Types of burners in electric hobs
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Hobs powered by the life-giving power of electricity guarantee greater safety of operation in comparison with gas ones. Firstly, during their operation there is no open flame and “blue fuel” is not burned, due to which it is easier to breathe in the kitchen and the risk of gas poisoning when the burner flame goes out is significantly reduced. And secondly, the surfaces of electrical panels are often easier to clean from contamination. All of them are united under one wing by electricity as a heat source, but the heating elements are the most motley.
Cast iron burners
A variant of the simplest type of heating elements has the form of a “pancake” protruding above the working surface, under which an electric heater coil is laid. Such burners made of hard and durable cast iron heat up for a long time and slowly cool down, which makes them less practical in comparison with electric peers. The main trump card of cast iron burners is their cheapness, which is why they are often found on board budget segment stoves. The substrate for "pancakes" is usually enameled work surfaces or stainless steel - unpretentious in maintenance and quite attractive in appearance.
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| Traditional cast-iron "pancakes" are gradually becoming a thing of the past. |
In addition to the standard cast iron burners, there are two special versions of the "pancakes":
- with a red circle in the center - an express burner of increased power (heats up about 1.5 times faster than usual);
- with a white circle in the center - a burner with a built-in temperature sensor (after boiling water automatically reduces the heating power).
Over time, cast iron warps and loses its shape under the influence of high temperatures, which does not ensure a snug fit of the cookware to the surface of the burner. You should also be careful with getting cold water on the heated cast-iron heater - this can cause the “pancake” to crack.
The next step in the evolution in the hierarchy of electric burners is the heating elements “under the guise” of a glass -ceramic work surface.
Hi-Light burners
Burners, which are based on a serpentine-shaped corrugated tape heater, launched along the perimeter of the delineated zone, are widely used. Its heating is quite effective and takes only 5-7 seconds. In addition, Hi-Light burners respond quickly to changes in power, adjusting to the value set by the user in the blink of an eye.
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| Hi-Light two-zone burner - inside view. |
A fly in the ointment in a barrel of honey is not the most economical energy consumption: other things being equal, a rapid burner with a working area diameter of 15-18 cm consumes 1-1.5 kW per hour, and a Hi-Light type - 1.5-2 kW.
Rapid burners
High-temperature spirals can be seen through the durable glass on this type of cooking surface. They heat up and cool down in about 10-15 seconds. The greatest efficiency of the rapid burners is achieved when heating large dishes.
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| Rapid burners are based on a high-temperature spiral. |
A strong influence on the level of energy consumed by the burner is its size and shape (there are rapid burners with an expandable heating zone, which is useful when cooking in non-standard dishes).
Halogen burners
At the heart of the halogen burners are tubes filled with rarefied vapors of inert gases. When the current passes, they emit a bright red glow, by the nature of which the hobs of this kind stand out against the background of other electrical relatives. Halogen burners gain maximum power almost immediately after turning on the stove and cool down just as quickly, reducing the risk of burns when touching the heated surfaces of the panel.
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| The halogen burner is easy to identify "by eye" by the characteristic bright glow. |
The halogen type of burners is good in everything except the service life - depending on the intensity of use of the stove, it ranges from 2-3 to 7-8 years. Some cooktop manufacturers extend the life of a halogen burner by implementing separate lamp and heater controls. So, the halogen lamp turns on only for the warm-up period, and then only the tape heating element works until the end of cooking.
Induction burners are considered the most progressive today.
Induction hobs
The principle of operation of heating elements of this type involves the use of magnetic field energy for heating. It is formed by the interaction of an inductor and a powerful electric generator installed "under the hood" of the hob. In this case, all energy is transferred directly to the dishes in which cooking takes place - the induction worktop heats the bottom of the pots and pans directly, while it itself remains cold or slightly warm from contact with the dishes (the corresponding indication will inform the user about the residual heat).
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| The working surface of the induction hob remains cool to the touch, which increases the safety of equipment operation. |
One of the mandatory requirements of hobs with induction heating is the use of ferromagnetic dishes with a thick bottom - permanent magnets “stick” to the bottom of such utensils. Paired with ordinary pots, inherited from my grandmother, the stove simply will not start working. Also among the security systems in the assets of induction surfaces for cooking, an important mission is performed by the function of blocking the inclusion of burners in the presence of foreign objects on them (forgotten spoons, towels, etc.).
Many models of induction panels have acquired support for the intensive heating function BOOSTER, the meaning of which boils down to the fact that the power of one burner can be briefly shared with the next one. Another useful feature is burner autofocus. In this case, the automatic adjustment of the heater to the size of the bottom of the cookware is implied, as a result of which the maximum efficiency of the panel is achieved with minimal energy consumption.
In practice, combinations of different types of burners are often used. A striking example of such a solution is the panel Electrolux EHG 96341 FK black , which combines induction hobs with Hi-Light heating elements in one bottle. Also on store shelves there are many models with burner formulas 2 gas + 2 electric and 3 gas + 1 electric.
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