The hob
10
The other hotplates
The hotplate controls can be turned both clockwise and
anticlockwise. They have fixed settings, 1 to 6 (6 is the
hottest). Turn the control to the setting you require:
0
No heat.
1
Simmer, gentle to medium heat.
2
Simmer, medium heat to hot.
Frying, gentle heat.
3
Frying, gentle to medium heat.
4
Frying, medium heat to hot.
5
Frying, hot.
6
Boiling, very hot.
0
Retained heat.
You can normally start cooking with the hotplate
switched to maximum heat before turning it down to a
lower heat.
Choosing suitable pans
To help you save both time and energy, the bases of
saucepans and frying pans should:
• be at least as large as the hotplate. If the base is
smaller than the hotplate, any spillages are quite
likely to burn onto the hob.
• be flat. It takes longer to heat a pan with a base
which curves in or outwards too much.
When you are buying new pans, it is advisable to
choose stainless steel ones with sandwich-type bases
(i.e. layers of different metals).
Save energy!
• Putting a lid on pans cuts the amount of energy
used by half (compared to cooking without lids).
• Using pans with flat bases saves 25% energy
(compared to uneven based pans).
• Make sure the hob is clean and dry. Dirt and
moisture reduce heat transfer between pans and
hotplates.
• Turn the hotplates off and finish cooking using
the remaining heat.
• Save energy by steaming and pressure-cooking.
