Lonnie Cundiff

Choosing the Best Hob

The best hob to choose depends on your cooking preferences and the space you have available. Choosing the right hob also requires a look at the type of worktop you have as well as the location of your extractor hood.

If you select an own-brand model, the basic gas-on glass stove will cost less than PS100. They are easier to clean and have a range of safety features, including a red indicator that glows when the surface is hot.

1. Flexibility

Whether you're looking to cook up a quick midweek meal or perfect your pancake recipe, a movable hob is essential. The best ovens and hobs hobs give you precise heat control with features like dual wok burners and a large cooking area making them ideal for a wide range of recipes. These hobs can be used in any kitchen due to their sleek design and easy to clean surfaces. In addition, many of them come with the option of adding an extractor fan built-in which eliminates the need for a separate overhead appliance and freeing space on your worktop.

Gas hobs are able to provide instant warmth, so it's not a surprise that they are the most popular choice. However, they need regular cleaning to ensure you aren't putting yourself at risk by carbon build-up on your hob or a fire breaking out. Additionally, they often take longer to boil water than models that use induction.

Induction hobs are able to heat pans more than the surface of the cooker, making them easier to clean. But they can also be more expensive than gas hobs, and their glossy surfaces can expose fingerprints and scratches more easily.

Hybrid hobs offer the benefits of gas and induction cooking in one product, allowing you to change between these two modes based on the kind of food you're cooking. They're great for people who enjoy flexing their culinary skills, but don't have the space or time to invest in a complete kitchen overhaul.

This electric hob is an excellent example of a model which allows for flexibility in style and performance. Its dual flex zones can be joined to accommodate larger pots and pans, while its controls have a child lock feature which prevents children from altering the settings. It's also designed to be connected to a smart hub so you can manage the features via your smartphone.

Smeg's induction stove is a top-quality model that is connected to your home WiFI network. It's loaded with features that facilitate cooking faster and more easily, including automatic pan detection and PowerBoost and the ability to set a timer as well as an option to pause. It's also simple to use, with touch controls that respond immediately to changes you make, and an elegant, modern design.

2. Energy efficiency

The best hobs use as little energy as possible, whether you're cooking soup or bringing water up to boiling point. They're also a great option for those who want to cut down on their electric bill. Induction hobs are the most efficient, using electromagnetic fields to heat your pan directly so that the glass stays cool. This makes them the safest option to avoid burns from accidental accidents. While gas hobs aren't as efficient, they can be more affordable to run than electric ones.

The Miele I-Flex induction stove is our top pick. It provides a lot of flexibility due to the "I Flex' zone, which allows you to join two cooking zones together to create a larger area which allows you to use large pots and saucepans. Its touch controls come with a child lock to ensure that children aren't able to turn the hob on or alter settings, which is a good option for households with young kids. Although the ceramic glass has a matte surface, it's easy to keep clean with just a wipe.

Another amazing aspect of this hob is its "Pan detection" function, which automatically turns off the cooking zone's power after you have removed your pan. It's not the only hob with this feature however it's a fantastic feature that makes life easier when you're cooking a lot of meals for your family or a group of friends.

This is a smart hob that connects to internet so that you can manage it through an app on your smartphone or tablet. It can even alert you when food is ready so that you don't overcook it. This model boiled our test pan of hot water in only four minutes, which is extremely fast for an Induction hob. It has cooking zones that are flexible that you can mix and the "Stop & Go button that reduces all cooking zones to the lowest setting, so it's simple to turn off.

This induction hob is portable and has a compact design that's ideal for camping or a trip to the university. It's the tiniest and lightest hob in our tests, but still has a full set of cooking functions as well as a touch-sensitive slider. It also has an inbuilt "VaryCook" function that allows you to alter the temperature of your pan by dragging it up and down on the surface of your hob. This is perfect for making sauces and caramel.

3. Convenience

You should think about how the hob can fit into your kitchen and what it could contribute to improving the efficiency of your home. This will help narrow down your options so that you can pick the best model for your family and home. It's important to read reviews and find out what others have had to say about the appliance, since it will help you understand its strengths and weaknesses better.

Certain hob brands are famous for their smart technology, which makes them the top choice for those who prefer to control their cooking using their smartphone. For example Samsung's models have electronic timers that let you to set precise cooking times and avoid overcooking. This is particularly beneficial for people who have a busy schedule, as you can use the timer to ensure that meals are prepared at the right time without needing to keep an watch on them.

Gas hobs are also a good option for those looking for traditional style, since they can be used with a range of cookware styles and sizes. This includes non-flat-bottomed pans and pans that can be difficult to place on other hobs. Gas hobs usually come with a variety of settings so that you can alter the temperature to fit your recipe.

Induction hobs are more energy efficient than gas models, and have faster heating times and are an option for those who are looking to modernize a kitchen. Induction hobs with built-in ovens hobs are very popular due to the fact that they can save space by mixing the oven hob and hob into one unit.

Another thing to look out for is a child lock which allows you to block the controls on a stove and protect children from accidental accidents in the kitchen. This is a crucial feature for those with young children, since it can aid in avoiding burns and other injuries. A lot of induction hobs have a feature that allows the linking of two zones together, resulting in a larger cooking surface. This is useful for large pans.

4. Safety

A good hob will have many safety features. A hot hob indicator can alert you when the surface of the hob is heated. This can help prevent accidents in the cooking area. Certain hobs may also include a child lock that will stop children from turning the stove on or altering settings. Some hobs have an option to merge two cooking zones into an even larger area, so you can cook in a larger pan.

This is a fantastic feature for families and can help ensure everyone's safety in the kitchen. It works by observing the temperature of the hob. If it finds that the pan hasn't been placed correctly, or if there is an fire on the hob it will turn off the burner. It's a great method to ensure your home is safe, and it's something you should think about when you shop.

You can pick between electric, gas and induction hobs. Gas hobs use an electric flame to heat your pans while an electric hob comes with electric rings that you can control by pressing a button. There is also the induction hob which uses an electric field to heat your pans. It will not start unless you place a magnetizable pan on top of it. It is a very efficient hob, and it cools quickly when the pan is removed.

This kind of hob is an efficient space-saver since it removes the need for an extractor fan, so you can have a streamlined kitchen design. It is more expensive than other types of hobs, but it's an excellent choice for any family. It can be used to remove the excess steam and smoke from the kitchen. This can improve the air quality at home. This is a fantastic option for families since it will protect you from burns and is easy to clean. There are many different options to consider when choosing a hob and oven, so take the time to study each one prior to making your decision.