12 Best Hob Facts To Get You Thinking About The Cooler. Cooler

How to Choose the Best Hob

There are lots of factors to consider when choosing the ideal hob, ranging from the price to energy efficiency. Therefore, deciding on the features that are important is essential.

A basic electric ceramic stove could cost as low as PS100, but you'll need to shell out more for a feature-packed model. Gas hobs, which are well-known and offer excellent temperature control, but are expensive, are another alternative.

1. Haier I-Flex Induction Hob

With four cooking zones and three 'Push&Go' functions this stove from Haier can assist you in making quick meals. It was one of the fastest ways to boil water in our tests, taking only four minutes. It's child-safe and comes with a pause function, so you can stop the process without having to faff around with controls.

Its style is sleek and contemporary it blends seamlessly with contemporary kitchens. It is usually made of glass (which is heatproof and shatterproof) or ceramic. The controls are touch-sensitive and sit in a flush position on the countertop.

The controls are simple to operate and we loved the clear display that informs you the current power settings and which of the five zones are active. The "Boost" feature produces high-powered heat in a brief time. It's ideal for stir-frying and quickly heating up pans. The hob's light that is hot and the automatic shutoff are helpful safety features, too.

However it's not as responsive to touch as other hobs we tested. It took nine presses to reach maximum temperature, as opposed to six or seven for other models. It takes longer to respond when you alter the cooking temperature, so you might have to alter settings several times before the pan is at the right temperature.

The model in 60 cm has four cooking zones, including a half-flex zone that two zones can be joined to accommodate larger pots and pans. Dual-ring design permits it to operate at both "normal" and "boost" power levels. Boost is perfect for frying meat and searing it, or making water come to a quick boil.

It is fully integrated with the hOn app and includes 100's of recipes, guides for cooking, and 30 unique programs that are divided into different food categories and types of preparation. It features a simple multislider interface and a 'lockable control panel. Additionally, it is able to automatically detect the kind of pan you're using and set the right cooking mode. It's also compatible with third-party hOn pan sets and has a range of safety features, like an adjustable control panel that locks and boil-dry protection.

2. Smeg I-Flex Induction hob and oven

Induction hobs are becoming increasingly popular, whether you are renovating your kitchen or are looking for a gas-free alternative. Prices have slashed dramatically over the past few years. Basic four-zone models can be found at less than PS100. But if you want all the bells and whistles that are included in the induction system, it's worth paying extra for the most up-to-date technology.

This sleek model from Smeg boasts the latest induction technology to make your cooking energy efficient and convenient. The revolutionary Auto-pot detection technology automatically detects the position of pots that have minimum diameters of 9 cm, allowing you to switch on the appropriate zone without needing to select it manually.

Smeg's attention to energy savings doesn't overlook flexibility either The hob is built to reduce power consumption by altering the maximum operating temperature of the zones according to your cooking needs. Eco-Logic advanced mode lets you to reduce energy consumption, reducing the power output to as little as 2.4kW.

The user-friendly interface of this stove was a hit with testers, thanks to its intuitive sliding controls that follow your pan's contours along the edges of it. The control panel's color-coded design allows you to easily identify the status of each zone. The "Flexi Duo" feature lets you connect two zones to accommodate larger pans. There are a variety of useful functions, including four automated cooking settings: melting, boiling, slow-cooking and keeping warm.

The hob also has a FlameSensor that can alert you in the event of a burnt-on meal or a fire. There are a variety of safety features, including a residual heat sensor as well as an automatic switch-off when the surface gets too hot.

It's also hard-wearing with the CleanProtect coating that is designed to protect it from tough staining and cooking marks. The stove is simple to set up and has nine power levels as well as an excellent 'FlexiDuo' feature for catering for large pans. There are a few bonus features such as locking controls and a safety fuse to protect against accidental button pressing.

3. Indesit I-Flex Induction Hob

They are powered by electricity, not gas, induction stoves utilize copper plates that create an electric field when a pan is placed on the top. This means that they can reach temperatures more quickly than gas hobs. They can also reduce energy consumption since the cooking area only heats up when you turn on a pan. They are generally less expensive to operate than gas, and they are also easier to clean.

Indesit's induction stove is packed full of features to allow you to be creative when cooking. It has two separate zones which can be combined into the Dual Zone to accommodate larger pans, as well as a rapid booster zone to quickly bring boiling water to. Push&Go, for example, allows you to cook perfectly with the click of the button. And nine power modes including a 'P-boost' setting that gives each zone maximum power for five minutes, can be easily selected with the controls, which are positioned across the bottom of the cooktop to follow your pans.

The controls are easy to operate, and the minimalist design is ideal for a modern kitchen. In our tests, it swiftly heated up a pan once we put it on the Booster Zone and pasta water that was boiling. It took some time to cool down after turning off the hob and oven, and our test subjects could not determine the exact temperature on the control panel.

This Indesit hob also comes oven with hob a bridge function that allows you to connect two cooking zones to make larger pans. It has a child lock, an overheating block and an automatic switch-off system which prevents the oven and hob from working when it gets too hot. Our testers appreciated the fact that there weren't any visible flames or flammable substances and the ceramic glass is easy to clean. Unlike a traditional extractor hood vented hobs draw heat and smoke out of the pan and out of the room via an air duct on the surface. Our experts believed that the duct on this hob was easy to clean, even though it required two people to lift the filter out to change it.

4. GE Induction Hob

Consider how the stove can work with the layout and design of your kitchen and what your cooking style. For instance, if you frequently cook with children or elderly people in mind, security features like an automatic shut-off feature and an icy to the touch surface may make an induction stove the best choice. For those who prefer speed and efficiency, an electric stove with a clean ceramic glass facia is the best choice. For those who live in areas that are prone to load-shedding, the ability to use gas hobs and ovens during power outages may tilt the balance in favor of gas models.