The panel, which guesses your desires: a review of cooking ovens Miele

German company Miele has announced the launch of its FlexTouch induction hob panel. It is the epitome of a fresh look at technology. And it guarantees a new level of human interaction.

FREEDOM ON THE HOB

The main feature of the new device is the technology based on 36 separate induction rings, which are combined with each other in various combinations to create single heating zones. Conventional appliances use them by the number of burners – two, three, four or five.

This means that when cooking with a new product it is not necessary to put a pan or a pot targeted, trying to hit the heating zone circle or cover its center, marked with a cross. It’s enough to choose the position that suits you best: closer to the edge for easy observation of cooking or farther away so it doesn’t get in your way. Now it all depends on your wishes and comfort. You can use up to five pans of any diameter and shape including rectangular pans, oval pans, duck pans, you can even take a tray if it has a magnetizable bottom.

But that’s not all. Miele’s Flex Touch induction hob offers three modes:

– The “Multi” mode is designed for everyday use – pots and pans can be placed in any part of the ceramic hob, there can be up to five. No matter what size or shape: a tiny pot, a ladle for porridge, a soup pot, a large kettle, a voluminous saucepan. The arrangement of the individual pots and pans is shown on the display panel as a schematic diagram. And you choose the mode yourself, according to the requirements of the recipe.

– Solo” mode is designed for special occasions, like cooking with friends at a boisterous party, hectic schedule such as gathering garden or forest produce, or celebrating with children. In this mode, all 36 induction rings are combined to create a single heating zone, which means the entire panel has one common power level setting. And that’s a huge room for creativity – you can grill meat on large griddles, cook ruddy shrimp, chicken wings. This mode is perfect if you need to heat several large pots, such as jam jars, or reheat several large dishes at the same time.

– Trio mode. There are three big fields with individual settings and the same freedom of action. Here we go, one zone is allocated for cooking sauce, another for boiling spaghetti, on the third fry mussels for a salad. Pots and pans within their zone can be moved as we please. Attention is required: move them closer to the pan – the process begins, move them further away – so they don’t get in the way.

TURN ON YOUR INTUITION

Intuitive user interface requires no special training. The user does not have to get used to the special features of the controls because everything is arranged exactly as you expect.

The display is a new generation touch screen. Ceramic surface protects reliably against high temperatures, moisture and detergents. The display reacts quickly and accurately to your touch. But it’s not just that that’s important, it’s the updated visualization system.

All information is displayed in a simple, graphical style.

The panel automatically recognizes the size and position of pots or pans and marks their exact location on the display on a scale of 1:10 , shows the parameters already set, say level 5 power – the solution is very clear, or rather simply self-evident. You can change the settings by touching the icon of the desired pot, entering the power or timer settings.

HOW IT WORKS

The user selects one of the three available modes: Multi, Solo, Trio. Next puts the pot on the panel, it is identified, it is assigned a number from 1 to 5 , and it becomes visible on the display. If the cookware is not suitable not designed for induction, with a non-magnetizing bottom , it simply won’t work.

Now for the settings. To select the power level, the display starts to show a touch-sensitive slider. Here again the intuition works, moving to the right – increasing power, to the left – decreasing. And when you move your finger on the display, the slider image moves as well, and the settings are also displayed as numbers.

You can set the cooking time if you want – there’s a timer. The timer has two uses. The first – the simplest – alarm clock. The device counts down the time and informs when the selected time period is over with a soft buzzer. The second is more complicated. When the hours and minutes set by the user have elapsed, the cooking zone assigned to the dish will switch off automatically. The time function has another practical addition: a permanent clock indication.

To protect your settings, you can turn on the display lock.

Despite the fact that the device has no specific heating zones, residual heat indicators are provided. All the more so in this case they become a necessity, since they help prevent accidental contact with the place where cooking has just taken place. Indicators glow red until the zones cool to a comfortable temperature for your skin.

DESIGN

Discreet and minimalist, a true hi tech look whose key features are ideally finished materials, flawless joints and harmonious proportions. Panel width of 90 cm, which corresponds to the dimensions of standard hoods. No signs on the surface, just a slightly raised display in the center of the panel at the front. It is beautifully accentuated by the metal bar. The front and back of the panel are also finished in a polished stainless steel frame.