Hob

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cast iron electric hob (mass hob) with two hotplates
Gas hob
Glass ceramic electric hob
Electric hob with self-supporting heating coils

A hob is a kitchen appliance that generates heat for heating food (food and beverages) in cookware ( pots , pans , etc.).

Hobs are usually divided into four cooking zones. These are referred to differently depending on the hob design: Electric hobs can, for. B. be equipped with hotplates or heating coils . Hobs with such cooking zones - especially those with heating coils - are being overtaken by technically more sophisticated glass ceramic and induction hobs . These modern devices have no specific name for their subdivision: one speaks of cooking zones or hobs (of the glass ceramic or induction hob).

A hob as a combination device with an oven is called a stove . If the hob and oven are two self-sufficient built-in devices, they are referred to as (self-sufficient) built-in hobs or ovens, although some manufacturers also refer to such hobs as a hob. Hobs with self-sufficient control elements without an oven are called a rechaud or built-in switch box.

Self-sufficient built-in ovens are usually built into a wall unit above the kitchen worktop. This is particularly the case with larger fitted kitchens . The advantage of better ergonomics is offset by the disadvantage that two separate electrical connections, u. U. on opposite walls must be made.

Glass ceramic hobs (also ceramic hobs ) have a continuous surface on which several (usually four) cooking zones are marked. They usually differ in size and heat output, so that different pot sizes can be heated without a great deal of energy loss. Often, such hobs also have a function for simply keeping cooked food warm.

In addition to the hobs intended for fixed installation, there are also individual mass cooking plates that are transportable and can be connected to the socket, two-plate cookers are similarly designed and also transportable.

Construction types and operating principles

Heating coils

Heating coils convert electrical energy into thermal energy, which is then fed to the cookware. When exposed to oxygen, heating coils consist of a heat-resistant alloy ( Kantahl or iron-nickel).

In historical models, the heat was generated with open heating coils lying in a spiral in the grooves of a ceramic body. Such hotplates have a short reaction time, but no protection against accidental contact; if a saucepan tilts or food boils over, the cookware can suddenly become live.

The heating coils were later built into self-supporting, flattened metal pipes, and in the 1920s the cast iron plates that are still used today became popular. In the time of need after the Second World War, due to a lack of materials, they temporarily returned to the construction with exposed heating wires, these devices were aptly called widowers because of their dangerous construction .

The cast iron panes commonly used in Europe today (hot plates, also called mass hobs ) have heating coils cemented into grooves underneath. In some countries such as the USA and Canada , heating coils laid insulated in spiral steel pipes are still common.

Mass cooking plates often have a depression in the middle so that the center of the plate does not rise over the edge during thermal expansion during cooking. This would cause the pot that has been set up to wobble and thus poor heat transfer.

Mass hotplates are usually operated with a seven- step circuit (step switch) or with an energy regulator ( thermal switch) .With automatic hotplates, so-called capillary tube regulators measure the temperature of the bottom of the pot in the middle.

Halogen hobs have special halogen incandescent lamps to generate heat radiation that is directed towards the bottom of the pan. The glass ceramic plate is irradiated.

Glass ceramic hobs, like historical open hobs, have a heating coil located in the grooves of a ceramic body, but have a glass ceramic plate above it. Due to the infrared transparency of the glass ceramic, some of the heat radiation reaches the bottom of the pot. Iron parts for protection and as a support are completely eliminated. Therefore, the heat transfer is quick and more direct than with the aforementioned designs. Control is also carried out via so-called energy regulators, which have a bimetal switch directly on the setting button and thus simulate the heat output of the plate. A rod located under the plate in a quartz glass tube is also used as the drive element of a thermal switch.

gas

Gas-heated hobs consist of cast iron pan supports and burners on a stainless steel or enamelled sheet. Gas hobs with a glass ceramic surface are rare. The power is controlled by means of a gas control valve. The gas ( natural gas from the town gas network, propane / butane mixture from bottles, biogas ) heats the pot by means of convection. Since heat generated from gas is often much cheaper than electric heat, the costs are low despite heat loss. There are also numerous advantages that are particularly valued in gastronomy .

induction

Induction hobs generate heat by induction directly in the bottom of the pot. The hob is only slightly heated. The heat output can be regulated just as quickly as with gas hobs. The power consumption is usually lower than with other electrical heating methods because less energy is used to heat the hotplate. The separating plate between the induction coil and the pot usually consists of glass ceramic. The power is controlled by switching it on and off ( pulse width control ).

Web links

Wiktionary: Hob  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

  1. The history of kitchens. Retrieved September 26, 2013 .
  2. ^ Constitutional Convention: 1.3 Survival in the "Stone Age". In: Stations of German Post-War History : Der Verfassungskonvent Herrenchiemsee 1948. House of Bavarian History, 1998, accessed on April 7, 2019 .
  3. Mass hob from the manufacturer Zanussi. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original ; accessed on April 7, 2019 .
  4. Günther Hilpoltsteiner: hotplate - flash hotplate - automatic hotplate. Elektrotechnik Hilpoltsteiner, accessed on November 9, 2016 .
  5. Capillary regulator. Josef Scholz, accessed April 7, 2019 .
  6. Marc Hermanus: Gas stove »All advantages at a glance. In: Hausjournal.net. M15 Internetdienstleistungen GbR, May 6, 2016, accessed on April 7, 2019 (German).