Glass-ceramic plate: types, advantages and disadvantages in use

Manufacturers put on sale a huge variety of home automation. Kitchen stoves are very popular among them. To fulfill their main function - cooking - they have different devices and characteristics. Recently, the popularity of glass-ceramic plates has been growing. In stores, their choice is striking in the number of all kinds of models.

The principle of operation of the glass panel

Household glass-ceramic stoves for the kitchen are rapidly gaining popularity. The basis of this technique was glass ceramics - a plate with a modern design, perfect surface smoothness and good functionality.

Description of the device

Such a kitchen device is dual-circuit and conventional. The difference lies in the ability of the double-circuit plate to change the heating level depending on the diameter of the dish and adjust it for non-standard pots.

Ceran, the material from which modern glass-ceramic technology is produced, is very durable and can withstand impacts from heavy objects. Such devices, in comparison with standard electric stoves, are the most practical in terms of service and cooking, as well as energy efficient. The glass plate heats up at one moment and cools down soon. This makes it possible to cook faster.

In addition to the top plate, such a device has an oven with several heating devices. The glass-ceramic stove will become a worthy helper and will decorate any kitchen.

Varieties of burners

The electric stove with a glass-ceramic panel is distinguished by a flat top surface without clearly visible burners. They can be identified by contours of various sizes and shapes. The type of heaters determines the cost of kitchen equipment and the effective return on its use.

Hotplates for glass-ceramic devices have a number of advantages:

• Hotplates with a halogen lamp heat up in 3 seconds. They flicker with a faint reddish light when heated. Such hot areas have a high power, but do not last long, consume a large amount of electrical energy.
• Rapid type burners heat up a little longer, in twelve seconds. They have a high resistance coil inside the heating element. During operation, it emits a large amount of thermal energy. A modern modification of such heaters are the Hi-Light models with a denser spiral packing and a heating rate reduced to seven seconds.
• The most modern systems are induction burners. This is the most efficient and economical hob heating structure. But stoves equipped with such elements are expensive and require the use of expensive special utensils, which makes their cost prohibitive.

Plate set

Choosing glass ceramic kitchen equipment is not easy to make. In this case, you need to keep in mind not only the price of the product, but also its functionality. In addition to the top panel, the set of the device includes:

• Timer for latching and automatic shutdown.
• Fan for convection mode.
• Grill rack.
• Skewer.
• Oven.
• Illumination of working compartments.
• Error indicator.
• Temperature regulator.

Additional functions

Most modern glass ceramic hobs have several characteristic features:

• The best choice would be equipment equipped with touch controls. This increases the cost of the cooker, but adds the possibility of uniform temperature control and gives the device a more aesthetic appearance. In addition, flat surfaces are easier to clean.
• Residual heat indication allows you to more intelligently treat electricity consumption. Thanks to this function, you can quickly heat something on hotplates that have not yet cooled down.
• For quick heating of water, the booster function is useful. It allows you to briefly increase the heating power of one of the burners to the detriment of the rest.
• The automatic preparation of standard and favorite foods ensures the likelihood of creating programs.

Some of the possibilities may turn out to be redundant, therefore, to save the budget, a glass-ceramic hob must be selected in the required configuration.

Glassware for glass-ceramic devices

The selection of accessories for use on glass ceramics must be made taking into account all rules and restrictions. Basic requirements for such utensils and methods of handling them:

• The burner is switched on only after installing the used object on it.
• Cookware with a perfectly flat and thick base can be used on such surfaces. It should not have chips and burrs in order to avoid damaging the surface of the mirror. Cookware previously used on gas stoves is not suitable in this case, because its bottom is due to uneven incandescence, it is deformed and it is not possible to achieve tight contact with the surface will succeed.
• All utensils must be made of materials recommended by the manufacturer and fit the heating element.
• The size of the cookware must match the size of the burner on which it is installed.

There are some disagreements about the materials for making dishes. This applies to copper and aluminum pots and kettles. In practice, it has been established that after using such accessories, indelible marks remain on the surface. There is only one requirement for enamel cookware: do not leave it empty on the switched on burner. It is best to buy utensils with special marks of suitability specifically for work on glass-ceramic surfaces. Having found the mark "for electric stoves", you should know that such utensils are intended for use on electric stoves equipped with heating elements.

Service features

To extend the service life, it is necessary to strictly comply with the requirements for the care of glass-ceramic surfaces. Do not use dishwashing liquid to avoid blue stains. To eliminate greasy streaks and lime deposits, you need to use specialized care products for such surfaces. You can pick up such liquids yourself, after making sure that they do not contain abrasive particles.

A few helpful tips:

• Do not use hard sponges or cloths.
• Do not use substances for cleaning baths and ovens.
• If food particles get on the surface, remove them immediately. Use proportionate crockery.
• Clean the surface systematically, not occasionally.

Leading manufacturers

The cost of a glass-ceramic slab to a large extent depends on the name and reputation of the manufacturer. The products of the Turkish company Beko and the Czech company Mora Moravia are known for inexpensive and high-quality products. Many manufacturers update their line of models every year. In turn, last year's series are getting cheaper, but do not lose their relevance.

You can get acquainted with the latest products from the world of kitchen technology using various sources. These can be specialized magazines or websites, pages of manufacturing companies or customer reviews on the Internet. To select the optimal product, you need to collect as much information as possible. This will help the seller to articulate his requirements precisely. The most famous manufacturers of high-quality electric cookers with glass ceramic coating are:

• Electrolux and Bosch.
• Samsung and AEG.
• Zanussi and Hansa.
• Whirlpool and others.

The variety of models has copies for any wallet. The right approach to each modification will help you choose the right one.

Advantages and disadvantages

Any housewife wants her kitchen space to be occupied with beautiful and functional household appliances. The newest glass-ceramic plates have these qualities. But, like any other technique, they have their own advantages and disadvantages.

The advantages of such devices:

• Instant heating.
• Immunity to high temperature.
• High strength of the material from which the plate is made.
• The coating cools quickly.
• There is a choice of adjusting the heated area. This allows you to use a variety of dishes.
• The flat heating surface allows the heating of products with specific geometries.
• Numerous additional functions that allow you to prepare food with minimal human intervention.
• Childproofing prevents child injury and damage to the equipment itself.

Not without drawbacks:

• Cookware must be suitable for the specific type of heating element.
• The surface itself needs special care with the use of specialized fluids and sponges. This increases the cost of ownership of the cooker.
• The coating is afraid of pinpoint impacts.
• The plate has no rims. Therefore, the escaped liquid flows down to the floor, and not only the stove, but also the surrounding space will need cleaning.
• Glass-ceramic surfaces are afraid of interaction with sugar in any form. If the sugar syrup is burnt, it cannot be removed.
• During the operation of the glass-ceramic plate, it is necessary to exclude the spilling of cold substances on it. The coating is afraid of contrasting temperatures. A single hit does not promise problems yet, but in case of regular exposure, you can lose the plate itself.

The analysis of the shortcomings suggests that the main difficulties in the use of glass-ceramic devices arise from operational problems and the specificity of their care. However, the convenience and modern functionality outweigh them.

Glass-ceramic household appliances appeared on the market relatively recently and some owners find it difficult and incomprehensible. But one cannot fail to appreciate the unique heat-conducting properties and the speed of cooking on such devices. This equipment changes many of the standard concepts of kitchen design. Combined models with a gas oven and a glass-ceramic hob appear. And improvements in household chemicals will negate the complexity and high cost of caring for them.