Energy Saving Induction Hobs

 

 

In these days of energy & financial concerns due to the recent energy price hike and also of our dwindling fossil fuel resources such as gas, which is often preferred over electricity in many commercial catering environments, the introduction of the induction hob is something of a God send to the commercial catering industry.

 

Not only that, but a kitchen equipped with induction hobs instead of their more common gas or electric counterparts will help make what is normally hot, sweaty environment far cooler as the induction hob does not heat up.

 

I assume many of you will be asking yourselves, “If the hob doesn’t heat up, how does it work?” Well, the magic is in the science bit.  The induction hob produces an electro-magnetic field, which is heatless until a suitably conductive pan is placed on the hob’s surface. The base of the pan heats up quickly and efficiently due to it’s resistance to the magnetic field and not as a result of the hob itself heating up.

 

The process is very similar to that of an electric fire where the current passes through a thin coiled wire which resists the flow of electricity and therefore heats up the wire. With an induction hob, the flow of electricity comes from a harmless & heatless electro magnetic field and the base of the pan is the resistor.  Put the two together and you’ve got the ideal cooking device!

 

This means that there is no heat loss around the pan as with gas or electric, which has obvious environmental benefits as well as helping to keep the kitchen temperature down too; an obvious advantage for anyone who’s worked in a commercial catering environment.

 

Because the heating process begins when a pan is placed on the hob, and ends when it’s removed from the hob makes the induction hob perfect for the environmentally conscious kitchen and essential in the current economic climate.  Energy isn’t getting any cheaper and all of us need to cut running costs as much as possible to survive the next 12 months or so.

The induction hob is also a compact free standing unit and can be stowed away when not in use; this enables the work surface to be put to better use when needed. Available in single, double and quad hobs makes the induction hob is a must have piece of commercial catering equipment, especially where both time and space are limited.