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What cooktops can be found in the kitchen?

The cooktop is the heart of every kitchen. This is where delicious dishes are made and life happens. It is essential that the cooktop suits the owner’s style of cooking, preferences and requirements. Luckily there’s a suitable cooktop for every kitchen.

Mini cooktop dictionary

We generally differentiate between self-contained cooktops and cookers combining oven and cooktop. A self-contained cooktop has its own operating controls and can be installed virtually anywhere in the kitchen. Whereas, a cooker with a combined cooktop and oven, gives kitchen planners less design freedom. As a matter of principle, BORA cooktops are self-contained.

 

Induction cooktop

Flat round coils under the glass ceramic create an electromagnetic field when the cooktop is switched on. So that the electromagnetic field can generate heat at the base of the pot, the cookware must have a magnetic base (e.g. stainless steel, cast iron, enamelled iron) — this is the only way that it can absorb the energy from the magnetic field as heat. When cooking on an induction hob, the risk of burns is relatively low as the heat generated is concentrated at the base of the cookware; the surrounding area of the cooktop is heated significantly less, merely from the heat recovered from the cookware. Thanks to the power setting on the induction cooktop, the heat-up time is very short and accurate temperature adjustment is also possible. 

 

Surface induction cooktop

On surface induction cooktops, square coils made of wound wire also generate an electromagnetic field. With the help of the bridging function, the square shape of the coils means that a very large cooking area can be created. In turn, more or bigger cooking pots can be placed on the cooktop. The bridging function enables even large roasters to be used on the cooktop. Thanks to the automatic pan size recognition function, only the coil is activated above which induction-compatible cookware has been placed. As well as this flexibility when cooking, surface induction also has the advantage of having an attractive, very elegant design, as only very discreet cooking zone markings divide up its surface.

 

Advantages and disadvantages of induction and surface induction cooktops

Advantages:

  • Precise temperature adjustment
  • Heat is there immediately – no heating phase
  • Lower energy consumption

Disadvantages:

  • More expensive than alternative cooktops
  • Special magnetic pots and pans are needed

Glass ceramic cooktop with radiant heating elements

A cooktop with radiant heating elements is none other than what is often commonly referred to as a Ceran cooktop. However, strictly speaking, the term is incorrect. ‘Ceran cooktop’ simply means that the cooktop is made of glass ceramic. Ceran is a brand name of the company Schott AG, one of the leading manufacturers of high-quality glass ceramics and so is frequently used synonymously. 
In the case of radiant heating elements, heating coils are located under the glass ceramic plate of the electric cooktop. On these cooktops, energy is transferred by heat radiation. Contrary to induction cooktops, radiant heating elements do not have an automatic pan size recognition function, meaning that any cooking zones that are switched on will become hot even if there is no cookware on them. Cooktops with radiant heating elements are less expensive to buy than induction cooktops but need more power and are not as safe, as the cooking zone is heated to very high temperatures during the cooking process. 

 

Advantages and disadvantages of electric cooktops with radiant heating elements

Advantages:

  • comparatively lower purchasing price
  • easy to use

Disadvantages:

  • higher electricity consumption than induction cooktops
  • heating and post-heating phases 
  • risk of burns from hot cooking zones

Gas cooktop

Gas cooktops are particularly popular with professional chefs. They swear by cooking with gas: heat is provided by the seamlessly adjustable flame. That means that a gas cooktop quickly brings pots and pans up to the precise temperature required. Just as the flame is there immediately, when the hob is switched off it’s gone again straight away. Food does not keep on cooking and nothing is burnt on. 
Today’s gas glass ceramic cooktops are a far cry from the gas cookers of the past – both in terms of appearance and function.

 

learn more about BORA Professional

Advantages and disadvantages of gas cooktops

Advantages:

  • Precise temperature adjustment
  • Very direct heat from the flame
  • High emotional factor
  • Lower energy consumption

Disadvantages: 

  • Gas supply required
  • Pan supports need to be cleaned in the dishwasher

Teppanyaki

Tepan, teppan yaki or teppanyaki – there are several ways of describing this type of cooktop. Whichever term is used, it always refers to a flat steel plate that is used to grill on. Such teppanyaki cooktops are derived from the Japanese art of grilling. Just as in the traditional Japanese kitchen, the cook places fish, meat or vegetables directly on the Tepan plate integrated in the cooktop. 
A teppanyaki cooktop usually has two cooking zones that can be separately adjusted. This enables you to grill a steak quickly on one side, whilst the vegetables cook slowly on the other. Teppanyaki cooktops form part of the BORA Professional and BORA Classic cooktop ranges. And there’s more: you don’t need to worry about burnt-on food! A teppanyaki is easy to clean. Simply pour a little water mixed with vinegar onto the Tepan plate and leave it to soak for a few minutes. Any dirt can then be removed using a Tepan scraper and sponge. To finish off, just wipe away any residue and water with kitchen roll.

 

Induction wok

The Asian kitchen boasts another cooking utensil which can be used to prepare tasty, healthy meals: the wok. For its Professional and Classic lines, BORA offers a glass ceramic hob with an integrated induction wok. A suitable ferromagnetic wok fits perfectly into the hollow in the cooktop. This enables the magnetic field under the glass ceramic to heat the food quickly and thoroughly. Another advantage compared to cooking with a wok on a flat electric or induction cooktop is the high level of energy efficiency.

 

Practical additional functions for cooktops

What should your new cooktop look like? Do you like to cook some dishes on gas but others on induction? So why not combine both in a single cooktop? Or are you an experimental cook? Then perhaps an induction cooktop combined with a tepan is the perfect solution for you. Whatever models you choose, all BORA cooktops offer many practical additional functions – not forgetting of course the integrated cooktop extractor which guarantees you fresh air in your kitchen.

Find out all there is to know about the BORA advantages

Warming function

Is the dinner ready but your guests are running late? If you have a cooktop with a variable warming function like those offered by BORA, no problem. With three warming levels using constant temperatures of 42°, 74° or 94°C, meals are kept nice and hot. A tip: this function is also great for melting butter or chocolate.

Childproofing feature

You turn your back for a second and your three-year-old has turned on the cooktop. With a childproofing feature that wouldn't have happened. The childproofing feature even stops you yourself from switching on a cooking zone accidentally.

Automatic heat up function

Practical when you’re cooking lots of different things at the same time: If a cooking zone is set to the automatic heat up function, it works on full power for a time before automatically returning to the previously set continuous cooking level.

Bridging function

With the bridging function two cooking zones on a surface induction cooktop can be linked so that you can use larger roasting pans, for example. The linked cooking zones are controlled by a single operating control.

Pause function

Is there somebody at the door and you need to stop cooking for a moment? The pause function enables you to automatically switch off all cooking zones temporarily. When the function is deactivated, the cooktop returns to the previous settings.

Timer function

Time plays a huge role when you're cooking. With timer functions, the cook has everything under control. The automatic switch-off function enables a cooking zone to switch itself off after a pre-set time. The short-time timer shows when the set time has lapsed with a visual and acoustic signal.

Cooktop cleaning and care

Whether induction, surface induction or an integrated induction wok – a BORA cooktop is always easy to look after and clean. Coarse food residues and burnt-on food are best removed with a special metal scraper and light soiling with a soft cloth and a special glass ceramic cleaning product.

A range of cooktops to choose from

The perfect technology for everyone: at BORA you can choose from a wide range of cooktops and extractors to find the one that suits you. BORA Professional and BORA Classic enable you to put together the cooktop you require with a number of different components. The compact systems BORA Basic and BORA Pure give you even more cooktops and extractor models to choose from.