Overview on the ceramic panel

The glass ceramic hobs are getting more and more skilful and, above all, thanks to their improved control. Touch-screen panels minimize the actions necessary to achieve a desired result, and the buttons are grouped so that their location is optimal for sequential operations. Logic remains the main criterion, but now the controls are more and more intuitive, turning buttons and indicators into the simplest, most intuitive instructions for action.

Hooray for sliding

One of the brightest examples of these new solutions are the touch-sensitive sliders. They were first used on cooktops only a few years ago. They work by analogy with mechanical ones, only instead of a slider, the user’s finger is used – observing the length of the indicator track that lights up, simply slide it along the touch scale to the value you’ve selected.

Slider sensors are now so popular that many companies give them primacy in the control systems of their collections, such as Miele and AEG. They have already begun to improve, so in the new LG Studio Series panels this novelty is not yet available in America and Oranier slider is not stretched in a line, and represents a semicircle.

Behind the metal

We are already used to the fact that the sensors on stove hobs are on the ceramic glass, but now a new trend is in fashion – the sensors on the metal, they are already used in Neff models for example, T44M40N0 and Bosch PKN 685N14E . From a practical point of view they don’t differ much from the others, but look very impressive.

Control in your pocket

A curious innovation is used in Neff and Gaggenau appliances – the special magnetic TwistPad switch. With it, all the settings are made the hearth and its working power are selected , thanks to the burner sensors, which register changes in the direction of the unit and activate the selected mode. Interesting that the TwistPad is not installed in the device – it is removable, you can easily put it in a pocket or on a shelf, and if the switch is removed from the panel, it automatically turns off.

Like a mirror

When installing a cooktop in a kitchen island, you must consider on which side the control box will be on. However, the problem disappears if the panel is equipped with two units. In this case, you can approach the device and use all its capabilities from two sides. Such a hob is in the Neff catalog model T14B82N0 .

Automation at work

Automation has also stepped up and become more affordable and widespread. Modern cooktops have several automatic functions:

Timers – for now they can only monitor the duration of a process, such as braising a roast or cooking steam cutlets. The timer counts down the time set by the user and automatically turns the burner off.

More recently, the panels used at most one timer, now more often the device is equipped with a complete set of independent timers for all zones of heating, reduced cost and this pleasure Zanussi ZVT66N, Hotpoint-Ariston KRC 641 DX, LG KA60520S .

Eco-timers become a new trend in time control, such as AEG timer models &Ouml ko, and for Electrolux it is EcoTimer. Such devices strive to save energy as much as possible. They determine the moment of a burner shutdown, based on the fact that in the process of cooking will be used residual heat AEG HK854080FB, Electrolux EHS68210P .

Automatic boiling automatic cooking is one of the most popular functions, its advantage is that it is not necessary to wait by the stove for the broth or potatoes. The appliance independently assesses whether the water is boiling or not, and when this happens, it switches the heating to a lower level, selected earlier by the hostess.

Only recently, automatic boiling was used only in very expensive models, but now it has moved into the medium price segment Hotpoint-Ariston KRC 641 DX, Zigmund & Shtain CNS 119 .60 BX, AEG HK 634070 IB .

Automatic frying – rare in Gaggenau for example CE 481 102 , Siemens EF 83H502 hobs.

The principle of operation lies in the possibility of automatic adjustment of the cooking zone temperature, which allows to control the frying process and achieve the required degree of frying, avoiding overheating. A sensor monitors and the degree of frying is selected from a number of options: minimum, medium, medium plus and maximum.

The warming or keeping warm function is designed to keep your food warm for longer. In this case, the heating zone is turned on to the set power, which is maintained constant, the dishes do not cool down and do not burn, for example, the hob Gorenje ECT640BXC.

Cleaning pause is a pause limited in time, for example, in Bosch hobs – 20 seconds. The function is activated when it is necessary to quickly clean up, for example, runaway porridge. Press the button – control turns off, wipe the glass ceramic top and the electronics reactivates, restoring all previous settings.

Closely related to this function is the Stop&Go option – also a pause option, only its duration is determined by the user. During the pause, the heating is turned into a heat preservation mode. This function is used when it is necessary to briefly stop a cooking that requires attention, such as opening the door, going to the phone, etc.d. Pressing the button once activates the function, the second time deactivates it, in this case it activates all the settings. Examples: AEG HK 634070 FB, Gorenje ECS8P2, Electrolux EHS 60210 X.

Residual heat indication – this familiar and mandatory feature has been made more flexible. It has two tasks – to save us from burns and allow us to use the heat turned off, but not yet cooled zone.

Until recently it was possible to distinguish one state from another only by eye, now this process has been simplified. In the panels began to apply the two-position indicators, which help to immediately orient the situation, such indicators can be found in Bosch eg, model PKN651N14D , Gorenje ECT610-ORA , Neff T15D40X0 . The cooking plates from AEG use the OptiHeat system, which informs the user whether the burner is hot enough for cooking on it, or hot enough to keep food warm, or whether it has just not cooled down yet.

Warming

Another unusual phenomenon – non-standard heating zones, we have repeatedly written about steamers, grills, Wok zones, which are an integral part of some glass ceramic hobs.

This list is extended by burners for warming, such as Gorenje ECS8P. The zone has a single setting and serves only to heat food, and not necessarily in a pan, it can be done in a dish. By the way, even the plates themselves can be heated with it before serving, the dishes in heated dishes cool down more slowly, and serving itself becomes more professional.

Where to put it? Anywhere!

Innovations in induction hobs look much brighter, because this segment is the fastest growing and a lot of innovations are still waiting for us.

One of them is rethinking the heating zones as such. In conventional Hi Light zones everything is clear – there is a certain diameter, the cookware must match it. In the new induction hob it doesn’t have to be that way at all. For example, AEG HK884400FG, Kuppersbusch EKI 8940.0 F, Hansa BHI69307 INARI, etc.d. Any pot can be used suitable for induction and the pot determines the cooking range.

Bridge

In some models it is possible to combine a couple of heating zones to use the griddle, for example, the Electrolux EHD60280PG has a special function which combines the two left cooking zones together. This solution is becoming increasingly popular and can be found in Bosch PIN675N14E, Neff T44T43N0, Samsung CTN364N003 and others. The function has already received the common name “Bridge” or Bridge and began to become more complex, offering not one but two pairs of zones that can work separately or in pairs such as De Dietrich DTI 853 X .

The whole panel can turn into one big zone, if a dish overlaps even one zone marker for example, a cross , and it does not matter how it is set. This new technology is used by AEG and Electrolux.

Field of Dreams

But there are more advanced solutions. For example, on De Dietrich hobs the activity of the whole surface is ensured by thirty six induction modules instead of two, although they work together. You can place the cookware on this hob as you like – no matter how conventional it is. And when you move it around the panel, the electronics will recognize it and save all the settings. A similar technology is also used in the new Gaggenau CX 480, which is not yet on sale.

Just like in the movies

The latest induction models have a brand-new control unit with TFT display. They are characterised by large color touch screens which make interaction with the panel even easier, more intuitive and brighter. Control boxes with TFT displays appeared not more than a year ago and are still attributes of premium equipment. AEG HK 884400 in black and grey and HK683320FG, De Dietrich Le Piano DTIM 1000C control boxes are already available.

For example, the Electrolux InfiSight display helps the user to see more clearly and precisely at a glance: the active zone is marked with a large circle, in the center of which the heating level and diameter of the pot are indicated, and if you activate functions such as Booster, they are also shown on the screen.

When quantity goes to quality

Automation in induction hobs is also rapidly evolving, offering both advanced, familiar functions and completely new ones.

Booster function provides a brief increase in power of a burner by borrowing power from a “neighbor” maximum 3-3.3 kW . More recently, the power can now be drawn from two zones, and that’s 3.7 kW.

Memory – used to enter simple power or complex power + duration settings into the base of the appliance, which can then be recalled at the touch of a button. Available in only a few models, e.g. De Dietrich.

Delayed start – a function that is not used in conventional hobs, but is already common in high-end induction hobs.

Programming – the ability to flexibly change settings, including the factory, for example, the user selects the number of power steps, say, ready-made settings offer nine, and you put fifteen Miele .

The duration tracking function helps you to see how long it took to cook your food or its phases Electrolux, AEG .

Multiple position indicator of the residual heat, such as the 4 position indicator of Electrolux, Hansa or the coloured indicator with CleverHeat Electrolux system that shows with the help of pictures which zone is on, which is heated and to what condition.

A fresh combination

Combi induction models are also ready for an upgrade. Now in one product can be combined elements, which until recently were not usual, such as a pair of induction zones and gas burners Electrolux EHM60132K , induction and a concave Wok zone Boretti BIKW 75, Kuppersbusch EKIW 9850.0 F , as well as induction plus a large tepan-yaki zone Jaksch CL2200T, not yet available in America .