9 . What Your Parents Taught You About Best Hob

How to Choose the Best Hob

There are a lot of aspects to take into consideration when selecting the best ovens and hobs hob, from cost to energy efficiency. So deciding what features are essential is vital.

A basic ceramic electric hob costs just PS100. However, you will need to pay more for one with numerous features. Gas hobs are another popular choice, oven and hob offer great temperature control, but they're pricier.

1. Haier I-Flex Induction Hob

This Haier hob - extra resources, has four cooking zones with three "Push&Go" functions, and will assist you in making quick meals. It was also one of the quickest tests to boil water, which took just under four minutes. It has an child lock and Hob uk pause function so you can stop the process quickly without having to mess with controls.

Its design is sleek, contemporary, and works well with modern kitchens. It is usually made of glass (shatterproof and heatproof) or ceramic, and features controls that are flush with the worktop for easy use.

The controls were easy to use and we loved the display that shows the current power level as well as which zone is active. The 'Boost" feature creates high-powered heat in a brief time. It's ideal for stir-frying and rapidly boiling pans. The hot hob light and automatic shutdown are useful safety features, too.

However, it's not as responsive to touch as some other hobs in this test. It took nine presses to reach maximum temperature, as opposed to seven or six for other models. It takes longer to react when you alter the cooking temperature, meaning you may need to alter settings multiple times before your pan is at the right temperature.

This 60 cm model includes four cooking zones, including a half-flex area where two areas can be joined together to accommodate larger pans and pots. It comes with a dual-ring design and can function on both 'normal as well as 'boost' power levels. It is great for cooking meat and searing it, or bring water to a fast boil.

It's fully integrated with the hOn app, and offers 100's of recipes, with cooking instructions and 30 different programmes split into different food categories and preparation styles. It features a simple multislider interface and a 'lockable control panel. In addition, it is able to automatically detect the type of pan you're using and set the correct cooking mode. It's also compatible with third-party hOn sets and comes with a variety of safety features, like a lockable control panel and boil-dry protection.

2. Smeg I-Flex Induction Hob

Whether you're having work done in your kitchen, or searching for a substitute to gas induction hobs, induction hobs are becoming more popular. Prices have dropped dramatically in the last few years. The basic four-zone models are now sold for less than PS100. But if you want all the bells and whistles that come with induction it's worth paying more to get the latest technology.

This sleek-looking model from Smeg boasts the latest induction technology to make your cooking energy efficient and convenient. The revolutionary Auto-pot detection technology automatically recognises the position of pots with a minimum diameter of 9cm, which allows you to switch on the appropriate zone without having to select it manually.

Smeg's attention to energy savings doesn't overlook flexibility either This hob is designed to reduce power consumption by adjusting the maximum operating temperature of the zones to meet your cooking requirements. There are other options to save even more energy with the Eco-Logic advance mode which moderates the power output from 11.1 kW to as little as 2.4 kW.

The user-friendly interface of this hob impressed testers, with its easy-to-use sliding controls that follow your pan along the edge of it. The control panel's color-coded layout 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 a variety of useful functions including four automatic cooking presets: melting boiling, slow-cooking and keeping warm.

In addition to this, the hob has an 'FlameSensor' feature that alerts you of any danger of a fire or food that has been burned. There are many safety features such as a residual heat sensor and an automatic switch-off when the surface is too hot.

It is also resistant to hard stains and comes with a protective coating of CleanProtect. This hob has nine power levels, the FlexiDuo feature for accommodating large pans and is simple to set up. There are also a variety of bonus features, such as lockable controls and an emergency fuse in the event of accidental button pushing.

3. Indesit I-Flex Induction Hob

Induction hobs are powered by electricity and not gas. They utilize copper plates to create magnetic force when a pan or pot is placed on them. They are able to heat up faster than gas hobs and they use less energy because the cooking zone is only hot when you turn on the pan. They're generally less expensive to run than gas and are simpler to clean making them an extremely popular option.

The induction hob made by Indesit is packed with features that make it easy to be creative in the kitchen. It has two separate cooking zones that can be combined to create an Integrated Zone for larger pans and a rapid Booster zone to bring water to the boiling point quickly. A range of automatic functions such as Push&Go lets you create perfectly cooked meals at the touch of a button. Nine power modes that include a 'P boost' setting that gives each zone maximum power for 5 minutes, can be easily selected with the controls, which move across the bottom of the cooktop to follow your pans.

The controls are easy to use and the minimalist design is perfect 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, and the testers had difficulty seeing the exact temperature on the control panel.

As well as a Dual Zone and Push&Go, this Indesit hob has a useful bridge function that lets you combine two cooking zones to suit larger pans. It also has a child lock as well as an overheating block. It also has an automatic shut-off mechanism that stops the hob from working when it gets too hot. Our testers appreciated the fact that there were no visible flames that were messy and messy, ovens and Hobs and the glass was easy to clean. Ventilated hobs, unlike traditional extractors, draw steam and smoke from the pan out of the room by a duct located on the surface. Our experts thought that the duct on this hob was easy to clean, even though it took two people to take the filter out to change it.

4. Induction Hob manufactured by General Electric

When choosing a new hob take a look at how it fits to your kitchen's style and layout, and also your cooking style and lifestyle. Induction hobs are a good choice if you cook with children or older people in mind. They come with safety features such as automatic shut-offs and a cool-to-touch surface. For those who value speed and efficiency, a ceramic glass fascia on an electric hob is the ideal alternative. For those who live in areas prone to load-shedding, having the ability to use gas hobs during power outages may tilt the balance in favor of gas models.