Burners for electric stoves: features and types

Hotplates for electric cookers differ in their size, power and type. They are in the form of a circle, or they can be spiral, the burner can be cast iron, and on some stoves a halogen is installed, there are also induction and rapid models. Let's dwell on the features of choosing the right burner.

Nowadays, everyone has already become familiar with the appearance of enameled electric stoves with standard heating elements of a rounded shape. However, modern manufacturers have launched production of other, much more interesting options. For example, glass-ceramic with a perfectly flat surface without a clearly defined contour.

Regardless of your appearance, The heating element of the burner is designed to maintain elevated temperatures so that you can heat the pot or pan for a minimum period. Thanks to the special production technology, burners of all types acquire a high resistance to mechanical damage, and it is very difficult to damage them, even if the cooking containers are carelessly placed on the surface.

The principle of operation of such burners is very simple. At the moment of switching on, the main working element begins to warm up, while there is a transformation of one type of energy into another, and this process is accompanied by the release of heat. Any burner for an electric stove is designed so that it has its own separate electrical circuit, through which electrical energy is supplied and its further transformation into heat.

Before purchasing a burner for your stove, it is important to decide on its type and make sure that it is guaranteed to fit your model's stove. Usually, cast iron burners are installed in electric stoves, as well as more modern models designed for ceramic heating elements. Cast iron burners visually resemble discs, they take a long time to warm up, but they cool down for a long time. They, in turn, are subdivided into several types.

• Standard - these are black round discs without any marking. During operation, such devices require constant adjustment of the thermal regime; heating to the highest level takes about 10 minutes.
• Express burners - are distinguished by the presence of a red marking in the center of the disc. These are more powerful burners that require less time to fully warm up - no more than 7 minutes.
• Automatic - are marked in white in the middle of the disc. They are not as fast as express versions, but at the same time, such models do not need thermoregulation - here, with the help of special sensors, the system independently determines at what moment the heating reaches a maximum, and switches to a weaker, supporting mode.

Cast iron and heating elements today remain quite popular due to their low cost, availability on the market and the highest class of reliability. Burners for ceramic plates are divided into rapid, halogen, as well as tape and induction.

Rapid models are one of the most common options. In this case, a twisted spiral made of a special nickel alloy, nichrome, acts as the main heating element. Such burners warm up in about 10-12 seconds, which is considered especially convenient in cases where you need to cook a fairly large amount of complex dishes, for example, soups, all kinds of borscht, as well as jellied or preserves. As a rule, they are round in shape, in the most modern models there are special expansion zones - they are equipped specifically for cooking containers of different types and sizes. The amount of energy consumed varies from 1 to 1.5 kWh, depending on the shape of the burner.

These models are better known as belt models. They are the most popular type of burner, equipped with a special tape heating element in the form of a snake (spring) - it is made from alloys of high electrical resistance. It takes no more than 5-7 seconds to heat such a burner, so they are optimal in situations where you need to do something very quickly - for example, porridge in the morning before going to work. The power of this type of burner does not exceed 2 kWh.

This name of the burner was not obtained by chance, since halogen lamps are used for heating here. They are a gas-filled quartz tube, the design contributes to an almost instantaneous heating - it takes a maximum of 2-3 seconds.

These are the most expensive burner options, which are primarily distinguished by their safety. An increased level of user protection is achieved due to the fact that they tend to heat not the surface of the electric stove, but directly the bottom of the pan or frypot - this can significantly reduce the likelihood of burns.

Instant heating is complemented by a power adjustment option, which means that electrical energy is consumed extremely economically. At the same time, for models of stoves with induction burners, special dishes with a magnetizing bottom are required - for example, steel or cast iron, which are quite expensive in stores.

In the latest electric stoves, a combination of several types of burners is often used, for example, a pair of halogen and a pair of rapid burners are installed.

When choosing kitchen appliances, one of the key factors influencing the choice of a particular model is its manufacturer, since not only the convenience of the stove and its functionality is important here, but also safety and design. Among the most demanded manufacturers, users often name the Turkish production company Beko, which specializes in the manufacture of plates and components for them, while the design of the products produced is distinguished by exceptional style and attractiveness.

Electric stoves of the German holding Bosch have long been considered a symbol of quality, reliability and a guarantee of a long service life. That is why more and more buyers are leaning towards the stoves and burners of this brand, especially since all the components have standard sizes, which, if desired, can be replaced with models of any other companies. The Swedish brand Electrolux offers kitchen appliances with an exceptionally striking design, complemented by a long service life and the highest quality.

Among Russian housewives, the products of the Belarusian enterprise Gefest are very popular - plates and spare parts for them of this brand have a fairly democratic cost, and without any damage to quality and functionality. Among the manufacturers of electric stoves and components for them, the products of the Slovak company Gorenje, the Ukrainian brand Greta, and the Italian company TM Zanussi are in great demand.

Some domestic enterprises are also engaged in the production of burners for household stoves. For example, on sale you can find cast-iron models of the brand "ZVI", "Elektra", "Novovyatka" - they belong to the express series and are marked with a red mark. It should be noted that domestic cast-iron burners heat up very slowly in comparison with their more modern imported counterparts, but at the same time they cool down just as slowly, therefore, they give quite noticeable energy savings.

Any round, square, as well as cast rectangular burners are able to create a flat hob on the electric stove, thanks to which the dishes can be moved freely. In the case when it is necessary to replace the burner, first of all, you should focus on the parameters of the bottom of the dishes that will be installed on it. The main thing is that the pots and pans completely cover the entire heated surface - this is important, otherwise there is a risk of liquid droplets falling on the heated surfaces, which leads to the burner cracking.

If you know the model of your stove, then it is quite easy to find a new disc - just purchase the same one from the same manufacturer. Unfortunately, situations often arise when certain models of stoves are removed from sale, and it is not possible to choose a burner for it, similar to the factory one. In this case, you need to proceed from the parameters of the device - the diameters of the pancakes (currently the burners are available in three standard sizes - 145, 180 and 220 mm), as well as their power - these two indicators will be quite enough to buy a new burner instead of the old one.

For information on how to replace a hotplate for an electric stove, see the next video.