How to Choose the
Best Hob
There are a lot of aspects to consider when choosing the
best oven uk hob, from cost to energy efficiency. Decide what features are most important.
A basic electric ceramic stove could cost as low as PS100, but you'll need to pay more for a feature-packed model. Gas hobs, also popular and provide excellent temperature control but are more expensive, are another alternative.
1. Haier I-Flex Induction Hob
With four cooking zones and three 'Push&Go' functions, this stove from Haier can assist you in making quick meals. It was also one of the most efficient tested to boil water, taking less than four minutes. It has an child lock and pause function so you can stop the process in a snap without having to fiddle with controls.
Its style is sleek and modern it blends seamlessly with contemporary kitchens. It's usually made from glass (shatterproof and heatproof) or ceramic, and comes with touch controls that sit in the same place as the worktop for easy use.
The controls were simple to use and we appreciated the display which shows the current power level and which zone is currently in use. The "Boost" feature generates high-powered heat in a brief time. It's ideal for stir-frying and rapidly boiling pans. Safety features like the hot
best hob light or automatic shutdown are also beneficial.
However, it's not as responsive to touch as some other hobs tested in this test. We observed that it took nine presses on the control to achieve the highest temperature, in contrast to seven or six on other models. It also takes longer for the pan to react when you change the temperature. You may need to adjust the settings several times to achieve the correct temperature.
This model is 60cm long and has four cooking zones. One of the zones is a half-flex, where two areas can easily be joined to accommodate larger pots or pans. Dual-ring design permits it to be operated at both "normal" and "boost" power levels. Boost is perfect for frying meat, searing it or quickly making water come to a quick boil.
It is fully connected through the hOn App, and offers hundreds of recipes, a guide to cooking, and 30 different programmes divided into different food categories and types of cooking. It features a multislider controls panel with a 'lockable interface' and can detect the type of pan you're using to set the correct cooking mode. It also works with hOn pans from third-party manufacturers and has a range of safety features, like the control panel that can be locked and boil-dry protection.
2. Smeg I-Flex Induction Hob
When you're doing work on your kitchen or simply looking for an alternative to gas induction hobs, induction hobs are becoming more popular. Prices have plummeted over the past few years, with basic four-zone models available for less than PS100. If you're looking for the latest induction technology, it is worth paying a bit more.
This sleek model from Smeg comes with the most modern induction technology that makes your cooking energy efficient and convenient. The Auto-pot detection system recognises pots with a diameter of at least 9cm and then automatically activates the appropriate zone.
Smeg's emphasis on energy efficiency does not leave out flexibility too - this hob is designed to conserve power by adjusting the maximum operating temperature of the zones to meet your cooking needs. Eco-Logic advanced mode allows you to save more energy by reducing the power output to as little as 2.4kW.
Testers were impressed with the hob's user-friendly design with easy-to-use controls that slide along the edges of the hob in order to follow the pan. The control panel's color-coded layout makes it easy to identify the status of each zone. The "Flexi Duo" function lets you connect two zones 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 an alarm system that will notify you when there's a risk of a meal that's been burned or an igniting fire. There are many safety features, including a residual heat sensor as well as an automatic switch-off when the surface becomes too hot.
It's also hard-wearing with a protective CleanProtect coating to help it resist hard staining and cooking marks. This model has nine power levels, a 'FlexiDuo feature' to allow for large pans, and is simple to set up. There are also a number of additional features, including lockable controls and a safety fuse in case of accidental button pushing.
3. Indesit I-Flex Induction Hob
They are powered by electricity, not gas, induction stoves utilize copper plates that create an electric field when the pan is placed on the top. They heat up faster than gas hobs, and they also use less energy since the cooking zone is only hot when you turn on your pan. They're generally less expensive to run than gas and are easier to wipe clean too, which makes them a popular choice.
Indesit's induction hob is full of features to help you get creative in the cooking. It comes with two cooking zones that can be combined to form a Dual Zone for larger pans as well as an accelerated Booster zone to bring water to a boiling point quickly. For instance, the Push&Go allows you to cook with perfection by pressing the button. The controls are easy to operate and let you select nine power options, including the P boost option that provides maximum power to each zone for five minutes.
The controls are also easy to use and have a modern, minimalist design that's ideal for a contemporary kitchen. In our tests it quickly heated up a pan once we placed it on the Booster Zone, and boiled pasta water. However, it took an extended time to cool down after we turned off the hob. Additionally, our test participants were unable to determine the precise temperature on the control panel.
This Indesit hob also has a bridge function that allows the user to combine two cooking zones to make larger pans. It also comes with an overheating and child lock block, as well as an auto switch-off system that stops the hob working when it's overheated. Our testers appreciated the fact that there weren't any visible flames that were messy and messy, and the glass is easy to clean. Ventilated 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. The vent on this hob was easy to clean, but it took two people in order to take the filter out.
4. GE Induction Hob
When selecting a kitchen appliance think about how it will fit to your kitchen's design and layout, in addition to your cooking style and lifestyle. For instance, if you frequently cook with children or elderly people in mind, safety features such as automatic shut-off and cool to the touch surface could make an induction stove an ideal choice. For those who are looking for speed and efficiency using a ceramic glass facia on an electric hob is the
Best place to buy oven and hob option. For those who live in areas prone to load-shedding, the ability to use gas hobs in power outages could make the difference in favor of a gas model.