How to Choose the Best Hob
There are a lot of aspects to consider when choosing the ideal hob, ranging from price to energy efficiency. Therefore, deciding on the features that are essential is vital.
A basic electric ceramic hob can cost as little as PS100, but you'll need to spend more to get a high-end model. Gas hobs are also a popular option and offer excellent temperature control, but they're more expensive.
1. Haier I-Flex Induction Hob
This Haier hob comes with four cooking zones, three 'Push&Go" functions and can assist you in making quick meals. It was among the fastest ways to boil water in our tests, taking only four minutes. It has an child lock and an pause feature, so you can stop the process swiftly without having to fiddle with controls.
Its design is sleek and modern, blending in well with contemporary kitchens. It's typically made of glass (shatterproof and heatproof) or ceramic, and has controls that are flush with the worktop for easy use.
The controls were easy to use and we appreciated the display which shows the current power level and the zone that is in use. The 'Boost' feature creates high-powered heat for a short duration, and is ideal for stir-frying or bringing pans of water to a boil quickly. Safety features like the light on the hot hob or automatic shutdown are also useful.
It's not as responsive as the other hobs we tested in this test. It took nine presses to reach maximum temperature, as opposed to seven or six for other models. It also takes longer to respond when you change the temperature of cooking, which means you may have to change settings multiple times before your pan is at the right temperature.
The model measures 60 cm and comes with four cooking zones. One of them is a half-flex zone, where two areas can easily be joined to accommodate larger pots or pans. Dual-ring design permits it to operate on both "normal" and "boost" power levels. It is great for cooking meat, searing it or quickly bring water to a fast boil.
It's fully connected through the hOn app, and offers 100's of recipes, with cooking instructions and 30 different programs divided into different food categories and types of preparation. It has an intuitive multislider interface as well as a lockable' control panel, plus it will automatically recognize the kind of pan you're using and set the proper cooking mode. It also works with hOn pans from third-party manufacturers and comes with a variety of security features, including an adjustable control panel that locks and boil-dry protection.
2. Smeg I-Flex Induction Hob
Whether you're having work done in your kitchen or seeking a better alternative to gas induction hobs, induction hobs are becoming increasingly popular. Prices have plummeted over the past few years, with the simplest four-zone models starting at less than PS100. If you're looking for the latest induction technology, it's worth paying a little more.
This sleek-looking model from Smeg boasts the latest induction tech to keep your cooking energy-efficient and convenient. The Auto-pot detection system detects pots that have dimensions of at least 9cm and then automatically will activate the appropriate zone.
Smeg's primary focus is on energy savings however, it doesn't overlook flexibility - this hob can be adjusted to save power based on the maximum temperatures of the zones. Eco-Logic advanced mode allows you to save more energy by reducing the power output to as low as 2.4kW.
Testers were impressed by the hob's user-friendly design with easy-to-use controls that slide across the edge of the hob, allowing it to follow the pan. The control panel's colour scheme allows you to quickly determine the operating status of each zone, while the Flexi Duo function allows you to connect two zones together to accommodate larger pans. There are many useful features, including four automatic cooking settings: melting, boiling, slow-cooking and keeping warm.
The hob also comes with an alarm system that will notify you if there's a danger of a food item being burned or a fire. There are also several safety features, including a residual heat indicator and an automatic shut-off when the surface becomes too hot.
It's also hard-wearing with an anti-corrosive CleanProtect coating to help it resist get more info hard marks and stains from cooking. This hob has nine power levels as well as a 'FlexiDuo feature' for accommodating large pans and is easy to install. There are a host of additional features, like lockable controls and an emergency fuse in the event of accidental button pushing.
3. Indesit I-Flex Induction Hob
Powered by electricity rather than gas, induction hobs use copper plates that create an electric field when the pan is set on the top. They can heat up much quicker than gas hobs, and they use less energy because the cooking area only gets hot when you turn on the pan. They are generally less expensive to operate than gas and they are also less difficult to clean.
Indesit's induction hob is full of features that will allow you to be creative when cooking. It has two separate zones which can be combined into a Dual Zone to accommodate larger pans, and an instant booster zone to quickly bring water to a boil. Push&Go, for example, lets you cook flawlessly by pressing one button. Nine power modes that include a 'P boost setting that gives each zone maximum power for five minutes, are easily set using the controls, which are positioned across the bottom of the hob to track the pans.
The controls are easy to use and have a modern, minimalist design that is perfect for a modern kitchen. In our tests, it was able to boil pasta water in a flash and was quick to heat up after placing an oven on the Booster zone. However it took some time to cool down after we turned off the hob and our test participants were unable to determine the precise temperature on the control panel.
This Indesit hob also comes with the bridge function, which allows you to connect two cooking zones to make larger pans. It also has a child lock and an overheating block as well as an auto switch-off system that stops the appliance from working when it's heated to the point of. Our test participants were impressed that there weren't any messy, visible flames and the glass was easy to clean. Unlike a traditional extractor hood vented hobs draw steam and smoke out of the pan and out of the room through a duct in the surface. Our experts believed that the duct on this hob was easy to clean, though it took two people to lift the filter out and change it.
4. Induction Hob manufactured by General Electric
When selecting a kitchen appliance, consider how it fits into your kitchen's design and layout, in addition to your cooking style and life. For instance, if often cook with small children or elderly people in mind, safety features like an automatic shut-off or cool to the touch surface can make an induction hob an ideal option. For those who are looking for speed and efficiency, a ceramic glass front on an electric hob is the best choice. Gas hobs are a good alternative for those living in areas susceptible to power outages.