron works equally well if not better.
Right, it's very easy. Place your s/s or iron pan on the appropriate ring. Obviously try to use the ring that's the closest to the pan size. Then you set the heat on a scale of 1-10 and get cooking.
If you lift the pan off, eg to stir it, the induction effect is broken and no current is used. Replace it and voila! it starts cooking again.
It's very easy, you just have to delete your knowledge of gas
Simpo Two said:
KingRichard said:
It does make a buzzing sound... does that mean I need to buy new pans?
No, if they're buzzing then heat is being induced into the pan - which is what's supposed to happen!Piglet said:
Depends on what you've got. If it's induction the pans have to be magnetic to work
You're confusing very simple science. What you mean is that the pans must be FERROUS (iron) to work. There's no magnetism involved, but the coils in the hob need to be able to INDUCE a current and therefore heat into the pan. You can check that suitable pans are FERROUS by seeing if a magnet will stick to them, but they are not 'magnetic' (only a magnet is magnetic).I use cheap stainless steel pans from Homebase and they work just fine. Or if you're Gordon Ramsey, cast iron works equally well if not better.
Right, it's very easy. Place your s/s or iron pan on the appropriate ring. Obviously try to use the ring that's the closest to the pan size. Then you set the heat on a scale of 1-10 and get cooking.
If you lift the pan off, eg to stir it, the induction effect is broken and no current is used. Replace it and voila! it starts cooking again.
It's very easy, you just have to delete your knowledge of gas
(I'm a girl and I failed my physics O level - give me a break
)Simpo Two said:
Piglet said:
(I'm a girl and I failed my physics O level - give me a break )
Oh you should have said - I'd have cut you some slack! )Now make me a nice embroidered cover for my induction hob
I could make you a nice pan of soup in a magnetic pan though Gassing Station | Food, Drink & Restaurants | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff