Types of Hobs

A hob (known as a stove top in North America) is a cooking appliance that heats pans by using electricity or flames. There are a variety of hobs. You can pick the one that best suits your kitchen and your style.

Induction hobs come with an elongated ceramic cooking surface and include five or four zones to heat your pans. Modern touch-operated designs look elegant and chic and are easy to clean.

Ceramic hobs

Ceramic hobs offer modern and sleek design which can greatly improve the overall look of your kitchen. The flat glass-ceramic surfaces are easy to clean and can easily be cleaned if spills or splatters occur. They also heat up quickly and are energy efficient and can help reduce your energy bills. However, one downside of ceramic hobs is that they tend to be slow in changing temperature settings which can be a problem when cooking food that requires an instant reduction or an increase in heat.

Electric hobs are made of a solid plate that is heated by electric elements underneath. The power of each element can be adjusted individually through rotary knobs. You can use the Boost feature to boost the temperature of a specific zone. Ceramic hobs retain heat very well, so even after they are turned off, they will be hot to the touch. It is essential to place ceramic hobs in an area that is away from any flammable objects and out of reach of children.

This type of hob can be used on a variety of worktops such as laminate or solid hardwood, as well as granite. It's also reasonably priced and can be a great option if you're trying to replace your old hobs, but without spending a lot of money. Like all appliances, they need to be properly installed and connected to the mains. We recommend hiring an electrician to ensure that your new hobs are safe to use.

The drawback of this kind of hob is that it's extremely sensitive to pan size and shape. You'll need cookware that's either exactly the same size as the element, or that is able to fit in the heating zones on the hob. If the cookware doesn't fit the element, it won't recognize it and will not begin to heat up the bottom of the pan. This can lead to uneven cooking results and make the stove less efficient.

Gas on glass hobs

Gas-powered glass hobs have an elegant, modern look. They can be more expensive than electric hobs, ovens and hobs could require professional installation. However they are also more efficient in heating and an entire pot of water can often boil in less than 4 minutes. This kind of stove is also a great option for cooks who want to control the amount of heat generated. However, it must be observed that a glass-based hob is more susceptible to damage than stainless steel ones and will need to be cleaned more frequently, as grease and residue build up tends to remain instead of sliding off.

This Bertazzoni hob is a fantastic example of gas on glass. It has four monobloc burners finished in matt black with metal control knobs to give it a chic, sophisticated finish. The wok ring is 4kW for extra versatility and the pan supports are dishwasher-proof.

This Bosch gas hob is another highly recommended model. It combines a stylish piece of toughened glass with modern cooking technology. The dual ring design to the left of the gas hob provides an inner burner that doubles to increase heat distribution and increase the speed of cooking. It also has an indicator for power that helps you to control the precise temperature of the flame. You can select from nine pre-defined settings including the high setting for searing steak and an option for scrambled eggs.

The simple, yet easy-to-use controls were also liked by our testers who found them to be very easy to use. A few minor issues are that you must press the controls nine more times before reaching the maximum heating level, and that the glass can make it difficult to see the burners' actions.

Some of the best hobs gas on glass hobs are available at an affordable price, such as this Neff model. It's not going to win any design awards however it's going to do the job and can be a great addition to your kitchen for just over PS120.

Electric hobs

There are many electric hobs that work for modern households. They are not only sleek and stylish, they are also faster, safer, and more energy efficient than their predecessors.

Ceramic glass hobs are among the most sought-after electric stoves. These hobs are designed with sleek glazed finishes, and feature an easy surface to clean and resistant to scratches. They're also typically equipped with a power boost feature which lets you increase the heat of your hob for a brief period of time.

Another electric hob that is ideal for modern homes is an induction hob. Induction hobs heat your cookware directly by using electromagnetic fields, unlike traditional electric and gas plates. This means they are more energy-efficient and offer precise temperature control. They require a specific type of pan and could be expensive to put in.

A gas-on-glass hob is a second option that's a great option for modern homes. It has a burner underneath the glass, which is flat, like a traditional gas stove. However, this glass is shatterproof and heatproof, so it's much easier to clean than standard tempered glass. A lot of these hobs have the "hot surface indicator" that alerts you to the heat.

While gas hobs remain an option that is popular with home cooks however, they can be noisy and difficult to clean. The flame can also be difficult to control and can take a long time to get hot and cool off. However, electric hobs are more efficient in energy use and easier to clean.

There are electric stoves that work with LPG gas. This lets you switch between various fuel sources, so you'll have the flexibility to fit your needs. But, it's important to note that these hobs need to be installed by a gas safe registered engineer and require a dedicated 6mm cable in your kitchen. These hobs are also not suitable for people with pacemakers because the electromagnetic field can interfere with them.

Induction hobs

Beneath the glass surface of induction hobs are copper coils which run an electrical current that varies. When an induction-compatible dish is placed on a stove, the coils create magnetic fields that produce heat directly within the pan instead of heating the surface of the worktop (gas) or the heated plate (electric). Induction hobs are extremely efficient in energy use, since they don't use any heat.

There are a myriad of models of induction hobs that range from basic ones that have only one cooking zone marked by rings to more sophisticated multi-zoned induction hobs that have up to six zones, allowing you to cook multiple pots at once on a Flex zone. Some of these models come with a touch-slider control that resembles to the way you operate an iPhone. You can select the desired temperature by moving your finger from left to right over the power bar in the middle. Certain models have preset settings for certain food items or recipes which can help you save time in the kitchen.

Induction hobs tend to be more expensive than ceramic hobs. However, they are believed to be more energy efficient in the long run since they heat up quicker and use a smaller space for heating up which can help reduce your energy bills. They also cool down quicker and feature a safer design that doesn't have hot plates, which makes them ideal for families with children or elderly people living in the house. However, they create a magnetic field which could interfere with some medical devices such as pacemakers so it's important to center your pans on the burner and avoid using small pans on large burners.

As with all electric hobs you will have to clean your electric hob regularly, as food and debris can accumulate over time. You can make use of a basic oven uk cleaner or invest in a specialist one to keep your hob in good shape and shiny for longer. Avoid using any abrasive cleaning product or a scouring pad on your stove, as they can scratch the surface.