How to Choose the Best Hob
When deciding on the best hob for your needs there are a lot of aspects to take into account. From price to energy efficiency. Decide what features are most important.
A basic electric ceramic hob could cost as low as PS100 however, you'll have to pay more for a feature-packed model. Gas hobs are a popular choice, and offer great temperature control, but they're more expensive.
1. Haier I-Flex Induction Hob
This Haier hob has four cooking zones, three 'Push&Go" functions and can help you prepare quick meals. It was also among the quickest tests to boil water, which took just under four minutes. It comes with the child lock as well as a pause function so you can stop the process in a snap without having to fiddle with controls.
Its style is sleek and contemporary and blends well with contemporary kitchens. It is usually made of glass (shatterproof and heatproof) or ceramic, and features touch controls that sit flush with the worktop for ease of use.
The controls were easy to use and we loved the display which shows the current power level and which zone is in use. The 'Boost' feature produces high-powered heat for a short period of time. It is ideal for stir-frying or bringing pots of water to a boil quickly. The hot hob light and auto shut-off are great safety features, too.
It's not as responsive as the other hobs we tested in this test. We found it took nine presses of the control to achieve the highest temperature, compared with seven or six on other models. It also takes longer to respond when you alter the temperature of cooking, which means you might have to alter settings multiple times before your pan is ready to cook at the proper temperature.
This model is 60cm long and has four cooking zones, including a half-flex area where two zones can be joined to accommodate larger pans and pots. Dual-ring design permits it to be operated at both "normal" and "boost" power levels. The Boost is ideal 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 has an intuitive multislider interface as well as a lockable control panel. Additionally, it can automatically detect the type of pan you're using and set the proper cooking mode. It also works with third-party hOn pan sets and has a range of safety features, like an adjustable control panel that locks and boil-dry protection.
2. Smeg I-Flex Induction Hob
Induction hobs are increasingly popular, whether you are renovating your kitchen or looking for a gas-free alternative. Prices have slashed dramatically over the last few years. The basic four-zone models are now available at less than PS100. But if you want all the bells and whistles that include induction it's worth the extra cost for the latest innovations.
This sleek-looking model from Smeg features the latest induction technology to make your cooking energy efficient and convenient. The unique Auto-pot detection system automatically detects the location of pots with a minimum diameter of 9cm, allowing you to switch on the appropriate zone without needing to select it manually.
Smeg's primary focus is on energy efficiency but it doesn't forget flexibility - this hob can be adjusted to conserve power based on the maximum operating temperatures of the zones. There are other options to save energy by using the Eco-Logic advance mode, which reduces the power output from 11.1 kW to as low as 2.4 kW.
Testers were impressed with this hob's user-friendly interface with easy-to-use controls that move along the edge of the hob in order to follow the pan. The color scheme of the control panel helps you quickly identify the operating status of each zone, and the 'Flexi Duo' feature allows you to connect two zones together to cater for larger pans. There are many useful functions including four automatic cooking presets: melting, boiling, slow-cooking, and keeping warm.
The hob also comes with a FlameSensor that can alert you if there's a danger of a burnt-on meal or a fire. There are many safety features, including a residual heat sensor as well as an automatic switch-off when the surface gets too hot.
It is also resistant to hard stains and comes with a CleanProtect protective coating. This model has nine power levels, a 'FlexiDuo feature' to allow for large pans, and is easy to put in. There are a few bonus features such as locking controls and a safety fuse to prevent accidental button pushing.
3. Indesit I-Flex Induction Hob
Powered by electricity rather than gas, induction stoves utilize copper plates that create an electromagnetic field when the pan is placed on the top. They heat up faster than gas hobs and they also use less energy since the cooking zone only gets hot when you turn on the pan. They're generally cheaper to run than gas and are easier to wipe clean too making them a popular choice.
Indesit's induction stove is packed full of features to allow you to get creative in the cooking. It has two separate zones which can be combined into a Dual Zone to accommodate larger pans, as well as an instant booster zone to quickly bring the water to a boil. A range of functions that are automatic like Push&Go allow you to create perfectly cooked meals with the click of the button. The controls are easy to operate and let you select nine power options, including the P boost option which gives the highest power to each zone for five minutes.
The controls are simple to operate and the minimalist design is perfect for modern kitchens. In our tests, it cooked pasta water in a flash and quickly heated up once we placed an oven on the Booster zone. However it took an extended time to cool down after we shut off the hob and our testers were unable to see the exact temperatures on the control panel.
Alongside a Dual Zone and Push&Go, the Indesit hob also has a bridge function that lets you connect two cooking zones to suit larger pans. It has a child hobs and ovens lock as well as an overheating block. It also has an automatic switch-off feature that prevents the oven from operating when it becomes too hot. The ceramic glass is simple to clean and has no flames visible. Our test subjects were pleased with that. In contrast to traditional extractor hoods vented hobs draw heat and smoke away from the pan and out of the room through an air duct on the surface. The duct on this hob is easy to clean, however it took two people in order to remove the filter.
4. GE Induction Hob
When selecting a hob take a look at how it fits to your kitchen's design and layout, and also your cooking style and your lifestyle. Induction hobs are a good option if you cook with children or the elderly in mind. They have safety features like automatic shut-offs as well as a cool-to-touch surface. If you're looking for speed and efficiency using a ceramic glass facia on an electric hob is the best option. If you live in areas that are prone to load-shedding, the capability to use gas hobs in power outages could tilt the balance in favor of a gas model.