Types of Hob and Oven

A hob and oven is a common part of most kitchens and is available in a variety of styles. You can mix different types, like gas and electric to meet your needs.

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

Types

The hob is the central point of any kitchen and has a huge impact on the outcome of your cooking. There are many kinds of hobs, and the one you choose depends on your cooking needs.

Gas hobs provide a classic option. They are quick to heat up and respond instantly to temperature changes. Professional chefs prefer them since they provide precise control. They aren't as easy to clean as other stoves and could require more frequent maintenance.

Electric hobs are made of ceramic with a flat surface with heated elements underneath. They are available in a variety of sizes and come with four to six cooking zones. Each zone has its own heating element that you can control separately. You can boil potatoes in one ring, while cooking sausages on another. This kind of hob can be more efficient than gas and provides a child-safe alternative because the cooking zone only heats up when you place a pot on it.

Ceramic hobs are a chic and user-friendly alternative to electric and gas hobs. They have a smooth, hard-wearing surface which is easy to clean but aren't as responsive to temperature changes like other hobs and can be slower to cool down.

Domino hobs are an alternative to electric and gas hobs that incorporate ovens 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 more affordable than conventional hobs and can be energy-efficient, but they are also prone to breaking and require greater maintenance.

Gas

A gas hob is a cooking surface with burners that can be installed in kitchen countertops to create an elegant look. They are usually powered by natural or liquid petroleum gas (LPG) however they can be powered by propane gas. The sleek, modern design can enhance your modular cooking space.

A traditional gas stove has several burners, usually 4 but sometimes up to 6. The burners can be ignited by a match or a knob. The flames can then be controlled by the valves that can be adjusted to regulate temperature.

Most modern built-in gas stoves on the other hand include burners with multiple flames. This lets you control both the outer and the inner rings of each burner to allow you to precisely control your cooking. These burners are faster and more reliable than earlier models.

In the past, it was essential for the gas stove to be lit at all times to ensure that the burners were hot and fuelled. This was done to prevent accidents, such as not turning on the oven with hob while the stove is still lit by an igniter or a match. Modern cookers are designed with safety in mind. They include a built-in flame safety device that shuts down the burners immediately should the pilot light fail.

Gas stoves and hobs should be inspected, cleaned, and maintained regularly. The best method to do this is to schedule an appointment with a qualified Gas Safe registered engineer. They will not only to ensure that your appliance functions properly, but also offer expert guidance on how to prevent any future issues.

Electricity

A well-designed hob is just as important in making the perfect kitchen. Worktops, refrigerators, freezers and ovens are always the first items that come to mind. The type of hob that you select will impact the way your kitchen operates and how easy for you to clean it.

Electric hobs have heating elements set beneath a smooth, glass surface. The glass surface is typically cleaned with a nonabrasive cleaner. These elements are activated when you turn on the hob and can be adjusted to different power levels using a control knob. It may take them a little bit longer to warm up however once they are heated, they have a tendency to offer more stable and reliable temperature control. They are equipped with indicators that inform you whether a particular area is hot or not.

Typically, they are available in four to six different sizes that can be notched up to different power levels. They are ideal for flat-based cookware, but not for cast iron cookware, as they can overheat. Some models (such as Belling BELCH602T) have dual-ring designs which allow you to cook sausages and boil water in the same ring. Certain models come with a Boost function that focuses high heat into one ring. This is useful for stir-frying, searing meat, or boiling large pots.

Induction hobs are different from regular electric models because they employ electromagnetic fields to directly heat your cookware, rather than the conventional method of gas flames. They can achieve precise temperatures quicker and are more energy efficient. They have a cool to the touch surface as well as flashing indicators that let you know that a ring has been used or is still hot.

Ceramic

Ceramics can be used to make 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. After it's formed, it can then be painted or covered with decorative materials to add texture and color.

Ceramic hobs combine design and function to make a stunning piece of contemporary kitchen furniture. Radiant heating technology is employed to heat ceramic hobs by passing an electric current through coiled components that are concealed beneath the black glass surface. When activated, they generate heat that is then transferred to your pan by an infrared system. You can adjust the intensity of this heating by adjusting the controls with knobs or a touch.

Certain ceramic hobs have dual-ring designs, having one smaller and a larger cooking area, allowing you to choose the best hobs size for your pan. There are hobs with booster burners which produce high-powered heat in a short time, great for searing meat or bringing pots of water to the boil quickly.

Compared to other types of cooktops, ceramic cooktops generally take longer to heat up and then change temperature however, once they're done they're generally more energy-efficient. You can also select vented hobs, which integrate ventilation systems with the cooktop made of ceramic. This makes sure that smoke, steam, and cooking smells do not remain in your home.

Induction

The heating elements inside induction hobs consist of a series of copper wire coils that are placed beneath the surface, which generate electromagnets to heat pans sat on them. The coils stir up the free electrons within the base of your pot, which then transmits heat evenly and directly to your food. The surface of the stove is never hot and the cooking zones automatically turn off when your pan is removed.

Induction hobs are generally more expensive, but they also get hotter faster and use 30 to 70% less energy than gas or other kinds. They are also easier to clean since the surface of the hob doesn't get hot and only the contents of your pan do.

Certain manufacturers offer an induction model that has additional features, such as the ability to pause that cuts off power to your hob when you step away from it, or connect two cooking rings at the same power level to provide added flexibility. These are often called FlexInduction hobs. They can be more expensive than traditional induction models but they're worth looking into if prefer to multitask.

This induction hob is our favorite. It comes with four large cooking zones, a Bridge function, and nine power settings, offering you a lot of options for ambitious cooks. It did well in our tests with a fast heating speed and precise control when making pancakes. The oven comes with dishwasher built-in and automatic pan detection to make cleaning much easier. The only problem is that there are only a few compatible pans that can use it to cook using utensils with magnetic bases. This can be a problem if you have a lot of cookware that is not compatible or only the smallest portion is compatible with induction hobs.