In this article we will be discussing the pros and cons of halogen hobs. Our aim is to help you decide whether a halogen hob is right for your needs, and to provide you with an overview of the pros and cons of using them.
The pros of halogen hobs
The advantages of using a halogen hob include:
- They are designed to be safer than their non-halogen counterparts. If there is a fire, halogen hobs will not explode, as a normal gas hob might do. This makes them safer and more environmentally friendly than normal induction hobs. The main safety concern with an electric hob is that it can overheat and catch fire if the the element gets too hot. With a gas hob this doesn’t happen because the gas never catches alight. Gas hobs are safe in the event of electrical failure (e.g. a fuse blows).
- Halogen hobs produce an even heat that is not too hot. They don’t heat up so quickly as induction hobs do, and this means the temperature of the hob stays at a reasonable level for longer.
- Halogen hobs use less energy than normal gas hobs. They use about 50% less gas than an average gas hob, and waste heat can be better used by an electric oven.
- The price of halogen gas hobs is generally lower than that of normal gas hobs. Because they use less gas and save energy, they are less expensive to run.
The cons of halogen hobs
Some disadvantages of using a halogen hob include:
- Halogen hobs are not as efficient as standard gas hobs and take longer to heat up. They take about three times longer to heat up than a normal gas hob.
- Halogen hobs produce a slightly unusual smell. In high-end models this is not much of a problem but some people might not like the smell of the kitchen when cooking with a halogen hob.
- Halogen hobs are louder than normal gas hobs and can take longer to cool down.
Are halogen hobs any good?
Some people say they are better than normal gas hobs and others say they are worse. The main arguments are that:
- There is less chance of a fire with a halogen hob. This is because halogen gas hobs don’t explode, as normal gas hobs do when there is a fire.
- Halogen hobs use less energy than normal gas hobs. This means it’s cheaper to run them and the waste heat from the hob can be used by an electric oven, which saves energy in the home.
- Halogen hobs don’t get as hot as normal induction hobs so they can be safer for cooking certain foods such as pastry or sponge cakes.
Realistically it all depends on what you need from a hob, whether you think halogen hobs are good. They are quite popular so there’s nothing wrong with buying one.
Do halogen hobs need special pans?
Some people doubt that halogen hobs are good because they say you need special pans to use them. This is not completely true, you don’t necessarily need a special pan, but if you want an even heat then a hob-safe pan is recommended. The advantage of using an induction pan on an induction hob is that it gets hot much quicker than one without.
Halogen hobs are designed to work with low-wattage electric elements, and these tend to heat up fairly slowly compared to gas hobs. You might be able to use your normal pans on a halogen hob but it’s probably not worth bothering if the food takes much longer to cook than it should do.
What is the difference between halogen and ceramic hob?
Halogen hobs have been available longer than ceramic ones so it can seem more obvious to use a halogen one. That doesn’t necessarily mean they are better, however.
The main difference between a halogen and ceramic hob is that the latter will heat up much quicker and use less energy.
The heat from a halogen hob can be a bit uneven relative to ceramic hobs, where as a ceramic hob heats up across the whole surface at once. This means that food cooks more evenly and quickly, particularly in larger pans which are often used on induction hobs when people make big pans of soup or stew for example.
Do halogen hobs use a lot of electricity?
Halogen hobs use much less energy than a normal gas hob which is good because it makes them more efficient. You can still use a halogen hob if your budget doesn’t allow for gas, but you might have to accept that they are not as efficient as induction hobs.
A halogen hob uses about 50% less gas than an average gas hob. This means that the amount of energy used per cooking session will be lower. They also waste heat, which can be used by an electric oven if the person using the halogen hob has one in their home.
How does a halogen hob work?
Halogen gas hobs are generally quite basic. Most will use an electric element hidden behind a smooth top plate. This is heated by electricity, rather than being heated by a gas flame as in a normal hob.
The verdict
As you can see there are many advantages for using halogen hobs but it also comes with some downsides, after reading through all of the above, you should now have a good idea if you need one or not. They are not suited for everyone, so it’s best to make a decision based on your preference and not others opinions.
