Types of Hobs
A hob (known as a stove top in North America) is a cooking appliance that heats pans with flame or electricity. There are a variety of hobs. You can pick the one that best fits your kitchen and your style.
hobs and ovens come with flat cooking surfaces made of ceramic and have five or four zones for heating your pans. The modern touch-operated designs look sleek and elegant and are easy to clean.
Ceramic hobs
Ceramic hobs can give your kitchen a sleek, modern design. The flat glass-ceramic surfaces can be easy to clean and are able to be cleaned up if spills or splatters occur. They also heat up very quickly and are energy efficient and can help reduce your energy bills. Ceramic hobs can be slow when changing temperature settings. This can be a hassle when you are cooking something that requires a quick reduction or an increase in temperature.
Electric hobs are made of a solid plate that is heated by electric elements beneath. The power of each element can be adjusted individually via rotating knobs. You can use the Boost feature to raise the temperature of a specific area. Ceramic hobs also have very high heat retention, meaning they'll remain hot to the touch even after being shut off. It is important to put ceramic hobs in an area that is safe from flammable items and away from children's reach.
This kind of hob can be installed on a variety worktops, including laminate or solid hardwood, as well as granite. It is also relatively affordable and can be a great option for those looking to replace your old hobs, but without spending a lot of money. As with all appliances, they need to be properly installed and connected to the mains. We recommend hiring an electrician to ensure your new hobs will be safe to use.
A downside of this type of hob is that it's extremely sensitive to the size of the pan as well as its shape. You'll need to buy cookware that's the exact size as the element or that will fit comfortably inside each of the heating zones on the hob. If the cookware is not the same size as the element, the element won't recognise it and won't be able to heat the bottom of the pan. This can cause uneven cooking and make the stove less efficient.
Gas on glass hobs
Gas on glass hobs offer a sleek, modern aesthetic. While they cost more than electric models and may require professional installation, they often require less time to heat up. It's not uncommon for a full pan of water to be boiling in four minutes or less. This type of hob is also a good choice for cooks who want to limit the amount of heat generated. Glass hobs are more vulnerable to damage and require more frequent cleaning since they tend to accumulate grease and sludge.
A great example of a gas-on-glass model is this Bertazzoni hob, which boasts four black monobloc burners with accurate metal control knobs for a a stylish and sophisticated finish. It also comes with an oblong wok ring with 4kW to increase versatility, and pan supports that are dishwasher-safe, making them easier to keep clean.
Another highly recommended model is this Bosch gas hob that combines a stylish slab of toughened glass with advanced cooking technology. The dual ring design to the left of the gas hob has a double inner burner to increase heat distribution and increase the speed of cooking. It also features an easy-to-read power level indicator that helps to regulate the exact temperature of your flame. You can select from nine preset settings, including a high setting for searing steaks and an option for scrambled eggs.
The simple, yet easy-to-use controls were also appreciated by our testers who found them to be extremely easy to use. Some minor disadvantages are that you have to physically press the controls nine times before you can reach the highest temperature and it may be difficult to discern the status of the burners through the glass.
A few of the top gas on glass hobs can be found at an affordable price like this Neff model. It's not going win any design awards, but it will do the job and can be an excellent addition to your kitchen at just over PS120.
Electric hobs
There are many electric hobs that are perfect for modern homes. Not only do they offer an elegant design that fits in with the rest of your kitchen and are also equipped with advanced functions that are safer, faster and more efficient in energy use than their predecessors.
One of the most well-known electric hobs is the ceramic glass hob. These hobs have sleek glazed finishes, and feature an exterior that is easy to clean and resistant to scratches. They're also typically equipped with a power boost function which lets you increase the heat of your hob for a brief period of time.
Induction hobs are another electric hob perfect for modern homes. Induction hobs heat your cookware directly by using electromagnetic fields, unlike traditional electric and gas plates. They are therefore more energy-efficient and provide precise temperature control. They require a special kind of pan and can be costly to set up.
A gas on glass hob is another option that is a good choice for modern homes. It features a burner beneath an unidirectional glass layer similar to a standard gas stove. The glass is heatproof as well as shatterproof, making it easier to clean than tempered glass. Many of these hobs are equipped with a "hot surface indicator" which alerts you to the temperature.
Gas hobs remain a preferred option for many home cooks however they can be noisy and difficult to clean. They also take a while to warm up and cool down, and their flame can be difficult to manage. Electric hobs, on other hand, are more efficient in energy and are easier to clean.
There are even electric stoves that work with LPG gas. This allows you to switch between different fuel sources, meaning you'll have the flexibility to suit your lifestyle. However, it's important to keep in mind that these hobs must be installed by a registered gas safe engineer and require a specific 6mm cable in your kitchen. They are also not suitable for those with pacemakers since the electromagnetic field could interfere with them.
Hobs with induction
Under the glass surface of induction hobs are copper coils which run an alternating electrical current. When an induction compatible pan is placed on the hob, the coils generate magnetic fields that directly heat the pan instead of heating a surface of the worktop or a heated plate. Induction hobs are efficient in energy use, since they don't squander heat.
There are a variety of models of induction hobs starting from basic ones that have only one cooking zone that is marked with rings to more advanced 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 slider control that is similar to the iPhone. Simply swipe your finger across the power bar located in the middle to select the desired heat level left to right boosts heat and right-to-left decreases it. Some models have pre-programmed settings for specific recipes or food types which can save you time and effort in the kitchen.
Induction hobs are more expensive than ceramic hobs. However they are more energy efficient over the long run. They can heat faster and have a smaller heating space which can lower 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 home. However, they do create magnetic forces that can cause interference with certain medical devices such as pacemakers. It is therefore crucial to center pans and avoid using smaller pans on bigger burners.
Like all electric hobs, you'll need to keep your induction hob clean, as food and debris can accumulate over time. You can use an oven cleaner, or you can opt for a specialist product to help keep your hob clean and in good shape for longer. Be sure to not use the abrasive cleaning pads or pads to scour your induction hob since they can scratch the surface.