Types of Hobs A hob (known as a stove top in North America) is a cooking appliance that heats pans using electricity or flames. There are a variety of hobs, and you can choose one that is best suited to your preferences and kitchen. Induction hobs come with flat ceramic surfaces and either 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 design. They have a flat glass-ceramic surface that is easy to clean, so spills and splatters can be quickly wiped away. They also heat up very quickly and are energy efficient and can help reduce your energy bills. Ceramic hobs can be slow when changing the temperature settings. This can be a hassle when you have to cook something that requires a rapid decrease or an increase in temperature. Electric hobs consist of a solid, textured surface that is heated from below by electric elements. The elements can be controlled individually by rotary knobs and nipped to the power level you require. You can also use the 'boost' feature in order to increase the temperature of a single area. Ceramic hobs retain heat very well, and even after they've been shut off, they will still be hot to the touch. It is important to put ceramic hobs in a location that is away from flammable items and away from children's reach. The advantage of this type of hob is that it can be put in in a variety of worktops, including laminate or solid wood, as well as granite. It's also fairly affordable and is an excellent option if you're looking to replace your old hobs without spending a lot of money. As with best ovens and hobs uk , they must be properly installed and connected to the mains. We recommend hiring an electrician to ensure your new hobs are safe to use. This type of hob is sensitive to pan sizes and shapes. You'll need cookware that's the exact size as the element, or that can fit comfortably into each of the heating zones on the hob. If the cookware is not the same size as the element, it will not recognize it and won't be able to heat the bottom of the pan. This can result in cooking that is uneven and make the stove less efficient. Gas on glass hobs Glass hobs with gas are sleek and contemporary in appearance. While they cost more than electric models and require professional installation, they usually require less time to heat up - it's not unusual for a full pan of water to come to a boil in four minutes or less. This kind of hob is also a good choice for cooks who want to regulate the amount of heat produced. However, it should be observed that a glass-based hob is more susceptible to damage than stainless steel models and may need to be cleaned more often, as grease and residue build up tends to stay on the surface rather than slide off. A great example of a gas on glass model is this Bertazzoni hob, which has four matt black monobloc burners with accurate metal control knobs for a a stylish and sophisticated finish. The wok ring is 4kW for additional versatility, and the pan supports are dishwasher safe. This Bosch gas hob is a highly recommended model. best ovens and hobs uk is a sleek piece of toughened glass and advanced cooking technology. The dual rings that are located on the left of the hob offers a double inner flame to improve even heat distribution, which in turn speeds up cooking times. It also has an easy-to-read power level indicator, which assists in regulating the precise temperature of your flame. You can select from nine preset settings, including high settings to sear steaks, and a low one for scrambled egg. Our test subjects also appreciated the controls as they were simple and easy to use. A few minor drawbacks are the fact that you need to physically press the controls nine times before you can reach the highest temperature, and that it can be difficult to determine the status of the burners through the glass. Some of the top gas-on-glass hobs are available at an affordable price like this Neff model. While it's not going to win any design awards however, it serves the purpose well and can be a fantastic addition to your kitchen for less than PS120. Electric hobs Electric hobs are a great choice for modern homes. They're not just elegant and stylish, but they are also safer, faster and more efficient than their predecessors. Ceramic glass hobs are among the most popular electric stoves. They are designed with sleek glazed finishes, 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 hob for a short period of time. Another electric hob that is suitable for modern homes is an induction hob. Induction hobs heat your cookware directly with electromagnetic fields unlike traditional electric and gas plates. This means that they are more energy efficient and provide precise temperature control. They require a specific kind of pan and could be expensive to put in. A gas-on-glass hob is another option that's a great option for modern homes. It is equipped with a burner under an unidirectional glass layer similar to a conventional gas stove. However it's heatproof and shatterproof, so it's much simpler to clean than the typical tempered glass. A majority of these hobs have a 'hot surface indicator' that warns you when the oven is hot. Although gas hobs are a popular option for many home cooks however, they can be noisy and difficult to clean. They also take a while to heat up and cool down and their flame can be hard to control. Electric hobs, on the other hand are more efficient in energy use and are easier to clean. You can even find electric stoves that work with LPG gas. You can switch between different fuels, giving you the flexibility to adapt to your lifestyle. However, it's important to remember that these hobs need to be installed by a registered gas safe engineer and require a specific 6mm cable to be installed in your kitchen. They're not suitable for people with pacemakers as the electromagnetic field can cause interference with them. Hobs with induction On the glass surface of the induction hobs, there are copper coils that run an electrical current that varies. When an induction compatible pan is placed on the hob, the coils produce magnetic fields which heat the pan directly instead of heating a surface of the worktop or a heated plate. Induction hobs are very energy efficient, as they don't waste any heat. There are a variety of models of induction hobs that range from basic ones that have only one cooking zone marked by rings to more advanced multi-zoned hobs with up to six zones and allow the cooking of multiple pots simultaneously on one Flex zone. Some of these premium models have an adjustable slider control similar to the iPhone. You can select the desired temperature by sliding 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 which can help you save time in the kitchen. Induction hobs can be more expensive than ceramic hobs, but they are thought to be more energy efficient over the long term as they heat up much quicker and use a smaller space to heat up, which can help lower your energy costs. They cool down faster, and they are more secure without hot plates. This makes them a great choice for families with children or elderly residents. However, they do produce 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 larger burners. As with 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 stove in good condition and shiny for longer. You should never use the abrasive cleaning products or the a scouring pad on your stove, as they can scratch the surface.
best ovens and hobs uk|best ovens and hobs uk
