Types of Hobs

A hob (known as stove top in North America) is a cooking appliance that heats up pans with flame or electricity. There are several different types of hobs available, so you can choose one that fits your style and kitchen.

Induction hobs come with flat ceramic surfaces and four or five zones to heat your pans. Modern touch-operated designs are sleek and stylish, and easy to clean.

Ceramic hobs

Ceramic hobs can give your kitchen a modern and sleek appearance. They have a flat glass ceramic surface that is easy to clean, so spills and splatters can be quickly wiped away. They heat up quickly and are energy efficient and can lower your electric bill. Ceramic hobs can be slow in changing the temperature settings. This can be frustrating when you need to cook something that requires a rapid reduction or increase of heat.

Electric hobs are made up of a solid surface that is heated from below by electric elements. The elements can be individually controlled using rotary knobs and notched to the power level you require. You can utilize the Boost feature to boost the temperature of a certain zone. Ceramic hobs retain heat very well, so even when they are turned off, they will be hot to the touch. This could be a problem if you have children, so it's recommended to place them in a location which is far from objects that are flammable and out of reach of young 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's also fairly inexpensive and is a great alternative if you are looking to replace your old stoves without spending a lot of money. As with all appliances, they must be installed correctly and connected to the mains. We recommend hiring an electrician to ensure that your new hobs will be safe to use.

The drawback of this kind of hob is that it's very sensitive to the size of the pan as well as its shape. You will need to purchase cookware that matches the element exactly or fits comfortably in each of the heating zones. If the cookware doesn't match the element, it will not recognize it and won't start to heat the base of the pan. This can cause uneven cooking 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 models, and could require professional installation. However they heat up faster as an entire pot of water can typically boil in less than 4 minutes. This type of hob also is a great choice for cooks who want to control the amount of heat that is produced. Glass hobs are more prone to damage and require more frequent cleaning because they tend to accumulate grease and other residue.

This Bertazzoni hob is a fantastic example of gas on glass. It features four monobloc burners finished in matt black, with control knobs made of metal to create a sleek, elegant appearance. It also includes an oblong wok ring with 4kW to increase versatility, and pan supports that are dishwasher-safe and easier to keep clean.

This Bosch gas hob is a highly recommended model. It is a sleek piece of toughened glass and modern cooking technology. The dual rings that are located to the left of the hob features a double inner flame to improve uniform heat distribution which increases cooking time. It also features a handy power indicator that lets you control the precise temperature of the flame. You can choose from nine preset settings, including the high setting for searing steaks and the low setting for scrambled eggs.

The simple and easy-to-use controls were also loved by our test subjects, who found them to be very simple to use. Some minor disadvantages are the fact that you need to physically press the controls nine times before you can reach the highest temperature and it can be difficult to determine the state of the burners through the glass.

Some of the top gas on glass hobs are available at an affordable price like this Neff model. It's not going to win any design awards but it'll do the job and can be an excellent option for your kitchen at just more than 120 pounds.

Electric hobs

Electric hobs are perfect for modern homes. They not only offer a sleek design that fits into the rest of your kitchen and are also equipped with advanced functions that are safer, quicker and more efficient than their predecessors in terms of energy consumption.

Ceramic glass hobs are among the most popular electric stoves. These hobs are designed with an elegant glazed finish and feature an exterior that is easy to clean and resistant to scratches. They're also often equipped with a power boost feature which lets you increase the temperature of your stove for a short period of time.

Another electric hob that is ideal for modern homes is an induction hob. In contrast to traditional electric and gas plate hobs that use electromagnetic fields to directly heat your cookware. This means they are more energy-efficient and have precise temperature control. However, they require a specific kind of pan to work and can be expensive to install.

Hobs made of glass that are gas-powered are another great option for modern homes. It features a burner beneath the glass, which is flat, similar to a conventional gas stove. The glass is heatproof as well as shatterproof, making it easier to clean than tempered glass. A lot of these hobs are equipped with an "hot surface indicator" that warns you of the temperature.

While gas hobs are still a popular option for many home cooks however, they can be noisy and difficult to clean. They also take time to heat up and cool down and their flame can be hard to control. On the other hand electric hobs are efficient in terms of energy consumption and are easier to clean.

There are electric stoves that work with LPG gas. This allows you to switch between various fuel sources, so you'll have the flexibility to adapt to your lifestyle. It is important to remember that these Hobs Oven will require installation by an approved gas safe engineer and will require a separate cable of 6mm to be installed in your kitchen. They're not suitable for people with pacemakers, since the electromagnetic field can interfere with them.

Induction hobs

Beneath the glass surface of the induction hobs, there are copper coils that generate an alternating electrical current. When an induction-compatible plate is placed on the hob the coils create magnetic fields that heat the pan directly rather than heating a surface of the worktop or a heated plate. This makes induction hobs extremely efficient from an energy standpoint because there's no leftover heat that is wasted.

There are many different models of induction hobs starting from basic models that have one cooking zone that is marked by rings to more advanced multi-zoned hobs that can have up to six zones, allowing the cooking of multiple pots simultaneously on one Flex zone. Some of these premium models have a slider control that is similar to the iPhone. Simply slide your finger across the power bar located in the middle to choose the desired level of heat, left to right increases the heat and right to left decreases it. Some models even have pre-programmed settings for specific recipes or food items 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 heat up faster and have a smaller area for heating which can reduce your energy costs. They also cool faster and have a safer design without hot plates, which makes them perfect for families with young children or elderly persons living in the house. However, they can create a magnetic field which could cause interference with medical devices like pacemakers so it's important to center your pans over the burner and avoid placing small pans on large burners.

Like all electric hobs, you'll need to clean your induction hob on a regular basis, as food and debris can accumulate over time. You can use an oven cleaner, or you can purchase a specialist cleaner to keep your hob clean and in good shape for a longer time. Make sure you don't use abrasive cleaners or scouring pads on your induction hob as they could scratch the surface.