With the kitchen now ‘complete’, we’re now looking forward to getting on with our lives after the unnecessary hassles we experienced due to the wrong damn kitchen being installed.
Whilst the doors may be the wrong ones (matt white not the high gloss white we specified), everything else is actually looking pretty damn peachy. Folk up from Kendal to fit the granite worktop have done a great job, and it’s topped off the look nicely.
But the things I’m most pleased with, as you might expect given my (I think) robust geek credentials, are the appliances. Really shiny ones at that, which is double plus good in any geeks view.
My prized possession then is my induction hob. We’d pondered gas, but as no gas was available in the kitchen, plus the atrocious environmental impact of burning dead dinosaurs to boil eggs, it was quickly ruled out. Problem with electricity is it’s perceived as slow, and not controllable like gas. So, enter induction. This heats, through an induction process, the saucepans directly. There’s no glow. It’s just hot pans, and every bit as controllable as gas. Instant heat. Instantly off. Damned efficient too (fewer energy conversions, and efficient ones at that).
Sure, I’ve had to buy ’special’ pans (what’s with the label on so many pans that reads “works on every hob type… except induction“. So, not every hob type then. Duh! Damned packaging), but they’re decent ones (grippy handles that are oven safe to 180C, and nice thick stainless steel bases to give even heat distribution), but I can boil a pan of water in no time. Rice? No problem. After adding the rice, it’s back to simmering nicely in a matter of seconds (The old hob took 3-4 minutes to get back). And it’s so quick to adjust temperature, and appropriately for the pan size (so no hot handles). Plus no burned residue, and cool rings other than a bit of heat from conduction from the pan,
Some wizzy features too, such as the ’stop and go’ feature to keep things warm when the phone go’s off for example. The easy to use timer. The touch controls (oh, the touch controls), and the sleek form factor (no metal rim here) ensuring it’s snug on the granite.
Mmmmm.
Update: You may be interested in my more recent, and detailed post, on induction hobs
Our extractor is wizzy, with all sorts of controls. And no head-banging, as it’s parallel to the wall, not at 90 degrees as most are. Wooo! Great for lanky folk like me. The oven is fast, well insulated, and has an easy to use timer function. The fridge is big. Perhaps as you’d expect for a larder fridge, but it was what we needed.
And the oven/microwave is funky. Gives us a convection oven, grill, microwave and all sorts, all in one device, so we have the benefits of a double oven, with the benefits of an inbuilt microwave. Woo! The dishwasher is wizzy, quick, clean, and has a nice red light to show it’s working, a time-left indicator, and nice big shiny buttons to press. Plus it’s guaranteed not to leak with a very wizzy gizmo on the inlet valve for quick cutoff if a leak is detected. Damage repaired as part of the guarantee too. Marvellous ahead of our new wood floor…
So, as you can tell, I’m rather chuffed with the gadgets. We ordered them on-line and saved a small fortune. Unfortunately, due to a mistake in measurements that wasn’t caught by either us or the kitchen designer, we’ve got a spare 90cm AEG designer hood (HD8695M) going spare. £550 ono! (Retails at over £700). Brand new! Still boxed. Drop me a note if you’re interested!
All of it is AEG, bar the dishwasher which is Siemens. Looks wonderful. Are all very highly rated for energy efficiency. And - of course - they are all very very shiny, so is every geeks kitchen dream. Only thing missing was an integrated coffee machine. But Frances wouldn’t have it. Still, you can’t have everything. And anyway, coffee machines don’t stay shiny too long with all the use. And a geeks got to have rules, even (dare I say it?) when it comes to coffee.
Hmmm. Maybe not. Maybe I just need to treat myself to a shiny new coffee maker…. 
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March 29th, 2006 at 2:02 pm
Do we get to see any pictures of this wondrous kitchen then?
I’m also glad for you to have had only minor blips with your installation, after my pessimistic comments at the outset!
March 29th, 2006 at 2:13 pm
Sadly “minor blips” include the wrong damned doors. Matt white, not high gloss white as Frances specified, and on raising this, being all but called a liar by employees of the company.
I suppose in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t an altogether terrible process: We have a kitchen that, bar the doors, is what we wanted. But I’m really not feeling overly pleased with how things went.
Pictures once the place is finished (floor goes in next week).
July 26th, 2006 at 3:00 pm
Are you still happy with your induction hob? Just about to get an induction hob fitted but I’ve been told that they are no good for Wok cooking as the sides of the wok do not heat up- have you had any problems?
July 26th, 2006 at 3:12 pm
Hi Moira,
Thanks for your comment.
I’m still VERY happy with my Induction Hob (The AEG four-ring induction hob). Barely a week goes by when I don’t at least comment in some way to my better half that “I’m really happy with the hob”. Certainly as rice returns to the boil so quickly when using the ‘power boost’ I get all excited. The increased efficiency by heating the pan directly is great, and the almost complete lack of any burning-in of spillages is great. I’m hoping the electricity bill will start to reflect it all in a bit
The only complaint I have is that the water-sensor makes fiddling with the controls a bit fiddly, as I’m not the tidiest of cooks, I often have wet hands from washing veg and so on. And the power-on is a half-second too slow for impatient old me. That said, the flush glass makes it integrate very well, and there’s nowhere for gunk to build up, which would have been the case if we’d gone for tactile controls.
Re. the wok - I’ve got the Ken Hom ‘all types of hob’ non-stick wok (which is apparently fine with metal implements, although I stick to wood). Sure it doesn’t heat up the sides, but the wok has a a flat base, and I’m not sure you’d wouldn’t get the same problems with any other type of electrical hob. We do stir-fry’s at least once a week, and I have no trouble at all. Just keep the temperature nice and high as you’re supposed to, and I doubt you’ll have any problems. Metal is a conductor anyway.
May 28th, 2007 at 7:13 pm
Hi Moira and Richard,
We are looking at induction hobs as a real answer to sensible economical and ecologically-friendly cooking. Very handy to read your comments, but just one thing - when Richard refers to metal being ‘a good conductor’ he is referring to the heat-conduction properties of metals. Everyone should be clear that he is (I hope!) referring to that and not that all metals have an equal electro-magnetic efficiency. In other words, you have to use a ‘ferro-magnetic’ pan for it to work on an induction hob, an aluminium or non-magnetic stainless steel one will not work on an induction hob. BUT, if you use a ferro-magnetic pan , much of the heat generated in the base of the pan will, to some extent move up the sides of the pan by thermal conduction to help your cooking - so keep stirring well!
August 18th, 2007 at 3:04 pm
Just read your item on kitchen gadgets - just ordered a gloss white kitchen! Also have bought all appliances from the internet got a stocking good price on an AEG multifunction cooker. Also boought an induction hob having had gas for the past 25 years so was pleased with your comments.
Coffee makers - I have that already - my husband bought it for me for my 50th a real indulgence but we use it ALL the time and it is wonderful so if I’m not too late (inotice you wrote the article a year ago!) then get a basic Jura - its fantastic and try the Has Bean website - they are great for beans.
Having been married for 29 years all my utensils and small gadgets are now wearing out so would be really interested in anyones opinion on what to buy - what is really useful and used regularly and what is left gathering dust in the cupboard - mixer or processor, do I need a blender as well - I have a Bamix. are juicers really worht having or are they a fad etc etc.
Many thanks for any follow up comments
November 16th, 2007 at 9:16 am
[...] Kitchen Gadgets post from last year has merited a few e-mail exchanges with readers about how good (or not) Induction hobs are, and [...]
October 4th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
i found your site via Google search on “induction hobs benefits”. Thanks for a great review, and I look forward to some pictures. I wonder if it would be possible for the model numbers of the gadgets you bought…
Great blog, BTW!