Expert review of the AEG IKE95454XB
In short
- The bridge function makes it suitable for elongated grill and fish pans too.
- The range hood always exhausts just enough thanks to Hob2Hood, so all cooking odors are removed.
- With the boost and timer function, I can cook fast and to the minute.
- Hob2Hood only works in combination with an AEG Hob2Hood range hood.
- The sensor buttons don't always work right away.
First impression
The stainless steel frame and glossy, black surface provide the 90cm wide cooktop with a luxurious look. It looks good in any kitchen, but it really comes out best in a modern kitchen in my opinion. I prefer a more recessed cooktop, so it fits in with the countertop seamlessly. Do you have stainless steel kitchen appliances? I can imagine that the frame brings it all together.
Suitable for large and elongated pans
There's a bridge function both on the left and right side of the cooktop. I can use it to combine 2 zones into 1 large cooking zone. That way, I make the induction cooktop suitable for my elongated grill pan. It's very easy to set up the bridge. With a tap on the icon, the 2 zones are combined. I can start grilling large amounts of zucchini and peppers right away.
Automatic exhaustion of cooking fumes
If I connect the AEG cooktop with Hob2Hood to a range hood with Hob2Hood, the range hood exhausts automatically. As a result, I'm sure the cooktop has the right setting for exhausting all odors. With a tap on the combine icon of both the cooktop and the range hood, I can can combine the equipment. I notice right away that the more cooking fumes are released, the stronger the range hood exhausts. There's 1 disadvantages, which is that I can't use this function without an AEG range hood with Hob2Hood.
Fast, minute-to-minute cooking
The AEG IKE95454XB cooktop has a boost function and a cooking timer. I select the boost function to bring a pan of spaghetti to boil. This allows me to boost the power of the cooking zone. The function works well, because I notice the water is boiling after just a couple of minutes. I set a timer for this specific cooking zone. After 8 minutes, an alarm goes off and the cooking zone turns off. That way, I can cook the pasta al dente. When I forget to set the timer, the overflow protection makes sure the water doesn't boil over.
Sensor buttons don't always respond right away
The cooktop has sensor buttons as controls. These aren't actual buttons, but more like a touchscreen. This looks really sleek in my opinion. I do notice that the sensitivity of the sensor buttons could be better. A soft touch isn't always enough. I sometimes have to press a little harder to make the cooktop respond.
Conclusion
The AEG is a luxurious looking cooktop that doesn't look out of place in a modern kitchen. Thanks to the bridge function, I combine 2 separate cooking zones to 1 large one, so I can use an elongated grill pan too. Connecting the range hood to the cooktop for automatic exhaustion works well. Unpleasant odors don't stay in the kitchen. The disadvantage of this function is that it only works in combination with a Hob2Hood range hood. Thanks to the boost and timer function, I can cook fast and to the minute.
