In this article we explain the best cleaner for electric hobs. Generally speaking a typical electric hob consists of 4 ring electric plates which are sealed. These are the cheapest type of hob to buy when compared to gas or induction hobs.
The electric hob will be one of two types. The most popular is the ceramic hob and you can recognise this as it will have a flat black surface that looks like a pane of glass. The heating elements of the rings are just beneath the surface.
The second type of electric hob is called a solid plate hob. These will have the more traditional slightly raised hot plates on them. This type is slightly cheaper than the ceramic electric hob, with the main disadvantage being they are harder to clean.
General cleaning of an Electric Hob
It is just a fact of life that hobs of any type get dirty very easily. Another reality of life is that most of us just don't have the time, or the inclination to clean these after every use.
However, one of the best things you can do is that if you see something like an over spill from a pot is to clean it as quickly as you can. When food and spills become dried on to a hob, they are really difficult to remove.
Ceramic and solid plate hobs can look fabulous when they have been cleaned and shined. The main problem with ceramic and glass hobs is that they can scratch very easily.
Cleaning a ceramic hob
The first step in the cleaning process is to use a damp cloth to remove any loose pieces and get them into a bin. That way you can see much better what you are working with.
Secondly apply a hob cleaner directly on to the hob. We have made a few recommendations just below for the best cleaner for electric hobs. Allow this cleaning fluid to soak in as that will soften dried on food and stains. Don't allow this fluid to completely dry out as that will make that hard to remove as well.
Then use a soft, ideally a microfiber cloth, to clean the hob.
Cleaning a solid plate hob
This cleaning is slightly more difficult but still very achievable. if you can remove your hot plates then take them off the cooker top as that will make your life much easier.
As before apply your cleaning fluid to the hob and allow to soak before removing it with a soft cloth. You can use wire wool to scrub the hotplates along with the cleaning fluid. (Make sure to test on a small section of a hot plate first to be sure there is no scratching) If there is any sign of scratching, stop immediately and revert to a soft cloth or rolled up newspaper.
You can then do a final rinse to make sure all cleaning liquid has been removed from your hob.
In most cases that will be enough to leave your hob clean and shining. You can check out our recommendations for an electric hob cleaner below. Later in this article we explain what to do with those really tough stains or burned on food.
Best Seller- Electric Hob Cleaner
This is the best selling hob cleaner online and is a good choice for removing daily grime after cooking, such as grease, cooking liquids and mild scale
This is a 500 ml spray bottle that you spray on, leave for a few seconds and then wipe off using a damp cloth
You don't have to, but some people then will use a microfibre cloth to buff up the surface for a glowing shine
Pros
Cons
Check Amazon UK - Average UK Price £5.50 - 88% buyer satisfaction based on 4,500+ online buyer reviews
Best Electric Hob Cream Cleaner
Some UK buyers prefer the popular Hob Brite cream for their electric hobs
This kills off 99% of bacteria and is strong enough to remove any burnt on food residue or over spills
This cream should be applied with a damp cloth or paper towel, leave for a few seconds and then wipe off with a damp cloth or paper towel
This is a 2 pack that represents good value for money
Pros
Cons
Check Amazon UK - Average UK Price £7 - 90% buyer satisfaction based on 3,500+ online buyer reviews
Cleaning the Hard Stains and dried on food
Sometimes, despite your best endeavors, there will be some over spills or annoying stains and water marks that will just not go away. With the solid plate hobs you can get pretty aggressive, but with a ceramic electric hob you really can't risk doing that.
For tough marks on a ceramic hob you have a couple of choices. The first is that you can apply a hob cleaner and use rolled up newspaper to remove the tougher stains. Newspaper is tougher than a soft cloth but will still not scratch the surface.
If that doesn't work, then you can try using the combination of a hob cleaner and a hob scraper.
This is a combination of a cleaner and a ceramic hob scraper
You apply the cleaner and then use the scraper to remove the burnt on food
Many people are very nervous about using a scraper as they believe it will damage the surface, however the blade is designed not to do that
Many buyers also use this scraper on their oven doors and say it works a treat
Many manufacturers of hobs also have their own scraper designed for this purpose
Check Amazon UK - Average UK Price £7 - 90% buyer satisfaction based on 4,500+ online buyer reviews
Summary of Cleaning Electric Hobs
We would agree that a clean and shining hob looks really good in your kitchen. We would also agree that keeping it clean is never going to be easy.
There is no doubt that a quick daily clean is much less work than leaving it for a few weeks or months and then doing a major clean.
The problems with that is trying to get the time or the motivation to do it every day. In the long run it will save you time and effort if you can.
If however, you are like many thousands of people, they use some form of hob cleaner that we have shown above. On the really tough burned on marks they will use a ceramic bob scraper.
Resources use to help write this article
Types of Electric Hobs - Opun
Cleaning Ceramic Hobs and Raised Plate Hobs - Cleanipedia
