How to Choose the Best Hob
There are many factors to take into consideration when selecting the best hob, from cost to energy efficiency. Determine which features are the most important.
A basic ceramic electric stove costs as little as PS100. However you'll need to pay more for one with many features. Gas hobs, also popular and offer great temperature control, but are expensive, are another alternative.
1. Haier I-Flex Induction Hob
This Haier hob comes with four cooking zones and three 'Push&Go" functions and can help you prepare quick meals. It was one of the fastest to boil water in our tests, taking only four minutes. It's child-safe and comes with a pause function, so you can stop the process without having to mess around using controls.
Its design is sleek and modern, blending in well with contemporary kitchens. It is typically made of glass (which is shatterproof and heatproof) or ceramic. The controls are touch-sensitive and rest directly on the worktop.
The controls are intuitive to use, and we appreciated the clear display that informs you the current power settings, and which of the five zones is active. The 'Boost' feature produces high-powered heat for a short period of time. It is ideal for stir-frying, or bringing pans of water to a boil quickly. Safety features such as the hob light that is hot or automatic shutdown are also beneficial.
However, it's not as responsive to touch as some other hobs in this test. We found it took nine presses on the control to reach the highest temperature, as opposed to six or seven on other models. It takes a bit longer for the pan to respond when you alter the temperature. It is possible to adjust the settings a few times to get the right heat.
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. It has a dual-ring design that can operate on both 'normal and boost power levels. Boost is ideal for frying meat, searing it or bringing water pans to a rapid boiling point.
It is fully connected through the hOn app and includes 100's of recipes, guided cooking, and 30 different programmes divided into different food categories and types of preparation. It has an intuitive multislider interface, as well as a lockable control panel. In addition, it can automatically detect the type of pan you're using and set up the correct cooking mode. It also works with hOn pans from third-party manufacturers and comes with various safety features like a lockable panel as well as boil-dry prevention.
2. Smeg I-Flex Induction Hob
Induction hobs have become increasingly popular, whether renovating your kitchen or are looking for a gas-free alternative. Prices have dropped drastically in the last few years. Basic four-zone models can be found at less than PS100. If you want all the bells and whistles that come with induction it's worth paying more for the latest innovations.
This sleek-looking model from Smeg features the latest induction technology that makes your cooking energy efficient and convenient. The unique Auto-pot detection system automatically recognises the position of pots that have minimum diameters of 9cm, which allows you to select the correct zone without having to select it manually.
Smeg's emphasis on energy efficiency does not leave out flexibility too The hob is built to conserve power by setting the maximum operating temperature of the zones to suit your cooking needs. There are also options to save even more energy using the Eco-Logic advance mode which moderates the power output from 11.1 kW to as low as 2.4 2 kW.
Testers were impressed by the user-friendly interface of this hob that has intuitive controls that move along the edge of the hob in order to follow the pan. The control panel's color-coded layout makes it easy to identify the state of each zone. The "Flexi duo" function allows the connection of two zones to accommodate larger pans. There are numerous useful functions including four automatic cooking settings: melting, boiling, slow-cooking, and keeping warm.
The hob also comes with a FlameSensor that can alert you in the event of a burnt-on meal or the possibility of a fire. There are a variety of safety features, including a residual heat indicator as well as an automatic shut-off when the surface gets too hot.
It also resists hard stains and comes with a protective coating of CleanProtect. This hob is easy to set up and features nine power levels, as well as an excellent 'FlexiDuo' feature for catering for large pans. There are some additional features such as locking controls and a safety fuse to protect against accidental pressing of buttons.
3. Indesit I-Flex Induction Hob
Induction hobs are powered by electricity, not gas. They utilize copper plates to create magnetic force when a pan or pot is placed on them. This means that they can heat up more quickly than gas hobs and also conserve energy since the cooking area only heats up when you turn on a pan. They are generally cheaper to operate than gas, and they are also less difficult to clean.
Indesit's induction cooktop is packed of features to help you be creative when cooking. It comes with two distinct zones that can be combined into the Dual Zone to accommodate larger pans, as well as a speedy booster zone that can quickly bring boiling water to. A range of functions that are automatic like Push&Go allow you to create perfectly cooked meals at the touch of the button. The controls are easy to use and allow you to select nine power modes, including a P boost setting that provides maximum power in each zone for five minutes.
hob and oven are also easy to use and have modern, minimalist designs that's ideal for a contemporary kitchen. In our tests, it was able to boil pasta water in a snap and was quick to heat up after placing an oven on the Booster zone. It took a while for it to cool down after turning off the hob, and our test subjects could not determine the exact temperature on the control panel.
This Indesit hob also has a bridge function that allows you to combine two cooking zones to make larger pans. It also comes with an overheating and child lock block and an auto shut-off feature that stops the hob working when it's overheated. Ceramic glass is easy to clean and has no flames visible. Our testers were impressed by the fact that it's. Unlike a traditional extractor hood vented hobs draw heat and smoke away from the pan and out of the room through an air duct that is built into the surface. Our experts thought the duct on this hob was easy to clean, though it required two people to take the filter to change it.
4. Induction Hob manufactured by GE
When selecting a kitchen appliance think about how it will fit to your kitchen's design and layout, as well as your cooking style and life. For instance, if often cook with small children or elderly people in mind, safety features such as automatic shut-off and an icy to the touch surface could make an induction hob an ideal option. If you value speed and efficiency, an electric stove with a wipe-clean ceramic glass fascia is ideal. Gas hobs are a great choice for those who live in areas susceptible to power outages.