How to Choose the Best Hob

There are lots of factors to take into consideration when selecting the ideal hob, ranging from price to energy efficiency. So deciding what features are important is crucial.

A basic electric ceramic stove can cost as little as PS100, but you'll need to pay more to get a high-end model. Gas ovens hobs, which are also well-known and offer excellent temperature control but are more expensive, are another alternative.

1. Haier I-Flex Induction Hob

This Haier hob comes with four cooking zones, three "Push&Go" functions, and will aid in cooking quick meals. It was one of the fastest ways to boil water in our tests, taking just four minutes. It comes with an child lock and an pause feature, so you can stop the process in a snap without having to mess with controls.

Its style is modern and sleek and blends well with contemporary kitchens. It's usually made from glass (shatterproof and heatproof) or ceramic, and features touch controls that sit in the same place as the worktop for ease of use.

The controls are simple to use, and we appreciated the clear display which tells you the current power setting and which of the five zones are active. The 'Boost" feature generates high-powered heat in a brief time. It is perfect for stir-frying and quickly bringing pans to boil. Safety features like the hot hob light or automatic shut-off are also beneficial.

It's not as responsive as the other hobs in this test. We observed that it took nine presses of the control to attain the highest temperature as opposed to six or seven on other models. It takes a bit longer for the pan to respond to changes in temperature. It is possible to adjust the settings several times to get the right temperature.

This 60 cm model has four cooking zones, including a half-flex zone where two areas can be joined to accommodate larger pots and pans. It has a dual-ring design and can function on both 'normal' and 'boost power levels. The Boost model is great for frying meat, searing it or bringing pots of water to the rapid boiling point.

It's fully connected through the hOn app and comes with hundreds of recipes that include guided cooking and 30 special programmes split into different food categories and types of preparation. It features a multislider controls panel with a "lockable interface' that detects the type of pan you're using to determine the appropriate cooking mode. It also works with third-party hOn sets and has a range of safety features, like the control panel that can be locked and boil-dry protection.

2. Smeg I-Flex Induction Hob

When you're doing work on your kitchen or simply looking for an alternative to gas induction hobs, induction hobs are becoming increasingly popular. Prices have slashed dramatically over the past few years. Basic four-zone models can be found at less than PS100. However, if you're looking for all the bells and whistles that come with induction it's worth paying more for the latest innovations.

This sleek model from Smeg features the latest induction technology that makes cooking more efficient and energy efficient. The revolutionary Auto-pot detection technology automatically recognises the position of pots that have minimum diameters of 9 cm, allowing you to select the correct zone without having to manually select it.

Smeg's main focus is on energy savings but it doesn't forget flexibility - this hob can be adjusted to save power based on the maximum temperatures that the zones can operate at. There are options to save energy with the Eco-Logic advance mode that reduces the power output from 11.1 kW to as little as 2.4 2 kW.

The user-friendly interface of this stove impressed testers, thanks to its intuitive sliding controls that follow your pan along the edges of it. The control panel's color-coded design makes it easy to determine the status of each zone. The "Flexi Duo" function lets the connection of two zones to accommodate larger pans. There are a variety of useful functions including four automatic cooking presets: melting, boiling, slow-cooking, and keeping warm.

The hob also comes with a FlameSensor which will alert you if there's a danger of a burnt-on meal or an igniting fire. There are several safety features, including a residual heat sensor as well as an automatic switch-off when the surface gets too hot.

It's also hard-wearing with a protective CleanProtect coating to help it resist tough stains and cooking marks. The hob comes with nine power levels and a 'FlexiDuo feature' for accommodating large pans and is easy to install. There are a few bonus features like control locks, as well as a safety fuse to prevent accidental button pressing.

3. Indesit I-Flex Induction Hob

Powered by electricity rather than gas, induction stoves utilize copper plates that create an electric field when the pan is placed on the top. They can heat up much faster than gas hobs oven, and they use less energy since 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.

This induction hob by Indesit is packed with features that allow you to create your own ideas in the kitchen. It comes with two distinct zones which can be combined into a Dual Zone to accommodate larger pans, Ovens And Hobs Uk a rapid booster zone to quickly bring boiling water to. Push&Go, for example, lets you cook flawlessly by pressing a button. There are nine power modes that include a 'P boost setting that gives each zone maximum power for 5 minutes, can be easily selected with the controls, which are positioned across the bottom of the hob to follow your pans.

The controls are simple to use, and the minimalist design is perfect for modern kitchens. In our tests, it quickly heated up a pan when we put it on the Booster Zone, and pasta water that was boiling. It took a while for it to cool down after we turned off the hob, and our test subjects could not determine the exact temperature on the control panel.

Alongside a Dual Zone and Push&Go, the Indesit hob comes with a bridge function that allows you to combine two cooking zones to accommodate larger pans. It has a child lock, an overheating block and an automatic switch-off feature that stops the hob from working when it gets too hot. Our testers appreciated the fact that there were no visible flames or flammable substances and the glass was easy to clean. Ventilated hobs unlike traditional extractors draw smoke and steam from the pan out of the room by an air duct that is located on the surface. Our experts thought that this hob's duct was easy to clean, even though it took two people to lift the filter out and change it.

4. GE Induction Hob

When selecting a kitchen appliance take a look at how it fits to your kitchen's design and layout, and also your cooking style ovens and hobs uk lifestyle. For instance, if you frequently cook with children or elderly people in mind, safety features such as an automatic shut-off or an icy to the touch surface may make an induction cooker an ideal option. For those who are looking for speed and efficiency, a ceramic glass front on an electric hob is the best oven option. For those who live in areas prone to load-shedding, the ability to use gas hobs during power outages could tilt the balance in favor of gas models.