Pick up and go, the Tefal Everyday Induction Hob is your perfect cooking companion for your next trip

If you're curious about trying a portable induction hob or just need a little space, the Tefal Everyday Induction Hob is a great place to start. It's really responsive, easy to use, and surprisingly quiet too. I put it to the test in my kitchen to find out more about it.

Lots of the best portable induction hobs look a lot more elaborate than the Tefal, with dual hobs and smart designs, but don't be deceived. I've whipped up evenly cooked crêpes; discovered a pre-set that boils water like a kettle; and much more. It's these little features that make everyday cooking that bit easier.

I'll walk you through the different pre-sets and uses, so you can see where this flew and where it struggled a little. So whether you’re cooking at home, heading off on a camping trip, or just need a little extra help at mealtimes, this hob is a reliable choice. Here's why.

Tefal Everyday Induction Hob

Unboxing the Tefal Everyday Induction Hob

We start all of our reviews by looking at the availability, packaging, and delivery. The Tefal Everyday Induction Hob scores really well in this sector: it is widely available from retailers including John Lewis and Amazon, so there are many delivery options available. If you're purchasing direct from Tefal on shop.tefal.co.uk, next day delivery is free on orders over £150, or 48 hour delivery is free on orders over £50. So, you can get your hands on this pretty quickly.

The hob arrives packaged in a cardboard box with polystyrene padding. It's worth holding onto the box because it's really useful for storage if you'll be packing this away in the loft. In the box, you'll also find a slim manual, an A4 quick start guide, as well as the guarantee information.

It comes with a 2-year guarantee. However, if it breaks outside of the guarantee Tefal offers a repair service, of which there are eight Tefal Authorised Repair Centres in the UK. Hopefully, you won't need to utilise this service as the Tefal Everyday Induction Hob seems relatively sturdy. I spotted a few reviews on Amazon complaining that the hob caused the electrics in the house to trip, but I had no issues with it during testing.

Who would the Tefal Everyday Induction Hob suit?

Despite the name ‘Everyday’, this is unlikely to become your sole hob. It would be a useful helper on busy cooking days such as Christmas, where it can be used as an additional cooking space, or a good hob for taking on trips.

The size and weight mean the Tefal Everyday Induction Hob is easily portable and can easily be stored away. From caravan holidays to beach hut hideouts, to camping trips, it would be a great cooking companion.

An induction hob is safer to use than an electric hot plate, which stays hot or a camping stove with a raw flame, as induction only heats the pan and not the surroundings. This also means the hob cools much faster, and if there is no pan on there, there is no risk of accidentally turning it on. Another handy safety feature is that the hob automatically stops when instructed using the timer and some of the cooking presets. It would be a good option if you have small children around and are safety-conscious.

What is the Tefal Everyday Induction Hob like to use?

As well as a manual setting, the Tefal Everyday Induction hob has five preset modes (Heat milk, Stew, Stir Fry, Deep Fry and Boil Water). I would recommend flicking through the manual before using these, as some are a little more complex, but in general, the display is very self-explanatory. The manual has 9 power settings ranging from P1- 350W to P9 -2100W. When turned on, it automatically turns on at P3, and the intensity is controlled using the plus and minus buttons. These buttons are also used to control the timer. There is a timer setting that can be set from one to 99 minutes. A countdown is shown on the display. When it reaches zero, the hob will beep and turn off automatically.

The LED display is bright red and easy to see in daylight. The buttons are clearly labelled and responsive, and beep to acknowledge the press. When plugged in and turned on at the wall, the power button flashes a red light.

Test 1: Bringing water to the boil

To test the efficiency of the transfer of heat I timed how long it took to bring one litre of cold water to a rapid boil. The Tefal Everyday Induction Hob took 5 minutes 40 seconds to do this. The speed is dependent on the max power, which in this model is 2100W. A built in induction hob would typically do this much faster as it’s more powerful, but for a portable hob that's on the slightly longer side of average. It's not bad.

For this test, I used the ‘Boil Water’ preset button. This mode is a timed setting that can be modified depending on the amount of water you are boiling from 0.4 - 2.5 litres. There are three options for different pan sizes and amounts of water. The hob will stay on for this set time and then automatically turn off. So can be used like you would use a kettle.

When turned on and when cooling down the Tefal Everyday Induction Hob has a fan that makes a gentle whir. When heating, it also emits a pulsing static sound. However, in comparison to other models that I have tested, I found it was quiet. While testing, I also had the oven on in the kitchen, the fan of which overpowered the hum coming from the Tefal hob.

Test 2: Simmering a sauce

Often induction hobs are very effective at heating things quickly, but less good at maintaing a low temperature. To test the lowest setting I made a béchamel sauce. It’s important to be able to control the temperature when making a béchamel, as you need time to mix in the liquid before it begins to boil.

Using the manual setting set to the minimum temperature (P1 which is 350W) I melted the butter. This melted very fast and began to splatter, so I quickly added the flour and cooked it out before adding the milk bit by bit. Unfortunately, with such a small amount in the pan, the Tefal Everyday Induction Hob was a little on the ferocious side. I had to keep removing the pan from the hob to add the liquid and whisk the mixture. Although I could have kept the pan on the hob and turned the hob off, I was reluctant to do this as it automatically turns on to setting P3, which would have been too high.

As I was in the kitchen and had a trivet to hand, this was ok, however, if you were cooking in a more compact setup having to constantly take the pan off the heat may be frustrating. Therefore, I wouldn't recommend this hob for simmering sauces and cooking delicate things that require a moderate temperature.

Test 3: Cooking pancakes

Cooking pancakes/crêpes offers a visual representation of the hob’s heat distribution. I first heated the pan before adding the batter. Tefal is a French brand, so we had high hopes for its crepe cooking abilities, and it delivered! An even golden tone revealed that the heat distribution was very good. The hob also reacted rapidly when increasing and reducing the heat. I found that once the frying pan was at temperature, the manual setting P3 was just right for crêpes.

Portability and storage

This model is compact and lightweight, meaning it is easy to move and store. If you want the numbers, it weighs 2.9kg and the dimensions are 27.5 x 34 x 5.7cm. The slender design means it’s particularly easy to handle and can fit in a kitchen cabinet. It can be transported and stored in the packaging it’s delivered in, but doesn’t come with any other packaging or a storage case.

The power cord is 150cm long, which is longer than others we have tested, and is adequate for most kitchen setups where the power socket is at worktop level. However, this may be more challenging for power that is at ground level.

Cleaning the Tefal Everyday Induction Hob

Like most hobs, this one is black and glossy, so dust and finger marks are inevitable. Helpfully, the button panel was less susceptible to greasy smudges than the ceramic plate, and as the buttons are flat and integrated under a panel, the whole thing can be simply wiped clean with a soapy, damp cloth, with no risk of water entering the mechanisms. To get it back to sparkling, I went over it with a glass polishing cloth.

There is a groove at either end of the ceramic plate that could become a bit of a dirt trap with prolonged use, but nothing a cocktail stick couldn't make light work of!

The vents and fan elements are located underneath, so would stay protected from most mess.

How does the Tefal Everyday Induction Hob compare?

I recently tested both the IKEA Tillreda Portable Induction Hob and VonShef Single Induction Hob induction hobs, both of which have two cooking plates. Although the Tefal model only has a single plate, it costs a similar amount. But forgetting the price, I was inclined to prefer this model as it was much quieter when turned on, which created a calmer environment in the kitchen. The smaller size means it's much easier to store, and it's ultra lightweight.

However, the fact that the others have dual burners would make them more practical for regular use. Although this one is quite neat looking, I think the IKEA model has a more minimal look, making it a more attractive choice if you intend to leave it out.

Should you buy the Tefal Everyday Induction Hob?

The Tefal Everyday Induction Hob is ideal for travelling with and taking on trips, such as a camping holiday, where you need a hob. It would also be a great extra cooking space in the kitchen on those busy days. It's quiet, compact and hassle-free, so it will be particularly useful when you're under pressure cooking for a large gathering. It's from a trusted brand and comes with a two year warranty. The added safety features, such as auto turning off, make this a model that you can trust to do the job.

How we test