Types of Hobs

A hob (known as stove top in North America) is a cooking appliance that heats up pans by using electricity or flames. There are several different types of hobs, so you can pick one that is best ovens suited to your preferences and kitchen.

Induction hobs feature an elongated ceramic cooking surface and include four or five zones to heat your pans. The contemporary designs that operate with a touch are sleek and stylish and are easy to clean.

Ceramic hobs

Ceramic hobs can give your kitchen a modern and sleek appearance. The flat glass-ceramic surfaces are easy to clean and are able to be cleaned when spills or splatters happen. They are fast to heat up and are energy efficient and can lower your electricity bill. Ceramic hobs aren't always fast when changing the temperature settings. This can be frustrating when you have to cook something that requires a quick reduction or increase of heat.

Electric ovens hobs use a solid plate that is heated by electric elements beneath. The power of each element can be individually adjusted via rotary knobs. You can utilize the Boost feature to increase the temperature of a certain area. Ceramic hobs retain heat very well, so even after they are turned off, they will be hot to the touch. It's important to install ceramic hobs in a place that is safe from any flammable objects and away from children's reach.

This kind of hob can be mounted on a variety of worktops including laminate, solid hardwood and granite. It's also fairly affordable and can be a great option for those looking to replace your previous hobs, but without spending a lot of money. But, as with all appliances, they do need to be properly installed and connected to the mains power supply, so we recommend hiring a professional electrician to ensure that the new hobs are safe for use.

The drawback of this kind of hob is that it's sensitive to the size of the pan as well as its shape. You'll need to buy cookware that is exactly the same as the element or fits comfortably in all of the heating zones. If the cookware is not the same dimensions as the element, the element won't recognize it and will not heat the bottom of the pan. This can result in cooking that is uneven and make the stove less efficient.

Gas on glass hobs

Glass hobs made of gas have a sleek and modern appearance. Although they may be more expensive than electric ones and require professional installation, they often require less time to heat up. It's not uncommon for a full pan of water to be boiling within four minutes or less. This kind of stove is also a great option for cooks who want to regulate the amount of heat generated. However, it must be noted that a glass hob can be more vulnerable to damage than stainless steel models and may need to be cleaned more often, since grease and residue build up tends to stick rather than slide off.

This Bertazzoni hob is a fantastic example of gas on glass. It features four monobloc burners finished in matt black with metal control knobs to create a sleek, elegant finish. The wok ring has a power of 4kW for additional versatility, and the pan supports are dishwasher-proof.

Another highly recommended model is this Bosch gas hob, which combines the look of a sleek slab of toughened glass and advanced cooking technology. The dual ring design on the left side of the gas hob has two burners inside to increase heat distribution and accelerate cooking. It also has an excellent power level indicator, which assists in regulating the precise temperature of your flame. You can choose from nine pre-defined settings including the high setting for searing a steak and a low setting for scrambled eggs.

The simple and intuitive controls were also well appreciated by our testers, who found them to be very simple to use. A few minor issues are that you need to press the controls nine more times to reach the maximum heating level, and that the glass can make it difficult to discern what the burners are doing.

Some of the top gas on glass hobs are available at affordable prices, such as this Neff model. Although it's unlikely to be a winner of any design awards however, it serves the purpose well and is an excellent addition to your kitchen for less than PS120.

Electric hobs

There are a variety of electric hobs that work for modern homes. Not only do they offer an elegant design that fits in with the rest of your kitchen as well, but they also offer modern technology that is safer, more efficient and efficient than their predecessors in terms of energy consumption.

One of the most well-known electric hobs is a ceramic glass hob. These hobs are designed with a sleek glazed finish, and have an easy surface to clean and resistant to scratches. They also come with a power booster function which allows you to boost the heat for a brief time.

Induction hobs are another electric hob perfect for modern homes. As opposed to traditional gas and electric plate hobs, induction hobs utilize electromagnetic fields to directly heat cookware. They are therefore more energy efficient and offer precise temperature control. However they require a particular kind of pan to work and can be costly to set up.

A gas on glass hob is another option that's a great choice for modern homes. Similar to a standard gas hob, it features an oven that is surrounded by the glass is a flat layer. The glass is heatproof and shatterproof, which makes it easier to clean than tempering glass. Many of these hobs also have a 'hot surface indicator', which informs you when the hob is hot.

Gas hobs remain a preferred choice for a lot of home cooks however they can be noisy and hard to clean. The flame can be difficult to control and can take a long time to heat up and cool off. However, electric hobs are more efficient in terms of energy consumption and are easier to clean.

For the highest level of modern technology, you can even find electric stoves that are compatible with LPG gas. This allows you to switch between various fuel sources, so you can adjust your cooking to fit your needs. It's important to remember that these hobs must be installed by a gas safe registered engineer and will require a 6mm cable to be installed in your kitchen. They are also not suitable for people with pacemakers as the electromagnetic field could interfere with them.

Hobs with induction

Copper coils run an alternating electric current under the glass surface of an induction hob. When an induction-compatible dish is placed on a hob, the coils generate magnetic fields that generate heat directly in the pan instead of heating the surface of the worktop (gas) or an insulated plate (electric). Induction ovens hobs are energy efficient, as they don't use any heat.

There are a variety of models of an induction hob that range from basic ones with a single cooking zone with rings to more advanced multi-zoned induction hobs that have up to six zones and allow the cooking of multiple pots at once on a flex zone. Certain models have a touch slider control that looks very similar to the way you use an iPhone. Simply swipe your finger across the power bar at the middle to select the desired level of heat, left to right increases the heat and right to left decreases it. Certain models can even be programmed with settings for specific recipes or food items which can save you time and effort in the kitchen.

Induction hobs do tend to be more expensive than ceramic hobs, however they are thought to be more energy efficient in the long run since they heat up faster and use a smaller space for heating up which can help reduce your energy bills. They cool down faster and are safer than traditional hobs that do not have hot plates. This makes them ideal for families with children or elderly residents. However, they can create a magnetic field which could interfere with some medical devices such as pacemakers therefore it is essential to center your pans on the burner best ovens and hobs avoid placing small pans on large burners.

As with all electric hobs you'll have to clean your induction hob regularly, as food and debris can accumulate over time. You can use a regular oven cleaner, or you can opt for a specialist product to keep your stove sparkling and in good order for a longer time. Just be sure to never use scrubbers or pads to scour your induction hob as they could scratch the surface.