10 Things That Your Family Taught You About Best Hob

How to Choose the best oven Hob

There are lots of factors to consider when choosing the best hob, from the price to energy efficiency. So deciding what features are essential is vital.

A basic ceramic electric stove costs just PS100. However you'll need to pay more for a model with many features. Gas hobs are another popular option and offer excellent temperature control, but they're pricier.

1. Haier I-Flex Induction Hob

With four cooking zones and three 'Push&Go' functions this hob from Haier will allow you to cook quick meals. It was among 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 quickly without having to fiddle with controls.

Its design is modern and sleek, blending in well with modern kitchens. It is usually made of glass (which is shatterproof and heatproof) or ceramic. The controls are touch-sensitive and rest in a flush position on the countertop.

The controls are intuitive to use, and we appreciated the clear display which tells the current power setting and which of the five zones is active. The 'Boost' feature produces high-powered heat for a short period of time, and is ideal for stir-frying, or bringing pots of water to a boil fast. Safety features like the light on the hot hob or automatic shutdown are also beneficial.

However, it's not as responsive to touch as other hobs we tested. We observed that it took nine presses on the control to achieve the highest temperature, in contrast to six or seven on other models. It takes longer to respond when you alter the temperature of cooking, which means you may need to alter settings several times before your pan reaches the right heat.

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

It is fully connected to the hOn App and has hundreds of recipes, a guide to cooking, and 30 unique programs divided into various food categories and types of cooking. It has an intuitive multislider interface, as well as a lockable' control panel, plus it is able to automatically detect the kind of pan you're using and set the correct cooking mode. It is also compatible with hOn pans made by third party companies and has several safety features such as a lockable panel and boil-dry prevention.

2. Smeg I-Flex Induction Hob

When you're doing work on your kitchen or simply searching for a substitute to gas, induction hobs are becoming more popular. Prices have dropped drastically in the last few years. Basic four-zone models are now sold for less than PS100. If you're looking for the latest induction technology, it's worth the extra cost.

This sleek model from Smeg comes with the most advanced induction technology that makes cooking more efficient and convenient. The unique Auto-pot detection system automatically detects the position of pots with minimum diameters of 9cm, allowing you to activate the appropriate zone without having to manually select it.

Smeg's primary focus is on energy efficiency but it doesn't forget the flexibility of this appliance - it can be adjusted to conserve energy based on the highest temperatures that the zones can operate at. Eco-Logic advanced mode enables you to conserve more energy by reducing power output to as little as 2.4kW.

Testers were awed by the user-friendly interface of this hob with easy-to-use controls that slide along the edge of the hob in order to follow the pan. The color scheme of the control panel lets you quickly see the operating status of each zone, while the 'Flexi Duo' function allows you to connect two zones to accommodate larger pots. There are plenty of useful features, such as four automatic cooking presets (melting boiling, melting slow cooking, keeping warm) and a Power Boost for super-quick results.

In addition the hob comes with a 'FlameSensor' which alerts you if there is any danger of a fire or food that has been burned. There are a variety of safety features like a residual heat sensor as well as an automatic shut-off if the surface gets too hot.

It is also resistant to tough stains and features a protective coating of CleanProtect. This hob has nine power levels, the FlexiDuo feature to allow for large pans, and is easy to put in. There are also a variety of bonus features, like locking controls and a safety fuse in case of accidental button pushing.

3. Indesit I-Flex Induction Hob

Powered by electricity rather than gas, induction hobs use copper plates that create an electromagnetic field when the pan is set on top. They heat up quicker than gas hobs, and they use less energy because the cooking zone only gets hot when you turn on the pan. They're generally cheaper to run than gas and are simpler to clean, which makes them a popular option.

This induction hob from Indesit is packed with features that allow you to be creative in the kitchen. It has two cooking zones that can be combined to form an Integrated Zone for larger pots and a rapid Booster zone to bring water to the boil quickly. A variety of automated functions such as Push&Go lets you achieve perfectly cooked dishes at the touch of a button. And nine power modes, including a 'P boost setting that grants each zone maximum power for 5 minutes, can be easily set using the controls, which are positioned along the bottom edge of the hob to track the pans.

The controls are simple to operate, and the minimalist design is ideal for a modern kitchen. In our tests, it quickly heated up a pan once we put it on the Booster Zone and pasta water that was boiling. It took some time to cool down after turning off the hob, ovens and hobs the testers could not determine the exact temperature on the control panel.

This Indesit hob also features the bridge function, which allows the user to combine two cooking zones for larger pans. It has a child lock, an overheating block and an automatic shut-off mechanism that prevents the best oven uk from working if it gets too hot. The ceramic glass is easy to clean and there are no visible flames. Our testers were impressed by that. Ventilated hobs in contrast to traditional extractors draw steam and smoke from the pan out of the room by a duct 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. Induction Hob by GE

When selecting a hob think about how it will fit to your kitchen's style and layout, in addition to your cooking style and lifestyle. Induction hobs are a good choice for cooking with kids or elderly in mind. They have safety features such as automatic shut-offs and a cool-to-touch surface. Alternatively, for those who prefer efficiency and speed an electric hob that has a clean ceramic glass facia is a great choice. For those living in regions susceptible to load-shedding, having the ability to use gas hobs during power outages could make the difference in favor of a gas model.