Cleaning Ceramic/Induction Hobs : Kitchen Tip

Indian cooking and a glass hob are a difficult combination: high heat, oil, and things that boil over. The trick is not scrubbing harder afterwards — it is knowing which two tools to own and dealing with spills before they bake on.

Why it is worth doing properly

Beyond hygiene and the look of the kitchen, there is a Belgian-specific reason: in a furnished rental the hob is the landlord's, and a scratched or permanently marked one is exactly the sort of thing that appears as a deduction at move-out. See renting a serviced apartment on documenting condition.

What to buy

• A ceramic hob cream — sold in every Belgian supermarket, usually near the washing-up liquid. This is the only cleaning product you need.
• A glass scraper — a flat razor blade in a plastic holder, a couple of euros in any hardware shop. This is the tool that removes burnt-on sugar and boiled-over dal without scratching.

The routine

1. Let it cool to warm. Not hot — cleaner on a hot hob bakes on and can crack the glass. Not stone cold either; warm lifts grease far more easily.
2. Wipe loose debris with a damp cloth.
3. Scrape what is stuck — blade flat to the glass at about 45 degrees, short pushes. Do not dig at it point-first.
4. Cream cleaner, a few drops, worked over the surface with kitchen paper or a soft cloth.
5. Wipe off with a clean damp cloth, then buff dry with a microfibre. The drying is what leaves it clear rather than streaked.

Cooking Indian food on one

• Flat-bottomed pans only. A round-bottomed kadai does not make proper contact, heats badly and can scratch. Induction additionally needs magnetic bases — a fridge magnet is a reliable test.
• Lift pans, never slide them. Grit under a pan is what causes most of the fine scratching.
• Tadka spatters — wipe once it has cooled to warm; hot oil left to carbonise turns brown and stubborn.
• Use the residual heat. Ceramic and induction hold heat well; turning off a few minutes early finishes most dishes and reduces boil-overs.