Do induction hobs scratch easily? Let’s crack the case on whether or not induction hobs scratch easily! You know that induction hobs are beautiful, streamlined and convenient.
However, you might not know if they scratch easily. It’s a justifiable concern when your cooktop has such high visibility on your kitchen counter.
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How Easily Do Induction Hobs Scratch?
Yes, induction hobs can scratch. However, they aren’t necessarily more prone to scratching than other options.
In fact, you’re unlikely to ever see scratches if you take proper care of your induction hob once it’s installed.
The good news is that you actually already know how easy it is to scratch induction hobs if you’ve ever owned a ceramic hob.
While induction hobs offer faster, better performance than ceramic hobs, the glass-top surfaces of ceramic and induction hobs are actually the same. The differences only occur “below the surface” in these models.
What Material Is the Surface of an Induction Hob?
The beautiful, sleek glass top that is on an induction hob is made of a glass-ceramic composite. Glass-ceramic “glass” is nearly identical to true glass in terms of chemical composition.
The “crystalline” component is typically very small. However, the crystalline quality of glass-ceramic materials is what allows them to sustain quick, repeated temperature changes.
While glass-ceramic materials are not scratch-proof materials, they do offer some natural scratch resistance.
How to Prevent Scratches on an Induction Hob?
While a busy kitchen makes dings and dents common, fighting scratches on an induction hob isn’t hopeless. Here are some simple ways to prevent scratches on your induction hob.
Clean Your Hob Thoroughly
Food is the top cause of scratches on an induction hob. Salt is an especially egregious offender. What’s the reason?
Food can act like sand when it’s left to sit on a hub after cooking. Most hob scratches happen because the pressure of the pan on the hob “grinds” food into the surface. As you move the pan around, you’re creating scratches.
Think of some loose salt sitting on your hob. As you move your pan around to cook up some stir fry, you’re pushing and grinding the salt into your hob surface to create fine scratch marks.
The solution is to simply clean your induction hob regularly. In addition to cleaning your hob after each meal, you should consider wiping it down before you place your pan down to cook.
It’s also helpful to periodically lift your pan while cooking to check if any debris became trapped under your pan as you were adding ingredients.
Use New Pans
When updating to a new, shiny induction hob, it’s not a bad idea to also upgrade to new pans. The reason for this is that a pan with a damaged base can scratch your hob easily.
Don’t Use Your Hob as a “Staging Station”
The fact that a hob “blends into” a countertop can tempt you to want to use it like it’s part of your countertop. Avoid putting any cooking utensils or food ingredients on the hob when you’re preparing to cook.
First, it’s very easy for glass, metal and plastic utensils to scratch your hob. Next, anything from your favourite cookbook to a sack of flour could track granules of salt or sugar onto your hob.
These granules will easily scratch your hob once you start cooking.
Can you Clean Away Scratches on an Induction Hob?
Most induction hobs acquire scratches on the ceramic glass through dragging pans and cleaning it while hard debris is on it.
There’s not much you can do about deep scratches, but superficial damage might be improved if you use a specialised cleaning agent.
Alternatively, a home remedy that’s supposed to be effective is white distilled vinegar. Simply pour a little over the affected area and leave it sitting for about thirty minutes. Then wipe away with a soft cloth. Never use abrasives such as baking powder or salt.
Do Scratches Impact an Induction Hob’s Cooking Performance?
You can rest easy if a few scratches do show up on your induction hob. While they aren’t the prettiest, surface scratches are generally harmless.
All of the cooking performance of your hob is generated below the surface. That means that scratches aren’t going to impact your hob’s performance.
Of course, it is possible for a scratch that is powerful enough to cause shattering to actually break the glass on your hob. The good news is that this is extremely rare due to the fact that glass-ceramic surfaces are very strong.
However, it’s important to be careful about not slamming heavy items like pans or glass measuring cups down on your hob.
Final Thoughts on Induction Hobs and Scratches
Do induction hobs scratch easily? While little scratches are common, they won’t cause destruction. Of course, it makes sense that you would want to preserve the beauty of a shiny, impressive induction hob.
You should be fine as long as you’re regularly cleaning your hob to keep crumbs and debris away!
The bottom line? A scratch on your hob isn’t the end of the world because a hob’s performance won’t be impacted by surface-level scratches.
