Wpro Interface Disc for induction hobs October 2010
Use your old pans on induction hobs
The latest accessory from Whirlpool is designed to make 'any pot and pan' suitable for use on an induction hob - whatever it's made from. We asked a Which? researcher to try it out at home and here are our first impressions.
The Wpro Interface Disc is designed for induction hob users who want to continue using non-iron-based pots and pans that wouldn’t otherwise work on an induction hob. When we tried it out to bring you our first impressions, we found it was slow and less convenient than using a standard iron pan on an induction hob.
Induction hobs transfer heat directly to the pan rather than the whole cooking surface, meaning you can touch the hob without burning yourself. While quicker and cheaper to run than traditional hobs, a downside is that they only work with metal pans containing iron (ferrous metals). The Wpro Interface Disc claims to solve this problem.
The disc is placed on the induction hob and heats up when the hob is turned on. The pan sits on top of the disk. This heat is then transferred to a pan of your choice.
Heating with the Wpro Interface Disc
To test it out, we timed how long 500ml of water took to boil using the disc, versus using an iron pan placed directly on an induction hob. Disappointingly, boiling the water took nearly three times as long using the disk.
The interface disc comes with a detachable, silicone handle which is convenient and fairly simple to attach and detach, this is vital as the disc becomes extremely hot during use and took around half an hour to cool down enough to touch.
Speedy heating and greater control over temperature are two great benefits of induction hobs, both of which seem to be reduced when using the disc. Although this product eliminates the need to buy a new set of pots and pans, you may be better off doing so if you want to make the best use of your induction hob.
The disc is available in two sizes, 22cm and 26cm diameters, which can be used for pots and pans ranging from 18cm to 24cm and 22cm to 28cm respectively, and can be bought online from around £35.
Pros: Enables use of traditional pots and pans on induction hobs.
Cons: Longer heating times than iron pans, reduces control over temperature, expensive if you need to use more than one disc at a time.
Induction hob reviews
If you're looking to buy a new induction hob, we've reviewed 12 of the latest models in our induction hob review.
