Freestanding Hobs

Cast iron

• The cheapest and easiest electric cooker variant
• Slow heating and cooling of hotplates
• Advantages: low purchase price
• Disadvantages: slow heating/cooling, resulting in more heat energy loss

Glass-ceramic

• Smooth, easy-to-clean surface
• Rapid heating and higher energy efficiency (70%)
• Advantages: simple operation and maintenance, low heat loss
• Disadvantages: overflowing food can bake onto the hotplate

Induction

• Differ from glass-ceramic cooking plates in their method of heating
• Heating occurs only when the hotplate makes contact with a pan, so no heat is wasted
• In order to work, however, they require the use of special induction pans
• Advantages: energy saving, fast heating, safe operation
• Disadvantages: higher purchase price; requires the use of special induction cookware

Gas

• Rapid heating and immediate response to adjustments in heat intensity
• Almost zero heat loss once turned off
• Difficult to maintain
• Benefits: fast heating, easy temperature control, min. heat loss after turning off
• Disadvantages: gas supply is required; difficult to maintain