Types of Hob and Oven
A hob and oven is an essential part of many kitchens and can come in a variety of styles. You can mix and match different types like domino, electric and gas to suit your cooking requirements.
A hob can also be equipped with safety features like child and position controls. They can stop children from touching the stove and stop them changing the heat settings by accident.
Types
In every kitchen, the hob is the main focus and plays a major part in how your cooking comes out. There are many kinds of hobs, and which one you select will depend on the cooking requirements you have.
Gas hobs are the most popular option and provide a quick heating function and instant response to temperature fluctuations. They are a preferred choice for professional chefs as they provide precise control. However, they aren't as easy to clean as other hobs and may require a higher degree of maintenance.
Electric hobs are a flat ceramic surface that has heated elements beneath. They are available in a variety of sizes with between four and six cooking zones. Each zone is equipped with a distinct heating element which you can regulate individually. It is possible to boil potatoes in one ring and cook sausages in another. This type of hob is easier to warm up than gas, and it offers a safer alternative for children since the cooking zone becomes hot only when you place an oven hob on it.
Ceramic hobs are a fashionable and user-friendly alternative to electric and gas hobs. They have a smooth and durable surface that is easy to clean. However they aren't as fast to respond to temperature fluctuations or cool down as other hobs.
Domino hobs are an alternative to gas and electric hobs that have ovens underneath the cooking surface. They are great for kitchens that have small space. They also work well in kitchenettes and flats. They tend to be cheaper than standard hobs and can be energy-efficient, but they are also susceptible to damage and require more frequent maintenance.
Gas
A gas hob is a cooktop with burners that can be fitted into kitchen countertops for a seamless look. Gas hobs are typically powered by LPG or natural gas, however they can also be powered with propane gas. The sleek, modern design can bring sophistication to your cooking space that is modular.
A traditional gas stove is equipped with a number of burners. There are usually four burners, however it can be as many as six. The flames are ignited using a match or by turning a knob. The flames are then controlled by a set of valves that can be adjusted to control the temperature.
Most modern built-in gas stoves however include burners with multiple flames. This lets you control both the inner and outer ring for each burner to allow you to precisely control your cooking. They are also much more efficient and more reliable than earlier models.
In the past, it was essential for the gas stove to be constantly lit to ensure that the burners were hot and well-fueled. This was done to avoid accidents, like accidentally turning on an oven and hob while the stove is still lit by a match or pilot light. Modern cookers are designed with safety in mind. They come with a built-in fire failure device that shuts off burners immediately should the pilot light fail.
Gas stoves and hobs must be cleaned, checked, and maintained regularly. To do this, you should arrange a visit with an Gas Safe registered engineer. They will not only make sure that your appliance is operating correctly, but they will also provide expert advice on how you can prevent any future issues.
Electricity
A well-designed hob is equally important in creating the perfect kitchen. Refrigerators, worktops, freezers, and ovens are the first things that come to mind. The kind of hob you select will influence the way your kitchen works and how easy for you to clean.
Electric hobs have heating elements under a smooth, glass surface. The glass surface is typically cleaned using a nonabrasive cleaner. These elements are activated when you switch on the hob and can be adjusted to various power levels with a knob. They may take longer to warm up than a gas cooker, but once they do they usually provide more constant temperature control. They also have built-in indicators to let you know that a zone is being used or hot from cooking.
Typically, they come in a range of four to six sized rings which can be adjusted to various power levels. They are great for flat-based cookware, but not for cast iron cookware, as they can overheat. Certain models (such as Belling BELCH602T) have dual-ring designs which allow you to cook sausages and boil water on the same ring. Some models include a boost function that concentrates the power of high-powered heat into a single ring for stir fry cooking sauteing meat, or boiling large pots of water.
Induction hobs differ from regular electric models due to the fact that they make use of electromagnetic fields instead of conventional gas flames to heat your cookware. They can achieve precise temperatures quicker and are more energy efficient. They have a cool to the touch surface and flashing indicators that let you know whether a ring was used or is still hot.
Ceramic
Ceramics can be used to make functional or decorative objects. It is made by mixing clay with earthen elements, powders, and water, and then firing it in a high-temperature oven, also known as Kiln. Once made, it can be covered with paint-like or decorative substances to add color and texture.
Ceramic hobs are a perfect blend of design and function to create an exquisite piece of contemporary kitchen furniture. Radiant heating technology is employed to heat the ceramic hobs by passing an electric current through coiled components that are concealed beneath the black glass surface. When they are activated, they create heat, which is then transferred to the pan via an infrared heating system. You can adjust the level of heating by turning the knobs or touch controls.
Some ceramic hobs are dual ring designs that have one smaller and one larger cooking zone which allows you to select the most suitable size for your pan. You can also buy hobs with boosters that generate high-powered heat quickly. This is ideal for searing food or bringing pans to a boil quickly.
As compared to other types of hobs, ceramic cooktops generally take longer to warm up and then change temperature, but once they do they're typically more efficient in terms of energy consumption. You can also opt for vented hobs that incorporate an air-conditioning system that is integrated into the ceramic cooktop. This makes sure that smoke, steam, and cooking smells do not linger in your house.
Induction
Induction hobs contain heating elements comprised of copper wire coils. The coils create electromagnets, which warm the pans that are placed on the top of them. The coils stir the free electrons inside your pan's base metal, which in turn, distributes heat evenly to your food. The surface of the stove is never hot, and the cooking zones automatically turn off when the pan is removed.
Induction hobs tend to be more expensive than other types, but they're also faster to heat and consume 30-70% less energy than ceramic or gas hobs. They are also easier to clean, since the surface of the hob isn't heated, but the contents of the pan do.
Certain manufacturers offer a specific induction model with extra features, such as a pause feature, which cuts the power to your stove whenever you move away from it, or link up two cooking rings at the same time at the same power level for added flexibility. They are commonly called FlexInduction hobs. They are more expensive than traditional induction models but they're worth considering if you prefer to multitask.
Our top choice is this induction hob made by Smeg. It has four good-sized cooking zones, a bridge function and nine power levels that give you plenty of choice for those who want to cook with a lot of passion. In our tests, it did well with precise control and rapid heating when making pancakes. The hob uk also has an integrated dishwasher as well as an automatic pan detection feature to make cleaning simpler. The only problem is that there are only a handful of compatible pans that can use it to cook using utensils with magnetic bases. This can be a problem in the event that you have a large amount of cookware that isn't compatible or some of them are suitable for induction cooktops.