Three technologies share the cooktop market, and they differ not in convenience but in the way heat is produced in the first place. That physical difference explains everything else: efficiency, responsiveness, the cost of your pans, safety and even the kind of connection to plan for. Here is what you need to decide, then the installation points to check before ordering.
Three ways of producing heat
A gas hob burns fuel under the pan. The flame heats the base of the pan, but also the surrounding air, the sides and the kitchen. A large share of the energy never reaches the food.
A ceramic hob makes radiant elements glow beneath a glass surface. The glass heats, then passes its heat to the pan. There is an intermediary, with all the lag that implies both when heating and when cooling.
An induction hob does not heat the surface: a coil creates an alternating magnetic field that agitates the ferromagnetic base of the pan, which heats itself. The glass only becomes hot through contact with the pan. That explains the higher efficiency, the immediate response and the surface that stays lukewarm around the pan.
This ranking of efficiency is consistent: induction delivers a markedly higher share of energy to the food than radiant heating, which in turn beats gas. On water brought to the boil several times a day, the difference shows both in time and on the bill.
- Gas: flame under the pan, heavy losses into the room
- Ceramic: element heats the glass, glass heats the pan
- Induction: the pan heats itself, the glass stays cool around it
- Efficiency: induction ahead of ceramic, ceramic ahead of gas
Induction: instant response, but the pans are dictated
The main strength of induction is responsiveness. Power follows the setting instantly, like a flame, which was exactly what conventional electric plates lacked. A booster function concentrates power temporarily on one zone to bring a large quantity of water to the boil in minutes.
The trade-off is well known: the pan must be ferromagnetic. Checking takes a moment, with a fridge magnet that should grip the base firmly. Cast iron, enamelled steel and most cooking stainless steels work; aluminium, copper and glass do not, unless fitted with a special base.
Diameter matters too. A base that is too small for the zone is not detected, or triggers reduced power. Modern hobs tolerate a fairly wide range and some offer flexible zones, which accept an elongated pan placed anywhere along a strip.
Two points of daily use worth knowing. The cooling fan for the electronics produces an audible airflow, and some pan bases emit a slight buzz at high power, without consequence. Anyone with a cardiac pacemaker should follow the implant manufacturer’s guidance on distance from a hob in operation.
- Response comparable to gas, with far better efficiency
- The magnet test: if it grips the base, the pan will work
- Aluminium, copper and glass incompatible without a special base
- Fan noise and a faint buzz are possible and harmless
Ceramic: simpler, slower, cheaper
A ceramic hob works with any flat-based pan, including those you already own. That is its decisive advantage when the overall budget has to cover replacing the cookware as well.
The lag is real, however. A zone takes a while to reach temperature and keeps heating after it is switched off, which calls for anticipation. That same inertia can help with simmering, but it makes any cooking that needs a clean stop awkward.
The surface stays hot long after use, and the residual heat indicator needs watching, especially with children about. Cleaning is easy on smooth glass, but a sugary spill must be removed at once, while hot and with a proper scraper, or it marks the glass permanently.
For a lightly used kitchen, a second home or a tight budget, ceramic remains a reasonable choice. For everyday cooking, the comfort gap with induction is substantial.
- Takes any flat-based pan, no cookware to replace
- Lag both when heating and when cooling
- Long residual heat, indicator to watch
- Sugary spills to be removed immediately
Gas: what it keeps for itself
Gas retains convinced supporters, and for good reasons. The flame is visible, so readable at a glance; it heats the sides of the pan as well as the base, which helps with a wok or a sauté pan; and it accepts any vessel, including rounded bases.
It does require a gas supply, and burners and pan supports demand far more upkeep than a sheet of smooth glass. It also releases heat and combustion moisture into the room. Effective ventilation is not optional.
Gas domino units are an appealing compromise: two burners alongside an electric hob, keeping the flame where it is useful without living with its drawbacks across the whole cooking area.
The electrical connection, the usual sticking point
This is the classic unpleasant surprise, discovered on delivery day.
An electric cooktop, induction or ceramic, adds up zones whose combined power far exceeds what an ordinary domestic socket can supply. It connects to a dedicated circuit, sized for it alone and protected by its own device, with a cable cross-section matched to the appliance.
In plain terms, a four-zone induction hob does not plug into the worktop socket. If your kitchen has no dedicated cooking circuit already, one has to be created, and that is an electrician’s job.
Most hobs offer a power management setting that caps total consumption to suit a limited supply. It is useful, but it then restricts running several zones at once: it is a workaround, not a comfortable solution.
Finally, check the worktop cut-out, which differs from the hob overall dimensions, and the clearance required beneath the appliance when an oven sits directly below.
- Dedicated circuit required, never a worktop socket
- Cable size and protection matched to the hob rating
- Power management is a workaround, not a comfort feature
- Worktop cut-out differs from overall dimensions
Domino units: building your cooking area in modules
A domino is a narrow hob, usually around 30 cm wide, carrying two zones. Several domino units side by side let you build a cooking area to measure, and that is an elegant answer to mixed needs.
The commonest arrangement pairs an electric or induction domino for everyday use with a gas domino for the wok and flame cooking. You can also prefer two dominos over a four-zone hob in a narrow kitchen, separating them with a landing space.
Two cautions. Each module has its own connection requirements, electrical or gas, and adding them together does not remove the need to check total power. The worktop cut-out then has to be made precisely, spacers included, because misalignment between two dominos is immediately visible.
For a small kitchen or occasional use, a single domino replaces a full-width hob perfectly well: two zones cover most of what one person or a couple needs.
- Around 30 cm and two zones per module
- Classic pairing: induction for everyday, gas for the wok
- Check total power and each type of connection
- Precise cut-out essential, misalignment shows
Safety, cleaning and service life
Safety features are now widespread and worth comparing. Pan detection cuts the zone if the pan is lifted, a control lock prevents accidental switching on, automatic shut-off stops a forgotten zone after a set time, and the residual heat indicator stays lit while the surface is dangerous.
Cleaning smooth glass is simple: a damp cloth once cool, a dedicated product for marks, a blade scraper for baked-on residue. Never rest a hot metal lid or utensil directly on the glass, and avoid sliding a cast-iron casserole, whose rough base scratches.
Cooktops carry no European energy label, unlike ovens and range hoods. Comparison therefore rests on zone power, the presence of a booster and the functions offered, not on a class.
A cooktop is a durable appliance whose most frequent fault affects the control electronics or a sensor. As with any built-in appliance, the stated availability of spare parts is the best indicator of longevity.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know whether my pans work on induction?
Hold a magnet against the base. If it grips firmly, the pan will work. A magnet that barely holds points to poor performance. Most recent cookware also carries an induction marking, often a coil pictogram on the underside.
Does induction really use less energy?
Yes, because a far greater share of the energy reaches the food: it is the base of the pan that heats, not the air, the surface or the kitchen. For the same quantity of water, it comes to the boil much faster than on ceramic or gas, which shortens the running time accordingly.
Can an induction hob be plugged into an ordinary socket?
No. The combined power of the zones exceeds what a domestic socket can safely deliver. An electric hob needs a dedicated, properly sized and protected circuit. If your kitchen does not have one, arrange for an electrician before delivery rather than after.
Can the glass break under a heavy pan?
Ceramic glass copes very well with heat and with distributed weight, but badly with point impacts. It is a hard compact object dropped on it, a pepper mill or a jar, that cracks a hob, not a casserole set down gently. Avoid sliding a bare cast-iron base as well, which scratches the surface irreversibly.
Should the hob match the brand of the oven?
Technically it does not need to: a built-in hob and oven are independent appliances. Matching the look of fronts and handles is the only real argument, along with the option on some ranges of controlling the hob from the oven panel, a convenience you can do without.
Is a single domino enough for everyday cooking?
For one person or a couple cooking simply, two zones cover most meals. As soon as a sauce, pasta and a pan of vegetables have to run together, two zones become restrictive. Two dominos side by side, or a four-zone hob, are then preferable.
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