How to Choose the best hobs uk Hob
There are many factors to take into consideration when selecting the best hob, from price to energy efficiency. Therefore, deciding which features are essential is vital.
A basic electric ceramic stove could cost as low as PS100 however, you'll have to pay more for a feature-packed model. Gas hobs are another popular choice and provide great temperature control, however they are pricier.
1. Haier I-Flex Induction Hob
With four cooking zones and three 'Push&Go' functions this hob from Haier can assist you in making quick meals. It was among the fastest ways to boil water in our tests, taking just four minutes. It comes with the child lock as well as a pause function so you can stop the process quickly without having to fiddle with controls.
Its style is sleek and modern and is a great match for modern kitchens. It is usually made of glass (shatterproof and heatproof) or ceramic, and has touch controls that sit on top of the worktop to allow for ease of use.
The controls were easy to operate and we loved the display that displays the current power level and the zone that is in use. The 'Boost' feature produces high-powered heat for a short duration, and is ideal for stir-frying, or bringing pans of boiling water to a boil fast. The hot hob light and the automatic shutoff are helpful safety features, too.
However, it's not as sensitive to touch as other hobs tested in this test. It took nine presses to reach maximum temperature, as opposed to seven or six for other models. It takes longer to react when you alter the cooking temperature, meaning you might have to alter settings several times before your pan is ready to cook at the proper temperature.
This model is 60cm long and has four cooking zones. One of it is a half-flex zone, where two areas can easily be joined to accommodate larger pans or pots. The dual-ring design allows it to operate on both "normal" and "boost" power levels. The Boost model is great for frying meat, searing it or bringing pots of water to a rapid boil.
It is fully integrated with the hOn App and has hundreds of recipes, a guide to cooking, and 30 unique programmes divided into different food categories and types of cooking. It has a multislider control panel that has a lockable interface' and can detect the type of pan you're using to determine the appropriate cooking mode. It also works with hOn pans made by third parties and has several safety features such as a lockable panel and boil-dry prevention.
2. Smeg I-Flex Induction Hob
When you're doing work in your kitchen, or searching for a substitute to gas, induction hobs are becoming increasingly popular. Prices have plummeted in the last few years, with the simplest four-zone models available for less than PS100. If you are looking for the most modern induction technology, it's worth paying a bit more.
This sleek model from Smeg has the latest induction technology that makes cooking more efficient and convenient. The Auto-pot detection system detects pots with an overall diameter of at least 9cm and automatically activates the appropriate zone.
Smeg's emphasis on energy efficiency does not mean that they don't offer flexibility This hob is designed to conserve power by adjusting the maximum operating temperature of the zones to meet your cooking requirements. Eco-Logic advanced mode allows you to reduce energy consumption by reducing power output to as little 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's contours along the edges of it. The color scheme of the control panel allows you to quickly determine the operational status of each zone, and the Flexi Duo function allows you to connect two zones together to accommodate larger pans. There are many useful functions, including four automated cooking settings: melting, boiling, slow-cooking, and keeping warm.
The hob also comes with a FlameSensor which will alert you when there's a risk of a food item being burned or a fire. There are a variety of safety features like the residual heat sensor, 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 tough marks and stains from cooking. The stove is simple to install and comes with nine power levels as well as an excellent 'FlexiDuo' feature that allows catering for large pans. There are also a number of bonus features, like locking controls and a safety fuse in case of accidental button-pushing.
3. Indesit I-Flex Induction Hob
Powered by electricity rather than gas, induction hobs make use of copper plates that create an electromagnetic field when the pan is placed on the top. This means they can reach temperatures much quicker than conventional gas hobs and also conserve energy since the cooking zone only heats up when you turn on the pan. They're generally cheaper to run than gas, and they're easier to wipe clean too, which makes them an extremely popular choice.
Indesit's induction cooktop is packed of features to help you be creative when cooking. It comes with two distinct zones which can be combined into the Dual Zone to accommodate larger pans, and an instant booster zone to quickly bring water to a boil. Push&Go, for example, lets you cook flawlessly with the click of a button. And nine power modes including a 'P-boost setting that grants each zone maximum power for five minutes, can be easily selected using the controls, which are positioned along the bottom edge of the cooktop to follow your pans.
The controls are easy to use and have modern, minimalist designs that's ideal for a contemporary kitchen. In our tests, it was able to boil pasta water in a snap and was quick to heat up after placing an oven on the Booster zone. However, it took a long time to cool down once we shut off the hob. Our test participants were unable to determine the precise temperature on the control panel.
This Indesit hob also features a bridge function that allows the user to combine two cooking zones to make larger pans. It also comes with a child lock and overheating block and an auto switch-off system that shuts down the hob when it's too hot. The ceramic glass is simple to clean and there are no flames visible. Our testers liked the fact that it's. Ventilated hobs unlike traditional extractors draw smoke and steam from the pan out of the room via a duct located on the surface. The duct on this hob was easy to clean, however it required two people in order to remove the filter.
4. Induction Hob by GE
Consider how the stove can work with your kitchen's layout and design as well as the style of cooking you prefer. For instance, if you frequently cook with children or elderly people in mind, safety features like an automatic shut-off feature and cool to the touch surface may make an induction stove a better choice. For those who value speed and efficiency, a ceramic glass fascia on an electric hob is the ideal choice. Gas hobs uk are a good option for those who live in areas that are susceptible to power outages.