How Easy Is It To Clean Induction Hobs?

Even for the most avid cooks on the planet, the worst part about cooking has to be the clean-up. Besides the myriads of dishes, which thankfully have a solution in the form of handy dishwashers (Thank you, Josephine Cochran), there is always the stove to wash. This is undeniably the most difficult and annoying task of all.

Why Are Induction Hobs So Easy To Clean?

The Technology

Well, the first reason would be the method that the induction cook-top uses to heat up pots and pans for cooking; electromagnetic coil that allows an electric current to run through it, generating a fluctuating magnetic field that induces many small electric currents that apply directly to the pan’s metal.

This heating process of the induction hob not only means exceptional energy efficiency but because there is much less peripheral heat released, the actual cook-top itself never actually gets hot.

The reason that food spills get baked onto traditional stoves such as gas stoves is because they actually get cooked and burnt onto the surface by the excess heat.

Because the induction stove does not create excess heat and maintains a cool stove-top throughout the cooking session, food does not bake onto the burner. This translates into an easy wipe-off with a wet cloth for you.

Read Next: How induction hobs save you money.

The Design

Another reason why the induction hob is so easy to clean is the materials that are used to make it. The hobs have glass ceramic surfaces. These surfaces are smoother and much easier to clean than enamel, steel gas cook-tops as these may require a tedious process involving more tools than care to handle after a tiring kitchen rendezvous.

Four Steps To Cleaning An Induction Hob

Before you start cleaning the induction hob, make sure that it has completely cooled off. This would usually be easy to tell because the fan would have quieted down once the hob is cooled off sufficiently.

Be sure that the detergent that you use on the hob is compatible with the material that your hob is made of. The manufacturer would usually have this stipulated in the user manuals.

1. Loose dirt or food particles should be manually and carefully removed from the stove top before applying any detergent. This will ensure that particles don’t scratch or scrape the surface of the hub. It will also ensure that you can see which parts of the stove need to be cleaned properly.

2. The cloth that you use on the stove is very important. Ensure that the cloth is soft and smooth, and will not leave lines on the stove as you wipe. The best way is to apply only very little soapy water to the hob surface, and then finishing off the wipe with a clean, damp cloth. Dishwashing soap or liquid laundry detergent can be used on induction hobs, but it is just better to use detergent that is specialized for induction hobs. This will ensure that you are better able to remove food grease from the surface.

3. For an even brighter shine, a little old-wives trick is to smear some white vinegar onto the surface of the hob after washing and drying the cook-top.

4. To give the induction hob a truly polished finish, you can use a dry, clean cloth to buff the glass ceramic, as you would with window glass.

Read Next: How to use a wok on an induction hob.

How To Maintain An Induction Hob: Tips For Cleaning

· Avoid using knives, forks, sticks and any other sharp objects on the surface of the induction hob.

· Do not use steel wool to clean the hob surface; this will scrape the ceramic glass.

· Only use a sponge to get a better clean, do not use the abrasive side if the sponge.

· Bleach, ammonia and powder soaps and cleaners should not be used on induction hobs as these can be abrasive.

A clean stove can make all the difference to a kitchen’s look. Try not to leave the stove too dirty for long, cleaning it as you go to avoid having to deal with a larger mess at once that may overwhelm you and lead to desperate measures. If only the laundry were just as simple.