Hello!
I'm new to ehu - I've read some of the posts on here about ehu and how to calculate etc., but I'm after some advice about cooking please.
We're off to the Yorkshire Mega (geocaching) this summer and ehu is included, so we've bought a lead and now I'm wondering if we should pick up an electric cooker instead of taking the gaz.
I have a very inquisitive 4 year old, so I'm cautious about the solid hot plate type cookers as they stay hot for so long. My friend is buying a griddle thing, but there no option to cook rice or pasta on that, so I've been looking at induction hobs like this one
http://vi.raptor.ebaydesc.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemDescV4&item=282194438528&category=71246&pm=1&ds=0&t=1528361665000&ver=0
I think 2000W is too high, however it suggests you can choose your wattage - has anyone got one, can you do this, does it work / or do you just not turn it up high???
What do other tenters use to cook on with ehu?
My local camping shop were not especially helpful today :(
We used a Tefal induction hob for the first time this year, having used a solid hot plate previously when on EHU, and it was simply fantastic! Totally controllable (unlike the solid hot plate, which did only red hot and white hot and stayed that way for ages after switching off!)
I bought a conventional electric hob, sold by a well known camping equipment supplier, and I only used it once,
The entire stove got so hot that it was dangerous and it took hours to cool down afterwards.
I camp solo so rarely bother to cook at the tent and eat out but I have been through all the cooking options from gas to electric hobs, to mini ovens and now I have a microwave. You can cook just about anything in a microwave and it doesn't get too hot on the outside.
You would ned to know how many Amps it will draw and check thats ok with your EHU gear and the campsite.
As that hob is described as for use outdoors I am guessing it won't draw too much as they will expect people to conventional outdoor extensions. A full on induction double oven with 4 rings would normally be expected to be on a 2x 32mp circuits in a house but that would be for full on system.
Induction cookers are nowhere near as power hungry as some people assume - they are one of the most efficient energy systems for cooking.
I have an induction hob at home and would never buy anything else for cooking - its fantastically controllable just like gas but nothing gets really hot on the cooker. If I boiled a pan for ages the top of the cooker would be hot but not hot enough to burn you badly - it would be like 'ouch thats hot' but you wouldnt be burnt in anyway it would just be unpleasant and you would take your hand off. Great for child safety (and also idiot safety). On top of that its easy to clean - its just a sheet of glass so a quick wipe down is all it needs - and you can even do that while its cooking if you need to. Brilliant.
You do need to think about pans though - induction only works with magnetic materials. Quick check is to just put a magnet on a pan - if it sticks on it will work with the hob. If it doesn't it won't. There are induction specific pans out there that will work particularly well i.e. they have good heat flow and distribute heat evenly (some inductors tend to focus the heat into the centre of the pan and if the pan doesn't conduct heat too well you get hot spots which can be a problem if you are a serious cook like me). Procook do some pans which radiate the heat very well called Tri-Ply Pro Steel which work super well - they don't have a non-stick surface but you won't need it. The steel is such a good quality that food almost never sticks to them unless you go mad and burn them badly.
Personally I would never have one of those hot plate type things around small children - not even in the home they look to me like an accident waiting to happen.
------------- Its not what you don't know that gets you into trouble - its what you think you know which just ain't so.
I bought and used an induction hob 2 years ago for camping (if I am using EHU why not use it?). Absolutely brilliant!! Induction hobs do not use as much electricity as normal electric hobs do. At 1200 power it brings a pot of water to the boil almost instantly, is totally controllable and dosnt stay hot when you turn it off. You just need to make sure you have the right pots and pans for it (they need to be magnetized).
Go for one.
We have now bought our first caravan and my hob has moved right into the caravan with us :-)
Quote: Originally posted by jacfrosty on 07/7/2018
Induction hobs do not use as much electricity as normal electric hobs do.
You just need to make sure you have the right pots and pans for it (they need to be magnetized).
The difference in power used is negligible, the amount of power used for the cooking process is the same but an induction hob does not need to heat up first.
The pans do not need to be magnetised, they need to be made from a magnetic material.
An induction hob is more efficient because it only heats the pan and contents not a hotplate, which has considerable heat loss warming up and cooling down.
saxo1