5 Laws That Will Help The Best Hob Industry
How to Choose the Best Hob
When choosing the best hob there are a lot of aspects to take into consideration. From price to energy efficiency. Decide what features are most important.
best hob uk can cost as little as PS100, but you'll need to shell out more to get a high-end model. Gas hobs, which are popular and provide excellent temperature control, but are expensive, are a different alternative.
1. Haier I-Flex Induction Hob
This Haier hob comes with four cooking zones and three "Push&Go" functions, and will assist you in making quick meals. It was one of the fastest boiling water hobs in our tests, taking just four minutes. It's child lock-compatible and has an option to pause the process, so you can stop the process without having to fiddle around with the controls.
Its design is sleek, modern and is a great match for contemporary kitchens. It's usually made from glass (shatterproof and heatproof) or ceramic, and features controls that are on top of the worktop to allow to make it easy to use.
The controls are intuitive to use and we liked the clear display that informs the current power setting, and which of the five zones is active. The 'Boost' feature generates high-powered heat for a short duration, and is perfect for stir-frying or bringing pans of water to a boil fast. Safety features such as the light on the hot hob and automatic shutoff are useful.
However it's not as responsive to touch as some other hobs in this test. It took nine presses to reach the maximum temperature, in comparison to seven or six for other models. It also takes longer for the pan to respond to changes in temperature. You may have to adjust the settings several times to get the right heat.
The model measures 60 cm and comes with four cooking zones. One of the zones is a half-flex which allows two areas to easily be joined to accommodate larger pots or pans. It comes with a dual-ring design that is able to operate 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 boil.
It's fully connected via the hOn app and comes with 100's of recipes, with guided cooking and 30 unique programs divided into different food categories and preparation types. It has a multislider control panel with a "lockable interface' and can detect the type pan you are using to determine the appropriate cooking mode. It's also compatible with hOn pans made by third-party manufacturers and comes with a number of safety features such as a lockable panel and boil-dry prevention.
2. Smeg I-Flex Induction Hob
Whether you're having work done in your kitchen or looking for an alternative to gas, induction hobs are becoming increasingly popular. Prices have slashed in the last few years, with basic four-zone models costing less than PS100. If you're looking for the latest induction technology, it's worth the extra cost.
This sleek model from Smeg has the latest induction technology that makes cooking more energy-efficient and convenient. The Auto-pot detection system recognises pots with dimensions of at least 9 centimetres and then automatically selects the zone that is appropriate.
Smeg's attention to energy savings doesn't overlook flexibility either - this hob is designed to save power by setting the maximum operating temperature of the zones to suit your cooking requirements. Eco-Logic advanced mode allows you to conserve more energy, reducing the power output to as low as 2.4kW.
Testers were awed by the user-friendly interface of this hob, with intuitive sliding controls that move along the edges of the hob to follow the pan. The control panel's colour scheme helps you quickly identify the status of each zone, and the 'Flexi Duo' feature allows you to connect two zones to cater for 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 an alarm system that will notify you if there's a danger of a burnt-on meal or a fire. There are many safety features such as a residual heat sensor as well as an automatic switch-off when the surface becomes too hot.
It also has an anti-corrosive CleanProtect coating to help it resist hard marks and stains from cooking. The hob comes with nine power levels and an 'FlexiDuo feature' that is perfect for accommodating large pans and is easy to put in. There are a host of extra features, like lockable controls and a safety fuse in case of accidental button-pushing.
3. Indesit I-Flex Induction Hob
Powered by electricity rather than gas, induction stoves utilize copper plates that create an electromagnetic field when a pan is placed on the top. This means that they can heat up much quicker than conventional gas hobs. They can also reduce energy consumption since the cooking area only gets hot when you turn on a pan. They're generally less expensive than gas and are simpler to clean and that's why they're a popular choice.
Indesit's induction cooktop is packed of features to allow you to get creative in the cooking. It has two cooking zones that can be combined to form an Integrated Zone for larger pans and an accelerated Booster zone that can bring water to boiling point quickly. ovens and hobs uk of automatic functions such as Push&Go let you achieve perfectly cooked dishes at the touch of the button. And nine power modes, including a 'P boost setting that grants each zone maximum power for five minutes, can be easily selected with the controls, which move along the bottom edge of the cooktop to follow the pans.
The controls are simple to use and the minimalist design is ideal for a modern kitchen. In our tests, it quickly heated up a pan when we placed it on the Booster Zone and pasta water that was boiling. It took a while to cool down after turning off the hob, and the testers had difficulty seeing the exact temperature on the control panel.
This Indesit hob also comes with the bridge function, which allows you to combine two cooking zones for larger pans. It comes with a child lock and an overheating block as well as an automatic switch-off system which stops the hob from operating when it becomes too hot. Ceramic glass is easy to clean and there are no visible flames. Our testers liked the fact that there was no visible flame. Contrary to traditional extractor hoods vented hobs draw heat and smoke out of the pan and out of the room via an air duct on the surface. The duct on this hob was easy to clean, however it required two people in order to take the filter out.
4. Induction Hob by General Electric
When selecting a hob, consider how it fits into your kitchen's design and layout, and also your cooking style and life. For example, if you frequently cook with children or elderly people in mind, safety features like an automatic shut-off or cool to the touch surface can make an induction stove an ideal choice. Alternatively, for those who prefer efficiency and speed, an electric hob with a glass face that is wipe-clean is the best choice. If you live in areas that are prone to load-shedding, the ability to use gas hobs in power outages may tip the scales in favour of a gas model.