Types of Hob and Oven

Hobs and ovens are common feature in most kitchens. They are available in a variety of styles. You can mix and match different types such as domino, electric and gas to meet your cooking needs.

Safety features such as child and position controls could be included in the hob. These are designed to prevent children from touching the hob, and stop them changing the heat settings in error.

Types

The hob is the focal feature of any kitchen, and can have a major impact on the outcome of your cooking. There are a variety of hobs, and which one you pick will depend on your cooking needs.

Gas hobs are a classic option. They are quick to heat up and react immediately to temperature fluctuations. They are a popular choice for professional chefs as they are precise in their control. They aren't as easy as other hobs to clean and could require more care.

Electric hobs are a flat ceramic surface with heated elements beneath. They are available in different sizes that have between four and six cooking zones. Each zone has a separate heating element that you can control separately. This allows you to boil potatoes on one ring and cooking sausages in a different. This type of hob can be quicker to heat than gas and is a child-safe alternative as the cooking zone is only heated when you place a pan on it.

Ceramic hobs are a fashionable and user-friendly alternative to electric and gas hobs. They have an extremely smooth and durable surface that is easy to clean. However, they are not as fast to respond to temperature changes or to cool down as other hobs.

The Domino hob is a space-saving alternative to gas and electric hobs. It combines ovens beneath the cooking surface. They can be fitted into smaller kitchens that have little space for installation and work well in flats and kitchenettes. They tend to be more affordable than standard hobs, and are energy efficient, however they are also prone to breaking and require greater maintenance.

Gas

Gas hobs are cooktops with burners that can easily be fitted into the kitchen countertop to give a seamless appearance. Gas hobs are typically powered by LPG or natural gas, but they can also be powered by propane gas. They have a sleek and modern design that can add a touch of sophistication to your modular kitchen.

A traditional gas stove has a range of burners, typically 4 but sometimes as many as 6. The burners can be lit with a match or knob. The flames are controlled by a set of valves which can be adjusted to control the temperature.

Modern built-in gas stoves on the other hand include burners with multiple flames. This allows you to control both the outer and inner rings of each burner to allow you to precisely control the cooking. These types of burners offer faster heat up times and are more reliable than older models.

In the past, it was required for gas stoves to be continuously lit to ensure that the burners remained hot and fuelled. This was done to prevent accidents, such as the mistake of turning on an oven when the stove was still lit with a match or pilot light. Modern cookers are made with safety in mind as a priority. They are equipped with a fire failure device which shuts down the burners if the pilot light fails to work.

Gas stoves and hobs and ovens have to be regularly inspected and cleaned, as well as maintained. To achieve this, it is recommended to book a visit from a Gas Safe registered engineer. They will not only be able make sure that your appliance is operating properly, but will also offer expert guidance on how to avoid any future problems.

Electricity

When it comes to designing your ideal kitchen, the kitchen worktops, fridge freezer, and ovens will always get the most attention, but the quality of your hob is also essential. The kind of best hob you select will impact the way your kitchen operates and how easy to clean.

Electric hobs feature heating elements that are placed on a smooth glass surface. This is typically cleaned with a nonabrasive cleaning product. These elements are activated when you turn on the hob and can be adjusted to various power levels using a control knob. They can take a little longer to heat up than gas cookers, but once they are done, they are able to provide better, constant temperature control. They are equipped with indicators that let you know whether a particular area is hot or not.

They are available in four to six sizes and are notch-upable to various power levels. They are great for flat-based cookware however they aren't the ideal choice for cast iron pans because they can get hot. Certain models come with dual-ring designs (such as the Belling BEL CH602T) that allow you to boil water on one ring and sauté sausages on the other. Certain models come with a Boost feature that concentrates high-temperature elements into one ring. This is great for stirring-frying, searing meat or boiling large pots.

Induction hobs are different from regular electric models due to the fact that they use electromagnetic fields instead of conventional gas flames to cook your food. This allows them to reach precise temperatures in a short period of time, making them highly energy efficient. They also have a cool-to-the-touch surface and flashing heat indicators to signal that a ring is in use or is still hot.

Ceramic

Ceramics can be used to create decorative or functional objects. It is formed by mixing clay, earthen elements powders and water into the desired shape, then fired in a very high-temperature oven uk known as a"kiln. Once it's made it can be decorated or covered with decorative materials to add texture and color.

Ceramic hobs are a stunning blend of form and function, sitting comfortably in any modern kitchen. Radiant heating technology is employed to heat ceramic hobs by passing an electric current over coiled elements which are hidden beneath the black glass surface. When activated, they generate heat that is then transferred to the pan by an infrared system. You can adjust the strength of this heating by controlling the controls using a knobs or a touch.

Certain ceramic hobs have dual ring designs, with one smaller and one larger cooking zone that lets you select the most suitable size for your pan. You can also get hobs equipped with booster burners that produce high-powered heat in a short time perfect for searing food or bringing pots of water to a boil in a short time.

Ceramic cooktops are more energy efficient than other types of hobs as they take longer to heat up and switch temperatures. You can also choose vented hobs, which integrate a ventilation system with the ceramic cooktop. This ensures that smoke, steam and cooking smells do not stay in your home.

Induction

The heating elements in induction hobs consist of copper wire coils beneath the surface, which generate electromagnets to heat pans sat on them. The coils stir up free electrons within the base metal of your pan which then transfers heat evenly to your food. The surface of the hob is never hot, and as soon as you remove your pan, the cooking zones turn off automatically.

Induction hobs are typically more expensive than other models however, they're also more efficient to heat and use 30-70% less energy than gas or ceramic hobs. Induction hobs are also easier to clean since only the interior of the pan are heated and not the surface.

Some manufacturers have an induction model with additional features, for instance the pause feature that shuts off power to the stove when you walk away, or the ability to link two cooking rings simultaneously with the same power to provide increased flexibility. They are often referred to as FlexInduction hobs. They are more expensive than traditional induction models but they're well worth considering when multitasking is important to you.

Our top choice is this induction cooktop from Smeg. It has four good-sized cooking zones, a bridge function and nine power levels, giving you a wide range of options for the ambitious cook. In our tests, it performed very well with precise control and quick heating when making pancakes. The cooker comes with dishwasher built-in and automatic pan detection, which makes cleaning easier. There is a limited selection of compatible pans, however it isn't used for cooking with appliances that have a magnetic base. It could be a problem if have a large amount of cookware that is not compatible or the smallest portion is compatible with induction cooktops.