Types of Hob and Oven

A hob and oven is an essential part of many kitchens and can come in many different styles. You can mix different types, such as electric and gas to meet your needs.

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

Types

In the center of every kitchen, the stove is at the center of the room and plays a significant part in how your food is executed. However, there are many different kinds of hobs and the one you select will depend on what your specific cooking requirements are.

Gas hobs are a classic option. They are quick to heat up and respond instantly to temperature changes. Professional chefs favor them because they are precise in their control. However, they're not as clean as other hobs, and they may require a higher level of maintenance.

Electric hobs are a flat ceramic surface with heated elements beneath. They are available in different sizes that have between four and six cooking zones. Each zone has its own heating element that you can control individually. You can boil potatoes in one ring and cook sausages in another. This kind of hob is much easier to start heating than gas, and it offers the safety of children since the cooking area is heated only when you place the pot on it.

Ceramic hobs are a fashionable and user-friendly alternative to gas and electric hobs. They have a smooth, durable surface which is easy to clean, but they aren't as quick to respond to temperature changes as other hobs and are slower to cool down.

The Domino hob is a space-saving option to electric and gas hobs. It combines ovens beneath the cooking surface. They are perfect for kitchens with limited space. They can also be used in kitchenettes and flats. They tend to be more affordable than standard hobs and can be energy-efficient, but they can also be fragile and require greater maintenance.

Gas

Gas hobs are cooktops with burners that are easily integrated into kitchen countertops to create a seamless look. They are typically used with natural or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) but they can also be powered by propane gas. They are modern and sleek design that can bring a touch of class to your modular kitchen.

A traditional gas stove comes with various burners, usually 4 but sometimes as many as 6. The flames are ignited using the use of a match or a knob. The flames are then controlled by a series of valves that can be adjusted to control the temperature.

The majority of modern gas stoves built-in however include burners with multiple flames. This allows you to control both the outer and the inner rings of each burner so that you can precisely control your cooking. They are also much more efficient and more reliable than older models.

In the past, it was essential to keep a gas stove on continuously to ensure the burners were always hot and fueled. This was to avoid accidents, like not turning on the oven when the stove is still lit by a match or pilot light. Modern cookers are designed with safety in mind. They come with a built-in fire failure device that shuts off the burners immediately should the pilot light fail.

Gas stoves and hobs need to be inspected, cleaned and maintained on a regular basis. The best method to ensure this is to schedule an appointment with a qualified Gas Safe registered engineer. Not only will they be able to make sure your appliance is working correctly and safely, but they will also provide professional advice and guidance on how to prevent any issues in the future.

Electric

A well-designed hob is just as important when it comes to making your kitchen the best it can be. Worktops, refrigerators, freezers and ovens are always the first things that come to the mind. The type of hob you select will impact the way your kitchen operates and also how easy it is to clean.

Electric hobs have heating elements set beneath a smooth, glass surface. The glass surface is typically cleaned with a nonabrasive cleaning product. These elements are activated when you turn on the hob and can be adjusted to a range of power levels by turning or adjusting on a knob. They can take some time to heat up however once they are heated, they are in place, they provide better and more consistent temperature control. They also have built-in indicators to let you know that a zone is active or hot from cooking.

These rings are available in four to six different sizes and can be notch-up up to various power levels. They are ideal for cookware with a flat base, but not for cast iron cookware, as they can overheat. Some models have dual-ring designs (such as the Belling BEL CH602T) that permit boiling water on one ring and saute sausages on another. Some models come with a 'boost' feature that concentrates high-powered heat into one ring to stir fry cooking sauteing meat, or boiling large pots of water.

Induction hobs differ from standard electric models because they employ electromagnetic fields to directly heat your cookware, instead of the traditional method of gas flames. This enables them to achieve precise temperatures in a short space of time and makes them extremely energy efficient. They feature a cool to the touch surface and flashing indicators that inform you whether a ring was used or is still hot.

Ceramic

Ceramic is a material that can be used to create useful or decorative objects. It is formed by mixing earthen elements, clay powders, water and other elements to a specific shape, then subsequently fired in a high-temperature oven and hob called the"kiln. Once made it is then covered with paint-like or decorative materials to give it a more textured and vibrant look.

Ceramic hobs combine form and function to create an exquisite piece of contemporary kitchen furniture. They operate by using radiant heating technology, which passes an electric current through coiled components hidden beneath the black glass surface of the hob. When activated, they generate heat that is then transferred to your pan through an infrared system. You can alter the intensity of this heating by adjusting the controls using a knobs or buttons.

Some ceramic hobs are dual-ring designs, having one smaller and one larger cooking zone, allowing you to choose the most suitable size for your pan. There are hobs with booster burners which generate high-powered heat rapidly, great for searing meat or bringing pots of water to the boil quickly.

In comparison to other types of hobs, ceramic cooktops take a little longer to heat up and alter temperature however once they do, they're typically more efficient in terms of energy consumption. You can also find vented hobs that incorporate a ventilation system into the cooktop's ceramic, making sure that the cooking smells aren't left within your home.

Induction

Induction hobs have heating elements made up of copper wire coils. These coils generate electromagnets that heat the pans placed on top of them. The coils stir up free electrons inside the base metal of your pan, which then transfer heat evenly to your food. The surface of the stove is never hot and the cooking zones are automatically turned off as soon as your pan is removed.

Induction hobs are typically more expensive than other hobs however, they're also more efficient to heat and consume 30-70 percent less energy than gas or ceramic hobs. Induction hobs are also less difficult to clean since only the contents of the pan are heated, not the surface.

Certain manufacturers offer a specific induction model that comes with additional features such as a pause feature that cuts off the power to your stove when you leave it, or connect two cooking rings simultaneously at the same power level to provide added flexibility. These are often called FlexInduction hobs and can be more expensive than traditional models, however they're worth considering if you are a multi-tasker.

Our top pick is this induction cooktop from Smeg, with four cooking zones of good size with a bridge function as well as nine power levels that give you a variety of options for those who want to cook with a lot of passion. In our tests, it did well with precise control and rapid heating when making pancakes. The oven also has an integrated dishwasher as well as an automatic pan detection function to make cleaning even easier. There's a small selection of compatible pans, and it can't be used to cook using appliances that have magnetic bases. It can be a problem if you have a large quantity of cookware that is not compatible or some of it is compatible with induction hobs.