Types of Hobs
A hob, also known as a stovetop in North America, is a cooking appliance that heats pans by using electric or flames. There are a variety of hobs. You can pick the one that is best suited to your kitchen and design.
Induction hobs come with a flat ceramic surface and a range of four or five zones to heat your pans. The contemporary designs that operate with a touch are elegant and chic and are easy to clean.
Ceramic hobs
Ceramic hobs provide a sleek and modern look that can enhance the overall appearance of your kitchen. The flat glass-ceramic surfaces are simple to clean and are able to be cleaned up when spills or splatters happen. They are quick to heat up and are energy efficient, which can reduce the cost of electricity. Ceramic hobs can be slow in changing the temperature settings. This can be a problem when you have to cook something that requires quick reduction or an increase in temperature.
Electric hobs use plates that are heated by electric elements beneath. The power of each element can be adjusted individually via the rotary knobs. You can use the Boost feature to boost the temperature of a particular zone. Ceramic hobs retain heat very well, so even when they are turned off, they will still be hot to the touch. It is important to put ceramic hobs in a place that is away from flammable items and out of reach of children.
This type of hob can be installed on a variety worktops including laminate, solid hardwood and granite. It is also relatively inexpensive and can be an excellent option if you want to replace your old stoves without spending a lot. Like all appliances, they must be installed correctly and ovens connected to the mains. We recommend hiring an electrician to ensure that your new hobs will be safe to use.
A downside of this type of hob is that it's extremely sensitive to the size of the pan and shape. You'll need cookware that is either the exact same dimensions as the element or that will fit comfortably inside the heating zones on the hob. If the cookware isn't compatible the element, it will not recognise it and won't begin to heat up the bottom of the pan. This could result in uneven cooking and make the stove less efficient.
Gas on glass hobs
Gas-powered glass hobs have an elegant, modern look. They are more expensive than electric hobs, and require professional installation. However they heat up faster - a full pot of water can typically boil in less than 4 minutes. This type of hob also is a great choice for cooks who wish to limit the amount of heat is generated. Glass hobs are more prone to damage and require more frequent cleaning since they tend to build up grease and best place to buy oven And Hob residue.
A great example of a gas-on-glass model is this Bertazzoni hob, that has four matt black monobloc burners with accurate metal control knobs that create a an elegant and sophisticated look. It also has the wok ring that has 4kW to increase versatility, and pan supports that are dishwasher-safe, making them easier to keep clean.
Another highly recommended model is this Bosch gas hob that combines an attractive slab of toughened glass with advanced cooking technology. The dual ring design to the left side of the gas hob provides a double inner burner to improve heat distribution and speed up cooking. It also features an easy-to-read power indicator that lets you control the exact temperature of the flame. You can choose from nine pre-defined settings, including the highest setting for searing steaks and a low setting for scrambled eggs.
The simple, yet intuitive controls were also well appreciated by our testers who found them be very easy to use. A few minor issues are that you must press the controls nine times to reach the highest heating level and that the glass can make it difficult to discern the burners' actions.
This Neff model is one of the top gas-on-glass hobs that are available at an affordable price. It's not going win any design awards but it'll serve its purpose and be a fantastic option for your kitchen at just over PS120.
Electric hobs
Electric hobs are ideal for modern homes. They not only offer an elegant design that blends into the rest of your kitchen as well, but they also offer advanced functions that are safer, faster and more energy-efficient than their predecessors.
Ceramic glass hobs are among the most well-known electric stoves. These hobs are designed with a sleek glazed finish, and have an easy surface to clean and resistant to scratches. They're also often equipped with a power boost feature which lets you increase the heat of your hob for a short period of time.
Another electric hob that is suitable for modern homes is an induction hob. Unlike traditional gas and electric plate hobs, induction hobs utilize electromagnetic fields to directly heat your cookware. They are therefore more energy efficient and offer precise temperature control. They require a special type of pan, and could be expensive to put in.
A gas on glass hob is another option that's a great choice for modern homes. It features a burner beneath the glass, which is flat, similar to a conventional gas stove. However it's shatterproof and heatproof, so it's much simpler to clean than glass that is tempered. Many of these hobs also come with a 'hot surface indicator', which alerts you when the hob is hot.
Although gas hobs are a popular option for many home cooks but they can be noisy and difficult to clean. They also take a while to heat up and cool down and their flame can be hard to manage. Electric hobs, on the other hand, are more efficient in energy use and easier to clean.
To achieve the highest level of modern technology You can even find electric stoves that are compatible with LPG gas. You can switch between various fuels, providing you with the flexibility needed to meet your needs. It's important to note that these stoves will need to be installed by a registered gas safe engineer. They also require a dedicated cable of 6mm for your kitchen. They're not suitable for people with pacemakers, since the electromagnetic field can cause interference with them.
Hobs with induction
Copper coils create an electric current that is alternating beneath the glass surface of an induction hob. When an induction-compatible dish is placed on a hob the coils generate magnetic fields that produce heat directly within the pan instead of heating the surface of the worktop (gas) or a heated plate (electric). This makes induction hobs very efficient from an energy standpoint, as there's no residual heat being wasted.
There are a variety of models of induction stoves from the basic entry-level ones with a single zone labelled by rings, to more advanced multi zoned induction stoves that can have up to 6 zones that allow multiple pots to cook simultaneously on one flex area. Some of these models have a touch slider control that looks very similar to the way you use an iPhone. Simply slide your finger across the power bar located in the middle to choose the desired level of heat, left to right increases the heat and right to left decreases it. Some models have preset settings that are specific to food types or recipes that can cut down time in the kitchen.
Induction hobs can be more expensive than ceramic hobs. However, they are thought to be more energy efficient over the long term as they heat up much quicker and have a smaller area to heat up, which can help you save on energy bills. They cool faster and also are more secure without hot plates. This makes them perfect for families with elderly or children. 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 using small pans on large burners.
As with all electric hobs, you'll need to keep your induction hob clean as food and debris can accumulate over time. You can either make use of a basic oven cleaning product or invest in a specialist one to keep your oven with hob in good condition and shiny for a longer time. Just be sure to never use the abrasive cleaning pads or scouring pads on your induction cooker as they could scratch the surface.