Electric stoves: features, types and tips for choosing

The stove is a key element of any kitchen. It is an indispensable technique for preparing and heating food. As a component of a headset or an independent element of the arrangement, it obeys a certain classification and type of work. For example, electric stoves are one of the most demanded products among buyers. Let's look at what they are, what advantages and disadvantages they have, how to use them correctly and what are the main nuances of choosing a successful purchase.

An electric stove is a heating unit that is powered by an electrical network. Being a powerful heating device, it has a thermoelement, which differs depending on the type of the stove itself. When switched on, it consumes a current of up to 50 A, requires compliance with the installation rules, taking into account fire safety standards. The principle of operation of the device depends on the type of the plate itself, as well as its purpose. In general, electric stoves convert electrical energy into heat and are an alternative to gas counterparts. They buy such products for apartments or private houses where there is no gas pipeline.

Electric stoves are safer when compared to gas counterparts. They do not have open flames, they do not create explosive situations. In addition, no gas is emitted during operation, and therefore there is no need for constant ventilation of the room. It is gas that causes frequent headaches in households. In order to cope with all extraneous odors, a conventional hood is sufficient, and it is not at all necessary that it be too powerful.

Due to the fact that such plates do not need a gas pipeline, there is no need to place a cylinder and pipes. Other communications can be disguised as a niche, which will improve the appearance of the kitchen. Electric cookers are easier to care for - cleaning their work surface is convenient and easy. In addition, electric stoves are characterized by functionality, they have a different number of burners. They differ in size, as well as in the material of the hob.

As for the disadvantages, they are associated with certain types of plates. For example, budget options do not have a sufficient set of options, which today is the norm for a modern person. For example, not all stoves have a built-in cooking timer and backlight, some do not have an oven at all. Other modifications require utensils from a specific material, while they cost more than their counterparts. Other disadvantages of electric stoves include a long heating time, high energy costs during the operation of products. It is also worth noting the short service life of other types of burners, some products are made of insufficiently durable material, so when using them you have to be careful not to break the surface.

The range of electric stoves is quite wide: on the shelves of outlets, the attention of buyers is offered a wide variety of options that can satisfy the preferences of the most demanding customer. However, each product has its own characteristics. To understand how the plates differ from each other, you need to know their basic classification. Electric stoves for the kitchen can be classified according to several criteria.

According to the type of installation, electric stoves can be of several types.

• Freestanding. Floor-standing options are often part of a kitchen set, they are heavy, they are installed in a permanent place and connected, masking the wires.

• Tabletop. These products weigh less and are characterized by mobility: if desired, they can be transported to the dacha in the summer, installed in gazebos and on verandas, if electricity is supplied there. At the same time, even with such modifications, the number of burners can vary, which affects the functionality of the products.

• Embedded. Built-in appliances are a mandatory component of the headset, and it is selected based on the existing furniture. In fact, these are hobs and ovens that provide integration with the headset.

Regardless of the type, the stoves can be divided into options without an oven and with an oven. Tabletop options with an oven look like microwave ovens. They can be installed on a headset countertop, window sill and even a dining table. Someone puts them on small kitchen cabinets. Such products do not take up much space, and their functionality allows cooking for a family of 2-3 people. Floor-standing options are always equipped with an oven, while in most cases it has a large interior volume, so you can cook two dishes in it at once.

As for heating, it can be different. In most cases, versions with a cooking cabinet have a special drawer for storing dishes, which is very convenient for small kitchens. The way to control the oven can be automated or mechanical. The oven can have a lot of different cooking modes. Expensive modifications often provide the option of self-cleaning, which saves the user from the tedious removal of fat from the walls of the oven. Heating inside can come both from below and from above.

The hob may differ in the material of manufacture. There are several types of it.

• Steel. Stainless steel products are aesthetically pleasing. Metal fits perfectly into most stylistic directions of interior design, and the surface of the hob can be either matte or glossy. Such plates are purchased for kitchens in a modern style, although it is difficult to call the material easy to clean.

• Enamelled. Household counterparts with an enameled surface differ from the previous ones by the presence of an enamel coating, which, in addition to the usual white color, today can be very diverse. This makes it possible to achieve the most successful infusion of the slab into the concept of stylistics. However, enamel is afraid of abrasives and metal cleaning brushes, such a coating over time becomes overgrown with scratches and chips.

• Glass-ceramic. Such a surface looks stylish and impressive. It is durable, even and smooth, it can be a single surface, heat is transferred on it quickly and evenly, so it takes a minimum of time to heat up. However, glass ceramics are not designed for significant mechanical damage. Stoves with such a hob are more expensive than other electrical counterparts.

The hob burners are one of the key purchase criteria. The functionality of the product depends on their number. For example, an electric stove is quite enough for one user, on the hob of which there will be 1–2 burners. When the stove is bought for a large family, the number of burners can vary from 4 to 8. According to the type of heating, the burners can be of several types.

• Standard versions are characterized by medium power. They go into operation within 10 minutes from the moment they are turned on.
• The express hotplates are more powerful than the standard ones. They heat up faster and have a red mark in the center, which you can pay attention to when buying.
• Automatic hotplates are powered by built-in sensors. They are equipped with an option for detecting the temperature of the dishes placed on the hob. Such burners have a white mark, after the water in the container boils, their power is automatically reset.

In addition, the burners can be of the following types:

• double-circuit (relevant for adjusting the heating zone based on the dimensions of the bottom of the dishes);
• with a ribbed surface (large grill options installed on massive electric stoves);
• Fry-top (in the form of a metal panel, installed on wide versions).

Control of electric stoves can be mechanical or touch-sensitive. Connection to the network can be one- and three-phase. As a rule, modifications of the second type are convenient in that in this case the consumption of metal on the supply wires is reduced. However, most of the three-phase plates can be connected to a single-phase network without various kinds of modifications.

As for the principle of operation, according to this feature, the stoves for the kitchen can be classified into two types.

• Traditional or classic products they function due to the release of thermal energy during the current passing through the resistive heating element (metal conductor with high EOS). The burners of such stoves imply stepped power control (or stepless, carried out by means of a bimetallic thermostat). The design of such stoves is different: they can have an open spiral, as well as a closed one, located under the glass-ceramic hob. In addition, the stoves can be equipped with heating elements and halogen lamps.
• Induction analogs the bottom of the cookware is used for heating, heating it with vortex currents directed at it by the inductor. That is why the bottom of the cookware used must be flat and ferromagnetic. The thermostat maintains the set temperature.

Going to shop in a specialized store, a lot of questions arise before the buyer. To simplify the task, a visual inspection of the product and knowledge of several nuances are required.

• It is important to consider the material of the hob. The enameled options, although they differ in budgetary cost, will have to be protected from scratches and possible damage during the operation of such a stove. Removing burnt grease from such a panel is not easy.
• The number of burners is also important. If there are few of them, this will complicate cooking and increase the duration of the hostess's stay in the kitchen. For example, for a family of two, a product with two burners or an option with three is quite enough.
• It is also important to pay attention to the differences between the hotplates themselves. For example, it would be superfluous to purchase a stove with a hob, on which at least 1 burner will be distinguished by fast heating.
• As for the size, the model should be selected based on the available square of the kitchen.If it is small, and the headset takes up most of the space, a free-standing two-burner stove or a tabletop version with an oven will be appropriate here. If the stove is needed for removal to the dacha, it makes sense to buy a desktop-type option. In this case, it is preferable to take a product with an oven, because, most likely, over time, you will want to bake something in it. An inverter electric stove is also suitable for giving, but when inspecting the product, you must pay attention to its characteristics.
• In order for the stove to meet the stated requirements, it is necessary to check the quality and reliability of the assembly: nothing should hang anywhere, the equipment should be complete. The buyer has the right to demand from the seller a certificate of quality and compliance with safety standards. The service life and warranty repairs should also be indicated there. If such documents are not provided to the buyer, it is worth thinking about the quality: often, defective batches of goods are purchased for sale, which, of course, is silent about when buying.

• Pay attention to the fact that there is no product that has no flaws. Yes, the stove can be super modern, high quality and functional. But, for example, with all this, it can be difficult to maintain or demanding on the dishes. If the buyer is offered a cheap option with a clear chip or visible defect under the pretext that this is the only model, the stove cannot be taken.
• When a product is bought to be installed in one line of a kitchen set, the width of the furniture is measured at home. The slab should not be wider.
• As for the oven, everything is individual here. If there are funds to buy an option with automation and a timer, it is advisable to take a closer look at just such models. For example, if suddenly during cooking the hostess is forgotten, the stove itself will come out of a specific temperature regime and will signal about it.
• If the heating time is important, then in this regard it is more profitable to take induction options. Plates with enameled panels heat up more slowly, as well as cool down more than other analogues. If you don't want to worry, you can take an induction cooker: after removing the dishes, the panel instantly cools down.
• It makes sense to take a closer look at the option with automatic boiling. Due to this option, after setting the desired power level, the stove will independently bring the liquid to a boil, and then return to the set power.
• You can pay attention to the presence of a residual heat indicator. With this option, the user can always know when the surface has cooled down to a safe level. If the stove has the option of automatic recognition of the type of dishes, this will exclude the heating of the container, inside which there is no content or very little of it.

• As for the oven, backlighting should be a mandatory function. It is also important to pay attention to convection, through which the fan will evenly distribute hot air inside the oven.
• The oven can be static and multifunctional. Moreover, the second option has from 2 to 4 heating elements and a fan. If you want to purchase a stove with an oven that has a programming option, it is important to pay attention to the support of the Russian menu language. A quality product has this option. To make it easier to clean the oven during operation, you can buy a product with a removable door.
• It will be useful to note the convenience of the viewing angle. The better you can see how the dish is being prepared, the more convenient it is for the hostess (there is no need to open the oven often). A useful option would be a door closer.
• In addition to the main characteristics and functionality, the appearance of the product is important. The design of the stove should be in harmony with the kitchen set, so that it does not stand out against the general background with an incomprehensible stain.
• As for the energy class, you need to choose a stove marked "A" ("B" is considered energy-intensive).

The electric cooker market is packed with offers for a wide range of buyers. Let us note several manufacturers of electric stoves and their best products, which were included in the top of the most demanded modifications among buyers.

• Gefest 420 K 19 - tabletop electric stove with dimensions 40x55x37 cm, oven and enameled surface. It has cast iron burners in the amount of 2 pieces, the volume of the oven is 18 liters, the type of control is mechanical, the type of grill is heating element. It is equipped with a metal rack and a flat baking sheet.

• Electrolux EKI 954901 W - an induction hob with dimensions 85x50x60 cm and a glass-ceramic hob, as well as a spacious 65-liter oven. It is equipped with 11 cooking modes and 4 cooking zones, and has a power of 11,500 watts.

• Gorenje EIT 6341 WD - induction model with IconLED touch programmer, parameters 60x85x60 cm. It has a spacious oven, steam cleaning option.

• Hansa FCIW53000 - an electric stove with parameters 50x85x60 cm, two rotary switches and the rest of the control transferred to the hob in the form of an electronic display. It is equipped with 4 different sized hotplates and a spacious oven and a drawer for cooking utensils.

• Beko FSM 67320 GSS - electric stove with dimensions 60x60x85 cm, mechanical rotary switches, display, timer and grill option. It is equipped with a control panel lock function, has 4 double-circuit burners, a glass-ceramic hob.

• Darina S EM521 404 W - a budget product with an oven volume of 45 liters, two working burners and a rotary control. The number of cooking modes is 4, the hob is made of enamelled steel.

In order for the stove to serve for a long time and properly, it must familiarize yourself with the basic rules of its operation.

• Before turning on the stove, it is necessary to check the sanitary condition, including inspection of the burners, hob, oven. It is necessary to remove the pallet and wipe it. It is important to pay attention to the position of the slab: it should not wobble or slide on the floor. All supports must be aligned and secured.
• After the visual inspection is over, the plate is connected to the network. The switching on of the cooking zones depends on the model type. As standard, they are turned on and off by turning switches and temperature sensors. You need to turn on the strictly required number of burners. The oven is turned on about 20 minutes before you need it. If you need to heat up the hotplate quickly, turn it on to the maximum heat setting.
• After the food on the stove is heated to a temperature of + 80– + 90 degrees, they can be switched to a weaker heating mode. During this time, the heating will increase due to the heat accumulated by the burner. It is worth noting that you cannot just turn on to the maximum and not use the burners: from this they quickly become unusable. In addition, it significantly increases the consumption of electrical energy.

• Do not use a frying pan or saucepan with an uneven bottom. The fact that the surface does not come into full contact with the cooking zone of the stove increases the heating time and energy consumption. It is important to add that the dishes in which food is cooked or reheated should not have too high walls, which increases the cooking time. Ideally, the height of the walls should be no more than 0.8 times the diameter of the bottom.
• During cooking, you cannot leave the kitchen for a long time and wait for the liquid to flow onto the burners. This may cause a short circuit and shorten the life of the product.
• Before trying the oven, you need to make sure that its door is firmly pressed against the body. You cannot constantly turn the switches: they are set to the desired temperature immediately. At the end of cooking, the switches are set to the "O" position.

Electric stoves are considered more convenient when compared with gas counterparts. This is evidenced by the numerous reviews left on the vastness of the World Wide Web. Buyers have conflicting opinions as to which model is the best. Some people like the compact models that fit on the countertop of the kitchen countertop. Others prefer to use floor stoves with ovens, delighting households with culinary delights.

However, most of the comments left on information portals indicate: an electric stove is better than one that has an oven with ventilation and an even distribution of hot air. As for the functionality, here, according to buyers, everything is decided by the pricing policy.

For information on how to connect an electric stove with your own hands, see the video below.