Types of Hob and Oven
A oven and hob is commonplace in kitchens, and comes in a variety of designs. You can mix different types, like gas and electric to meet your requirements.
A hob can also have safety features like child and position controls. These are designed to prevent children from touching the hob, and stop them from changing the temperature settings accidentally.
Types
In the heart of every kitchen, the stove is the main focus and can play a huge role in the way your food is executed. However, there are a number of different types of hob and the one you pick will depend on what your specific cooking needs are.
Gas hobs are a classic option and provide a quick heating function and instant response to temperature fluctuations. Professional chefs prefer them since they offer precise control. They are not as easy to clean as other hobs and could require more frequent maintenance.
Electric hobs are flat ceramic surface with heated elements beneath. They are available in various sizes, with between four and six cooking zones. Each zone is equipped with a distinct heating element that you can control individually. You can boil potatoes on one ring while cooking sausages on a different. This kind of hob is easier to heat up than gas, and also offers the safety of children as the cooking zone becomes hot only when you put the pot on it.
Ceramic hobs are a fashionable and user-friendly option to gas and electric hobs. They have an even and smooth surface that is easy to clean. However they aren't as quick to react to temperature changes or to cool down as other hobs.
Domino hobs are a space-saving alternative to electric and gas hobs that have ovens underneath the cooking surface. They are perfect for kitchens that have limited space. They also work well in kitchenettes and flats. They are often cheaper than standard hobs and are energy efficient however they are also fragile and require more care than other types of cookers.
Gas
A gas hob is a cooktop with burners that can be installed on kitchen countertops to give seamless appearance. Gas hobs are typically powered by LPG or natural gas, but they can also be powered by propane gas. They are modern and sleek design that can give a sophisticated touch to your modular kitchen.
A traditional gas stove is equipped with a variety of burners. There are usually four burners, however it can be up to six. The burners can be ignited by a match or a knob. The flames are then controlled by a series of valves which can be adjusted to control the temperature.
The majority of modern gas stoves built-in on the other hand include burners with multiple flames. This allows you to control both the outer and the inner rings of each burner to allow you to precisely control the cooking. These burners are faster and more reliable than earlier models.
In the past, it was necessary for a gas stove to be constantly lit to ensure that the burners remained hot and well-fueled. This was a safety measure to prevent any accidents such as accidentally turning on the oven uk while the stove was still lit by a match or a pilot flame. Modern cookers are designed with safety in mind. They come with a built-in fire failure device that shuts off burners automatically if the pilot light fail.
Gas stoves and hobs need to be checked regularly, cleaned and maintained. The best oven method to ensure this is to arrange an appointment with a certified Gas Safe registered engineer. Not only will they be able check your appliance is functioning properly as well, but they'll also provide expert advice and suggestions on how to prevent any problems in the near future.
Electricity
A quality hob is equally important in making the perfect kitchen. Refrigerators, worktops, freezers, and ovens are the first items that come to mind. Whether you opt for a conventional, induction or gas cooker the type of hob you select will affect the way your kitchen functions and how easy it is to keep clean.
Electric hobs are powered by heating elements under a smooth glass surface which is typically wiped down with a non-abrasive cleaner. The heating elements are activated when you turn on the oven and can be adjusted to various power levels by turning a knob. They can take some time to heat up, but once they have they tend to provide more stable and reliable temperature control. They also have built-in indicators that inform you that a zone is active or hot from cooking.
They are available in four to six different sizes and are notch-upable to various power levels. They are perfect for flat-based cookware however they aren't the ideal option for cast-iron pans since they can overheat. Certain models (such as Belling BELCH602T) come with dual rings that let you cook sausages and boil water on the same ring. Some even come with a 'boost' feature that concentrates the power of high-powered heat into a single ring for stir fry cooking sauteing meats, searing or boiling large pots of water.
Induction hobs are distinct from conventional electric hobs because they use electromagnetic fields instead of conventional gas flames to heat your cookware. They can reach precise temperatures faster and are more efficient in energy use. They also have a cool to the touch surface and flashing heat indicators that signal that the ring is either in use or still hot.
Ceramic
Ceramic is an ingredient that can be made into decorative or practical objects. It is made by mixing clay, earthen elements powders and water into the desired shape, then fired in a high-temperature oven, also known as a kiln. Once it's made, it can be covered with decorative or paint-like substances to add color and texture.
Ceramic hobs are an exquisite blend of form and function, sitting comfortably in any modern kitchen. Radiant heating technology is used to heat ceramic hobs through the passage of an electric current through coiled elements that are hidden under the black glass surface. When they are activated, they produce heat which is then transferred to the pan by an infrared system. You can alter the degree of heating using the knobs or the touch controls.
Some ceramic hobs come with two rings, each with the smaller and the larger cooking area. This allows you to choose the ideal size for your pan. There are hobs with boosters that produce high-powered heat quickly. This is ideal to cook food in or bring pans to boil quickly.
Ceramic cooktops are more efficient in energy than other types of hobs due to the fact that they take longer to heat up and change temperatures. There are vented hobs that integrate a ventilation system within the cooktop's ceramic, making sure that smoke, steam and cooking smells don't stay within your home.
Induction
Induction hobs have heating elements that are comprised of copper wire coils. The coils create electromagnets which make the pans hot on the top. The coils agitate the free electrons within the base of your pan which transmits heat evenly and directly to your food. The surface of the stove is never hot, and the cooking zones automatically turn off when your pan is removed.
Induction hobs are typically more expensive than other models, but they're also faster to heat and consume 30-70% less energy than ceramic or gas hobs. They are also easier to clean, since the surface of the hob isn't heated, but the contents of the pan do.
Some manufacturers provide an induction model with additional features, for instance a pause feature that cuts off the power to the stove after you have left, or the ability to connect two cooking rings at the same power for more flexibility. They are commonly referred to as FlexInduction hobs. They are more expensive than traditional models, however they're worth considering if you like to multitask.
Our favorite is this induction hob from Smeg. It has four cooking zones that are large enough with a bridge function as well as nine power levels, giving you plenty of choice for those who want to cook with a lot of passion. It performed well during our test with a fast heating speed and accurate control when making pancakes. The oven also has a built-in dishwasher and an automatic pan detection function to make cleaning more simple. The only issue is that there are only a handful of compatible pans, and you cannot make use of it for cooking with the utensils that have magnetic bases. This can be a problem when you have a large amount of cookware that's not compatible or only some of it is compatible with induction hobs.