The Indesit VIA 640 0C Hob is 59cm wide Electric Induction hob in a Black Glass finish. The hob contains 4 induction elements or heating zones set in a standard square configuration. The heating zones range in size from 1200 watts and include 2 zones rated at 1800 watts. A touch control panel is set into the leading edge of the hob unit.Induction cooking is the most recent innovation in domestic cooking and has been designed to bring together the economy and efficiency of electric cooking with the instant heat control of a gas appliance. An Induction hob is faster and more energy efficient than either the traditional Radiant Ring or Ceramic Glass electric hob unit and provides the instant finger-tip control of cooking and simmering associated with a gas burner.Induction cooking has proven to be economical and significantly safer than other methods of cooking because the induction elements also known as induction zones only heat the steel or iron cooking vessel. The induction effect doesn't directly heat the hob surface or the air around the vessel. Therefore less energy is consumed and there is a significantly lower risk of a burn injury from the top of the cooker which will definitely be considered as a benefit by the parents of young children.