One-pot family soup cooks
If broccoli soup is the only dish needing the hob, one controllable cooking zone may be enough. Check that your soup saucepan fits before choosing a compact induction model.
Who is this for?
Two-pan family-meal cooks
If a side or topping needs heating while the soup cooks, look for two independently controlled zones and enough worktop space for both pans.
Households keeping existing cookware
If you want to keep using a saucepan that is not induction-compatible, a conventional electric hot plate is worth considering alongside induction models.
What matters when choosing a hob?
Plan how many pans the family meal needs at once, then check whether the soup saucepan suits the heating technology and the model’s stated pan-size range.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| One-pot control | Check the model’s lower power settings or soup programme and its permitted pan-base range. Tefal lists nine power levels and a 12–25 cm induction-compatible base range for the IH201840. | If soup is the only pan I need to heat, I want a setting I can adjust as it cooks without making room for a second zone. Around 40% of consumers put this one-pot need first. |
| Two-pan cooking | Check for independently controlled zones, the appliance’s full dimensions and each zone’s pan requirements. Do not treat a combined power rating as each zone’s individual output. | When soup and a side need heat together, I cannot manage both with one cooking zone; around 30% of consumers prioritise two-pan capacity. |
| Existing saucepans | Check whether your soup saucepan is induction-compatible before choosing induction. If it is not, consider a conventional electric plate and allow for its hot surface after use. | I want to use my current soup pot rather than change cookware to suit the hob. Keeping existing pans usable comes first for around 30% of consumers. |
Mistakes to avoid
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Assuming every saucepan works on induction
An induction hob needs suitable cookware, and permitted base sizes vary by model. Tefal specifies an induction-compatible base of 12–25 cm for the IH201840.
Check your intended soup saucepan’s induction suitability and measure its base before choosing a hob.
Choosing induction may also mean replacing a saucepan that cannot be used with the selected model.
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Choosing one zone for a two-pan meal
A single zone cannot heat the soup and a separate pan independently at the same time.
Work through the meal before buying: choose two zones if simultaneous cooking is a recurring need, and check that the appliance and both pans fit your worktop.
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Overlooking exact-model safety notices
The Office for Product Safety and Standards reported a serious fire risk for an identified induction cooker whose plug lacked a compliant BS 1362 fuse link. That report does not apply to every induction hob.
Identify the exact make and model, check current OPSS product alerts, reports and recalls, and follow any official safety instruction that applies to your appliance.
Portable hob brands to consider
These examples illustrate different cooking arrangements; the specifications below apply to the named models, not every hob from each brand.
Tefal
The IH201840 is a single-zone induction option for a meal centred on one soup pot.
- Tefal UK Shop lists nine power levels, a two-hour timer and soup and stew presets for this model.
- It needs induction-compatible cookware with a 12–25 cm base and provides only one cooking zone.
VonShef
The double induction hob is relevant when soup and another pan need heating together.
- The product information specifies two zones and 2800 W total output.
- It requires induction-compatible pans with 12–20 cm bases; check the space needed for the complete appliance.
Duronic
The HP2 BK offers two conventional electric rings for cooks who do not want induction compatibility to determine their choice of pan.
- Duronic lists separate 1500 W and 1000 W cast-iron rings with front controls.
- The rings themselves heat up and can remain hot after cooking.
Joybuy portable hob choices
Related products coming soon.
Portable hob questions
Will my current saucepan work on a portable induction hob?
It will work only if it is induction-compatible and its base meets the chosen hob’s requirements. For the Tefal IH201840, Tefal specifies an induction-compatible base of 12–25 cm; check a different model’s own range rather than assuming it is the same.
Do I need a double hob for family broccoli soup?
Not if one saucepan is the only pan you need to heat. A double hob becomes useful when a second part of the meal needs its own pan at the same time, provided you have space for the larger appliance.
How do induction and conventional electric hot plates differ?
Induction heats suitable cookware directly, while a conventional electric plate heats its cooking surface. As Which? explains for induction and ceramic electric hobs, the way heat reaches the pan differs; for this purchase, check cookware compatibility and take care around a hot conventional plate after cooking.
What safety checks matter before buying a portable hob for use in Great Britain?
Check that the appliance is supplied for the GB market and look up current Office for Product Safety and Standards notices for its exact make and model. An OPSS serious-risk report about one induction cooker concerned a plug without a compliant BS 1362 fuse link; it should not be read as a finding about all portable hobs.