OT Ceramic Hob ..Keeping it Clean

[aboard_epsilon]

I've just bought an cooker off ebay with a ceramic hob ..

it was 14 months old and mint

hob was like brand new ..not one scratch on it ..big or small .

i asked the previous owner how she kept it that way ..and i suggested she never used it.

her answer was ..

she cut out kitchen foil and put it under the pans .

Now then chaps and chap-essses.......

is the above a good idea or bad ..I would like to know .

I, myself, cant help thinking even with the dull side to-wards the element ..that it's going to reflect heat back to-wards the element and not do as efficient job.

There again some stainless steel pans have shiny bottoms..

and that raises another question ..shiny bottomed pans or black bottomed pans ?..what's best.......what ever material they are made out of don't matter ...just shiny or black.

Your opinions are needed please.

I've also posted this in moneysavingexpert forum

ps ..i don't want alternative methods of cleaning given as answers ..as i can find plenty on the net already.

all the best.markj

[Alan Smith]

Mark, the thing that kills ceramic hobs is water on the bottom of the pans. It seems to cause pitting. That and heavy cast iron casseroles with uncoated bases scratch the surface. Kitchen foil seems novel, must give it a try.

[aboard_epsilon]

thanks Alan ..yes only had it a day and noticed the wet base of pan effect ..in future will make sure its dry ..

I'll do some tests on boiling water ..

for comparisons

one with foil one without ..

cold pan at the start of each test....same start temp.. same ring....cold ring start-up..same quatity of water.

if both reach boiling at round about the same time period ..

then i can conclude that the foil is not doing any harm ..and is the answer to the problem of keeping these hobs in tip top condition.

all the best.markj

[aboard_epsilon]

test results

boiling 1 pint of water in cast iron pan on smallest ring.

6 Min's without foil

9 Min's with foil

i repeated these tests twice

so the answer is :- foil significantly reduces efficiency by more than 30 percent.

so much for the foil idea then ..i wont be using it

edit

simmering tests ..i cant really do ..i cant work out a proven test for it .

but may yield better results, 'cause the "bounce back" by the foil, caused the ring to turn off more often ..when it's set on high,for the water boiling test.

pan could be moved around on foil during test ..without any sticksion, foil was undamaged and just lifted off after test ..with no effort required


ALL THE BEST.MARKJ

[Alistair Hosie]

We bought a new one about four years ago just wipe it with cif or any mild abrasive it will never be new again so why worry. It's a cooker not a sports car Alistair

[Ryobiguy]

At first I thought this thread was going to be about cleaning a cermet gear cutter.

I guess a "hob" cooker is a U.K. name, or maybe I'm ignorant about cooking gear. What's another name for it?

-Matt

[aboard_epsilon]

Our hob is your cooktop

about 30 years ago they started mass marketing separate cooktops and ovens.........to distinguish the two they called one a hob and the other an oven..HOB being an old English word i think

my cooker has double oven with cooktop on top combined........since we don't use the words cooktop........and the plate glass ceramic hob was marketed with those terms to distinguish it from the old style with coiled up exposed heating elements on it.

all the best.markj