20 Trailblazers Lead The Way In Best Hob

How to Choose the Best Hob

There are lots of factors to consider when choosing the best hob, from price to energy efficiency. Therefore, deciding which features are essential is vital.

A basic electric ceramic stove can cost as little as PS100 however, you'll have to spend more to get a high-end model. Gas hobs are also a popular option and offer excellent temperature control, however they are more expensive.

1. Haier I-Flex Induction Hob

With four cooking zones and three 'Push&Go' functions, this cooker from Haier will allow you to cook quick meals. It was among the fastest boiling water hobs in our tests, taking only four minutes. It comes with an child lock and the ability to pause, which means you can stop the process swiftly without having to mess with controls.

Its design is sleek and modern it blends seamlessly with contemporary kitchens. It's typically made of glass (shatterproof and heatproof) or ceramic, and has touch controls that sit on top of the worktop to allow to make it easy to use.

The controls were easy to use and we appreciated the display that shows the current power level as well as which zone is currently in use. The 'Boost' feature produces high-powered heat for a short duration, and is perfect for stir-frying or bringing pots of water to a boil fast. The hot hob light and automatic shutdown are useful security features, too.

However it's not as responsive to touch as some other hobs and ovens in this test. It took nine presses to reach the maximum temperature, as opposed to six or seven for other models. It takes longer to respond when you alter the cooking temperature, meaning you might have to alter settings several times before your pan reaches the right heat.

This model is 60cm long and includes four cooking zones, including a half-flex area where two zones can be joined together to accommodate larger pots and pans. The dual-ring design allows it to operate with both "normal" and "boost" power levels. The Boost is ideal for cooking meat and searing it, or bringing water to a rapid boiling.

It is fully integrated with the hOn App and has 100's of recipes, guides for cooking, and 30 unique programs divided into various food categories and types of preparation. It has an intuitive multislider interface as well as a lockable' control panel, plus it is able to automatically detect the kind of pan you're using and set the right cooking mode. It also works with hOn pans made by third parties and has various safety features such as the ability to lock the panel and boil-dry prevention.

2. Smeg I-Flex Induction Hob

If you're working on your kitchen or simply searching for a substitute to gas, induction hobs are becoming more popular. Prices have slashed in the last few years, with basic four-zone models costing less than PS100. If you want all the bells and whistles that come with induction it's worth paying more for the latest innovations.

This sleek model from Smeg features the latest induction technology that makes cooking more efficient and convenient. The innovative Auto-pot detection system automatically recognises the position of pots that have minimum diameters of 9cm, which allows you to activate the appropriate zone without needing to select it manually.

Smeg's focus on energy saving does not mean that they don't offer flexibility This hob is designed to reduce power consumption by altering the maximum operating temperature of the zones to suit your cooking requirements. There are other options to save energy with the Eco-Logic advance mode, which reduces the power output from 11.1 kW to as little as 2.4 2 kW.

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

In addition to this the hob also has an 'FlameSensor' feature that alerts you if there is any risk of fire or food that has been burned. There are also several safety features, such as a residual heat indicator as well as an automatic shut-off when the surface gets too hot.

It also has an anti-corrosive CleanProtect coating to help it resist hard stains and cooking marks. This hob has nine power levels and an 'FlexiDuo feature' that is perfect to allow for large pans, and is simple to set up. There are a few bonus features such as control locks, as well as a safety fuse to prevent accidental button pressing.

3. Indesit I-Flex Induction Hob

Powered by electricity rather than gas, induction hobs uk use copper plates that create a magnetic field when the pan is set on top. This means they can reach a temperature faster than gas hobs, and can also reduce energy consumption since the cooking area only is heated when you turn on the pan. They're generally less expensive than gas and are simpler to clean and that's why they're an extremely popular option.

This induction hob from Indesit is packed full of features that allow you to get creative in the kitchen. It has two separate zones that can be combined to form the Dual Zone to accommodate larger pans, and a rapid booster zone to quickly bring boiling water to. For instance, the Push&Go lets you cook flawlessly at the touch the button. There are nine power modes, including a 'P boost setting that grants each zone maximum power for five minutes, are easily set using the controls, which are positioned along the bottom edge of the cooktop to follow the pans.

The controls are easy to use oven and hob the minimalist design is perfect for modern kitchens. In our tests it quickly heated up a pan when we put it on the Booster Zone and boiling pasta water. However it took some time to cool down once we turned off the hob. Our test participants were unable to determine the precise temperature on the control panel.

This Indesit hob also has a bridge function, which allows you to combine two cooking zones to make larger pans. It also comes with an overheating and child lock block and an auto shut-off feature that stops the appliance from working when it's heated to the point of. Our test participants were impressed that there weren't any visible flames that were messy and messy, and the ceramic glass was easy to wipe clean. In contrast to traditional extractor hoods, vented hobs draw steam and smoke out of the pan and out of the room through a duct in the surface. Our experts thought that this hob's duct was easy to clean, though it took two people to take the filter out to change it.

4. GE Induction Hob

When selecting a kitchen appliance think about how it will fit to your kitchen's design and layout, as well as your cooking style and your lifestyle. Induction hobs oven are a good choice for cooking with children or older people in mind. They come with safety features such as automatic shut-offs and a cool-to-touch surface. For those who prefer speed and efficiency an electric hob that has a clean ceramic glass facia is the best choice. For those who live in areas susceptible to load-shedding, having the ability to use gas hobs during power cuts may make the difference in favor of gas models.