A Productive Rant About Best Hob
How to Choose the Best Hob
There are a lot of aspects to take into consideration when selecting the ideal hob, ranging from cost to energy efficiency. Therefore, deciding which features are important is crucial.
A basic electric ceramic stove could cost as low as PS100, but you'll need to pay more for a model with a lot of features. Gas hobs are a popular option and offer excellent temperature control, but they're more expensive.
1. Haier I-Flex Induction Hob
With four cooking zones and three functions called 'Push&Go', this hob from Haier will allow you to cook quick meals. It was one of the fastest ways to boil water in our tests, taking only four minutes. It comes with an child lock and pause function so you can stop the process quickly without having to mess with controls.
Its style is sleek and modern, blending in well with modern kitchens. It's typically made of glass (shatterproof and heatproof) or ceramic, and comes with controls that are flush with the worktop for ease of use.
The controls were simple to use and we appreciated the display that displays the current power level and the zone that is in use. The 'Boost" feature creates high-powered heat in a short time. It is perfect for stir-frying and quickly bringing pans to boil. Safety features such as the hob light that is hot or automatic shutdown are also useful.
However it's not as responsive to touch as some other hobs tested in this test. We observed that it took nine presses of the control to attain the highest temperature as opposed to seven or six on other models. It also takes longer to respond when you alter the cooking temperature, meaning you may need to alter settings several times before your pan reaches the right heat.
This model is 60cm long and has four cooking zones. One of it is a half-flex zone which allows two areas to easily be joined to accommodate larger pots or pans. It features a dual-ring design and can operate on both 'normal' and 'boost' power levels. The Boost model is great for frying meat, searing it or bringing water pans to the rapid boiling point.
It is fully integrated with the hOn App, and offers 100's of recipes, guides for cooking, and 30 special programs that are divided into different food categories and types of cooking. It features a multislider controls panel with a 'lockable interface' that can identify the type pan you are using to set the proper cooking mode. It is also compatible with hOn pans from third-party manufacturers and comes with a number of safety features like a lockable panel as well as boil-dry prevention.
2. Smeg I-Flex Induction Hob
If you're working in your kitchen, or looking for an alternative to gas induction hobs, induction hobs are becoming more popular. Prices have slashed dramatically over the last few years. The basic four-zone models can be found at less than PS100. If you are looking for the most modern induction technology, it's worth paying a little more.
This sleek model from Smeg comes with the most advanced induction technology that makes cooking more efficient and energy efficient. The unique Auto-pot detection system automatically detects the position of pots with a minimum diameter of 9 cm, allowing you to select the correct zone without having to manually select it.
Smeg's primary focus is on energy savings however, it doesn't overlook the flexibility of this appliance - it can be adjusted to save power based on the maximum temperatures of the zones. Eco-Logic advanced mode enables you to save more energy by reducing the power output to as low 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 your pan. The control panel's color-coded design makes it easy to determine the state of each zone. The 'Flexi Duo" feature lets you connect two zones to accommodate larger pans. There are plenty of useful features, such as four automatic cooking presets (melting, boiling, slow cooking and keeping warm) and a Power Boost for super-quick results.
Additionally the hob also has an 'FlameSensor' feature that alerts you of any risk of burning or burning food. There are a variety of safety features such as a residual heat sensor as well as an automatic shut-off if the surface is too hot.
It's also hard-wearing with the CleanProtect coating that is designed to help it resist hard staining and cooking marks. The stove is simple to set up and has nine power levels and an excellent 'FlexiDuo' feature for catering for large pans. There are a few bonus features like control locks, as well as a safety fuse to prevent accidental button pushing.
3. Indesit I-Flex Induction Hob
They are powered by electricity, not gas, induction hobs use copper plates that create an electric field when the pan is set on top. This means that they can reach a temperature more quickly than gas hobs, and also save energy as the cooking zone only heats up when you turn on the pan. They're generally cheaper to run than gas and are easier to clean making them an extremely popular option.
This induction hob by Indesit is packed with features that make it easy to create your own ideas in the kitchen. It comes with two distinct zones that can be combined into a Dual Zone to accommodate larger pans, and a speedy booster zone that can quickly bring water to a boil. Push&Go, for example, allows you to cook with perfection with the click of the button. The controls are easy to use and allow you to choose nine power modes, including a P boost setting that provides maximum power in each zone for five minutes.
The controls are simple to operate, and the minimalist design is perfect for a modern kitchen. In our tests it quickly heated up a pan after we put it on the Booster Zone, and pasta water that was boiling. It took a while for it to cool down after we turned 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 shut-off mechanism that prevents the oven from working when it gets too hot. Our test participants were impressed that there were no visible flames or flammable substances and the glass was easy to wipe clean. Ventilated hobs unlike traditional extractors draw smoke and steam from the pan and out of the room by a duct on the surface. Our experts believed that the duct of this hob was simple to clean, even though it required two people to take the filter out and change it.
4. Induction Hob from General Electric
When selecting a kitchen appliance think about how it will fit into your kitchen's design and layout, in addition to your cooking style and your lifestyle. For instance, if you often cook with small children or elderly people in mind, safety features such as an automatic shut-off feature and an icy to the touch surface can make an induction cooker an ideal option. If oven uk looking for speed and efficiency, a ceramic glass fascia on an electric hob is the ideal option. Gas hobs are a good choice for those who live in areas that are susceptible to power outages.