Types of Hobs
A hob (known as a stove top in North America) is a cooking appliance that heats pans by using electricity or flames. There are many different kinds of hobs, and you can pick one that is best ovens suited to your preferences and kitchen.
Induction hobs have 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 offer a sleek and modern look that can really enhance the overall aesthetic of your kitchen. The flat glass-ceramic surfaces can be easy to clean and can quickly be cleaned up when spills or splatters happen. They are fast to heat up and are energy-efficient, which can reduce your electric bill. Ceramic hobs can be slow in changing temperature settings. This can be a hassle when you have to cook something that requires a rapid decrease or an increase in heat.
Electric hobs utilize plates that are heated by electric elements under. These elements can be controlled separately by rotary knobs and nipped up to the level of power you require. You can also use the boost feature to boost the heat of a single area. Ceramic hobs also have a very high heat retention, so they'll remain hot to the touch after being turned off. It is essential to place ceramic hobs in an area that is far from any flammable objects and away from children's reach.
This kind of hob is able to be mounted on a variety of worktops, including laminate or solid hardwood, as well as granite. It is also relatively affordable and can be a great alternative if you're looking to replace your previous hobs without spending too much money. As with all appliances, they must be properly installed and connected to the mains. We recommend hiring an electrician to ensure your new hobs will be safe to use.
A downside of this type of hob is that it's very sensitive to the size of the pan and shape. It is necessary to purchase cookware that is either exactly the same size as the element or that will fit comfortably inside the heating zones on the hob. If the cookware isn't the same dimensions as the element, the element won't recognise it and won't be able to heat the bottom of the pan. This can cause uneven cooking best ovens and hobs uk make the stove less efficient.
Gas on glass hobs
Gas on glass hobs offer a sleek, modern aesthetic. While they cost more than electric ones and require professional installation, they usually require less time to heat up. It's not uncommon for a complete pan of water to boil within four minutes or less. This type of hob is also a great choice for cooks who prefer to control the amount of heat produced. However, it must be noted that a glass hob can be more vulnerable to damage than stainless steel models and will require cleaning more frequently, as grease and residue build up tends to remain instead of sliding off.
This Bertazzoni hob is a fantastic example of gas on glass. It features four monobloc burners in matt black, with control knobs made of metal to create a sleek, elegant appearance. It also comes with an oblong wok ring with 4kW to increase versatility, and pan supports that are dishwasher-safe, making them easier to keep clean.
This Bosch gas hob is a highly recommended model. It is a sleek piece of toughened glass and advanced cooking technology. The dual ring design to the left side of the gas hob features two burners inside to increase heat distribution and speed up cooking. It also has an easy-to-read power level indicator, which helps to regulate the exact temperature of your flame. You can choose from nine pre-defined settings including the high setting for searing steaks and the low setting for scrambled eggs.
Our testers also liked the controls as they were easy to use and intuitive. Some minor drawbacks are that you need to press the controls a further nine times to reach the highest heating level and that the glass can make it difficult to discern the burners' actions.
Some of the best hob gas-on-glass hobs can be found at an affordable price, such as this Neff model. While it's unlikely to be a winner of any design awards, it does the job well and can be an excellent addition to your kitchen for less than PS120.
Electric hobs
Electric hobs are perfect for modern homes. They're not only sleek and stylish, they are they are also safer, faster and more efficient than their predecessors.
Ceramic glass hobs are among the most popular electric stoves. They're designed with a sleek, glossy finish and an easy-to-clean surface that's resistant to smudges or scratches. They also come with a power booster function that allows you to increase the heat for a short period of time.
Induction hobs are a different electric hob perfect for modern homes. Induction hobs cook your food directly using electromagnetic fields, unlike traditional gas and electric plates. They are therefore more energy-efficient, and they offer precise temperature control. However, they require a specific type of pan to work and are costly to set up.
Hobs Oven made of glass that are gas-powered are another great option for modern homes. Similar to a conventional gas hob, it comes with the burner underneath a layer of flat glass. However, this glass is heatproof and shatterproof, so it's easier to clean than the typical glass that's tempered. A majority of these hobs come with a 'hot surface indicator', which informs you when the hob is heated.
Gas hobs oven remain a preferred choice for a lot of home cooks however they can be noisy and difficult to clean. The flame can also be difficult to control and takes an extended time to heat up and cool off. Electric hobs on the other side, are more efficient in energy use and easy to clean.
For the ultimate in modern efficiency, you can even find electric stoves that are compatible with LPG gas. This allows you to switch between various fuel sources, meaning you'll be able to suit your lifestyle. It's important to note, however, that these hobs require installation by an approved gas safe engineer and will require a separate cable of 6mm in your kitchen. They're not suitable for those with pacemakers as the electromagnetic field may cause interference 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 generate magnetic fields that directly heat the pan rather than heating a surface of the worktop or a heated plate. This makes induction hobs very efficient from an energy point of view, as there's no residual heat that is wasted.
There are a myriad of models of induction hobs starting from basic ones with only one cooking zone with rings to more advanced multi-zoned hobs that can have up to six zones and allow the cooking of multiple pots simultaneously on one flexible zone. Certain models have a touch slider control that is very similar to how you operate on an iPhone. You can choose the desired temperature by moving your finger from left to right over the power bar in the middle. Some models have preset settings that are specific to food types or recipes, which can save time in the kitchen.
Induction hobs are more expensive than ceramic hobs. However they are more energy efficient in the long term. They are more efficient in heating and have a smaller heating area which could reduce your energy bills. They also cool down quicker and feature a safer design with no hot plates, which makes them perfect for families with children or older people living in the house. However, they do produce magnetic fields that could interfere with some medical devices like pacemakers so it is important to place your pans over the burner and avoid placing small pans on large burners.
Like all electric hobs, you'll have to clean your electric hob regularly, as food and debris can accumulate over time. You can either employ a standard best oven uk cleaner or invest in a specialist one to keep your hob in good shape and shiny for a longer time. You should never use abrasive cleaning products or scratching pads on your induction stove, as they can scratch the surface.