How good are induction hobs?

As something of an early Christmas present saltireblue has promised his other-half a new hob and as they’ve no gas supply to the house is looking at the alternatives including induction hobs. As a novice in these kinds of things, he’s turned to the fellow members of the Land Rover Forums for their thoughts on the subject.

As an induction hob owner and whitegoods supplier, sherpa87 explains the benefits of induction cooking including speed: “faster than gas, takes about half the time to heat the same amount of water”, safety: “a lot safer, because the hob itself doesn’t get hot” and ease of cleaning: “if something does boil over it’s unlikely to be burnt on”.

All of which prompts saltireblue to make use of his decent year-end bonus and splash out a little bit extra on a Miele: “was originally thinking of spending about £750″, although for the grand he spent he got “auto non-boil feature, boost on all 4 zones, timer on all 4 zones” and a “5 year guarantee”.

If you’ve got any experience of induction cooking why not pop across and share your thoughts.

Time to replace an old Bosch washing machine

Unbefitting their ‘fools’ moniker, members of Fool.co.uk are no mugs when it comes to parting with their hard-earned cash. That’s why when one of their number looks for a product recommendation, the suggestions will be carefully weighted and based on plenty of personal experience.

One such is ArchieTrave whose old Bosch Exccel has just about washed its last load. “Grateful for any thoughts”, he wants a reliable washer that’s “relatively simple to use”, has a “decent spin speed” and a “timer so we can set to wash in the early hours on Economy 7″.

Fool Gwynee recommends visiting all-round whitegoods expert Washerhelp.co.uk for his independent reviews and buying advice on a number of brands including Miele, while jfgw echoes the overall Miele sentiment of “good but expensive.”

Despite initial cost concerns, the subject of Miele’s reputation for reliability coupled with lengthy guarantees is highlighted for extra piece of mind. As RaspberryFool ultimately points out: “Whilst our Bosch has been fairly reliable, it has needed the engineer out 3 times in 6 years. Add the costs of those visits up and it would nearly pay for a new machine! We will certainly consider a Miele next time if it means 10 years of peace of mind.”

Jump across to Fool.co.uk to pick up on the rest of the conversation.

Premium appliances: Are they worth the money?

Many of us will have had that protracted debate when designing a new kitchen: Should we invest heavily in premium products or go for less expensive brands? Well Neilw has started that ball rolling over on Boards.ie: “Just wondering if the likes of Smeg, Neff and so on are worth the extra cost, do they work any better, last longer?”

CDfm certainly agrees, with a simple “yes they are”, but while DublinWriter may agree with that, “They might last longer”, he’s a little more scathing about the people who buy them “as far as I can see they are just middle-class aspirational kitchen decor for people who can’t cook in the first place.”

He goes on: “I normally buy mid-range Miele/Bosch stuff as I could count on the fingers of both hands the amount of Hotpoint/Zanussi appliances I’ve had that have broken down after one or two years.” Niceirishfella though sums it up, stating “it’s like everything, you have to use your eyes and your head and gut when buyin.”

What are your thoughts on the subject? Would you compromise on the appliances or not? Have your say in the forum.

New kitchen = new appliances

Lucky UK Whitegoods member Garryl is in the process of fitting a new kitchen and has asked the experts for advice on the best appliances to buy. He’s looking for a dishwasher, hob – preferably induction, integrated double oven and fridge and since longevity and performance are more important to him than cost he’s leaning towards Miele or Siemens.

Forum expert Don suggests looking at Neff as while they’re not as expensive as Miele he describes them as “well made, have a two year warranty, are easy to use and look good at the same time”.

Are you in the process of planning a new kitchen ot have you just had one fitted? What did you find are the pitfalls of finding the perfect appliances? Have your say in the forum.

Best integrated coffee machine?

AskAboutMoney member BTBL has asked his fellow forum members for recommendations for an integrated coffee machine to finish his kitchen and is considering a Neff or Kuppersbusch appliance.

Staples highly recommends the Miele machine they bought two years ago as it produces beautiful coffee, is very easy to use, requires little maintenance and enables you to adjust coffee strength and bean coarseness to suit your taste.

Have do you like your freshly-ground coffee? Are you an espresso or cappuccino drinker? What coffee machine produces the best results for you? Have your say in the forum.