9 Things Your Parents Taught You About Best Hob

How to Choose the Best Hob

There are a lot of aspects to consider when choosing the best hob, from the price to energy efficiency. Therefore, deciding which features are important is essential.

A basic ceramic electric hob costs as little as PS100. However, you will need to pay more for a model with many features. Gas hobs, also popular and provide excellent temperature control, but are more expensive, are another alternative.

1. Haier I-Flex Induction Hob

With four cooking zones and three functions called 'Push&Go', this cooker from Haier can assist you in making quick meals. It was also among the fastest on test to boil water, taking just under four minutes. It's child-safe and comes with an option to pause the process, so you can stop the process without having to fiddle around with the controls.

Its style is sleek and modern, blending in well with contemporary kitchens. It is typically made from glass (which is heatproof and shatterproof) or ceramic. The controls are touch-sensitive and sit flush on the worktop.

The controls are easy to use, and we appreciated the clear display which tells the current power setting and which of the five zones are in use. The "Boost" feature produces high-powered heat in a short time. It is ideal for stir-frying and rapidly boiling pans. The hob's hot light and automatic shutdown are useful safety features, too.

However it's not as responsive to touch as some other hobs we tested. We found that it took nine presses of the control to attain the highest temperature compared with six or seven on other models. It takes longer to react when you alter the temperature of cooking, which means you may have to change settings multiple times before your pan is at the right temperature.

This 60 cm model features four cooking zones. One of them is a half-flex zone which allows two areas to easily be joined to accommodate larger pots or pans. Dual-ring design permits it to operate with both "normal" and "boost" power levels. It is great for cooking meat, searing it or quickly bringing water to a rapid boiling.

It's fully connected via the hOn app and boasts 100's of recipes, with cooking instructions and 30 different programmes split into different food categories and types of preparation. It features a simple multislider interface and a 'lockable' control panel, plus it can automatically detect the kind of pan you're using and set the right cooking mode. It also works with hOn pans from third-party manufacturers and comes with various safety features like a lockable panel and boil-dry prevention.

2. Smeg I-Flex Induction Hob

Induction hobs are becoming increasingly popular, whether you're renovating your kitchen or searching for a gas-free option. Prices have slashed over the past few years, with the simplest four-zone models available for less than PS100. However, if you're looking for all the bells and whistles that are included in the induction system, it's worth paying extra for the latest innovations.

This sleek model from Smeg features the latest induction technology that makes cooking more efficient and convenient. The innovative Auto-pot detection system automatically detects the location of pots that have minimum diameters of 9cm, which allows you to switch on the appropriate zone without having to select it manually.

Smeg's focus on energy saving does not mean that they don't offer flexibility The hob is built to conserve power by adjusting the maximum operating temperature of the zones to meet your cooking preferences. Eco-Logic advanced mode allows you to reduce energy consumption by reducing power output to as little as 2.4kW.

Testers were awed by this hob's user-friendly interface, with intuitive sliding controls that move across the edge of the hob in order to follow your pan. The control panel's colour scheme helps you quickly identify the operational status of each zone, while the 'Flexi Duo' function allows you to connect two zones to accommodate larger pans. There are numerous useful functions, including four automated cooking presets: melting, boiling, slow-cooking, and keeping warm.

The hob also comes with a FlameSensor that can alert you if there's a danger of a meal that's been burned or an igniting fire. There are a variety of safety features, like a residual heat indicator as well as an auto switch-off if the surface gets too hot.

It's also hard-wearing with the CleanProtect coating that is designed to help it resist tough marks and stains from cooking. The stove is simple to set up and comes with nine power levels as well as the handy FlexiDuo feature that allows catering for large pans. There are also a number of bonus features, like control locks and a safety fuse in the event of accidental button pushing.

3. Indesit I-Flex Induction Hob

Electricity is the primary source of power, rather than gas, induction stoves utilize copper plates that create a magnetic field when the pan is placed on the top. They are able to heat up faster than gas hobs, and they also use less energy because the cooking area only gets hot when you turn on your pan. They're generally less expensive to run than gas, and they're easier to wipe clean too making them an extremely popular option.

Indesit's induction hob is full of features to allow you to be creative when cooking. It comes with two distinct zones that can be combined into a Dual Zone to accommodate larger pans, as well as an instant booster zone to quickly bring boiling water to. Push&Go, for example, allows you to cook perfectly by pressing a button. The controls are simple to use and allow you to choose nine power modes, including a P boost setting that gives maximum power in each zone for five minutes.

The controls are also easy to operate and feature a modern, minimalist design that's perfect for a modern kitchen. In our tests, it boiled pasta water in a snap and was quick to heat up once we placed an oven in the Booster zone. However it took a long time to cool off after we shut off the hob. Our testers were unable to pinpoint the exact temperature on the control panel.

This Indesit hob also features the bridge function, which allows the user to combine two cooking zones to make larger pans. It also has a child lock, an overheating block and an automatic switch-off system which prevents the oven uk from working if it gets too hot. Our test participants were impressed that there were no visible flames or flammable substances and the glass is easy to clean. Contrary to traditional extractor hoods vented hobs draw heat and smoke out of the pan and out of the room via a duct in the surface. Our experts thought that the duct of this hob was simple to clean, even though it took two people to lift the filter out to change it.

4. GE Induction Hob

When selecting a hob think about how it will fit into your kitchen's design and layout, as well as your cooking style and your lifestyle. For instance, if you frequently cook with children or elderly people in mind, safety features such as an automatic shut-off feature and a cool to the touch surface can make an induction hob a better choice. For those who are looking for speed and efficiency using a ceramic glass facia on an electric hob is the best option. Gas ovens hobs are a great option for those who live in areas prone to power outages.