I recently tried out a Tefal Everyday IH201840 - Black Initially we had a bit of bother with it, as we were not aware that you could only use a certain type of pan, Thankfully the hob gives an error code as soon as you try to put any pan on that is not of the right calibre. Selecting your pot The manual states that for the hob to work, you need to use a double bottom pots or magnetic induction materials. One easy way to test is to take a fridge magnet to your pots, if it sticks it should work on your hob. Settings There are various cooking methods on this hob Manual Mode - where you can pre-set the temperature Heat Milk Mode - This is a great way to heat your milk without the worry of it overboiling Stew Mode - This is great for slow cooking and maintains an even temperature over 2 hours Stir Fry Mode - This is great in that the machine will beep when it is at a temperature to add your ingredients Deep Fry Mode - for anything between 1 and 2 litres Boil Mode - This is a bit of a feature issue for me as you have to have an ideal quantity in otherwise it won’t boil to the full temperature You then have a timer which you can set for the amount of time you want to cook for I am in a house where we cook for 3 adults and 6 kids, when making roast dinners, we always struggle for the much needed extra hob, having the Induction hob makes things that much easier, and although it can take time to come to grips with things such as pans, quantities of water and timings, once you are confident with the equipment it is far easier. It’s so easy to clean as well! Just a wipe once it’s cool and you’re good to go.

The Science: The induction hob looks almost identical to sealed plate or ceramic ones, but the heating process is very different. The traditional ones heat an element whereas the induction hob uses electromagnets to generate a magnetic field which induces a flow of current which heats the food, but leaving the hob cool to touch, but be aware that the ceramic plate can get hot where the pot has been. Using a induction hob requires special pans that have a double bottom made of iron series or magnetic material with a flat bottom between 12cm and 24cm. This was something we never considered when getting this hob, so it we found only one of our pots worked. A quick test is to use a magnet to see if it will stick to the bottom of the pot. The plus side is that there is no wasted energy as the hob heats instantly; no waiting for the normal electric cooker to warm up. As the hob, does not get hot it is much safer as there are no accidental burns – how often I have forgotten that the hot is still hot and placed something on it only for it to melt! Cleaning is so easy, again because the plate does not heat up the food does not burn or bake onto the hob, so it just takes a damp cloth to wipe it off. This hob comes with 5 pre-set modes, Heat milk, Stir fry, Deep fry and Boil mode. Using these is a simple press of a button, but there are some guidelines that need to be watched. Quantities of water, oil and other foods need to be within the parameters or it will not function like it should. For example: Deep fry mode is intended for heating an oil quantity of more than 1L but only up to 2L. However, when the oil reaches temperature the hob beeps twice, and will maintain the same heat throughout cooking – so much safer. This will take me a while to memorise! Having tried several different functions, we are finding it a great benefit especially for ‘stew mode’ as it cooks away without the worry of the heat fluctuating, and it simmers beautifully. Also, we often run out of hob space when cooking for family and friends, so is an asset. I’m still confused with the timer function, but it would be beneficial if you only wanted to cook something for a specified time. I am more of a haphazard cook where nothing gets timed, but my husband is the opposite and times everything so will be showing him this function! The downsides that I have with it is that the hob does not seem to ‘stick’ to our worktop so it can slide a bit when stirring or moving the food about. I will be looking for a rubber mat or something to stop this. Also, the need to buy new pots and pans could be an added expense but they are easy to obtain and would advise buying a quality pan so it lasts ages.

A very good buy, fantastic to use when you have dinner parties especially in the festive season. When you have no room on your stow top. Make curries and other family favourites. Get the children involved easy to move around.

my induction hob is great AO,com great service everyone should buy from them hope this review wins me the cost of my item

Never having used an induction hob before I decided to try out this plug in version. Amazing - it gets really hot for pan frying and is instantly adjustable. Love it! It's small and neat enough to store on top of my microwave when not in use. Will also try it for table top cooking!

The thing that stopped this getting 5 stars was the instruction manual, the print was too small for old eyes to read, just a bit bigger would help a lot of people. The hob itself works nicely and the "one touch" setting are very useful...... once you have managed to read how to use them through a magnifier :)

Absolutely fabulous, excellent service and product. Using it in our caravan on holiday at the moment. Will also use it in the Summer at home as we have a Rayburn which we switch off in the summer.

I have recently bought this hob as my kitchen is being refurbished. It is excellent, quick and effective. I have used the various modes in front and have found them very easy to use. Happy to recommend this.