Is a ceramic hob the same as a glass hob?
Both hobs have the same sleek look and glass finish, but the technology underneath the surface is what makes all the difference. Ceramic hobs have heating elements beneath the glass which conduct heat to the ring which then heats the pot or pan on the surface.
Ceramic cooktops -- sometimes called glass cooktops or smoothtops -- are the latest and greatest way to stir up sauces and sear your favorite veggies. Though they're not exactly a brand-new technology, these appliances get more convenient and more efficient every year.
As the name suggests, the glass gas hob has toughened glass on the top surface, which shouldn't be compared to ordinary glass. They are made with an additional nucleating agent to create the crystalline structure that reinforces the glass effectively.
Although induction and ceramic hobs may look similar, they are fundamentally very different appliances. The main difference between induction and ceramic hobs is how they create heat.
What is a Ceramic Hob? A ceramic hob is an electronically powered hob. It has heating 'zones' rather than the traditional burners you would find on a gas hob. They come in a variety of styles to suit any kitchen and represent an alternative to the traditional gas method of cooking.
A ceramic cooktop, aka glass cooktop, is a flat smooth stovetop surface made from tempered ceramic glass that has coiled metal heating elements underneath the glass. They are often featured in 240-volt electric ranges, or on independent cooktops set into a countertop.
Is there a difference between glass and ceramic stovetops? Not really. While they might be called by various brand names, flat stovetops are made of a glass and ceramic blend — not just all-glass or all-ceramic.
There are five types of hobs to choose from; electric, ceramic, gas, induction and domino. Here's some advice to help you decide which one to buy for your kitchen.
Use an oven cleaner and some elbow grease to clean the glass stove and get the gunk off. A cleaning product like Power Paste can get rid of buildup and polish the glass stove surface. Otherwise, stick to common cleaning items like baking soda and white vinegar.
Due to the toughened glass' heat resistance, a glass gas hob offers an even heat distribution, and has better heating and cooling speed. When you have children around, the sealed compartment acts as a safety layer for heat control. Hence, they are less likely to suffer from burns if they were to touch it accidentally.
Do you need special pans for a ceramic hob?
To ensure your ceramic hob remains in good condition and easy to clean, we recommend heavy gauge coated aluminium or hard anodized stainless-steel pans with a thick base. You can also use good quality enamel on steel or cast-iron pans, but these may scratch the hob surface.
Which Heats Up Faster? Ceramic hobs heat up quicker than a solid plate, but induction hobs are the clear winner of this one. Induction hobs offer unparalleled temperature control, both heating up and cooling down, enabling you to adjust your meal from boiling to simmering in an instant.

The only safe way to replace the glass-ceramic is to replace the glass and the frame or support at the same time. Replacing the entire frame can be a complex job because in many cases the heating elements need to be attached to the frame and there are a lot of wires involved.
- They are easily scratched by sliding pans.
- Can be broken by falling objects.
- They are costly when repairing.
- Spilt syrup corrodes them.
- They are only efficient when the correct size pan is used.
Always lift pots and pans off ceramic cooktops – do not slide, as doing so can scratch the glass. Never cook the food directly on the ceramic glass.
Hob – 10-15 years
Whether you have a gas or electric hob when problems start occurring it's important to take action quickly to guarantee optimal safety.
Ceramic is more expensive than tempered glass, but it is also stronger, more durable and is the choice people make when they want to be sure that they will not have to worry about replacing the glass.
Ceramics are crystalline, while glasses are amorphous. Hence, glasses progressively soften upon heating and never melt, as such. Ceramics almost always exhibit high melting temperatures and/or thermal stability.
Ceramic. True ceramic cookware is not recommended for use on glass-top stoves because its rough texture can damage the surface. However, most products on the market today labeled as ceramic are not actually ceramic, but metal with a silicone coating that creates a nonstick cooking surface.
Since a glass gas stove is primarily made of glass, it is very fragile and delicate. It is prone to scratches. While you may be tempted to move or drag a hot pan or pot over its smooth surface to a cooler area, doing so may cause it to develop scratches over the cooktop surface.
Which is better ceramic plate or glass plate?
Ceramic heats up more slowly than glass or metal, but it retains that heat quite well. One pitfall of ceramic is that the dish size can be inconsistent.
A ceramic hob is undoubtedly the easiest style to keep clean, along with induction, and the smooth surface allows maximum heat transference to achieve rapid heat up times. This type of hob is available in either a rotary control knob or touch control style.
“Induction stovetops are easier to clean, they're more responsive, and they are just as powerful, if not more powerful, than gas.
Ceramic hobs have residual heat indicators to let you know when the surface is safe to the touch. Whilst induction hobs are the safest choice as their surface remains safe to the touch throughout cooking, the surface will get hot but not hot enough to burn.
It's pretty clear that induction ranges are the way to go — they send up to 90% of their energy directly to your food, versus 70% from electric stoves and only 38% from gas! Faster cooking times means less energy used, lower utility bills, and a happier planet.
To avoid damaging your stovetop, always use a non-abrasive cloth and gentle cleaner. Dawn® dish soap makes cleaning stovetop surfaces So Dawn Easy - whether it's glass, ceramic, enamel, or stainless steel. The unique formula quickly breaks down grease particles while staying gentle enough to not cause any damage.
Breakage. Like glass used for other materials, cooktop glass is prone to breakage. Placing a hot pot or pan on a cold cooktop could cause the glass to shatter, for instance, as can dropping a heavy or sharp object on the cooktop. A pot or pan that boils dry can also break the glass or become fused to the cooktop.
Cast iron cookware is safe to use on ceramic-glass stoves and cooktops and shouldn't cause damage to the pan or cooking surface when you follow the right tips. Because cast iron is heavy, always place it gently on the cooktop and pick up, rather than slide, when you need to move it around.
Sliding, shaking or rough placement of pans will scratch and mark the surface of your glass hob. Gently lift and place pans onto the hob zones reducing the risk of marks or scratches. Use pots and pans with a smooth base when cooking.
Aluminium, stainless steel and copper pans will work, but they do tend to leave marks on the glass, however because of the easy to wipe surface it should be quick to get rid of. There is a misconception around ceramic hobs that if you put too much weight on top of the hob it will crack the ceramic glass.
What pots not to use on ceramic cooktop?
Porcelain/Enamel pans give good performance only if they have a thick, flat bottom. Avoid boiling these pans dry as the porcelain/enamel can melt and fuse to the cooktop surface. Glass or Ceramic cookware is not recommended. These pans may scratch the cooktop surface.
However, ceramic hobs also have their own advantages:
Unlike induction hobs, which require pots and pans with magnetised bases, ceramic hobs will heat up any type of cookware — meaning you don't have to re-stock your kitchen with new pots and pans. The set cooking zones may also work better for some cooks.
- Do not place or drop heavy objects on your hob. - Do not stand on your hob. - Do not use pans with jagged edges or drag pans across the surface as this can scratch the glass. - Do not use scourers or any other harsh abrasive cleaning agents to clean your hob, as these can scratch glass.
You can easily wipe the remnants of any dish off your ceramic unit, just be sure to use the proper cleaning solution and wipe away carefully, as ceramic cooktops can be scratched easily. Ultimately, the biggest pro of a ceramic cooktop is the modern aesthetic it brings to your kitchen.
The hob is not properly fitted into the worktop
The combination of heat and too little space will cause the glass to break across its width. If you have this kind of crack in your hob, check and reread the installation advice provided by the manufacturer.
Glass stovetops are unfortunately prone to scratches, from pots, pans, and utensils. Like all glass panes and products, it's impossible to remove a scratch from a glass stovetop fully. However, it is possible to drastically reduce the look and feel of glass stovetop scratches.
Unfortunately, it's not possible to remove scratches from a ceramic hob. That's why you should always clean your hob properly and, where possible, avoid scratches. To avoid your hob getting even more scratches in future, we recommend cleaning it with our Bosch ceramic & induction hob cleaner.
Clean Your Hob Thoroughly
Food can act like sand when it's left to sit on a hub after cooking. Most hob scratches happen because the pressure of the pan on the hob “grinds” food into the surface. As you move the pan around, you're creating scratches.
The power usage for an induction hob is 1.95kWh, whilst the ceramic electric hob is 1.65kWh. Based on the calculations, the induction hob uses less energy and is cheaper to operate compared to a ceramic electric hob.
The answer is an emphatic yes! There are only two things you need to successfully stir-fry on an electric burner at home: a good flat-bottomed wok and a bit of know-how.
Can I use baking stone on ceramic hob?
Heat Source / Cooking Top : This can be used on all Gas or Electric cookers and on both Ceramic or Induction cookers …
Compatible with all stovetops (gas, electric, ceramic) + induction.
Ceramic hobs: ceramic hobs are considerably more affordable than induction hobs and they allow any sort of pot or pan to be used on it. This means fewer costs associated with purchasing new cookware. However, they can be costlier over the long term, especially when it comes to rising electricity costs.
Ensure your hob is disconnected from the mains supply and is cool enough to be able to touch comfortably. Clean the surface of the hob using warm water with washing up liquid and a soft cloth or sponge.
If you're worried about spills, you can use a stove guard to help protect your ceramic hob. Stove guards are usually made of silicone or glass and can be placed over the cooking area to help catch any spills.
Nigella uses the British version in her on-line recipes, but the term stove top is used for the US editions of her books. The word "hob" is very old and originated from a time when cooking was done over open fires in large fireplaces. The hob was a shelf or grate that was placed at the back or to the side of the fire.
While a freestanding cooktop is portable and is most commonly used, a built-in hob is permanently fixed to the kitchen countertop with screws. It is essential to check for the ease of use, efficiency and maintenance required for the smooth functioning of the appliance before you make a choice.
In a kitchen the hob is a projection, shelf, grate or bench for holding food or utensils at the back or side of a hearth (fireplace) to keep them warm, or an internal chimney-corner. In modern British English usage, the word refers to a cooktop or hotplate, as distinguished from an oven.
Gas hobs are one of the most popular type of hobs. They are known for their accurate heat distribution, responsiveness, and versatility. Gas hobs heat up pans through a gas fuelled flame, which is produced by a gas burner.
(North American English stovetop. /ˈstəʊvtɒp/ /ˈstəʊvtɑːp/ ) the top part of a cooker where food is cooked in pans; a similar surface that is built into a kitchen unit and is separate from the oven.
What is a hob in American English?
hob in American English
2. a peg used as a target in quoits, etc. 3. a device for cutting teeth in a gear blank, etc.
Differences between a gas stove and a gas hob. Traditional gas stoves are freestanding, whereas modern gas stoves are built-in. On and off are the only functions available on traditional gas burners. Modern hobs, on the other hand, come with a slew of features that make cooking a breeze.
Disadvantages. Unlike freestanding cooktops which are portable, a built-in hob is a permanent fixture so its position cannot be changed. - Built-in hobs are more expensive in comparison to the conventional freestanding hobs.
- Induction Hobs. While it may seem unfamiliar by name, chances are you've crossed paths with this stylish surface once or twice before. ...
- Gas Hobs. The old faithful, gas hobs are a tried and true classic kitchen staple. ...
- Electric Plate Hobs. ...
- Ceramic Hobs. ...
- Gas on Glass Hobs.
A hob is a surface on top of a stove or set into a work surface, which can be heated in order to cook things on it. [British]regional note: in AM, use cooktop.
/ (hɒb) / noun. British the flat top part of a cooking stove, or a separate flat surface, containing hotplates or burners. a shelf beside an open fire, for keeping kettles, etc, hot.
range | cookstove |
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caboose | hob |
cooktop | hot plate |
stovetop | furnace |
boiler | burner |