Types of Hobs

A hob (known as stove top in North America) is a cooking appliance that heats pans with flame or electricity. There are many different types of hobs. You can pick the one that best ovens fits your kitchen and your style.

Induction hobs feature flat cooking surfaces made of ceramic and include five or four zones to heat your pans. Modern touch-operated designs are sleek and fashionable, and are easy to clean.

Ceramic hobs

Ceramic hobs offer an elegant and contemporary look which can greatly improve the overall look of your kitchen. They have a flat glass-ceramic surface that is easy to clean, so spills and splatters are quickly wiped away. They are quick to heat up and are energy-efficient which means they can cut down on the cost of electricity. However, one disadvantage of ceramic hobs is that they can be slow to change temperatures, which can be frustrating if you're cooking something that requires immediate reduction or increase in temperature.

Electric hobs are made up of a solid, textured surface that is heated from below by electric elements. The elements can be controlled separately by rotary knobs and nipped up to the level of power you require. You can even use the boost feature to increase the heat of a single area. Ceramic hobs are able to hold heat well, and even after they have been turned off, they'll be hot to the touch. This could be a problem if you have children, so it's best oven to only install them in a location that is away from objects that are flammable and not within reach of young children.

This kind of hob can be used on a variety of worktops including laminate, solid hardwood and granite. It is also relatively inexpensive and is a great option if you want to replace your old stoves without spending a large amount of money. As with any appliance, they must be installed correctly and connected to the mains. We recommend hiring an electrician to ensure your new hobs are safe to use.

This type of hob is sensitive to pan sizes and shapes. It is necessary to purchase cookware that is either the exact same size as the element, or that can fit comfortably into each of the heating zones on the hob and oven. If the cookware doesn't fit, then the element will not recognise it and won't begin to heat up the base of the pan. This could result in inconsistent cooking results and will make the stove less efficient.

Gas on glass hobs

Gas-powered glass hobs have a sleek, modern aesthetic. While they cost more than electric models and may require professional installation, they usually require less time to heat up. It's not uncommon for a full pan of water to come to a boil within four minutes or less. This type of hob is also a great option for cooks who want to control the amount of heat produced. However, it should be noted that a glass hob can be more vulnerable to damage than stainless steel ones and will need to be cleaned more often, since grease and residue build up tends to stay on the surface rather than slide off.

A great example of a gas on glass model is this Bertazzoni hob, that has four black monobloc burners with accurate metal control knobs that create a a stylish and sophisticated finish. The wok ring is 4kW to allow for more versatility and the pan supports are dishwasher-safe.

This Bosch gas hob is another highly recommended model. It combines a stylish piece of toughened glass with cutting-edge cooking technology. The dual ring design on the left side of the hob features the double inner flame to promote improvement in uniform heat distribution and accelerates cooking time. It also comes with an easy-to-read power level indicator that assists in regulating the exact temperature of your flame. You can choose between nine preset settings, such as the highest setting for sear steaks and a lower one for scrambled egg.

Our test participants also liked the controls because they were simple and intuitive. Some minor disadvantages are the fact that you need to physically press the controls nine times to get to the highest temperature, and that it can be difficult to discern the state of the burners through the glass.

Some of the best hobs uk gas on glass hobs can be found at affordable prices, such as this Neff model. While it's unlikely to win any design awards but it can do the job well and can be an ideal addition to your kitchen for less than 120 dollars.

Electric hobs

Electric hobs are ideal for modern homes. Not only do they have an elegant design that fits in with the rest of your kitchen as well, but they also offer advanced functions that are safer, faster and more efficient in energy use than their predecessors.

One of the most sought-after electric hobs is the ceramic glass hob. They are designed with a sleek glazed finish, and feature an exterior that is easy to clean and resistant to scratches. These hobs are also fitted with a power booster function that lets you increase your heat for a short time.

Induction hobs are yet another electric hob that is ideal for modern homes. Induction hobs heat your cookware directly using electromagnetic fields, unlike traditional gas and electric plates. This means they are more energy efficient and have precise temperature control. However, they require a specific type of pan to work with them and are costly to install.

A gas on glass hob is a different option that's an excellent choice for modern homes. Similar to a conventional gas hob, it comes with an oven that is surrounded by a layer of flat glass. However, this glass is heatproof and shatterproof, so it's much easier to clean than the typical tempered glass. A majority of these hobs come with a 'hot surface indicator' that warns you when the hob is hot.

Gas hobs remain a preferred choice for many home chefs, but they can be noisy and hard to clean. They can take a long time to warm up and cool down, and their flame can be hard to manage. On the other hand, electric hobs are more energy-efficient and simpler to clean.

For the highest level of modern efficiency You can even find electric hobs that are compatible with LPG gas. You can switch between various fuels, providing you with the flexibility to fit your lifestyle. It's important to note that these stoves must be installed by a registered gas safe engineer and require a 6mm cable in your kitchen. These hobs are not suitable for those with pacemakers because the electromagnetic field may interfere with them.

Hobs with induction

Beneath the glass surface of the induction Hobs Oven, there are copper coils which run an electrical current that varies. When an induction-compatible dish is placed on a hob, the coils create magnetic fields that create heat directly inside the pan instead of heating the surface of the worktop (gas) or an insulated plate (electric). This makes induction hobs very efficient from a energy standpoint since there's no heat being wasted.

There are a variety of models of induction hobs that range from basic ones that have a single cooking zone that is marked with rings to more sophisticated multi-zoned induction hobs that can have up to six zones, allowing the cooking of multiple pots simultaneously on one flexible zone. Some of these models come with the ability to control the temperature using a slider that's similar to the iPhone. Simply swipe your finger over the power bar in the middle to select the desired heat level, left to right boosts heat and right to left reduces it. Certain models have preset settings for specific food types or recipes, which can save time in the kitchen.

Induction hobs do tend to be more expensive than ceramic hobs, but they are believed to be more energy efficient over the long term because they heat up quicker and have a smaller surface to heat up, which can help you save on energy bills. They also cool faster and have a more secure design that doesn't have hot plates, which makes them perfect for families with children or elderly people living in the home. However, they do generate an electric force that could interfere with certain medical devices like pacemakers. It is therefore important to center pans and avoid using smaller pans with larger burners.

As with all electric hobs you'll have to clean your induction hob regularly, as food particles and other debris can build up over time. You can use a standard oven cleaner, or you can opt for a specialist product to keep your hob shiny and in good condition for longer. Just be sure to never use abrasive cleaners or scouring pads on your induction cooker as they could scratch the surface.