The glass-ceramic kitchen: past, present and future
Definition: ‘Countertop’ is a term given to an electric or gas appliance that has been built into or placed on a kitchen work surface.
The first free-standing gas cooker, with an integrated gas hob, was invented and manufactured by Northampton-based James Sharp in 1820, 192 years ago. Since then, the Hob cooker has gone through several transformations, evolving into the efficient appliance we take for granted as an integral part of every modern kitchen.
Separate Plate
In the 1830s, technological advances led to the possibility of separating the cooker and the ceramic hob into two appliances. Cooktops, therefore, could be inserted into kitchen countertops wherever the owner wishes, regardless of a kitchen.
electric burner
The gas hob was widely used by those housewives who could afford to buy and maintain one, until the invention of the electric hob in 1910. The technology used by the gas hob developed only to a limited extent during the time that the appliance was unrivaled, highlighting only the addition of a flame failure device and automatic ignition.
Poor domestic electrical supply initially made the electric hotplate largely unpopular. However, the 1930s in Britain saw the need for local authorities to start building decent housing for the poorly paid factory workers needed to respond to developments in industry. In the suburbs of the cities, especially around London, widespread development began which saw the creation of a large number of new houses. Electricity was the fuel of choice for this newly built home, and with this choice, the gas stove began to lose popularity; ceramic hob becomes standard.
spiral elements
Early hotplates used a coiled element that was very slow to heat and cool, as well as being difficult to clean. The initial wave of models evolved into electric cooktops that used cast iron plates to cover the element below them and were easier to keep clean. However, hot plates were just as dangerous as their predecessors, and burns were common as heating and cooling times were still slow.
It was not until the mid-1970s that glass-ceramics significantly advanced the performance of glass-ceramics. The ceramic cooktop designs mirrored those of the hotplate, except that the ceramic cooktop’s black glass plate was much more efficient at transferring heat (it changed temperature almost instantaneously) and was attractive and easy to clean. clean up.
Induction plaque
Advances continued in the late 1970s with the invention of the induction cooktop. This revolutionary device used electromagnets, rather than elements, to generate heat. Two magnetic currents were sent, in opposite directions, around a magnetic coil, driving an electromagnetic current that heated the pan placed on them and its contents.
Induction hobs could provide heat twice as fast as gas or glass-ceramic hobs, consuming only half the energy. Obviously, this made them attractive to consumers, coupled with the fact that their fast cool-down time prevented a large number of burn accidents.
plate reintegration
Since the 1990s, induction hobs have slowly gained popularity. You might assume that such a safe, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly device has completely outshone its predecessors, but surprisingly, it hasn’t. A large proportion of modern households still use gas or electric stoves in their kitchens. The trend is also moving towards re-integrating hobs with cookers, particularly as range-style cookers, which do this as standard, are highly sought after (although they are currently too expensive for the average home, making them a aspirational characteristic).
Few modern brands include an induction hob as standard in their range of mid-priced appliances. Perhaps as fuel sustainability concerns grow and technology advances, induction cooktop prices could fall for the consumer in the future.
Modern design
Cooktop design has evolved by leaps and bounds over the last decade, making it more stylish and versatile than ever, whether built-in or freestanding. The ceramic hob has become a focal point for the modern kitchen and as such is often complemented by an attractive metal hood or a beautiful, but often killer backsplash to keep it clean.
As more and more households experiment with cooking the world’s foods, cooktops have responded to the demand to accommodate this with clever design features such as wok-sized hot plates. Those who love gadgets and gadgets may wish to purchase a cooktop with touch screen control (instead of traditional dials) or an induction cooktop divided into multiple zones to allow cooks to use multiple pans of different sizes with ease and safety. .
Who knows where induction technology could take the cooktop in the future? Cooktops have undergone many changes in the last 200 years, so many more will surely follow.