The power usage of different hob ring types is very similar:

• Average induction hob ring power usage (per hour): 1.95 kW
• Average gas hob ring power usage (per hour): 1.95 kW
• Average ceramic hob ring power usage (per hour): 1.65 kW

However, because induction heats pans in a much more efficient way, it is much quicker to cook with, and will therefore use less energy to produce the same results.

As an example, the average induction hob will use about 0.117 kWh to boil a pan of water, while a gas hob would use 0.269 kWh and a ceramic hob would use 0.203 kWh.

In this article, we’ll explore induction hobs and the reasons why they are so energy efficient. We will also have a chat about the other great things that induction hobs feature too.

So, if you are considering a new hob for your home and want to get the most energy efficient one you can, induction hobs should be your hob of choice.

What Makes Induction Hobs So Energy Efficient?

Induction hobs are more energy efficient than other hob types because there is very little wasted energy. They heat pans directly using induction heating, which involves creating a magnetic field between the hob and the pan.

In contrast, conventional hobs such as gas and electric plate hobs heat pans indirectly, which means a lot of energy is wasted. This explains why conventional hobs feel hot if you put your hands near them, as the wasted energy is escaping into the air rather than heating the pan.

A conventional hob (an old-school gas or electric plate hob), has quite a bit of waste. In fact, about 50% of the energy is wasted. This is because the heat is dissipating around the pot or pan as you are heating it. This means wasted energy, and that costs you money and is bad for the environment.

An induction hob creates a magnetic field. When electricity is passed through the coil (which is underneath the glass), this creates electromagnetic energy. This passes directly into the pan, creating a current that produces heat.

So, your induction hob isn’t actually creating the heat as such. It is the pan and coil together creating the heat. Your hob is just creating a magnetic field, really.

Are Induction Hobs Cheaper to Run Than Gas?

Since induction is more energy efficient than gas, you might assume it would also be cheaper.

However, things aren’t that straightforward, since gas is cheaper than electricity.

During the current energy price cap (EPC) period from 1 April to 30 June 2026, the average energy costs per kWh in the UK are:

• 24.67p/kWh for electricity
• 5.74p/kWh for gas

Since gas is so much cheaper, this means that gas hobs are actually cheaper to run than induction hobs, despite being less efficient.

According to our calculations, the cost of running the average induction hob ring for one hour would be 48.1p, whereas a gas hob ring would cost just 11.2p to run for an hour.

However, since induction heats pans much more quickly than gas, you wouldn’t need to use it for as long compared to a gas hob, so the cost difference would’t be so great.

Induction hobs are cheaper to run than other electric hobs, but aren’t as cheap as gas hobs since gas prices are so much lower per kWh.

Benefits of Induction Hobs

Induction hobs are incredibly energy efficient and will help you lower your carbon footprint. However, there are loads of other benefits to an induction hob too.

Safety

For starters, these hobs are extremely safe. Only the pan generates heat. Also, because of the way an induction hob works, if a pan isn’t in contact with the surface, the hob shuts that ring off. It will also shut the element off if a pan is too small for that element.

Easy to clean

Also, induction hobs are very easy to clean. As the surface of an induction hob doesn’t heat up anywhere near the amount of any other hob type, any food that spills on an induction hob won’t burn.

Other Energy-Saving Cooking Appliances

Ovens and hobs are the main two cooking appliances found in all UK homes. However, there are other smaller cooking units you might want to include in your energy efficient kitchen. For example, microwaves, slow cookers, and air fryers.

A microwave is the most energy-efficient cooking appliance found in the kitchen, topping both an oven and a hob in terms of energy usage.

They cook food extremely quicky and so don’t use as much energy. In fact, they are up to 80% more efficient than a conventional oven!

However, while microwaves are an energy-efficient alternative for reheating food or cooking vegetables, they’re not suitable for cooking everything.

Thankfully, slow cookers and air fryers are a great oven-alternative to cook the foods that microwaves can’t.

The average slow cooker can use used on the highest energy setting for eight hours and only use 1.68 kWh of energy. This is because these appliances use a low current and trap heat inside the pot to facilitate cooking.

Air fryers don’t need any preheating and cook most things within 5 minutes. Therefore, they are also an efficient way of cooking!

How to Cook Using Less Energy & Electricity

Fitting your kitchen out with an induction hob and convection oven is a great step to a more eco-friendly home.

Cooking using your cooktop instead of the oven is also beneficial. And using a microwave, slow cooker, and air fryer in place of your oven further helps to cut energy usage, reduce your household bills, and better our planet.

However, appliances are only half of the equation! Here are some other considerations for energy-efficient cooking you can use to keep costs down.

1. Cook food in bulk

A great way to reduce your energy usage is to cook food in bulk. For example, cooking a lot of food at once in your oven means you can use more of the energy to cook food and less to heat empty oven space.

You can then freeze or refrigerate leftovers and reheat them using your microwave – the most energy-efficient appliance of them all.

2. Choose the right cookware

Choosing the right cookware can also impact your energy usage. A big consideration is the size of the pots and pans you use.

You should always use cookware that is the right size for the food you’re cooking.

Otherwise, additional energy has to be used to heat up a larger than necessary pan and the excess water within in.

Material is important as well. When choosing oven dishes, glass and ceramic cookware is best. Both of these materials are slower to heat than metal but hold heat for a long time, helping food to cook more quickly.

On the other hand, copper is a great option for pots and pans. It heats up more quickly than metals such as stainless steel, reducing cooking time and improving efficiency.

Whenever you cook on the stove, always ensure you put a lid on the pot as well. By covering your pots and pans, you’re helping to trap the heat inside the pan.

This is similar to how a slow cooker works and ensures more of the heat generated goes into cooking.

3. Use appliances the right way

Using the right appliances for cooking is important, but using your appliances the right way is also crucial. For example:

• Always use a burner ring that is the same size of the pan you’re using
• Turn down the heat of the hob to a simmer once the liquid has reached boiling point
• Never open the oven door during cooking as this lets heat escape
• Always use flat-bottomed pans with an electric hob to help heat the pan more quickly
• Keep your appliances clean so no heat is absorbed by debris and old food
• Turn an electric oven off 10 minutes before the timer to complete cooking without using additional energy

Conclusion

If you want the most energy efficient hob on the market, induction has to be your choice. They aren’t cheap, but they are fantastic.

The amazing energy savings from an induction hob is just one of the many benefits to this hob type. Please explore our website further for loads more information about hobs, ovens and all kinds of cookware.

Scott

Scott is a writer and a passionate home chef. His passion for cooking began when he was 10 years old. Scott has been writing professionally for over five years now and loves to combine his passion for cooking with his day job.

The post What’s the Most Energy Efficient Hob Type? appeared first on Chef's Pick.

Running costs, however, are also worth considering. While oven running costs are unlikely to break the bank, the cost of running certain types of ovens can be quite shocking.

So, let’s find out if gas ovens are cheaper to run than electric ovens, shall we?

Cost of Running a Gas Oven

The average gas oven uses roughly 1.24 kWh of energy per use.

To arrive at this figure, we looked at five of the most popular gas ovens in the UK and calculated the average energy use based on figures from AO.com:

• Hisense BI6061HGSUK – 0.97 Kwh
• Smeg Cucina AOSF64M3G2 – 1.15 Kwh
• Indesit IDG6GW – 1.44 Kwh
• Hotpoint HDG5GDCB – 1.25 Kwh
• Beko KA52NEW – 1.39 Kwh

The average gas price in the UK is 5.74 per kWh for the price cap period from 1 April to 30 June 2026 .

This means that the average gas oven costs 1.24 x 5.74 = 7.1 pence per use.

Cost of Running an Electric Oven

The average electric oven uses 0.89 kWh of energy per use.

To arrive at this figure, we looked at ten of the most popular electric ovens in the UK and calculated the average energy use based on figures from AO.com:

• AEG DUB331110M – 0.78 kWh per use
• Beko RecycledNet BBRDF21000X – 0.79 kWh per use
• Bosch Serie 2 NBS113BR0B – 0.8 kWh per use
• Bosch Serie 4 HBS573BB0B – 0.99 kWh per use
• Hotpoint Class 2 SA2844HIX – 1.05 kWh per use
• Indesit Aria IDU6340IX – 0.96 kWh per use
• NEFF N30 U1CHC0AN0B – 0.81 kWh per use
• NEFF N50 B2ACH7HH0B – 0.99 kWh per use
• Smeg Victoria DOSF6920N1 – 0.99 kWh per use
• Zanussi ZPHNL3X1 – 0.71 kWh per use

The average electricity price in the UK is 24.67p per kWh for the price cap period from 1 April to 30 June 2026.

This means that the average electric oven costs 0.89 x 24.67 = 22 pence per use.

Gas vs. Electric Oven Running Costs

According to our research, electric ovens are more than twice as expensive to run as gas ovens on average.

Even though electric ovens are more energy efficient and use less energy to run, they are still more expensive than gas since electricity prices are so high.

Electricity costs more than three times as much as gas per kilowatt hour, so it’s not surprising that gas ovens are cheaper to run.

The average gas oven costs 7.4 pence per use, while the average electric oven costs 24.6 pence.

If you use your oven once a day, here is how that would work out:

• Per day: 7.1 pence for a gas oven; 22 pence for an electric oven.
• Per week: £0.50 for a gas oven; £1.54 for an electric oven.
• Per month: £2.16 for a gas oven; £6.69 for an electric oven.
• Per year: £25.92 for a gas oven; £80.30 for an electric oven.

This means you could save over £50 a year by using a gas oven instead of an electric oven with today’s prices.

There aren’t as many gas ovens as electric ovens on the market these days, but they are still available and aren’t being phased out yet.

However, if you are buying a new oven, you need to consider installation costs as well as running costs.

Should You Choose a Gas or Electric Oven?

Gas is much cheaper to run than electric. However, this doesn’t mean that a gas oven is a right oven for you.

For example, if you don’t have a gas hook-up for your oven already, the cost of having one installed will likely be higher than any of the savings you’ll get from the oven.

You also need to factor in which oven you prefer to use. Some people swear by gas, others swear by electric. I can say from experience, having owned electric ovens all my life, that switching to gas in my first ever rented property was a big learning curve.

Electric ovens

There is no doubt that gas ovens are brilliant tools, but many of us prefer electric.

Electric ovens are typically a bit cheaper to install, and the initial cost is often cheaper than a gas oven. They also cook with dry heat, so they are much better for baking and roasting (although many gas fans will argue this case).

Most electric ovens also have fans nowadays, so the temperature in the oven is much more stable and consistent and food cooks more evenly. Electric hobs are also much easier to clean than gas hobs.

Of course, electric ovens do heat up a lot slower than gas ovens. In general, they take about 10 minutes longer to heat up than gas ovens. They are also much less responsive to temperature changes as well.

Gas ovens

Gas gives you much more control than electric. You can really dial in a temperature on a gas hob or oven, and it responds almost instantly.

Gas is less forgiving than electric, though, so burning your food is very easy to do in a gas oven. Gas cookers also tend to be a bit more expensive to buy and install than their electric counterparts, but budget gas cookers are available.

Safety is another concern with gas, of course, but all gas ovens have strict safety guidelines they must adhere to, so safety isn’t something that should factor into your decision too much.

The Pros and Cons of Gas Ovens

Pros

• Cheaper to run
• Precise and instant temperature changes

Cons

• Initial cost and installation fees
• Burning food if you aren’t used to cooking with gas

The Pros and Cons of Electric Ovens

Pros

• Cheaper initial cost and installation
• Easier to clean and maintain
• Consistent temperatures (in fan ovens)

Cons

• Delayed temperature changes

Conclusion

As you can see, both gas and electric ovens have their pros and cons, and it is really up to you to decide which fuel type you’ll prefer.

Gas is certainly the cheaper of the two ovens to run. They cost about half as much as electric ovens, and you could save over £50 each year by buying a gas oven, unless gas becomes more expensive relative to electricity in the future. However, it ultimately comes down to which oven you prefer to use.

We hope this look at which type of oven is cheaper to run has helped you decide which oven you’ll buy next. If you want to see the best gas cookers or electric ovens available in the UK right now, please explore Chef’s Pick further.

Scott

Scott is a writer and a passionate home chef. His passion for cooking began when he was 10 years old. Scott has been writing professionally for over five years now and loves to combine his passion for cooking with his day job.

The post Gas vs. Electric Oven Running Costs (2026 UK) appeared first on Chef's Pick.

However, the answer isn’t so simple when you compare them to other cooking methods such as gas.

In this article, we’ll look at average induction hob energy usage and running costs.

Is Induction Really More Expensive to Run Than Gas or Ceramic?

Based on the figures above, an induction hob is more than three times more expensive to run per hour than a gas hob. However, because induction hobs are so much more energy-efficient, you won’t need to leave it on as long, so it won’t be quite as expensive compared to gas.

If you look purely at energy usage per hour, you would conclude that induction hobs are four times more expensive to run than gas hobs. However, when the energy efficiency of induction is taken into account, we estimate that running costs will be closer to twice those of a gas hob, not four times.

Induction can heat and boil water much quicker than gas, so you will find you don’t need to leave your induction hob turned on for as long.

Induction hobs also work out cheaper to run than ceramic electric hobs in practice, since they are much more efficient. This goes some way to making up for the higher up-front cost of buying an induction hob.

This study published by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) found that with induction cooking, as much as 90% of the energy consumed is transferred to the food, compared to just 40% for gas and 74% for regular electric hobs.

For a practical example, let’s look at how much it would cost to boil a pan of water, taking into account the efficiency of different hob types.

According to research from Which?, this is how long it takes to boil a large pan of water on the average hob:

• Induction hob: 3.56 mins
• Gas hob: 8.27 minutes
• Electric ceramic hob: 7.38 minutes

This means that induction hobs are about twice as fast as other hob types.

Based on this and the figures given above, the cost of boiling a large pan of water would be as follows for the different hob types:

• Induction hob: 0.06 (hours) x 1.95 (kW) x 24.67p (price per kWh) = 2.9p
• Gas hob: 0.138 (hours) x 1.95 (kW) x 5.74p (price per kWh) = 1.5p
• Ceramic hob: 0.123 (hours) x 1.65 (kW) x 24.67p (price per kWh) = 5p

As you can see, induction is more expensive to run than gas despite being quicker and more energy efficient. However, the running costs are more similar than you’d expect if you just compared per-hour costs, because induction is much quicker. Ceramic is almost three times as expensive as gas.

Cost of Buying an Induction Hob

Induction hobs tend to be more expensive than gas and ceramic electric hobs.

At the time of writing, the most popular induction hobs in the UK cost from around £150 to over £2,000, with a median price of about £500.

Gas hobs are cheaper to buy, starting at around £80 and rarely costing more than £500. The median price of a gas hob is around £200.

Electric ceramic hobs are priced somewhere in the middle, costing from about £120 to £700, with a median price of around £250

If you cook a lot, it will be worth investing in an induction hob rather than a ceramic hob, as the energy savings should pay for themselves well before it’s time to replace the hob. You’ll also be able to enjoy the greater responsiveness and speed of induction cooking.

However, if you only cook occasionally and are on a budget, a ceramic hob might be a better choice. Gas remains the cheapest option.

Scott

Scott is a writer and a passionate home chef. His passion for cooking began when he was 10 years old. Scott has been writing professionally for over five years now and loves to combine his passion for cooking with his day job.

The post How Much Does an Induction Hob Cost to Run? (2026 UK) appeared first on Chef's Pick.

Changing energy providers can be a great way of saving money, of course. However, doing that alone won’t help you save energy.

Knowing how much an electric oven costs to run may make you think about how you use it and may change your energy-using habits.

So, let’s see just how much it takes to run an electric oven in the UK, shall we?

Cost of Running an Electric Oven in the UK

The average electric oven in the UK uses about 0.89 kWh of energy per use.

To calculate this figure, we found ten of the most popular electric ovens on AO.com and calculated the average energy use:

• AEG DUB331110M – 0.78 kWh per use
• Beko RecycledNet BBRDF21000X – 0.79 kWh per use
• Bosch Serie 2 NBS113BR0B – 0.8 kWh per use
• Bosch Serie 4 HBS573BB0B – 0.99 kWh per use
• Hotpoint Class 2 SA2844HIX – 1.05 kWh per use
• Indesit Aria IDU6340IX – 0.96 kWh per use
• NEFF N30 U1CHC0AN0B – 0.81 kWh per use
• NEFF N50 B2ACH7HH0B – 0.99 kWh per use
• Smeg Victoria DOSF6920N1 – 0.99 kWh per use
• Zanussi ZPHNL3X1 – 0.71 kWh per use

Standard electricity costs are 24.67 pence per kWh in the UK for the Energy Price Cap (EPC) period from 1 April to 30 June 2026.

Therefore, the average electric oven in the UK costs 0.89 x 24.67 = 22p per use.

Based on this, here is how much your electric oven will cost you if you use it once a day:

• 22p per day
• £1.54 per week
• £6.68 per month
• £80.14 per year

Now, as you may know, these electricity prices will vary from oven to oven. In fact, the costs above will vary if you use the hob more than the oven.

Also, these costs vary depending on how energy efficient your oven is too. So, the figures above are extremely rough.

You should be able to find out the energy usage of your particular oven by searching for the model number online or looking at your user manual.

However, exactly how much energy you use depends on how you use the oven, for example how high you heat it and whether or not you open the door frequently.

How Can You Reduce the Running Costs of an Electric Oven?

There isn’t really a good way of improving the running costs of an existing electric oven. You can’t exactly cook things on a higher temperature for shorter amounts of time, as you’ll start burning all your food.

If you want to decrease the energy your oven is using, your best chance is to buy a new oven.

If your oven is five years old or older, it may no longer be as energy efficient as a new one.

Even if your oven was very efficient when it was new, advances in oven efficiency in the last few years might mean that your current oven is no longer the most energy-efficient model out there.

Of course, buying a new oven won’t help you save money in the short term! The only real way to save money and energy in the kitchen without buying all new appliances is to turn them off at the wall after using them.

According to the Energy Saving Trust, you could save around £45 a year just by avoiding leaving appliances on standby.

How to Save Electricity When Choosing an Oven

1. Consider the energy consumption rating

Buying an oven that has a good energy rating is a good way of saving money. Look for an energy rating of A on products released since March 2021 when the new energy rating scale was introduced, or products rated A++ or A+++ on products released before then. These ovens use less energy to heat up and retain their heat while cooking, so it means that your oven isn’t constantly using electric to keep the heat up.

You can find out the energy consumption rating of any oven in the specification section on most retailer websites.

However, a higher energy rating doesn’t always reflect a low energy consumption rating. Oven size comes into play too—smaller ovens will use less electricity even if they are not technically more energy efficient.

Still, bear in mind that you may only save pennies a week no matter how low the energy consumption is.

2. Keep the oven door closed

Another good way of saving electricity while you are cooking is to keep the oven door close as much as possible. Whenever you open an oven door, it allows the heat to escape, and your oven must then heat the oven up again. So, when you are cooking, keep the oven door close as much as possible.

3. Use cookware that heats up quick and retains heat

Saving electricity on the hob is difficult. You can use cookware that holds heat in really well or use really thin cookware, so it heats up nice and quickly.

There are drawbacks to both types of cookware, though. For example, using cookware that holds heat nicely, cast iron cookware, for example, means that there is a longer wait time for it to reach a good temperature.

Using cookware that is thinner means that it will heat up faster, but the cookware won’t hold the heat in as well so you will need to keep the temperature of your hob higher.

So, in the case of the hob, it can be very tricky to make any notable savings by changing cookware. Instead, it is better to buy a more energy-efficient hob.

Scott

Scott is a writer and a passionate home chef. His passion for cooking began when he was 10 years old. Scott has been writing professionally for over five years now and loves to combine his passion for cooking with his day job.

The post How Much Does an Electric Oven Cost to Run in the UK? (2026) appeared first on Chef's Pick.

This is hardly ideal when you want to have a quiet evening!

We put up with this noise because it’s better than letting the smell of fried mackerel make our home uninhabitable.

Cooker hoods are essential as they take the bad smells and damp air out of our kitchens and either take it outside or filter it back into our kitchens.

However, surely there is a quiet cooker hood that does this job just as well as the loud cooker hoods on the market?

Yes, there is. In fact, here are seven cooker hoods that will do a great job of removing smells and damp air from your kitchen while never producing a noice above 70 decibels.

We’ve ordered them by maximum noise level, with the quietest first. The maximum noise level is how much noise the hood will make on the highest setting, or the booster setting if the product has one. We’ve also listed the minimum noise level, which is how loud it will be on the lowest setting.

Let’s take a look at these amazing cooker hoods, shall we?

FAQs on Cooker Hoods

How loud is the average cooker hood?

Cooker hoods usually produce between about 60 and 75 decibels (dB) of noise on their highest settings.

60 dB is roughly the noise of a normal conversation. Anything at this level or below can be considered ‘quiet’ for a cooker hood.

Cooker hoods that produce 70 dB or more of noise will sound quite loud. To give you an idea, 75 dB is about as loud as a vacuum cleaner.

Can you get a silent cooker hood?

Unfortunately, it’s not possible to get a completely silent cooker hood. The quietest cooker hood we could find still has a maximum noise level of 52 decibels, which is slightly louder than the hum of a refrigerator.

It’s impossible to manufacture a cooker hood or extraction fan that is completely silent, but some models are quiet enough that you’ll barely notice them.

The quietest models use brushless motors, which are quieter than the standard motors in more old-fashioned cooker hoods, as well as being much more energy efficient.

What size cooker hood do I need?

The size of a cooker hood is usually given by its width.

Popular sizes include 60 cm, 70 cm and 90 cm. Often the exact width is slightly less, for example 59.8 cm rather than 60 cm.

In general, a cooker hood should be about the same size as the hob that it is covering. If you have more space, you may prefer to choose a larger hood.

Are all cooker hoods noisy?

Not all cooker hoods offer the same speed, power and performance. This difference means that there can be a great difference in noise level between different models and brands.

Most cooker hoods available have a noise level of between 60 and 70 decibels on the highest setting, which for most people, is a comfortable noise level.

If you are sensitive to noise, try to stick to a cooker hood that produces less than 70 dB on the maximum setting.

How Can I Make My Kitchen Extractor Quieter?

As mentioned above, not all cooker hoods have the same operating noise level. No matter how quiet your cooker hood should be, there are always steps that you can take to keep the noise level to its absolute minimum.

1. Run at the lowest speed

One of the easiest ways to keep a cooker hood as quiet as possible is to run it at the lowest speed for your needs.

The majority of modern cooker hoods have variable speeds and power settings that you can choose from depending on your needs.

Whilst it is nice to have a very powerful cooker hood that can deal with the smell of burning food and strong vapours easily, you don’t need to use the highest setting each and every time you cook a meal.

2. Keep the filters clean

Grease filters can end up clogged up very quickly. If the filters are not clean, you’ll find that you need to use increasingly higher settings to get the same level of performance out of your cooker hood.

The grease filters in most modern cooker hoods are now very easy to clean, and can generally just be rinsed out with hot water.

By rinsing the grease filters a couple of times a week, you’ll be able to keep your cooker hood operating at its very best.

3. Make sure everything is tight

Loose bolts and components are one of the leading causes of loud noises in appliances. Over time, screws and bolts can work loose, leading to annoying rattling noises.

If you have noticed annoying rattling noises, turn the cooker hood off completely, and check over it thoroughly to make sure that all of the screws, bolts and panels are installed correctly. If they’re loose, tighten them up before using the appliance again.

4. Check the ducting

There are a range of issues with ducting that can lead to increased noise levels, these include the type of pipe and the size.

Size of the ducting

This issue is more common in kitchens where the cooker hood is being upgraded. If the ducting is too small for the cooker hood, it will over-extend. This will lead to louder noises and can cause increased energy usage too.

Type of ducting

The type of ducting that you are using can have a major impact on the noise level too. Rigid piping is much more likely to vibrate than flexible pipes, dramatically increasing the noise level. If you can, swap to flexible ducting instead of rigid metal ducting.

Ducting blockages

If there is a blockage from a damaged component or a build-up of grime in the ducting itself, you’ll also notice an increase in noise level as the air has to work harder to move through the piping.

Consider installing a duct damper

If the excess noise seems to be coming from your ducting but it is a suitable size and you are using flexible ducting, consider installing a duct damper.

A duct damper is an optional device that can be installed at the end of the ducting to reduce the noise caused by turbulent air. Some of these devices need a power supply, but not all.

Choosing the Right Cooker Hood

Cooker hoods are designed to remove smoke, smells and airborne grease from your kitchen to keep it fresh. They all have different features; some are more efficient and certain ones will also remove steam, so it’s important you make the right choice. Here’s how.

If you’re designing a new kitchen, you can adapt your design to accommodate a particular type of cooker hood. Otherwise, for an existing kitchen, the choice may depend on the current layout.

The main styles are:

• Visor — A traditional design that takes up little space and is often the cheapest and most basic
• Canopy — Generally concealed beneath an overhead cupboard or in a canopy housing and so is hardly noticeable
• Chimney — Fits against a wall and has a large canopy and chimney above so it’s generally installed as a feature but requires plenty of space. Some newer models have a vertical format that angles out from the wall and so protrudes less.
• Integrated — Concealed behind a cupboard door and so is completely unobtrusive and pulled out to activate.
• Island — Applies when you have a cooking island and is attached to the ceiling directly above it. It creates a stylish feature but tends to be the most expensive.
• Ceiling — Fits flush to the ceiling and so is unobtrusive but requires a remote control to operate.
• Telescopic — Similar to a visor hood but is extended when in use and has a flat profile at other times.
• Downdraft — Hidden in the worktop when not in use and rises when needed with air channelled down towards it.

The hood you choose should generally be as wide as your hob and can be wider if you have the space available. It should be positioned about 75 cm above the hob although ceiling-mounted ones will inevitably be higher.

Where the air goes — extracted or recirculating

All cooker hoods work in a similar manner up to a point, in that a fan draws air into the hood and then passes it through a filter that traps the grease.

However, extracting hoods remove the air outside through ducts while recycling hoods pass it through a charcoal filter to absorb the cooking smells before re-introducing the air into the kitchen.

Recirculating hoods are therefore easiest to install but have a reduced extraction rate due to the level of processing. Extracting hoods are most suitable for a cooker installed against an external wall since the duct can go straight out.

For island and ceiling hoods, the ducting has to run in the direction of the joists while ducting is generally through the floor for downdraft hoods, which makes installation more complex.

When buying an extracting hood, you will need to also buy the necessary ducting. However, this type has the added benefit of also removing steam and so reduces the level of condensation in your kitchen.

Getting the performance required

Since the purpose of the cooker hood is to remove smoke and smells, you want one that will do this efficiently. The recommendation is that a cooker hood should be capable of changing the air in a kitchen about ten times an hour.

To determine the required extraction rate for your kitchen, calculate the room’s volume (height x width x depth) in cubic metres and multiply by ten.

Compare this to the published extraction rate for each cooker hood and choose one with at least this rate. For island and ceiling cooker hoods, go for a higher rate (at least 800 cubic metres per hour) since the hood will be positioned further away from the hob.

If your chosen cooker hood can either recycle the air or duct it out, you should normally add 30% to the required extraction rate for recycling. Similarly, extraction may be reduced for a ducted hood if the ducting is long and has several bends.

Cooker hoods are generally relatively quiet in operation but some are noisier than others, typically the larger and more powerful ones. Check the noise rating if this is important and also check the energy efficiency rating if you’re looking for cheap operation.

Other things to consider

Though most cooker hoods have similarities and the main considerations are price, performance, size and type, they do have other features that may affect your decision:

• Most hoods have one or more lights to illuminate the hob and you may want LED versions for energy efficiency.
• Consider the accessibility and simplicity of the controls and if a remote is provided or necessary to make operation easier.
• Choose a style that fits in with your kitchen or get a concealed version.
• Determine if the grease filter is easy to remove and clean, and if replaceable filters are needed and their cost.
• If you regularly cook smelly food, consider a cooker hood with a high-power boost option for quick removal.
• For recirculating hoods, check the costs and frequency of replacement for the charcoal filters.

Aside from this, your budget will be an obvious factor and you’ll generally be swayed towards a model that will look really nice in your kitchen. However, make sure it will do the job.

Conclusion

The quietest cooker hood we could find when researching this article was the Elica Skydome H30, which is a 100 cm ceiling hood with a minimum noise level of 40 decibels and a maximum noise level of 53 decibels.

We hope this look at the quietest cooker hoods in the UK has been helpful in improving the level of noise in your home. For even more kitchen products that can help you make your kitchen the heart of your home, please explore our website further.

Scott

Scott is a writer and a passionate home chef. His passion for cooking began when he was 10 years old. Scott has been writing professionally for over five years now and loves to combine his passion for cooking with his day job.

The post The Quietest Cooker Hoods & Extractor Fans (2026 UK) appeared first on Chef's Pick.

The average electric oven has a power rating of around 3 kW on full power, while the average mini oven has a power rating of around 1.75 kW.

Average electricity prices in the UK are 24.67 pence for the period from 1 April to 30 June 2026 .

Therefore, if you ran the average electric oven at full power for an hour, it would cost 3 x 24.67 = 74 pence.

If you ran the average mini oven at full power for an hour, it would cost 1.75 x 24.67 = 43 pence.

As well as being cheaper to run per hour, mini ovens also heat up a lot faster than standard electric ovens. This is mainly because the space that needs heating up is a lot smaller. This means you spend less time waiting for the oven to heat up, and this does help save some money too.

Installation Costs

Most electric ovens need to be installed by a qualified engineer. This means that you must factor those installation costs into the cost of the cooker.

Installation costs for a standard electric cooker can range from £50-£100. That is the price of a mini oven! A mini oven doesn’t need to be installed because they have a standard UK plug that will work in any socket in your kitchen.

Purchase Cost

Mini ovens start from around about £50 and can reach over £200 for very high-end models with every cooking function you could need.

The cheapest electric cooker we could find while researching this article was £199. If you’re looking for a really high-end electric oven though, you’re looking at over a thousand pounds.

We aren’t saying that mini ovens are for everyone. A lot of us love our big ovens and could never part with them because we can cook our dinner, prep our lunches for the week and even grill a quick snack as we do it.

However, if a mini oven suits your way of life, perhaps you want to save space in your kitchen, or you live alone and simply don’t need a massive oven, the cost benefits are actually very impressive.

Not only are mini ovens far cheaper to run, but they are also cheaper to buy, and you don’t need someone to install one either.

We hope this look at mini ovens and how cheap they are to run has been helpful. See our list of the best countertop mini ovens if you need help choosing one!

Scott

Scott is a writer and a passionate home chef. His passion for cooking began when he was 10 years old. Scott has been writing professionally for over five years now and loves to combine his passion for cooking with his day job.

The post Are Mini Ovens Cheaper to Run? appeared first on Chef's Pick.

Non-stick coatings on cookware can contain harmful chemicals that can release toxins during cooking.

These chemicals are usually only released during high-temperature cooking, for example, if you transfer your frying pan to the oven. If the oven is hot enough, the non-stick coating can begin to release toxins.

There are other ways that cookware can release these toxins, but high heat is the most common way.

So, wouldn’t it be great if there was a non-stick pan that didn’t release these toxins? Perhaps even a pan that has no harsh chemicals involved in the coating at all? Well, wouldn’t that be lovely!

Thankfully, there is. Below we’ve listed some of our favourite non-stick frying pans that are safe and healthy.

Non-Stick Coating Jargon Explained

When researching non-stick pans, you’ll encounter lots of strange chemical names and acronyms. Here’s a quick explanation of the main non-stick coating terms.

• Cadmium and lead – Cadmium and lead are harmful heavy metals that can be leached from some enamel coatings on cast iron cookware. Shannon from Natural Baby Mama tested her Le Creuset cookware for cadmium leaching and found that it leached cadmium when cooking an acidic pasta sauce.
• PFAS – PFAS stands for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. It is a group of artificially manufactured chemicals used to make non-stick cookware surfaces, stain-resistant clothes and firefighting foam. Research into PFAS suggests that it has a range of negative health effects including increasing cholesterol levels and causing changes in liver enzymes.
• PFOA – PFOA stands for perfluorooctanoic acid. It is a man-made chemical used to make Teflon and other similar chemicals. In addition to non-stick cookware, it’s also used in products such as water-repellent clothing and stain-resistant carpets. It can stay in the human body for a long time, and its prevalence means that most of us have some of it in our blood. High levels of exposure has been linked to range of health issues including cancer, thyroid disease and liver damage.
• PTFE – PTFE stands for polytetrafluoroethylene. It is a synthetic compound that was discovered by DuPont in 1938, creating a revolution in cookware manufacturing. The most well-known PTFE-based material is Teflon.

What Makes a Non-Stick Frying Pan Safe and Healthy?

As I said above, some non-stick coatings are made using harsh chemicals. So, you need to find a non-stick coating that isn’t made with these.

The chemicals in question include PFOA, PTFE and other less commonly known ones like APEO, NEP and NMP. So, to ensure that a frying pan is as safe as possible, avoid any frying pan with any mention of these chemicals.

But how can a frying pan be healthy? Surely, a frying pan cannot be adding anything into your food that is good for you, can it?

Well, no. A lot of manufacturers call their frying pans healthy because they don’t release these chemicals, but there is another reason too.

The other reason is the non-stick coating used in place of the harmful ones. Ceramic non-stick coatings, for example, are so good that you do not have to use much oil at all during cooking. This means that these frying pans help with a healthy lifestyle simply because they reduce the amount of butter or oil you need to use during cooking.

That is really it, that is how a frying pan can be safe and healthy. Another great thing about these frying pans is that they are inexpensive. A good quality frying pan with a safe non-stick coating that reduces the use of oil will not break the bank. Just before we get to our examples of these frying pans, though, let’s take a quick look at choosing a frying pan, shall we?

Choosing a Safe Non-Stick Frying Pan

We have covered choosing a non-stick frying pan in other articles, so this will be a quick overview of the topic. Make sure you check out our other non-stick frying pan articles for more info.

Basically, choosing a frying pan is all about compatibility with your hob, the size and the thickness of the metal.

Hob type

Do you have an induction hob? Then you’ll need a frying pan that you can use with that hob. There are plenty of safe, non-stick frying pans on the market that are suitable for induction hobs, and we have included examples below.

Size

Size-wise, we recommend getting a few frying pans of different sizes. This allows you to cook off different parts of a meal at the same time. It also makes timing a lot easier.

Having a few good-quality frying pans really makes cooking a lot less stressful and far more enjoyable.

Thickness

Finally, the thickness of the walls of a frying pan is important. Now, some frying pans are designed for quick flash frying. The walls of these pans are a lot thinner than others.

Others are designed for a slow build-up of heat, but they are capable of holding this heat a lot better.

The frying pan you choose is ultimately based on personal preference. However, if you’d like a general-purpose frying pan, a thick-walled pan with a good solid base that is 26-28cm in size will serve you well for many years.

Scott

Scott is a writer and a passionate home chef. His passion for cooking began when he was 10 years old. Scott has been writing professionally for over five years now and loves to combine his passion for cooking with his day job.

The post The Best Non-Toxic Non-Stick Frying Pans (UK) appeared first on Chef's Pick.

A good ceramic pan is considered an essential tool in the kitchen by many. But which is the best to buy right now in the UK?

We’ll explore some of the most popular and highly rated options below, and give you some pointers on how to choose the perfect pan for your kitchen.

Best Ceramic Frying Pans in the UK

1. MasterClass Eco Frying Pan

Diameter: 20 cm (8 inches)
Material: Aluminium, iron

This frying pan from MasterClass has a chemical-free ceramic non-stick coating. It is made from excellent quality aluminium, and it has a flat iron base meaning it can work with induction hobs.

The frying pan we have here is 20 cm, but MasterClass also makes this model in a few other sizes.

The reason this frying pan made our list is that it is exactly what a ceramic frying pan should be. This pan is very well made, the non-stick coating is exceptional, and it looks great too.

If you’re looking for a frying pan that will last years and doesn’t cost the earth, this is a great option!

This frying pan is perfect for any chef but in particular beginners. They can take advantage of the superior non-stick properties and learn to good excellent food.

• See price and reviews on Amazon.co.uk

 

2. ‎INTIGNIS Frying Pan With Lid

Diameter: 28 cm (11 inches)
Material: Aluminium

INTIGNIS call this pan the “queen of the kitchen”, and as it is a 3-in-1 induction frying pan, we can really see why. This pan can be used for three functions: as a mini wok, a saute pan or a deep frying pan.

This 28 cm frying pan comes with a lid. The size and the lid make this pan extremely versatile. Whether you want to fry steak or make a sauce for your steak, you can do it all in this pan.

The German GREBLON ceramic coating makes cooking with this pan really easy as well. Nothing will stick to the bottom of this pan. You can use it to sear salmon to perfection or cook your favourite omelette, and cleaning up will be super easy.

The pan also has two pouring spouts, so if you are using it to make a sauce, you won’t drop it all over the counter when serving.

This pan is super durable and incredibly handy, perfect for a beginner cook who wants a pan that can do it all, but also great for seasoned chefs who need versatility in the kitchen.

• See price and reviews on Amazon.co.uk

 

3. Home Icon Non-Stick 26cm Copper Frying Pan

Diameter: 26 cm (10 inches)
Material: Copper

This copper frying pan has a unique triple layer of non-stick coating, making it one of the best non-stick ceramic frying pans on the market.

It measures 26 cm across, offering plenty of space for steaks, fish, or a large omelette for the whole family.

This pan is made from aluminium too, so it is nice and light. The handle is also metal which means it can go in the oven. And thanks to the extremely hard-wearing non-stick coating, this pan can be used in the oven up to 260 degrees Celsius.

Home Icon is so confident about these pans that they provide a three-year warranty with them. They are oven-safe, induction hob compatible and have a chemical-free non-stick coating that is basically unbeatable. 

• See price and reviews on Amazon.co.uk

 

4. Blue Diamond Ceramic Non-Stick Frying Pan

Diameter: 24 cm (9.5 inches)
Material: Aluminium

This Blue Diamond non-stick pan comes in a variety of sizes. We have chosen the 24 cm pan here, but you can grab the same pan in 20, 28, 30 and 32 cm.

The ceramic coating on this pan is extremely durable. It is 10 times more durable than a typical non-stick coating. So, treat this pan well, and you’ll own it for years.

The base construction of this pan is aluminium, and it is induction hob safe. You can use this frying pan in the oven to 220 degrees as well.

You can even pop this frying pan in the dishwasher, although Blue Diamond does suggest hand washing it to keep it in good condition. The non-stick coating is so good, though, that hand washing this pan will take seconds!

• See price and reviews on Amazon.co.uk

 

5. GreenChef Profile Plus Stainless Steel Frying Pan 20cm

Diameter: 20 cm (8 inches)
Material: Stainless steel

The ceramic coating on this pan is reinforced by diamonds. The body of this pan is made from stainless steel, and it has an extra-thick base.

This aids in heat retention and means that the pan is suitable for all hob types. It is also dishwasher and oven safe.

What makes this pan special, though, is the non-stick coating. Right now, the non-stick coating on this pan is the best on the market.

• See price and reviews on Amazon.co.uk

 

What Makes Ceramic Frying Pans Healthy?

Manufacturers of ceramic cookware claim that it is a healthy option, but why? Does the ceramic release something into your food that makes it healthier? Well, no, actually it is the opposite.

You see, traditional non-stick coatings on frying pans and pots, contain harsh chemicals. These chemicals (PFOA, PTFE and more) can release toxins when you’re cooking.

Granted, it takes a lot of heat for these toxins to be released, and it isn’t a regular occurrence in typical cooking tasks. Still, it’s nice there is a non-stick option for those of us that don’t want to take the risk.

So, one health benefit to ceramic frying pans is there are no harsh chemicals used in the non-stick coating.

The other health benefit of ceramic coatings comes from how well they perform their job. Ceramic non-stick coatings are so good that you need far less oil or butter when cooking. The reduction in fats is great for any diet.

So, while ceramic frying pans may not have any direct health benefits, they help reduce the number of chemicals in your home and reduce the amount of fat in your diet.

So, how do you choose the right ceramic frying pan for your needs? Well, that’s what we’re looking at next.

Choosing the Right Ceramic Frying Pan for Your Needs

Size

When choosing a frying pan, there are a few things to think about. Firstly, size. Ceramic frying pans come in a few different sizes.

We recommend owning a couple of frying pans of different sizes, it can make cooking separate components of meals a lot easier.

We’d go with 20cm, 26cm and 30cm frying pans. These sizes will keep you covered for pretty much every cooking task.

Material & induction compatibility

Most of the ceramic frying pans in this article are made from aluminium which is a fantastic choice for a frying pan as it heats up quickly and holds the heat really well.

However, some of the pans featured here will not work on an induction hob. If you have an induction hob, make sure that the frying pan (or at least the base) is compatible. Don’t worry, we’ve mentioned which frying pans are induction hob compatible.

Wall thickness

Some frying pans have thicker walls than others. Now, this doesn’t mean that the thinner frying pans are poor quality, they are just designed for a different type of cooking.

Thinner walled frying pans are designed to heat up really quickly and are perfect for flash frying. Thicker walled pans are designed to hold heat in a lot better.

Both types of frying pan will work for most general cooking tasks, this is more about personal preference.

Metal or plastic handle?

With a metal handle, you can transfer your frying pan to the oven. You can with some plastic handled pans too, but not all.

If you like to flash fry and then transfer to the oven, a metal handle is probably better for you. If you aren’t too worried, plastic will be fine.

That is about it. Ceramic frying pans are fantastic and provide superior cooking for many years. And considering all of the things above will mean your new frying pan will be enjoyable to use too.

But which pan will you choose? Well, here are some of our favourite ceramic frying pans in the UK right now.

Conclusion

So, that is our list of ceramic frying pans. We hope you’ve found the ceramic frying pan of your dreams on this list.

If it were us, we’d happily use the MasterClass Eco Frying Pan every day of the week.

Don’t forget to check out our other cookware articles. We have all the articles you need on here to kit out your kitchen and cook fantastic meals!

Scott

Scott is a writer and a passionate home chef. His passion for cooking began when he was 10 years old. Scott has been writing professionally for over five years now and loves to combine his passion for cooking with his day job.

The post Best Ceramic Frying Pans (UK) appeared first on Chef's Pick.

A cast iron skillet can be an incredible tool for your kitchen as long as you buy the right skillet and care for it correctly.

As cast iron skillets can last hundreds of years, you really need to choose the right one and know how to care for it!

Best Cast Iron Skillets in the UK

1. Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet

Diameter: 30 cm (12 inches)

This 30 cm cast iron skillet from Lodge is the ideal size for steak, veg, omelettes and more.

This skillet is suitable for all hob types and comes pre-seasoned from Lodge’s foundry.

You may notice the handle of this skillet is on the small side. However, it has an ‘assist’ handle that allows for safe lifting with two hands. It also has two pouring lips for ease during the cooking process.

The reason this cast iron skillet made the top of our list is simple. It has an iconic cookware design that will last just as long as the skillet itself.

This skillet is built so well that if you treat it right, you’ll be handing this pan down to your kids, your grandkids and their kids.

• See price and reviews on Amazon.co.uk

 

2. Le Creuset Cast Iron Signature Skillet

Diameter: 23 cm (9 inches)

Le Creuset has taken the cast iron skillet and pushed it into the 21st century with their beautiful styling.

You’ll notice the beautiful exterior, which comes in a choice of colours. This is an enamel coating that will stand up to a lot of cooking abuse.

While an enamel coating on the outside of a cast iron skillet is nothing new, the wonderful colour options that Le Creuset has used is new.

What isn’t new is the classic, robust construction of this skillet. Le Creuset has used the best cast iron for this skillet, and that shows in its heat retention and distribution.

It was a close call between this skillet and the above one for the top spot. We put this skillet second because it’s a bit more expensive, so isn’t ideal for everyone. It could be worth the investment for the passionate cook, though.

• See price and reviews on JohnLewis.com

 

3. Landhaus 12.5-Inch Enamelled Cast Iron Skillet

Diameter: 31.75 cm (12.5 inches)

We love this cast iron skillet from Landhaus. In fact, we love the whole cast iron cookware range from this company.

We aren’t sure whether it’s the Prussian blue enamel exterior or the professional-grade cast iron used in the construction of the whole range, but these pans sure are pretty. However, this skillet is far more than just pretty!

The enamel coating on the exterior, for example, has four layers and the company uses the absolute best cast iron possible for their entire cast iron cookware range.

This isn’t a cast iron skillet built to last a few years. This one will live and thrive in even the busiest kitchen for years and years.

If you’re looking for a wonderfully designed range of cast iron cookware, Landhaus has you covered.

• See price and reviews on Amazon.co.uk

 

4. Staub Cast Iron Skillet

Diameter: 20 cm (8 inches)

This cast iron skillet is a bit of a curveball, but we’re adding to our list because we love the design. It has a traditional frying pan design, but all of the amazing heat retention of cast iron.

It has a long wooden handle (made from beech), which is odd for a skillet. It also has a coating of enamel to protect the cast iron and provide a non-stick surface.

This means that this cast iron skillet requires no seasoning, so it suits the modern, busy kitchen. Plus, the styling of this skillet also suits a modern-day kitchen.

However, the body of this skillet is still made from high-grade cast iron. So, you get wonderful styling, robust construction and a skillet that is easy to maintain and cook with!

• See price and reviews on JohnLewis.com

 

5. Crucible Cookware Cast Iron Skillet Set

Diameter: 20 cm (8 inches)

Crucible has really knocked it out of the park with this cast iron skillet set. This set answers some long-overdue questions in the cast iron cookware field.

The skillet itself is very traditional. It is built with the best cast iron possible, comes pre-seasoned and is perfect for any cooking tasks you’d use a skillet for.

However, this set also comes with removable silicone handle protectors to ensure you aren’t burnt during use.

You also get a scrubber for your cast iron skillet with this set and a glass lid that allows you to use this skillet for a lot more in the kitchen.

This is a fantastic cast iron skillet for those that want to explore every cooking possibility. Plus, this skillet will provide years and years of joy in the kitchen just like the rest of the cast iron skillets on our list.

• See price and reviews on Amazon.co.uk

How to Choose a Cast Iron Skillet

There are loads of cast iron skillets on the market at the moment, so choosing one can be tricky.

While you could use our list of cast iron skillets above to choose yours, you may be wondering why these skillets made our list over the array of other options on the market.

So, here’s how we choose our cast iron skillets and how you should choose yours too.

Design

You may have seen some really fancy cast iron skillets in your quest to find your favourite. In recent years, many cookware companies have tried to bring cast iron skillets into the 21st century with varying degrees of success.

These modern skillets have different shapes, different styles of handles, and some even come with lids. These design changes can have a direct impact on how the skillets perform.

Many cookware companies have stuck with original designs for this iconic cookware. The Lodge skillet that we picked as our number one skillet is a prime example of this.

Lodge has been making cast iron cookware from its foundry in America since 1896. The design of its skillets has largely gone unchanged since the company was founded.

When choosing a skillet, you need to decide whether a modern skillet (with fancy new styling, shapes and handles) is right for you.

Or if a traditional skillet is better suited to your needs. In our opinion, bearing in mind the design of cast iron skillets can be traced back nearly 2,000 years, we’d say a traditional style is still the best way to go.

The simple styling of traditional cast iron skillets performs perfectly, even in the most modern kitchen.

Shape and size

A lot of home cooks buy a cast iron skillet to fill a void in their cooking arsenal. Perhaps you are replacing a well-used frying pan, or you are looking for the perfect pan for searing steaks. Well, as you’ll know, cast iron skillets come in many shapes and sizes.

If you are replacing a frying pan, a direct replacement (a round skillet of the same size) may be the best choice.

If you are looking for a good-sized steak sizzler, a cast iron skillet that can comfortably fit the average-sized steak you enjoy will ensure you always get the best result.

Handle length

Some skillets have stubby little handles, and others have nice long handles that fit comfortably in the hand. Skillets with shorter handles are designed so they can fit into the oven easily.

So, if you intend to use your skillet in the oven, a shorter handled skillet will be better suited to the type of cooking you want to do.

However, if you intend to use your skillet on the hob most of the time, a longer handle offers more control while you cook.

Pre-seasoned and unseasoned

Many cast iron skillets come pre-seasoned nowadays, meaning, after a quick wash, you can use them right out of the box. Of course, you can also buy cast iron skillets that are not seasoned at all.

If you have never seasoned a cast-iron skillet before, a pre-seasoned pan may seem like the better option for you.

However, do remember that you’ll need to season the pan throughout its life, even with a pre-seasoned pan.

So, regardless of whether the pan comes seasoned or not, you’ll need to learn how to season it.

Buying a pre-seasoned pan means that you don’t need to jump into the seasoning process head first, though, so it can be easier for someone new to cast iron.

Cooking surface texture

The last consideration when choosing a cast iron skillet is the texture of the cooking surface. Some cast-iron skillets, usually the more traditional skillets, have a rough surface. While others have a smoother surface.

In general, rough cooking surfaces are easier to season than smoother ones. This is because rougher surfaces hold onto the oil better.

However, rougher cooking surfaces can occasionally latch onto delicate foods like eggs and pancakes. Smoother cooking surfaces have amazing non-stick properties, even without seasoning.

So, if you intend to use your cast iron skillet for delicate foods, a smoother skillet may be the better option for you. Just remember that they are more difficult to season.

If you don’t intend to cook delicate food on your skillet and would prefer a surface that responds better to seasoning, a rougher texture is the way to go.

Caring for Your Cast Iron Skillet

As you know, a good quality cast iron skillet can easily out-live you. However, that is only if you care for that skillet correctly.

Cast iron cookware needs different care to other pots and pans. A skillet doesn’t need your undivided attention or anything.

However, if you don’t take care of your skillet correctly, you can break it or cause the seasoning to fail. Here’s how to best care for a cast iron skillet.

New skillet? Give it a wash

If you have just peeled the sticker off your skillet and you’re excited to use it, that’s awesome.

However, you should visit the sink before the hob to give your skillet a wash. This wash should be done with warm water and soap.

I know, I know, a common sin when it comes to caring for cast iron skillets is washing them in warm water and soap. However, in this case, you’re washing away any rust or factory debris that may be on the skillet.

Season or re-season your cast iron skillet

Now that you’ve washed your skillet, it’s time to season it. Now, your skillet may come pre-seasoned, a few on the list below do, and many smaller manufacturers do season their cast iron skillets at the factory.

You can skip the first step of washing your skillet if it was pre-seasoned, but it’s best to give it a wipe at least, more on how to clean your cast iron in just a moment.

Seasoning is basically baking oil into the surface of the skillet to create a protective layer. Seasoning prevents the pan from rusting and creates a non-stick coating too.

Seasoning is as simple as coating the pan with a small amount of oil and leaving it on the hob to heat up until the oil is smoking. Once cooled down, you can wipe away any excess oil.

Repeat this process until there is a notable colour change and a layer on your cast iron. For more seasoning tips, check out our other article that goes into depth on how to season a pan.

Once your skillet is seasoned, you want to take care of it, so it stays that way. Whenever you use your cast iron skillet, you need to take proper care of it after use.

This care isn’t difficult, but it makes the difference between having a wonderful piece of cookware that brings joy to your kitchen and a nightmare.

Regular cleaning

When cleaning, rinse with warm water and use a brush to get rid of any stuck-on bits. If you’ve used enough oil during cooking, a simple rinse with warm water is normally enough.

If you haven’t, you may need to clean your skillet with salt and oil. Use a few teaspoons of salt and some oil along with a paper towel to remove any really stuck-on food.

You need to use soap when cleaning a skillet, you should avoid soap at all costs, actually. Soap will just cut through your seasoning.

Once dry, season

Once your cast iron skillet is completely dry, give it a coat of oil. This is just a very thin layer of any oil of your choosing.

We have an article about the best oils to use on cast iron skillets that is very helpful with seasoning and this step.

Place the skillet over a low heat, coat the pan in a thin layer of oil, making sure it doesn’t pool anywhere. Typically, one teaspoon over the whole surface is enough.

Storing your cast iron

Once daily upkeep is taken care of, you can store your cast iron. Cast iron needs to be bone dry before you put it away. If not, rust can form, and that ruins even the most well-earned seasoning.

If you’re going to store a pot or pan on top of your cast iron skillet, pop a paper towel in the skillet. This will keep moisture away from the skillet until you’re ready to cook the best steaks, eggs, fish or veg you’ve ever had in your life!

General cast iron cookware advice

It is also vital that you don’t bash your skillet into anything. Dropping it, although unavoidable is also not a great idea.

Also, don’t put it in cold water while it’s still warm. Cast iron is brittle. Any knocks or the shock of cold water can shatter it.

As I said earlier, taking care of a cast iron skillet isn’t difficult. In fact, cast iron is really simple to take care of. It’s just that these steps must be taken so the seasoning is protected and rust doesn’t form.

If you take care of your cast iron skillet, it will last forever. There is a huge market for vintage cast iron skillets.

Cast iron skillets from the late 19th century can still be found!

What Kind of Utensils Should You Use With Cast Iron?

Cast iron is an extremely hard-wearing material. This is why a cast-iron skillet can last decades. That means that you can pretty much use any utensils you like with this cookware.

Many folk like to use stainless steel utensils with cast iron, and they are a great option for cast iron.

Cast iron can take a lot of abuse and come back for more, particularly if you know how to season your cast iron. Because if you happen to scratch some of the seasoning with metal utensils, you can simply re-season it, and your pan is new again.

We would argue, though, that silicone utensils are probably the better way to go. Now, as we said, cast iron cookware can withstand stainless steel utensils for decades and never bat an eye. However, your other pots and pans probably can’t.

So, if you intend to use these utensils with other pots and pans, silicone is probably the best option for you. Of course, if you do want some utensils to use exclusively with your cast iron cookware, by all means, grab some good-quality stainless utensils.

Still, if you have cookware made from other materials, you can use silicone utensils with them all.

Conclusion

There you have it. That is how to care for your cast iron skillet and the best cast iron skillets in the UK right now.

We love the Lodge cast iron skillet. It is robust, and when seasoned properly, it will work wonders in your kitchen for years.

We have other articles about skillets, pots, pans and loads more on here.

Do check out our other cookware articles before you leave. We have everything you need to know about cookware and how to care for it.

We help you make magic in the kitchen by showing you the very best tools to have in your kitchen cupboards.

Scott

Scott is a writer and a passionate home chef. His passion for cooking began when he was 10 years old. Scott has been writing professionally for over five years now and loves to combine his passion for cooking with his day job.

The post Best Cast Iron Skillets (UK) appeared first on Chef's Pick.

Having a wok makes stir-fries so easy and quick. However, as we’ll get to in a bit, a wok has so many more uses than just stir-fries.

We’ve got a great list of woks available in the UK right now just below.

Why Choose a Carbon Steel Wok?

Carbon steel cookware is very popular with pros, but there isn’t much carbon steel in home kitchens. Why is this? Why do the pros love carbon steel and yet it never rarely gets mentioned in the home cooking world?

Well, pro chefs love carbon steel because it performs certain tasks better than any other type of cookware.

One of these tasks happens to be frying at high heat quickly. So, carbon steel is pretty much the perfect material for a wok as all of the cooking done in a wok is fast and high.

Another great thing about carbon steel is its construction. The material itself is made from 99% iron and 1% carbon.

Of course, if it were 100% iron, it would be a cast-iron creation. Cast iron, as anyone with a cast iron skillet, will know, is pretty brittle. You only have to look at cast iron in the wrong way, and it can break.

However, the addition of that 1% of carbon makes the material much more durable. It can also be worked a lot better than iron, so carbon steel cookware can be thinner and therefore lighter. It can also be seasoned just like cast iron too.

So, why choose a carbon steel wok? Well, carbon steel is a fantastic choice for a wok. There is no non-stick coating that will break down over time. It is pretty lightweight and heats up very quickly and retains this heat too. So, it’s almost like carbon steel was created for woks!

How to Choose a Carbon Steel Wok

Carbon steel woks tend to be the most popular choice, and with good reason. They tend to be preferred not only by Chinese restaurants, but by many households too.

Handles

The first consideration when buying any new wok should be the handles. Traditional large woks have two metal handles, but many woks that you would find today are actually “pow woks” with single handles.

How you plan on using the wok will determine if you are better off with a single handled wok or need a traditional, two handled version.

Size

Woks come in a range of shapes and sizes. Restaurants tend to use enormous woks that are far too big for the average home, but even domestic woks can be found in sizes ranging between 10 and 20 inches.

A 13- or 14-inch wok will be perfect for most households cooking on the typical hob.

If you use your wok outside over an open fire with a wok stand, you can of course look for a larger one if you’d like!

Shape

Traditional woks have a round bottom, which is fine if you are using it with a wok stand, but does not work so well on modern hobs, especially induction ones.

With that in mind, modern woks are often available with a flat bottom. This means the wok will have an adequate magnetic surface area for the induction hob to work, and it means it can rest flat without you holding it up all the time too!

Lids

Most woks are supplied without lids, and some people feel that this means you don’t need one.

However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Many traditional recipes are much easier to cook if you have a lid for your wok, especially if the recipe calls for ingredients to be simmered.

Is a Carbon Steel Wok Worth It?

Carbon steel woks have always been the instrument of choice in Chinese cuisine, and this has been the case throughout much of history.

Carbon steel was first made in China around the 6th century BC, and since then has been used to make tools, weapons and a range of other instruments around the world.

Today, carbon fibre production has been improved so much so that you won’t find many impurities in a carbon steel wok.

The centuries of knowledge that are behind the humble carbon steel wok bring a wealth of advantages for the average user.

From being easy to handle to being free from toxins, there are a variety of reasons why a carbon steel wok is a worthwhile investment.

Lightweight

Carbon steel is incredibly lightweight, and as a result, carbon steel woks can easily be some of the cheapest available on the market.

The lightness makes carbon steel woks much more comfortable to use as you aren’t moving something heavy each time you move the food around to stop it burning.

Environmentally friendly

Carbon steel is entirely made from carbon and iron. When cooking using this combination, no harmful chemicals are released into the environment, or your food.

Natural non-stick

Carbon steel woks build up a non-stick coating gradually over time. This is known as seasoning. You want to use an oil that is non-toxic and has a high smoke point, such as canola or peanut oil for best results.

Conducts heat quickly

Carbon steel responds very quickly and well to changes in temperature. This means that food will not take long to cook because the wok heats up so fast, but it also reduces the risk of burning your food if you need to drop the temperature suddenly.

Which Is Better: A Stainless Steel or Carbon Steel Wok?

Both carbon steel and stainless steel are prevalent in the modern kitchen, and when it comes to woks, both bring their own benefits and issues.

Although both alloys are made with a combination of carbon and iron, they couldn’t be more different thanks to the difference in carbon content.

Carbon steel has a much higher carbon content, which makes it strong and malleable.

Stainless steel, however, has a high chromium content and contains very little carbon. It is the chromium that gives stainless steel its “stainless” qualities.

Purchase cost

Carbon steel woks are usually much more affordable than stainless steel ones. This is simply because a lot of the materials added to stainless steel, such as aluminium, nickel and chromium all add to the purchase price, whereas carbon steel doesn’t have any added materials.

Heat distribution and conduction

When it comes to conducting heat, carbon steel is much more effective than stainless steel and can retain heat for a couple minutes after removing the pan from the heat.

Non-stick properties

Unlike many other types of wok, carbon steel woks develop their own non-stick coating over time. This is from the layers of oil that build up when the wok is seasoned. Not only does this make the wok non-stick and rust-resistant.

By comparison, stainless steel woks are only non-stick if an added coating is used by the manufacturer.

Maintenance

Unlike carbon steel, stainless steel does not require a great deal of maintenance. It does not need seasoning, and the surface is less prone to damage when compared to an equivalent carbon steel wok.

Cleaning

Stainless steel woks are much easier to clean than carbon steel. Carbon steel has to be carefully wiped out using gentle cleaning utensils, whereas stainless steel can just be thrown in the dishwasher if you really want to.

Differences Between Carbon Steel vs. Non-Stick Cookware

1. Base material

Carbon steel pans are made from 99% iron and 1% carbon. This differs from regular cast iron pans which contain around 3% carbon.

Although it doesn’t sound like much, the marginal amount of extra iron in the base metal means carbon steel pans are incredibly lightweight. They’re also extremely durable and designed to last a lifetime.

On the other hand, non-stick pans refer to any type of cookware that has a non-stick coating applied over the top of the metal.

Therefore, these pans can be made from almost anything, with aluminium or stainless steel the two most popular options. The characteristics of the pan can vary dramatically depending on which base metal you choose.

2. Non-stick coating

The cooking surface of non-stick cookware is coated in another material to give it non-stick qualities. Most non-stick pans are coated in polytetrafluoroethylene.

This chemical is also known as Teflon and is the substance used to produce the non-stick property of all Teflon-branded cookware.

On the other hand, some non-stick pans are coated in ceramic which gives a smooth non-stick cooking experience.

Comparatively, carbon steel pans do not have any type of coating. But despite this, carbon steel cookware is still non-stick.

The exact combination of carbon and iron means these pans have natural non-stick properties following a “seasoning” process:

1. Wash your new carbon steel pan to remove the protective coating
2. Dry the pan and put it over a burner to heat the metal and remove any remaining moisture
3. Rub and buff vegetable oil into all surfaces of the pan using a clean tea towel
4. Heat the oiled pan on a burner or in the oven until the surface turns a brown colour
5. Beware that the oil will smoke during this process so have fans on and windows open!
6. Remove from the heat and repeat until the entire pan is a dark shade of brown

After you have seasoned your carbon steel pan, you should be able to use it without the contents sticking. The more you cook in it, the better the seasoning becomes. 

3. Durability

The base material of both carbon steel pans and non-stick pans is very durable. They are both made from strong metals designed to withstand high temperatures so you can cook using them repeatedly.

As carbon steel does not have a coating, its non-stick properties also last a lifetime.

However, synthetic non-stick coatings are far less durable. Through washing the pan, scratching the cooking surface, and cooking on high heat, these pans gradually lose their non-stick qualities over around five years.

This can be prolonged by only handwashing your cookware and using silicone utensils to prevent scratching. But these pans are not as durable and will need to be replaced.

4. Metal reactivity

Whenever you cook there is a chance for metal ions to leach into your food from the base material.

This generally happens when cooking acidic food such as tomato-based dishes or foods that contain wine and lemon in their recipes.

Carbon steel is a highly reactive metal, meaning that iron will leach into certain foods as you cook them.

Thankfully, this does not have any negative health consequences and many people are deficient in iron, thus it could bring some health benefits. However, it can end up adding a metallic taste to your food and ruining your meals.

On the other hand, non-stick cookware is coated in a synthetic layer, meaning that no ions from the metal beneath will leach into your food.

Therefore, you can cook acidic dishes in these pans without worrying. With that said, non-stick coatings do wear away over time.

When this happens, the base metal can then leach into your food. This may or may not be detrimental to human health depending on the material the pan is made from.

5. Aesthetic design

If you’re concerned about the aesthetic appeal of your cookware, you’ll probably want to purchase non-stick pans.

Many non-stick pots and pans will have a generic design with a black surface inside and out. However, ceramic cookware comes in a variety of colours and patterns, so you’re sure to find one that matches your kitchen décor.

On the other hand, carbon steel pans aren’t the easiest on the eye. Newly-seasoned pans typically have an uneven colouration and blotchy appearance, making them look older than they are.

Even well-seasoned pans are bland and always have a characteristic unsightly brown colour.

6. Price & availability

Price and availability are another big difference between carbon steel vs non-stick cookware. Carbon steel cookware is generally pretty affordable and a great option for anyone on a tight budget.

Non-stick pans are more expensive, but this does depend on the brand, base metal, and coating of the pan in question. If you want to shop for non-stick pans on a budget, you can.

With that said, the availability of both types of pans might also affect your shopping decisions. Non-stick pans are a home-kitchen favourite and are found in almost every cookware shop.

However, carbon steel pans are only just finding their way into the home and you might have fewer options or limited availability are your local department store.
 

What Can You Cook in a Wok (Apart From Stir-Fries)?

If you could only use a wok for stir-fries, would it be worth it? After all, you can stir fry in a frying pan (sort of). Well, woks are great for other types of high-heat cooking, for example:

• Warming tortilla wraps
• Making popcorn
• Deep frying – woks are perfect for deep frying!
• Steaming – grab some bamboo steamers and you can easily use a wok to steam veg, dumplings and more.

Woks are actually pretty versatile pieces of cookware. After all, the thing that makes a wok great is that it heats up quickly and retains that heat for frying.

They are also nice and big, so you can fry loads of stuff at once. This means that you can use a wok for loads of different tasks and not just for stir-fries.

We aren’t saying you’ll use your new wok every day, but mine certainly get used a lot for loads of different tasks.

Conclusion

So, there are the best carbon steel woks in the UK right now. We hope you found the best wok for your kitchen above.

We love the Craft Wok Traditional Wok. It is beautifully made and a joy to use.

If you’re looking for more cookware recommendations, check out our other articles. We have all of the cookware you need right here to cook even the most complex dishes in your kitchen.

Scott

Scott is a writer and a passionate home chef. His passion for cooking began when he was 10 years old. Scott has been writing professionally for over five years now and loves to combine his passion for cooking with his day job.

The post Best Carbon Steel Woks (UK) appeared first on Chef's Pick.