Types of Hob and Oven

A hob and oven is an essential part of many kitchens, and comes in a variety of styles. You can mix and match different kinds such as domino, electric and gas to suit your cooking needs.

Safety features such as child and position controls could be added to a hob. These features will prevent children from accidentally changing the heat setting or touching the hob.

Types

The hob is the focal element of any kitchen and can have a major impact on the results of your cooking. There are many different kinds of hobs and the one you pick will be based on what your specific cooking needs are.

Gas hobs are a classic option and provide a quick heating function and instant response to temperature changes. Professional chefs favor them because they are precise in their control. However, they aren't as easy to clean as other hobs and may require more maintenance.

Electric hobs are made of ceramic with a flat surface with heated elements underneath. They are available in different sizes and with four to six cooking zones. Each zone has its own heating element which can be controlled by you. This allows you to boil potatoes on one ring and making sausages in another. This type of hob is much easier to start heating than gas, and it offers the safety of children since the cooking zone gets hot only when you place an oven on it.

Ceramic hobs offer a stylish and user-friendly alternative to electric and gas hobs. They are smooth and durable. surface that is easy wipe down but aren't as fast at responding to temperature changes as other hobs and are slower to cool down.

The Domino hob is a space-saving option to electric and gas hobs. It combines ovens and hobs beneath the cooking surface. They can be incorporated into smaller kitchens that have limited installation space and work well in flats and kitchenettes. They are usually less expensive than a standard hob and can be very energy-efficient however they can be brittle and require more attention than other types of cookers.

Gas

A gas hob is a cooktop that has burners that can be fitted in kitchen countertops to create an elegant look. 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 several burners, typically 4 but sometimes as many as 6. These are ignited with either the use of a match or the knob. The flames can then be controlled by a set of valves which can be adjusted to regulate temperature.

However, the majority of modern gas hobs with built-in gas are equipped with multi-flame burners that allow you to regulate the outer and inner rings of each burner to precisely manage your cooking. They are also much more efficient and more reliable than older models.

In the past, it was essential to keep a gas stove on continuously to ensure the burney are perfect for cookware with a flat base but aren't the best ovens and hobs option for cast-iron pans as they can overheat. Certain models (such as Belling BELCH602T) come with dual rings which allow you to cook sausages and boil water on the same ring. Certain models come with a Boost feature that concentrates high heat into one ring. This is great for stir-frying, searing meat, or boiling large pots.

Induction hobs are distinct from standard electric models because they make use of electromagnetic fields instead of traditional gas flames to heat your cookware. They can reach precise temperatures quicker and are more efficient in energy use. They also have a cool-to-the-touch surface and flashing heat indicators to signal that a ring is being used or is still hot.

Ceramic

Ceramic is an element that can be made into functional or decorative objects. It is made by mixing clay with earthen elements, powders and water, before firing it in a hot oven known as a Kiln. Once it's been made, it can then be painted or covered with decorative materials to give it texture and color.

Ceramic hobs are a beautiful blend of form and function, sitting comfortably in any modern kitchen. They operate by using radiant heating technology, which passes an electric current through coiled elements hidden beneath the black glass surface of the hob. When activated, they generate heat that is then transferred to your pan via an infrared heating system. You can alter the degree of heating by turning the knobs or the touch controls.

Some ceramic hobs are dual ring designs that have one smaller and a larger cooking area, allowing you to choose the best size for your pan. You can also find hobs equipped with booster burners that produce high-powered heat quickly perfect for searing food or bringing pans of boiling water to the boil quickly.

Ceramic cooktops are more efficient in energy than other types of hobs because they take longer to heat up and alter temperatures. You can also choose vented hobs that incorporate ventilation systems with the ceramic cooktop. This makes sure that smoke, steam, and cooking smells don't linger in your house.

Induction

Induction hobs are equipped with heating elements that are composed of copper wire coils. They generate electromagnets that warm the pans that are placed on the top of them. The coils agitate the free electrons in the base of your pan and then transfer heat uniformly and directly to your food. The surface of the stove is never hot, and as soon as you remove your pan the cooking zones are turned off automatically.

Induction hobs are typically more expensive, however they also heat up faster and use 30-70% lower energy than gas or other types. They're also easier to clean, as the hob surface itself isn't heated, but the contents of your pan do.

Certain manufacturers offer an induction model that comes with extra features, such as a pause feature that shuts off energy to your stove when you walk away, or the ability to connect two cooking rings at the same time for more flexibility. They are commonly called FlexInduction hobs and can be more expensive than traditional induction models but they're worth considering if you like to multitask.

This induction hob is our top pick. It comes with four cooking zones as well as a Bridge function and nine power settings, offering you a lot of options for ambitious cooks. In our tests, it performed very well with precise control and quick heating when making pancakes. The hob also has an integrated dishwasher as well as an automatic pan detection function to make cleaning more simple. There's a small selection of compatible pans it cannot be used to cook using utensils that have magnetic bases. This can be a problem if have a large quantity of cookware that's not compatible, or only a small portion of it is compatible with induction cooktops.