The essentials in 1 minute
- For most new kitchens, induction is the right choice, and we plan an induction hob in over 90% of our kitchens.
- A flush-mounted hob can later only be replaced by a model with an identical cut-out size.
- If no successor fits, the solid-material worktop is renewed, roughly €3,000 to €7,500 incl. VAT.
- A four-zone induction hob needs 400 volt three-phase power as a dedicated circuit in the electrical plan.
- Induction needs magnetic cookware: if a magnet sticks to the base, the pot is generally suitable.
Rusi KolevArchitect & Founder
Real Estate Economist (ebs)
Questions in this guide 14
What sets induction, gas and ceramic apart
Induction, gas and ceramic differ above all in where the heat is produced, and that determines efficiency, cookware and safety. Induction heats the base of the pot directly through a magnetic field and, according to ENERGY STAR (the US Environmental Protection Agency), transfers around 85% of the energy to the pot; a ceramic hob heats the glass-ceramic through a radiant element and reaches around 75 to 80%; gas gives off most of its heat to the room air. The German Federal Environment Agency calls induction the most energy-efficient choice among electric hobs, without setting a fixed percentage. On primary energy it even rates gas better, because of the conversion losses in power generation.
| Criterion | Induction | Gas | Ceramic (radiant) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where the heat is produced | directly in the base of the pot | in the open flame | in the glass-ceramic, then radiated |
| Efficiency (order of magnitude) | around 85% | the lowest | around 75 to 80% |
| Control | instant, digital | instant, flame visible | sluggish, with residual heat |
| Cookware | magnetic only (magnet test) | any | any heat-resistant |
| Surface alongside | stays cool | open flame | hot, residual heat |
| In a power cut | fails | works | fails |
| Connection | 400 volt three-phase | gas line plus power | 400 or 230 volt |
| Prevalence | 64% of glass-ceramic hobs sold as early as 2017 (HEA) | 7% of households (BDEW/HEA 2014), declining in new builds | losing share |
Induction: why it is the standard
According to the Federal Environment Agency, induction is the most energy-efficient way to cook with electricity, and at Kolev it is the standard: over 90% of the kitchens we plan get an induction hob. A coil generates a magnetic field that heats the base of the pot directly. The cooking zone itself only warms indirectly, from the residual heat of the pot, and the surface alongside stays cool. A powerful zone delivers up to 3.7 kilowatts on the booster, a standard zone 2.1 to 3 kilowatts, and the pot detection heats only the covered area. Induction needs magnetisable cookware: a simple test from BORA is that if a magnet sticks to the base of the pan, the pot is generally suitable for induction. Aluminium, copper and austenitic stainless steel do not work, and the minimum pot diameter is 90 to 120 millimetres. The one real drawback: in a power cut, induction fails.
Gas: why it is declining in new builds
Gas is losing importance in new builds: according to a BDEW/HEA study from 2014, 91% of households in Germany cook mainly with electricity and only 7% with gas, and new gas connections are hardly ever laid for the kitchen any more. There is no EU-wide or German ban on gas hobs (as of September 2026), and three things are often confused here: new EU ecodesign rules for cooking appliances are still in preparation, and they do not provide for a ban on gas hobs; the Building Energy Act concerns heating, not cooking; the F-gas Regulation concerns refrigerants, not hobs. Gas has two real advantages: it works in a power cut, and for some keen cooks the visible flame gives finer control. Anyone switching from natural gas to LPG needs a nozzle change by a professional (G20/25 versus G30), and gas comes under the installation rules of the DVGW-TRGI. The 4 pascal limit from the Feuerungsverordnung applies where a room-air-dependent heating appliance such as a wood-burning stove also stands in the room. More on this under Downdraught extractor or hood.
Ceramic: the fading middle
A ceramic hob, that is the radiant element beneath the glass-ceramic, heats by a detour and loses energy and time in the process. The surface radiates the heat onto the pot, reacts more slowly than induction and stores residual heat, which is sometimes an advantage and sometimes a pitfall. In return a ceramic hob takes any heat-resistant cookware, including aluminium and copper, and has the lowest purchase price of the three technologies, but it is losing market share to induction in new builds. As an honest middle option, a ceramic hob remains for anyone who does not want to buy new cookware when they already have non-magnetic pans.
The mistake: flush-mounting on the wrong worktop
A flush-mounted hob belongs exclusively in a solid-material worktop of ceramic, stone or compact laminate, never in laminate on a chipboard carrier. On a coated chipboard, the cut-out exposes the core, which then swells, whereas Elica offers its own edge profiles for worktop thicknesses from 10 to 50 millimetres, flush-mounted (Filo Top) from 16 millimetres, that is, planned precisely to the worktop. The second, more expensive point is replacement: a flush hob can later only be replaced by a model with an identical cut-out size. Otherwise the whole worktop is renewed, roughly €3,000 to €7,500 for ceramic or stone. Flush-mounting is therefore a visual premium with a repair tie to the model dimension. Surface-mounted, any standard appliance stays a simple swap. We deal with the worktop itself under Ceramic worktop, with a free cost calculator. Which of the three solid-material worktops, compact laminate, ceramic or natural stone, suits your budget is shown by the decision fork under Worktop: material and cost.
| Installation type | What it requires | Worktop type | Replacement later |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surface-mounted | frame rests on the worktop | any worktop type | any standard appliance, a simple swap |
| Flush-mounted | milled rebate, matched exactly to the worktop thickness (with Elica from 16 mm) | solid material only: ceramic, stone, compact laminate | only with an identical cut-out size, otherwise a new worktop |
| Undermount | hob beneath the worktop, cut-out milled | solid material only | only with an identical cut-out size |
What this costs
The most expensive item on a hob is rarely the appliance itself but the consequence of the wrong installation type: a flush hob with no available replacement model later forces a new solid-material worktop for around €3,000 to €7,500. The second planning point is the connection: a four-zone induction hob with a booster draws 7 to 11 kilowatts at peak and needs 400 volt three-phase power as a dedicated circuit, which we prepare and which a licensed trade contractor connects. BORA and Elica we pass on at architect partner terms, without our own markup, because we earn nothing on the appliance margin. The kitchen starts from €14,999 incl. 19% VAT, including planning, delivery and installation.
How we do it at Kolev
We earn nothing on any appliance, so the hob recommendation at Kolev is free of margin: induction as standard, gas or ceramic where your way of cooking calls for it. The cut-out and the 400 volt circuit are set out in the workshop drawing and the electrical plan, which you give to your electrician as preparation before the screed and the worktop are fixed. The final connection is made by a licensed trade contractor. BORA and Elica you get at architect partner terms, without our own markup, and for flush hobs we plan the worktop to the model dimension, so that a later replacement does not cost the whole worktop. We only plan gas if you expressly wish it. In practice we have so far built induction in all but one case. We have planned a ceramic hob exactly once, for a shared home for people with dementia, because you can see that a glowing cooking zone is hot. Gas came close to a commitment only a single time, on a project in France, and in the end that too became a BORA X Pure.
Frequently asked questions
Is induction really more economical than a ceramic hob?
In the order of magnitude, yes: ENERGY STAR puts induction at around 85% efficiency against around 75 to 80% for a ceramic hob, and the Federal Environment Agency lists induction as the most energy-efficient choice among electric hobs. The exact percentages scatter depending on the pot and the measurement. Whether gas comes out better or worse depends on whether the losses in power generation are counted.
Can I keep using my cookware?
Only if it is magnetic: if a magnet sticks to the base, the pot is generally suitable for induction. Aluminium, copper and austenitic stainless steel do not work on induction, but they do on a ceramic hob. The minimum pot diameter on induction is 90 to 120 millimetres.
Does an induction hob interfere with a pacemaker?
For most people it is not a problem: the Federal Office for Radiation Protection states that induction hobs, at the usual working distances, normally stay within the ICNIRP reference value of 27 microtesla, and advises anyone with a pacemaker to ask their doctor. BORA describes interference as unlikely. The pot covers the zone in any case.
Will gas in the kitchen soon be banned?
No: there is no ban on gas hobs in the EU or in Germany (as of September 2026). Gas is losing importance in new builds because 91% of households cook mainly with electricity (BDEW/HEA study, 2014) and hardly any new gas connections are laid. The Building Energy Act and the F-gas Regulation concern heating and refrigerants, not the hob.
Can I replace a flush-mounted hob later?
Only with a model that has exactly the same cut-out size: if no successor fits, the whole solid-material worktop is renewed, roughly €3,000 to €7,500. That is why we plan flush hobs only in ceramic, stone or compact laminate and record the cut-out size in the workshop drawing.
Does an induction hob need three-phase power?
A four-zone induction hob draws 7 to 11 kilowatts at peak and therefore needs 400 volt three-phase power as a dedicated, hard-wired circuit. Kolev prepares the connection, the final connection is made by a licensed electrical contractor. Smaller single hobs up to about 3.5 kilowatts also run from an ordinary socket.
Next step: the first consultation
If you would like to know which hob suits your kitchen and your worktop, then let’s talk. In the first consultation we look at your floor plan, your wishes and your budget, directly with the architect, 45 to 60 minutes, for Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main region.
And a piece of advice no kitchen studio likes to give: get three offers and compare them. We are one of them.
More on the hob extractor: Downdraught extractor or hood. Keeping existing appliances: Fitting your own appliances. Appliances without our own markup: Kitchen appliances.