Penne with Pea Pesto And Belling IHT60 Induction Hob Review (Video)

Following on from my last post, where I reviewed my Belling BI60MF Multifunction Oven, I am now pleased to bring you the review of my Belling IHT60 Induction Hob. Until I had this hob, I only really had experience of gas hobs so this was a complete departure for me. I decided to go for an induction hob as it is 30% more efficient than gas and the hob only works if a suitable pan is detected on it. Thomas burnt himself on a gas hob once and having young children around I wanted the safest hob I could find.

What is an induction hob anyway? When an induction hob suitable pan is placed on the cooking zone, it completes a magnetic circuit underneath the pan, this creates energy within the pan base and this heats the pan. Only the area where the pan is touching the surface is heated so no energy is wasted. Induction hob friendly pans are slightly more expensive than normal pans but they are worth the investment and will last for years to come. I have some Stellar pans and some Raymond Blanc ones and I think they are both fantastic. A great hob and decent non-stick pans have vastly improved my cooking!

The Belling IHT60 induction hob is very easy to use as it is controlled by a digital display and touch panel. It has an on/off switch which means you can turn all four cooking zones on and off at the same time. This is very handy if you occasionally get disturbed by young children when cooking dinner and get taken away from the hob. You can turn it off and know it will be fine until you get back. Each cooking zone has 9 heat levels giving you complete control of exactly how everything is cooked. Each zone also has a power boost option giving you 5 minutes of extra high heat which is ideal for wok cooking or getting water to boil as I illustrate in the video below. You must never leave the hob unattended during power boost as pans can come to the boil very quickly and I have had the odd pan boil over on me especially if I am not around after the power boost has finished. The hob defaults to heat level 9 when boost has finished but I generally find 7 or 8 heat levels are best for simmering once the pan has come up to the boil in power boost mode.

The hob has got a pan detection function which I also demonstrate in the video and it also has a residual heat detection feature which shows a ‘H’ on the cooking zone until all residual heat has gone. There is also a child lock and a timer feature on the hob which I have not needed to use yet.

My only minor complaint with the hob is how it sits in my work surface. There is a tiny gap around the edge where food and other dirt ends up and I have no idea how to remove this dirt. I am not sure if this is an issue to do with my work surfaces as they were in place before the hob was fitted or if it is just how the hob actually fits in. The hob itself is very easy to clean with just antibacterial spray and a cloth however round the edges is a complete pain so any suggestions are welcomed as to how I can overcome this.

4.3 from 4 reviews

Penne with Pea Pesto

 

Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

This is a quick and easy dish to make that is perfect for a light summer evening when you need something easy to make after work. It is made quicker by using the Belling IHT60 induction hob but you can still have it on the table fairly quick, regardless of what hob you use!

Author: Jo Brigdale

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: English

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 150g dried penne pasta
• 150g frozen peas
• 100g Pamesan, grated
• 1 teaspoon garlic purée or 1 garlic clove, peeled
• Few mint leaves
• 2-3 tablespoons British rapeseed oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Small bunch of parsley, finely chopped to serve

Instructions

1. Place two pans of cold water on the hob. Add in the dried pasta to one and the frozen peas in the other. Turn on the hob and bring both pans to boil using the power boost. Once the boost has finished, turn the zones down so both hobs are simmering.
2. After a couple of minutes, turn the peas zone off and drain. Run under cold water and place in the food processor, with half the Parmesan, garlic purée, mint, rapeseed oil and some seasoning. Pulse until the pesto as the consistency that you would like.
3. Drain the pasta and then serve immediately with the pesto, topped with the remainder of the Parmesan and chopped parsley.

3.5.3208

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For more alternative pesto recipes, please see:

Rose Petal & Roasted Tomato Pesto from Recipes From A Pantry

Lemon & Mint Pesto with Tagliatelle from Feeding Boys

Spring Roast of Scotch Beef with a Wild Garlic Pesto Crust by Foodie Quine

Greens and Grains Salad with Sorrel and Sunflower Seed Pesto by Food To Glow

Dairy Free Broccoli Pesto By Penelope’s Pantry

Spinach Artichoke Pesto by Family Friends Food

Kale and Walnut Pesto by Supper In The Suburbs

Spelt Spaghetti with Avocado Pesto by The Veg Space

I was sent a Belling BI60MF Multifunction Oven and a Belling BI60IHT Induction Hob for the purposes of review and to make recipes with. All opinions are my own. I was not required to give a positive review