Induction hobs: Are flex-induction zones (with non-circular coils) good or bad?

Question

I'm about to buy a new 80cm hob for my kitchen and already decided to go for induction.

However, I'm torn between a more classical layout like this:

and one with large "flex induction" zones:

The spare part diagrams show the shapes of the inductor coils very clearly:

The circular coil is probably - I never used induction before so I do not know - better at heating up the pot or skillet very evenly compared to the two rectangular coils.

However, I have no idea whether this has any noticeable effect when cooking (I did find some tests where they put a metal plate on top and burnt flour to see the head distribution).

For example, when making Schnitzel, I usually put 2-3 Schnitzels in a ø28cm skillet (ø24 on the bottom), but of course I want them to fry somewhat evenly (and in particular not have areas that are still raw, while the crust is turning black in other areas). Or when making meatballs, I have lots of small pieces covering most of the skillet - obviously I want them all to fry properly.

So my questions are:

• Does a decent pan/skillet/pot distribute the heat well enough so the inductor coil shape doesn't really matter?
• Is there a strong advantage of having the circular-shaped inductors instead of only flexible zones?

In case it matters, I typically use no more than two pieces at a time, e.g. a pot to boil pasta and a pan/skillet to fry something, or two pans in case there's more to fry.

Answer 1

The coils absolutely generate hot spots. They are visible, clear as day, even when boiling a big pot of water.

Those hot spots are best mitigated by:

1. A heavier bottom that distributes the heat better
2. Allowing time to warm at a lower setting rather than immediately starting at the high setting

Rectangular coils that are bigger than the pan (sticking out past the perimeter of the pan) may end up not detecting enough metal to turn on, making the additional coils irrelevant.

Assuming the coils do activate, the rectangular shape will result in a different pattern of hotspots than coils built in concentric circles.

Whether the different pattern of hot spots is good or bad is more a matter of preference, akin to cooking on a flat top with lines of burners, or a pan on a round burner.