How to Choose the Best Hob
There are a lot of aspects to take into consideration when selecting the best oven uk hob (Full Statement), from price to energy efficiency. Therefore, deciding which features are important is crucial.
A basic ceramic electric stove costs just PS100. However you'll have to pay more for a model that comes with numerous features. Gas hobs are also a popular option and offer excellent temperature control, but they're pricier.
1. Haier I-Flex Induction Hob
This Haier stove has four cooking zones with three 'Push&Go" functions, and will help you prepare quick meals. It was among the fastest ways to boil water in our tests, taking only four minutes. It has the child lock as well as a an pause feature, so you can stop the process quickly without having to mess with controls.
Its style is sleek and contemporary, blending in well with modern kitchens. It's usually made from glass (shatterproof and heatproof) or ceramic, and has touch controls that sit in the same place as the worktop for easy use.
The controls were simple to operate and we loved the display which shows the current power level and the zone that is in use. The "Boost" feature creates high-powered heat in a short time. It is ideal for stir-frying and rapidly bringing pans to boil. The hot hob light and automatic shutdown are useful safety features, too.
However it's not as responsive to touch as some other hobs tested in this test. It took nine presses to reach the maximum temperature, as opposed to seven or six for other models. It also takes longer for the pan to respond when you alter the temperature. You may have to adjust the settings a few times to get the right temperature.
This 60 cm model features four cooking zones. One of them is a half-flex zone which allows two areas to easily be joined to accommodate larger pots or pans. It has a dual-ring design and is able to operate on both normal and boost power levels. The Boost is ideal for cooking meat and searing it, or making water come to a quick boil.
It is fully connected through the hOn App and has 100's of recipes, guided cooking, and 30 unique programmes divided into different food categories and types of preparation. It has an intuitive multislider interface, as well as a lockable control panel. In addition, it can automatically detect the type of pan you're using and set up the right cooking mode. It is also compatible with hOn pans made by third parties and has several safety features such as the ability to lock the panel and boil-dry prevention.
2. Smeg I-Flex Induction Hob
Whether you're having work done in your kitchen, or seeking a better alternative to gas, induction hobs are becoming more popular. Prices have dropped in the last few years, with the simplest four-zone models starting at less than PS100. If you're looking for the latest induction technology, it's worth paying a bit more.
This slick-looking model from Smeg boasts the latest induction tech to keep your cooking energy-efficient and convenient. The innovative Auto-pot detection system automatically detects the location of pots with minimum diameters of 9cm, allowing you to select the correct zone without having to manually select it.
Smeg's focus is on energy efficiency, but it doesn't ignore the possibility of flexibility. The hob can be adjusted to save energy based on the maximum temperatures of the zones. Eco-Logic advanced mode enables you to reduce energy consumption, reducing the power output to as low as 2.4kW.
The user-friendly interface of this hob was a hit with testers, thanks to its easy-to-use sliding controls that follow your pan along the edge of it. The control panel's color-coded design makes it easy to determine the status of each zone. The "Flexi duo" feature lets the connection of two zones to accommodate larger pans. There are numerous useful functions including four automatic cooking presets: melting, boiling, slow-cooking, and keeping warm.
The hob also comes with a FlameSensor that can alert you if there's a danger of a meal that's been burned or the possibility of a fire. There are many safety features such as a residual heat sensor as well as an automatic shut-off when the surface is too hot.
It also has an anti-corrosive CleanProtect coating to protect it from tough stains and cooking marks. This hob has nine power levels as well as the FlexiDuo feature to allow for large pans, and is easy to install. There are some additional features such as locking controls and a safety fuse to protect against accidental button pressing.
3. Indesit I-Flex Induction Hob
Induction hobs are powered by electricity, not gas. They make use of copper plates to generate an electric force when a pan or pot is placed on them. They can heat up much faster than gas hobs oven and hob they use less energy since the cooking zone only gets hot when you turn on your pan. They are generally less expensive to run than gas, and they are also less difficult to clean.
Indesit's induction hob is full of features that will allow you to get creative in the cooking. It comes with two distinct zones which can be combined into the Dual Zone to accommodate larger pans, as well as an instant booster zone to quickly bring water to a boil. A range of automatic functions like Push&Go allow you to create perfectly cooked meals at the touch of a button. The controls are easy to use and let you select nine power modes including a P boost setting which gives the highest power in each zone for five minutes.
The controls are simple to operate, and the minimalist design is perfect for a modern kitchen. In our tests, it swiftly heated up a pan after we put it on the Booster Zone, and boiling pasta water. However, it took a long time to cool down after we turned off the hob. Additionally, our testers found it difficult to pinpoint the exact temperature on the control panel.
This Indesit hob also comes with the bridge function, which allows the user to combine two cooking zones for larger pans. It also comes with a child lock and an overheating block and an auto shut-off feature that shuts down the hob when it's overheated. 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. Ventilated ovens hobs in contrast to traditional extractors draw smoke and steam from the pan and out of the room through a duct located on the surface. Our experts believed that the duct on this hob was easy to clean, even though it took two people to take the filter out to change it.
4. GE Induction Hob
When selecting a hob think about how it will fit to your kitchen's design and layout, as well as your cooking style and your lifestyle. Induction hobs are a good choice if you cook with children or older people in mind. They come with safety features like automatic shut-offs as well as a cool-to-touch surface. For those who are looking for speed and efficiency, a ceramic glass fascia on an electric hob is the best alternative. If you live in areas susceptible to load-shedding, the ability to use gas hobs in power outages could make the difference in favor of gas models.