Types of Hobs
A hob (known as a stove top in North America) is a cooking appliance that heats up pans using electricity or flames. There are many different types of hobs. You can pick the one that best suits your kitchen and style.
Induction hobs come with a flat ceramic cooking surface and include five or four zones for heating your pans. Modern touch-operated designs are elegant and fashionable, and are easy to clean.
Ceramic hobs
Ceramic hobs can give your kitchen a modern and sleek look. They have a flat glass ceramic surface that's easy to clean, meaning spills and splatters are quickly cleaned. They are quick to heat up and are energy efficient, which can reduce your electricity bill. Ceramic hobs aren't always fast when changing temperature settings. This can be a problem when you need to cook something that requires a quick reduction or an increase in heat.
Electric hobs are made of a solid plate that is heated by electric elements under. They can be individually controlled 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 zone. Ceramic hobs also have very high heat retention, which means they'll stay hot to the touch even after being shut off. It is important to put ceramic hobs in a place that is away from any flammable objects and out of reach of children.
This kind of hob is able to be used on a variety of worktops, including laminate or solid hardwood, as well as granite. It is also relatively inexpensive and can be an excellent alternative if you are looking to replace your stove without spending a lot. As with all appliances, they must be properly installed and connected to the mains. We recommend hiring an electrician to ensure that your new hobs are safe to use.
This type of hob is sensitive to pan shapes and sizes. You'll need to buy cookware that's the exact same size as the element or that will fit comfortably inside each of the heating zones on the hob. If the cookware isn't the same size as the element, it won't recognise it and won't be able to heat the bottom of the pan. This could result in inconsistent cooking results and will make the hob less efficient.
Gas on glass hobs
Gas on glass hobs offer an elegant, modern look. They are more expensive than electric models, and may require professional installations. However they heat up faster as a full pot of water can often boil in less than four minutes. This kind of hob works well for cooks who need to control how much heat is produced. However, it must be observed that a glass-based hob is more prone to damage than stainless steel ones and will need to be cleaned more often, as grease and residue build up tends to remain instead of slipping off.
This Bertazzoni hob is an excellent example of gas on glass. It features four monobloc burners that are matte black with metal control knobs to create a sleek, elegant finish. It also comes with a 4kW wok ring for added versatility, plus pan supports that are dishwasher-safe, making them easy to clean.
Another highly recommended model is this Bosch gas hob, which is a stylish slab of toughened glass and advanced cooking technology. The dual ring design on the left of the hob has an inner flame that doubles to promote improvement in uniform heat distribution and increases cooking time. It also features an excellent power level indicator, which allows you to control the precise temperature of your flame. You can select from nine preset settings, such as a high setting to sear steaks and a low one for scrambled eggs.
The simple and intuitive controls were also well loved by our test subjects, who found them to be very simple to use. A few minor drawbacks are the fact that you need to physically press the controls nine times to reach the highest heating level, and that it can be difficult to discern the status of the burners through the glass.
A few of the top gas on glass hobs are available for an affordable price like this Neff model. Although it's unlikely to win any design awards however, it serves the purpose well and is an ideal addition to your kitchen for less than 120 pounds.
Electric hobs
Electric hobs are perfect for modern homes. They're not only elegant and stylish, but they are also safer, faster, and more energy efficient than their predecessors.
One of the most well-known electric hobs is a ceramic glass hob. These hobs are designed with an elegant glazed finish and feature an easy surface to clean and resistant to scratches. They're also usually fitted with a power boost feature, which allows you to increase the heat of your cooker for a short amount of time.
Induction hobs are another electric hob perfect for modern homes. As opposed to traditional gas and electric plate hobs, induction hobs use electromagnetic fields to directly heat your cookware. This means they are more energy-efficient and offer precise temperature control. They require a specific kind of pan and can be costly to set up.
A gas on glass hob is another option that's a great choice for modern homes. It is equipped with a burner under the glass, which is flat, similar to a conventional gas stove. However the glass is heatproof and shatterproof, so it's easier to clean than tempered glass. A lot of these hobs have a "hot surface indicator" that alerts you to the heat.
Gas hobs remain a preferred choice for many home chefs, but they can be noisy and difficult to clean. best hobs can take a long time to heat up and cool down and their flames can be difficult to control. However electric hobs are efficient in terms of energy consumption and are easier to clean.
There are even electric stoves that can be used with LPG gas. This allows you to switch between different fuel sources, so you'll have the flexibility to fit your needs. It is important to remember that these stoves will require installation by an approved gas safe engineer and require a separate cable of 6mm to be installed in your kitchen. These hobs are not suitable for people with pacemakers as the electromagnetic field could cause interference with them.
Hobs with induction
Copper coils conduct an alternating electric current under the glass surface of an induction hob. When an induction-compatible pot is placed on a stove, the coils create magnetic fields that generate heat directly in the pan, rather than heating the surface of the worktop (gas) or the heated plate (electric). This makes induction hobs extremely efficient from an energy perspective because there's no leftover heat that is wasted.
There are many models of induction stoves, from the basic entry-level ones with a single zone marked by rings, to more advanced multi-zoned induction stoves with up to 6 zones that allow multiple pots to be cooked simultaneously in one flex space. Certain models have a touch slider control that looks very similar to the way you use on an iPhone. You can select the desired temperature by moving your finger from left to right over the power bar in the middle. Some models even have pre-programmed settings for certain recipes or food types which can save you time and effort in the kitchen.
Induction hobs tend to be more expensive than ceramic hobs, but they are believed to be more energy efficient over the long term as they heat up much quicker and have a smaller surface for heating up which can help reduce your energy bills. They cool down faster, and they have a safer design without hot plates. This makes them ideal for families that have elderly or children. However, they do generate magnetic forces that can affect 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 electric hob clean, as food and debris can build up over time. You can use an oven cleaner, or invest in a specialist product to keep your stove sparkling and in good order for a longer time. You should never use the abrasive cleaning products or the scouring pad on your induction stove as they may scratch the surface.