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 choose the one that best suits your kitchen and style.
Induction hobs come with an elongated ceramic cooking surface and include four or five zones to heat 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, sleek look. The flat glass-ceramic surfaces are simple to clean and are able to be cleaned when spills or splatters happen. They also heat up very quickly and are energy efficient which helps reduce your energy bills. However, one disadvantage of ceramic hobs is that they can be slow to change temperatures and can be a hassle when cooking food that requires a quick reduction or an increase in heat.
Electric hobs utilize a solid plate that is heated by electric elements under. They can be individually controlled with rotary knobs, and then tacked to the power level you require. You can even utilize the 'boost' feature to boost the heat of a single area. Ceramic hobs hold heat extremely well, so even when they've been shut off, they'll be hot to the touch. This can be a problem when you have children, so it's advisable to place them in an area that is well away from objects that are flammable and out of reach of children.
The advantage of this type of hob is that it can be installed in a variety of worktops, such as laminate or solid wood, as well as granite. It's also fairly inexpensive and can be a great alternative if you are looking to replace your stove without spending a lot of money. However, like all appliances they must be installed correctly and connected to the mains, so we would recommend hiring an electrician who is experienced to ensure that your new hobs are safe to use.
This type of hob is sensitive to the pan's size and shape. You'll need to buy cookware that's exactly the same size as the element, or that can fit comfortably into the heating zones on the hob. If the cookware doesn't match, then the element won't recognize it and won't start to heat up the bottom of the pan. This could result in uneven cooking and make the hob less efficient.
Gas on glass hobs
Gas-powered glass hobs have a sleek, modern aesthetic. While they can cost more than electric models and require professional installation, they typically take less time to heat up. It's not unusual for a full pan of water to come to a boil within four minutes or less. This kind of hob is a great choice for cooks who wish to control how much heat is produced. However, it should be noted that a glass hob is more susceptible to damage than stainless steel models and will likely require cleaning more often, since the accumulation of grease and residue tends to remain instead of sliding off.
This Bertazzoni hob is a fantastic example of gas on glass. It comes with four monobloc burners in matt black with metal control knobs for a stylish, sophisticated appearance. The wok ring has a power of 4kW to allow for more versatility and the pan supports are dishwasher-safe.
Another highly recommended model is this Bosch gas hob that combines an attractive slab of toughened glass with the latest cooking technology. The dual ring design at the left of the gas hob features an inner burner that doubles to increase heat distribution and speed up cooking. It also features an excellent power level indicator that helps to regulate the precise temperature of the flame. You can select from nine pre-defined settings, including the highest setting for searing steaks and a low setting for scrambled eggs.
Our test subjects also appreciated the controls as they were simple and intuitive. A few minor issues are that you need to press the controls nine times before reaching the maximum temperature and the glass can make it difficult to see what the burners are doing.
This Neff model is one of the best gas-on-glass hobs that you can buy at a reasonable price. Although it's unlikely to be a winner of any design awards, it does the job well and is an excellent addition to your kitchen at just 120 pounds.
Electric hobs
Electric hobs are perfect for modern homes. They're not just sleek and stylish, but also faster, safer and more energy efficient than their predecessors.
Ceramic glass hobs are among the most popular electric stoves. These hobs have a sleek glazed finish, and have a surface that is easy to clean and resistant to scratches. They're also typically equipped with a power boost function that allows you to increase the heat of your cooker for a short amount of time.
Induction hobs are another electric hob that is ideal for modern homes. Induction hobs cook your food directly with electromagnetic fields unlike traditional electric and gas plates. They are therefore more energy-efficient and offer precise temperature control. However Ovens And Hobs require a particular kind of pan to function and can be costly to install.
A gas-on-glass hob is a second option that's an excellent option for modern homes. It features a burner beneath the glass, which is flat, like a traditional gas stove. The glass is heatproof and shatterproof, making it much easier to clean than glass that is tempered. A majority of these hobs come with a 'hot surface indicator' that warns you when the oven is hot.
While gas hobs are still a popular option for many home cooks, they can be noisy and difficult to clean. The flame can also be difficult to control and take a long time to warm up and cool down. In contrast, electric hobs are more energy-efficient and simpler to clean.
There are electric stoves that can be used with LPG gas. You can switch between different fuels, providing you with the flexibility needed to meet your needs. However, it's important to note that these hobs need to be installed by a gas safe registered engineer and require a dedicated 6mm cable to be installed in your kitchen. These hobs are also not suitable for those with pacemakers since the electromagnetic field can interfere with them.
Induction hobs
Copper coils conduct an alternating electric current beneath the glass surface of an induction hob. When an induction-compatible dish is placed on a stove, the coils produce magnetic fields that produce heat directly within the pan instead of heating the surface of the worktop (gas) or the heated plate (electric). Induction hobs are efficient in terms of energy efficiency, since they don't use any heat.
There are a variety of models of an induction hob, from basic entry level ones that have only one cooking zone with rings to more advanced multi-zoned hobs that can have up to six zones and allow the cooking of multiple pots simultaneously on one flexible zone. Certain models feature a slider control that is similar to the iPhone. You can select the desired temperature by swiping your finger from left to right over the power bar in the middle. Some models have preset settings that are specific to recipes or food types that can cut down 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 since they heat up quicker and use a smaller space to heat up, which can help reduce your energy bills. They cool faster and also have a safer design without hot plates. This makes them perfect for families that have children or elderly people. However, they do create a magnetic force that could interfere with certain medical devices like pacemakers. It is therefore essential to center the pans and avoid using smaller pans with larger burners.
Like all electric hobs, you will have to clean your induction hob frequently, since food particles and other debris may build up over time. You can make use of a basic oven cleaner or purchase a specialist one to keep your hob in good condition and shining for a longer time. Be sure to not use abrasive cleaners or pads for scouring on your induction cooker as they can scratch the surface.