A hob and oven is commonplace in kitchens and is available in a variety of styles. You can mix different types of ovens, such as electric and gas to meet your requirements.A hob may also come with safety features, such as child and position controls. These are designed to prevent children from touching the stove and stop them changing the temperature settings accidentally.
Types
In the center of every kitchen, the stove is the main focus and can play a huge part in how your food comes out. However, there are a variety of kinds of hobs and the one you pick will be based on what your specific cooking requirements are.
Gas hobs are a classic choice and offer a fast heating function and instant response to temperature fluctuations. Professional chefs favor them because they offer precise control. However, they aren't as clean as other hobs and could require a higher level of maintenance.
Electric hobs have a flat ceramic surface and heated elements underneath. They are available in various sizes and have up to six cooking zones. Each zone has its own heating element that can be controlled individually by you. This lets you boil potatoes on one ring and cooking sausages in a different. This kind of hob is quicker to heat up than gas, and it offers a safer alternative for ovensandhobs children as the cooking zone gets hot only when you place an oven on it.
Ceramic hobs offer a stylish and user-friendly alternative to gas and electric hobs. They have a smooth, durable surface which is easy to clean but aren't as fast at responding to temperature changes as other hobs, and may be slower to cool down.
The Domino hob is a space-saving alternative to electric and gas hobs. It incorporates ovens under the cooking surface. They can be fitted into smaller kitchens that have limited installation space and are ideal for kitchenettes and flats. They are often more affordable than standard hobs and can be energy-efficient, but they are also prone to breaking and require more maintenance.
Gas
A gas hob is a cooking surface with burners that can be incorporated on kitchen countertops to give an elegant look. They are usually powered by natural or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) but they can also be powered by propane gas. The sleek, modern design could bring sophistication to your modular cooking space.
A traditional gas stove is fitted with a variety of burners. There are usually four burners, but it could be up to six. The burners can be lit with a match or knob. The flames are controlled by a series of valves that can be adjusted to set the temperature.
In contrast, most modern gas hobs with built-in gas are equipped with multi-flame burners that allow you to control the inner and outer ring of each burner to control your cooking. These burners are faster and more reliable than earlier models.
Traditionally, it was important to keep a gas stove on constantly to ensure the burners were always hot and fuelled. This was done to avoid accidents, such as accidentally turning on an oven while the stove is still lit with a match or pilot light. Modern cookers are designed with safety in mind and include a built-in flame safety device that shuts off burners automatically should the pilot light fail.
Gas stoves and hobs need to be checked regularly, cleaned and maintained. The best way to do this is to arrange an appointment with a certified Gas Safe registered engineer. They will not only be able to make sure your appliance is functioning properly and safely, but they will offer expert advice and guidance on how to avoid problems in the near future.
Electric
When it comes to creating your perfect kitchen the worktops, fridge freezer and ovens will always get the most attention, however the quality of your hob is equally important. The type of hob you select will influence the way your kitchen works and also how easy it is to clean.
Electric hobs are equipped with 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 adjusted to various power levels by turning or clicking the control knob. They may take longer to heat up than gas cookers, but once they do they usually provide better, regular temperature control. They come with built-in indicators that tell you whether a particular area is hot or not.
These rings are available in a range of four to six sizes and are notch-upable to different power levels. They are great for cookware with a flat base, but not for cast iron pans since they can get hot. Some models (such as Belling BELCH602T) come with dual rings that let you cook sausages and boil water on the same ring. Some even include a boost function which concentrates high-powered heat onto a single ring for stir fry cooking sauteing meats, searing or boiling large pots of water.
Induction hobs differ from standard electric models because they utilize electromagnetic fields instead of conventional gas flames to cook your food. They can achieve precise temperatures faster and are more efficient in energy use. They also have a cool to the touch surface and flashing heat indicators to inform you that the ring is in use or still hot.
Ceramic
Ceramic is a material which can be transformed into useful or decorative objects. It is made by mixing clay with earthen elements, powders and water, before firing it in a hot oven called a Kiln. After it's been made it can be sprayed with decorative or paint-like substances to add colour and texture.
Ceramic hobs are an exquisite blend of form and function that can be easily integrated into any modern kitchen. They operate by using radiant heating technology, passing an electric current through coiled components hidden beneath the black glass surface of the hob. When they are activated, they produce heat that is then transferred to the pan through an infrared system. You can adjust the intensity of the heating using the knobs or touch controls.
Certain ceramic hobs have dual ring designs that have one smaller and a larger cooking area which allows you to select the ideal size for your pan. You can also purchase hobs that have boosters that create high-powered heat quickly. This is perfect for cooking food and bringing pans to boil quickly.
Ceramic cooktops are more energy efficient than other kinds of hobs due to the fact that they take longer to heat up and switch temperatures. You can also choose vented cooktops that have ventilation systems with the ceramic cooktop. This makes sure that smoke, steam, and cooking smells don't remain in your home.
Induction
The heating elements in hobs with induction are made up of a series of copper wire coils that are placed beneath the surface, which create electromagnets that heat the pans sat on them. The coils stir up the free electrons within your pan's metal base and then transfer heat evenly and directly to your food. The surface of the stove never gets hot and, as soon as you remove your pan the cooking zones are turned off automatically.
Induction hobs are typically more expensive than other types, but they're also faster to heat and consume 30 to 70 percent less energy than ceramic or gas hobs. Induction hobs are also simpler to clean because only the inside of the pan gets hot but not the surface.
Certain manufacturers offer a specific induction model with extra features like a pause function that shuts off power to your hob when you leave it, or link up two cooking rings at the same time at the same power level to provide added flexibility. They are commonly referred to as FlexInduction hobs. They can be more expensive than traditional induction models, but they're worth considering if you prefer to multitask.
Our top pick is this induction cooktop from Smeg, with four cooking zones of good size that have a bridge function, as well as nine power levels that give you plenty of choice for ambitious cooks. In our tests, it performed well with accurate control and fast heating when making pancakes. The hob also has dishwasher built-in and an automatic pan detection function to make cleaning even more simple. There's a small selection of compatible pans, and it can't be used to cook using the utensils with magnetic bases. This can be a challenge when you have a lot of non-compliant cookware, or just some of it is suitable for use on induction hobs.
