Types of Hob and Oven

Hobs and ovens are popular feature in many kitchens. They can be found in a variety of styles. You can even mix varieties like domino, electric and gas to fit your cooking needs.

A hob could also come with safety features, such as child and control of the position. They can stop children from touching the hob, and prevent them from changing the temperature settings accidentally.

Types

The hob is the central point of any kitchen and has a huge impact on the results of your cooking. However, there are many different types of hob and the one you select will be based on what your specific cooking requirements are.

Gas hobs provide a classic option. They are quick to heat up and respond instantly to temperature changes. They are a preferred option for professional chefs because they are precise in their control. However, they're not as easy to clean as other hobs, and they may require a higher degree of maintenance.

Electric hobs are flat ceramic surface with heated elements beneath. They can be found in different sizes that have between four and six cooking zones. Each zone has its own heating element which you can regulate individually. This lets you boil potatoes on one ring whilst making sausages in another. This kind of hob is easier to warm up than gas, and it offers a safer alternative for children since the cooking area is heated only when you place a pot on it.

Traditional ceramic hobs are a user-friendly alternative to gas and hobs and ovens electric and are also a fashionable option. They have a smooth and durable surface that is easy to clean. However, they are not as quick to react to temperature fluctuations or cool down as other hobs.

Domino hobs are a space-saving alternative to gas and electric hobs that incorporate ovens beneath the cooking surface. They can be incorporated into smaller kitchens with little space for installation and are suitable for kitchenettes and flats. They are often cheaper than standard hobs and can be very energy-efficient but can be fragile and require more attention than other types of cookers.

Gas

Gas hobs are cooktops that have burners that can be easily integrated into the kitchen countertop to give a seamless appearance. Gas hobs are usually powered by LPG or natural gas, but they are also powered by propane gas. The modern, sleek design can enhance your cooking space that is modular.

A traditional gas stove has several burners, usually 4 but often as many as 6. The burners can be lit by a match or a knob. The flames are controlled by an array of valves that can be adjusted to regulate temperature.

Modern built-in gas stoves however, have burners with multiple flames. This lets you control both the outer and inner rings for each burner, to allow you to precisely control the cooking. These kinds of burners allow for much faster heat up times and are more reliable than the old-fashioned ones.

In the past, it was essential to keep a gas stove lit continuously to ensure the burners were constantly fueled and hot. This was a safety feature to avoid accidents like accidentally turning on the oven when the stove was lit by match or the pilot flame. Modern cookers have been made with safety in mind as a top priority. They come equipped with a device to stop the flame that shuts off the burners when the pilot light is not working.

Gas stoves and hobs need to be inspected, cleaned, and maintained regularly. The best hob way to do this is to schedule an appointment with a licensed Gas Safe registered engineer. They will not only make sure that your appliance is functioning correctly, but also give you expert guidance on how to prevent any future issues.

Electric

A well-designed hob is just as crucial when it comes to creating the perfect kitchen. Refrigerators, worktops, freezers, and ovens are the first things that come to the mind. Whether you opt for a conventional, induction or gas cooker the type of hob you choose will affect how your kitchen operates and how easy it is to keep clean.

Electric hobs have heating elements set beneath a smooth, glass surface. This is typically cleaned with a nonabrasive cleaner. These elements switch on when you turn the hob on and can be notched up to a range of power levels by turning or hobs and ovens adjusting a control knob. They can take a little bit longer to get heated up, but once they have they tend to provide more stable and reliable temperature control. They also come with indicators to let you know that a zone is being used or hot from cooking.

They are available in a range of four to six sizes and are notch-upable to different power levels. They are ideal for cookware with a flat base however they aren't the ideal option for cast-iron pans as they can overheat. Some models come with dual-ring designs (such as the Belling BEL CH602T) that allow boiling water on one ring and saute sausages on another. Certain models come with a Boost function that focuses high heat into one ring. This is great for stir-frying, searing meat, or boiling large pots.

Induction hobs are different from regular electric hobs in that they utilize electromagnetic fields to directly heat your cookware instead of the traditional method of gas flames. This allows them to reach precise temperatures in a smaller space of time and makes them extremely energy efficient. They also have a cool to the touch surface and flashing heat indicators to inform you that the ring is either in use or 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, and firing it in a high-temperature oven known as a Kiln. After it's been made it is then covered with paint-like or decorative substances to add color and texture.

Ceramic hobs are a perfect blend of form and function to create an impressive piece of modern kitchen furniture. Radiant heating technology is employed to heat the ceramic hobs by passing an electrical current through coiled elements which are hidden beneath the black glass surface. When they are activated, they produce heat which is then transferred to your pan by an infrared system. You can adjust the intensity of the heating by turning the knobs or the touch controls.

Certain ceramic hobs have dual-ring designs, having one smaller and a larger cooking area, allowing you to choose the best size for your pan. You can also get hobs with booster burners that generate high-powered heat rapidly, great for searing meat or bringing pans of boiling water to a boil quickly.

Compared to other types of cooktops, ceramic cooktops generally take longer to heat up and change temperature however, once they're done they're typically more efficient in terms of energy consumption. You can also select vented hobs, which integrate an air-conditioning system that is integrated into the ceramic cooktop. This ensures that smoke, steam, and cooking smells don't linger in your house.

Induction

The heating elements of hobs with induction are made up of a set of copper wire coils under the surface. They produce electromagnets to heat the pans that sit on them. The coils agitate the free electrons in the base of your pot which transmits heat uniformly and directly to your food. The surface of the stove never gets hot and, when you take off your pan the cooking zones are turned off automatically.

Induction hobs are usually more expensive than other types however, they're also more efficient to heat and consume 30-70 percent less energy than gas or ceramic hobs. They're also easier to clean as the hob surface itself doesn't get hot and only the contents of your pan do.

Certain manufacturers offer a specific induction model with extra features such as a pause feature, which cuts the power to your stove when you step away from it, or link up two cooking rings simultaneously at the same power level to provide greater flexibility. They are commonly referred to as FlexInduction hobs. They can be more expensive than traditional induction models but they're worth looking into if prefer to multitask.

Our favorite is this induction hob from Smeg. It has four good-sized cooking zones with a bridge function as well as nine power levels, giving you a variety of options for the ambitious cook. In our tests, it performed well with precise control and quick heating when making pancakes. The hob also has dishwasher built-in and an automatic pan detection function to make cleaning a lot simpler. There is a limited selection of compatible pans it cannot be used to cook with appliances that have a magnetic base. This can be a problem when you have a lot of non-compliant cookware, or just some of them are suitable for induction cooktops.