Types of Hob and oven hob

A oven and hob is an essential part of many kitchens, and comes in many different styles. You can mix and match different kinds like domino, electric, and gas to suit your cooking needs.

A hob may also come with safety features, such as child and control of the position. These features can stop children from accidentally changing the heat setting or touching the hob.

Types

In the heart of every kitchen, the hob is the main focus and plays a significant part in how your food is executed. There are many kinds of hobs available, and which one you pick will depend on the Cooking Solutions requirements you have.

Gas hobs are a classic option and provide a quick heating function and instant response to temperature changes. They are a popular choice for chefs who are professional as they provide precise control. However, they aren't as easy to clean as other hobs, and they may require more maintenance.

Electric hobs are a flat ceramic surface that has heated elements underneath and are available in various sizes, with between four and six cooking zones. Each zone is equipped with a distinct heating element that you can control separately. This lets you boil potatoes on one ring while cooking sausages in another. This type of hob is quicker to warm up than gas, and also offers a safer alternative for children since the cooking zone becomes hot only when you put an oven on it.

Ceramic hobs are a fashionable and user-friendly option to gas and electric hobs. They have a smooth, durable surface that is easy to clean but aren't as quick to respond to temperature fluctuations as other hobs, and may be slower to cool down.

The Domino hob is a space-saving alternative to gas and electric hobs. It has ovens underneath the cooking surface. They are perfect for kitchens with little space. They can also be used in kitchenettes and flats. They are often cheaper than standard hobs and can be very energy-efficient but can be fragile and require more maintenance than other types of cooker.

Gas

A gas hob is a cooking surface with burners that can be fitted into kitchen countertops for seamless appearance. 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 has a range of burners, usually 4, but sometimes as many as 6. The flames are ignited using an igniter or by turning a knob. The flames are then controlled by a series of valves that can be adjusted to regulate the temperature.

In contrast, most modern gas hobs with built-in gas are equipped with multi-flame burners that let you manage the outer and inner ring of each burner to manage your cooking. These types of burners offer quicker heat up times and are more reliable than traditional ones.

Traditionally, it was necessary to keep a gas burner lit all the time to ensure that the burners were always hot and fueled. This was a security feature to avoid accidents like having the oven turned on even though the stove was lit by a match or pilot flame. Modern cookers are designed with safety in mind. They have a built-in flame failure device that shuts off the burners automatically should the pilot light fail.

Gas stoves and hobs need to be checked, cleaned, and maintained regularly. The best oven method to do this is to book a maintenance visit with a certified Gas Safe registered engineer. They will not only ensure that your appliance functions properly, but also give you expert advice on how you can avoid any future problems.

Electricity

When it comes to creating your dream kitchen, the countertops, fridge freezer and oven will always get the most attention but the quality of your hob is also essential. The type of hob you select will influence the way your kitchen works and how easy it is to clean.

Electric hobs are powered by heating elements underneath the glass surface, which is typically cleaned with a non-abrasive cleaning agent. The heating elements are activated when you turn on the oven and can be adjusted to various power levels with a knob. It may take them a little bit longer to get heated up, but once they have they are in place, they provide better and more consistent temperature control. They also have built-in indicators that let you know that a particular zone is active or hot from cooking.

They are available in four to six different sizes and can be notch-up to different power levels. They are ideal for flat-based cookware, but not for cast iron pans, because they could overheat. Some models come with dual-ring designs (such as the Belling BEL CH602T) that allow you to boil water on one ring while you saute sausages on another. Certain models come with a Boost function that concentrates the highest heat in one ring. This is great for stir-frying, searing meat, or boiling large pots.

Induction hobs are different from conventional electric hobs because they use electromagnetic fields instead of conventional gas flames to heat your cookware. They can achieve precise temperatures faster and are more energy efficient. They also have a cool-to touch surface and flashing heat indicators to signal that the ring is either being used or is still hot.

Ceramic

Ceramics can be used to create functional or decorative objects. It's formed by mixing clay, earthen elements, powders and water to an exact shape, and then fired in a high-temperature oven called the kiln. Once made, it can be covered with paint-like or decorative substances to give it a more textured and vibrant look.

Ceramic hobs are a stunning blend of form and function and can be found in any modern kitchen. They operate by using radiant heating technology, which passes an electric current through the coiled elements hidden beneath the black glass surface of the hob. When they are activated, they produce heat that is then transferred to your pan by an infrared system. You can adjust the intensity of this heating by adjusting the controls via touch or knobs.

Some ceramic hobs come with dual ring designs, with one smaller and one larger cooking zone, allowing you to choose the best size for your pan. There are hobs with booster burners that produce high-powered heat in a short time perfect for searing food or bringing pans of boiling water to a boil in a short time.

Compared to other types of hobs ceramic cooktops generally take longer to warm up and alter 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 cooktop made of ceramic. This ensures that smoke, steam, and cooking smells do not linger in your house.

Induction

Induction hobs are equipped with heating elements composed of copper wire coils. These coils generate electromagnets that make the pans hot on the top. The coils stir up the free electrons within the base of your pot and then transfer heat evenly and directly to your food. The surface of the stove never gets hot and, when you take off your pan the cooking zones switch off automatically.

Induction hobs tend to be more expensive than other models however, they're also more efficient to heat and consume 30 to 70% less energy than gas or ceramic hobs. Induction hobs are also less difficult to clean because only the interior of the pan gets hot and not the surface.

Certain manufacturers have an induction model with extra features, such as a pause feature, which cuts the power to your stove after you have left, or the ability to link two cooking rings simultaneously at the same time for more flexibility. They are often referred to as FlexInduction hobs. They can be more expensive than traditional induction models, but they're well worth considering if multitasking is important to you.

Our top choice is this induction cooktop from Smeg, with four cooking zones of good size, a bridge function and nine power levels that give you plenty of choice for those who want to cook with a lot of passion. In our tests, it performed very well with precise control and quick heating when making pancakes. The hob has dishwasher built-in and automatic pan detection, which makes cleaning easier. There's a limited range of compatible pans, however, and it can't be used for cooking with the utensils with a magnetic base. This can be a problem if have a large amount of cookware that's not compatible or only a small portion of it is compatible with induction hobs.