Types of Hobs

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

Induction hobs come with flat cooking surfaces made of ceramic and have four or five zones to heat your pans. Modern touch-operated designs are elegant and fashionable, and they are easy to clean.

Ceramic hobs

Ceramic hobs provide an elegant and contemporary look that can enhance the overall appearance of your kitchen. They have a flat glass-ceramic surface that's easy to clean, which means spills and splatters can be quickly wiped away. They are fast to heat up and are energy-efficient which means they can cut down on your electricity bill. However, one drawback of ceramic hobs is that they can be slow to change temperatures, which can be frustrating when cooking food that requires immediate reduction or increase in heat.

Electric hobs are made up of a solid surface that is heated from below by electric elements. The elements can be controlled separately using rotary knobs and notched to the power level you require. You can utilize the Boost feature to raise the temperature of a certain area. Ceramic hobs hold heat extremely well, so even after they've been shut off, they'll be hot to the touch. It's important to install ceramic hobs in a location that is far from items that could ignite and Electric oven out of reach of children.

The benefit of this type of hob is that it can be put in on a variety of worktops, such as laminate or solid wood, as well as granite. It's also fairly affordable and can be a great option for those looking to replace your previous hobs without spending too much money. But, as with all appliances, they need to be properly installed and connected to the mains, and we would recommend hiring a professional electrician to ensure your new hobs are safe to use.

A downside of this type of hob is that it's sensitive to pan size and shape. You will need to purchase cookware that matches the element exactly or fits comfortably in all of the heating zones. If the cookware is not the same size as the element, the element will not recognize it and will not heat the bottom of the pan. This can lead to uneven cooking results and will make the hob less energy efficient.

Gas on glass hobs

Glass hobs made of gas are sleek and contemporary in look. While they cost more than electric models and may require professional installation, they often take less time to heat up. It's not unusual for a full pan of water to be boiling in four minutes or less. This kind of hob is also a good choice for cooks who prefer to control the amount of heat generated. Glass hobs are more susceptible to damage and require more frequent cleaning because they tend to accumulate grease and other residue.

This Bertazzoni hob is a great example of gas on glass. It has four monobloc burners in matt black with metal control knobs to give it a chic, sophisticated finish. The wok ring has a power of 4kW for additional versatility, and the pan supports are dishwasher-safe.

Another highly recommended model is this Bosch gas hob, which combines the look of a sleek slab of toughened glass with the latest cooking technology. The dual ring design at the left side of the gas hob features two burners inside to improve the distribution of heat and increase the speed of cooking. It also has a handy power level indicator, which helps to regulate the precise temperature of the flame. You can choose from nine pre-defined settings, including the high setting for searing steaks and the low setting for scrambled eggs.

Its simple yet intuitive controls were 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 times before reaching the maximum heating level and that the glass can make it difficult to see the burners' actions.

This Neff model is one of the best gas-on-glass hobs that are available at a low cost. While it's not going to win any design awards, it does the job well and can be an excellent addition to your kitchen at just 120 pounds.

Electric hobs

There are a variety of electric hobs that work for modern homes. Not only do they offer a sleek design that fits in with the rest of your kitchen as well, but they also offer advanced functions that are 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 feature that allows you to increase the heat for a brief period of time.

Induction hobs are yet another electric hob perfect for modern homes. Induction hobs cook your food directly by using electromagnetic fields, unlike traditional electric ovens and hobs uk gas plates. They are therefore more energy efficient and provide precise temperature control. However, they require a specific type of pan to work and can be costly to set up.

A gas on glass hob is a second option that's an excellent option for modern homes. Similar to a standard gas hob, it has the burner underneath an underlying layer of flat glass. However the glass is heat-resistant and shatterproof, which means it's much simpler to clean than glass that is tempered. Many of these hobs come with a "hot surface indicator" that alerts you to the temperature.

Gas hobs and ovens remain a preferred choice for many home chefs However, they can be noisy and hard to clean. The flame can be difficult to control and can take a long time to get hot and cool off. Electric hobs, on the other hand, are more efficient in energy use and are easier to clean.

There are electric stoves that are compatible LPG gas. This allows you to switch between various fuel sources, meaning you'll be able to suit your lifestyle. It is important to note, however, that these hobs need to be installed by an accredited gas safe engineer and will require a dedicated cable of 6mm in your kitchen. These hobs are not suitable for those with pacemakers as the electromagnetic field can interfere with them.

Hobs with induction

Copper coils run an electric current that is alternating beneath the glass surface of an induction hob. When an induction-compatible pan is placed on the hob the coils produce magnetic fields that directly heat the pan rather than heating a surface of the worktop or a heated plate. Induction hobs are extremely efficient from an energy perspective because there's no leftover heat that is wasted.

There are a myriad of models of induction stoves from the basic entry-level ones with a single zone labelled by rings up to more advanced multi-zoned induction stoves that can have up to 6 zones that allow multiple pots to be cooked in one flex space. Some of these models come with a touch-slider control that resembles to the way you use on an iPhone. Simply swipe your finger across the power bar at the middle to choose the desired level of heat, left to right boosts heat and right-to-left decreases it. Certain models have preset settings that are specific to recipes or food types, which can save time in the kitchen.

Induction hobs can be more expensive than ceramic hobs, however they are considered to be more efficient in the long run as they heat up much faster and use a smaller space to heat up which could help lower your energy costs. They also cool down faster and have a more secure design without hot plates, which makes them ideal for families with young children or elderly persons living in the home. However, they do produce a magnetic field which could affect medical devices like pacemakers so it is important to place your pans on the burner and avoid using small pans on large burners.

Like all electric hobs, you'll need to clean your induction hob frequently, since food particles and other debris can build up over time. You can employ a standard oven and hob cleaning product or purchase a specialist one to keep your oven in good shape and shiny for a longer time. Just be sure to never use the abrasive cleaning pads or scouring pads on your induction hob since they could scratch the surface.