Hot plate is a portable kitchen appliance used for preparing food in places where normal stove is not convenient to use. Hot plates come with either single or double burners. For a single person, hot plate with single burner is sufficient. For families, double burner hot plates can be opted for, in order to cook the entire meal at a time.
How Does a Hot Plate Work?
A hot plate does not use fire to produce heat like normal stoves. It generates heat using electricity; it consists of coils through which electricity flows. Since the resistance of these coils is very high, the electrical energy is converted to heat energy and hence the coils discharge the heat; which is used to cook the food.
The hot plate is initially plugged to a power supply. The contents to be cooked are placed in a container and kept on the hot plate. When it is switched on, coils get heated up and release the heat to the container, thereby cooking the food.
Once cooking is done, the hot plate is switched off and the container is removed. Remember, closed containers should never be used on hot plates since there are chances of explosions. Hence, it is very important to use only open vessels on a hot plate.
Uses of Hot Plate
The main application of hot plate is cooking or heating food in houses, and hostels. Hot plates are also good choice for hikers and trekkers as these are easy to carry, and lightweight.
Hot plates are used in laboratories for preparing chemicals or heating glass equipments like beakers. Some of these plates used in labs include a magnetic stirrer to automatically blend the liquid contents.
Safety Issues
There are certain safety aspects to be considered when using a hot plate. All combustible stuff like organic products and volatile materials should be kept away from the hot plate. Clothing should not be free flowing as it might catch fire when trying to reach the plate.
The most important thing is closed pans or jars should be avoided totally. Severe burns are caused by the burners of the hot plate; hence it should not be touched after immediate use. The power supply cord should also be kept away from the hot plate as the heat produced can melt the plastic and cause damage.
Features of Hot Plate
There are certain features to look out for, in a hot plate to ensure safety and ease of cooking. Some of the essential features are:
• Power indicator light
• Thermostat to control the temperature
• Overheat protection
• Automatic safety switch off
• Skid-proof rubber bottom for stability
Advantages of Hot Plate
Hot plates are environment-friendly since they are totally electrical, particularly if power is supplied from renewable sources. These are also very much economical and hence can be used by all classes of people. The functioning cost is also very low compared to the traditional stoves; keeping these cooking plates as a standby stove, turns out to be really resourceful, especially when you run out of LPG stock. Hot plates are also very easy to carry while traveling.
Here’s a cool video showing how hot plate works