Types of Hobs
A hob, which is also known as stovetop in North America, is a cooking appliance that heats pans with flames or electricity. There are many different types of hobs. You can pick the one that best suits your kitchen and your style.
Induction Hobs oven come with an elongated ceramic surface and a range of four or five zones to heat your pans. The contemporary designs that operate with a touch are sleek and stylish and are easy to clean.
Ceramic hobs
Ceramic ovens hobs can give your kitchen a sleek, modern design. The flat glass-ceramic surfaces are easy to clean and can easily be wiped down in the event of spills or splatters. They are quick to heat up and are energy-efficient, which can reduce your electricity bill. However, one disadvantage of ceramic hobs is that they may be slow in changing temperature settings, which can be frustrating if you're cooking something that requires an instant reduction or increase in temperature.
Electric hobs utilize an uncooked plate that is heated by electric elements beneath. The power of each element can be adjusted via the rotary knobs. You can use the Boost feature to raise the temperature of a particular area. Ceramic hobs also have very high rate of heat retention, meaning they'll remain hot to the touch after being shut off. It's important to install ceramic hobs oven in a place that is safe from items that could ignite and out of reach of children.
This type of hob can be installed on a variety worktops such as laminate or solid hardwood, as well as granite. It is also relatively affordable and is a great option for those looking to replace your old hobs, but without spending a lot of money. However, just like any other appliance, they do need to be properly installed and connected to the mains, so we would recommend hiring a professional electrician to ensure your new hobs are safe for use.
This kind of hob is sensitive to pan sizes and shapes. It is necessary to purchase cookware that's either the exact size as the element, or that is able to fit in each heating zone on the hob. If the cookware is not the same size as the element, the element won't recognise it and won't heat the bottom of the pan. This can cause uneven cooking and make the stove less efficient.
Gas on glass hobs
Glass hobs with gas are sleek and contemporary in appearance. They are more expensive than electric hobs, and could require professional installation. However they heat up faster as the water in a full pot can often boil within less than four minutes. This kind of hob is also a great option for cooks who want to control the amount of heat generated. Glass hobs are more prone to damage and require more frequent cleaning because they tend to accumulate grease and residue.
This Bertazzoni hob is a fantastic example of gas on glass. It features four monobloc burners in matt black with metal control knobs to create a sleek, elegant appearance. It also comes with a 4kW wok ring for additional versatility, as well as pan supports that are dishwasher-safe and easier to keep clean.
Another highly recommended model is this Bosch gas hob, which is an attractive slab of toughened glass and advanced cooking technology. The dual ring design on the left of the gas hob provides an inner burner that doubles to improve the distribution of heat and increase the speed of cooking. It also features a handy power level indicator that assists in regulating the exact temperature of the flame. You can choose from nine pre-defined settings including a high setting for searing steak and the low setting for scrambled eggs.
The simple, yet intuitive controls were also well loved by our test subjects who found them to be very easy to use. Some minor issues are that you have to physically press the controls nine times to reach the highest level of heating, and that it can be difficult to discern the status of the burners through the glass.
Some of the top gas on glass hobs are available for an affordable price, such as this Neff model. It's not likely to win any design awards but it'll perform the task and be a great addition to your kitchen at just above PS120.
Electric hobs
Electric hobs are a great choice for modern homes. They not only offer an elegant design that fits in with the rest of your kitchen and are also equipped with advanced functionality that is safer, more efficient and efficient than their predecessors in terms of energy consumption.
Ceramic glass hobs are among the most popular electric stoves. They're constructed with a sleek glazed finish and feature an easy-to-clean surface resistant to smudges and scratches. These hobs are also fitted with a power booster function that allows you to increase your heat for a short period of time.
Another electric hob that is perfect for modern homes is an induction hob. Induction hobs heat your cookware directly using electromagnetic fields, unlike traditional electric and gas plates. They are therefore more energy efficient and offer precise temperature control. However, they require a specific type of pan to work and can be costly to install.
Hobs made of glass that are gas-powered are a great alternative for modern homes. It has a burner underneath a flat glass layer, similar to a conventional gas stove. However it's heat-resistant and shatterproof, which means it's much easier to clean than standard tempered glass. Many of these hobs also include a 'hot-surface indicator' that warns you when the hob and oven is hot.
Gas hobs are a popular option for many home cooks however they can be noisy and difficult to clean. They also take time to warm up and cool down and their flames can be hard to control. Electric hobs on the other side, are more efficient in energy use and easy to clean.
There are electric stoves that can be used with LPG gas. This lets you switch between various fuel sources, meaning you can adjust your cooking to adapt to your lifestyle. But, it's important to keep in mind that these hobs need to be installed by a gas safe registered engineer and will require a dedicated 6mm cable to be installed in your kitchen. They're also not suitable for people who have pacemakers, as the electromagnetic field could interfere with them.
Induction hobs
Copper coils run an alternating electric current beneath the glass surface of an induction hob. When an induction-compatible pot is placed on a hob the coils create magnetic fields that generate heat directly inside the pan, rather than heating the surface of the worktop (gas) or the heated plate (electric). Induction hobs are efficient in terms of energy efficiency, since they don't squander heat.
There are many models of induction stoves from the basic ones with a single zone identified by rings up to more advanced multi-zoned induction stoves with up to six zones and allow multiple pots to be cooked in one flex space. Some of these models come with a touch slider control that looks very similar to the way you operate an iPhone. You can choose the desired temperature by moving your finger from left to right over the power bar located in the middle. Certain models can even be programmed with settings for certain recipes or food types which can save you time and effort in the kitchen.
Induction hobs tend to be more expensive than ceramic hobs, however they are considered to be more energy efficient over the long term because they heat up faster and have a smaller surface to heat up, which can help you save on energy bills. They cool down faster and also are more secure without hot plates. This makes them a great choice for families that have children or elderly residents. They do, however, produce magnetic forces that can interfere with certain medical devices such as pacemakers. It is therefore important to center pans and avoid using smaller pans on larger burners.
Like all electric hobs you'll have to keep your induction hob clean regularly because food and debris could build up over time. You can use a standard oven hob cleaner, or purchase a specialist cleaner to keep your stove shiny and in good condition for longer. Be sure to not use the abrasive cleaning pads or pads to scour your induction hob uk as they can scratch the surface.