A Provocative Rant About Best Hob
A Provocative Rant About Best Hob
Blog Article
How to Choose the Best Hob
There are many factors to consider when choosing the ideal hob, ranging from cost to energy efficiency. Determine which features are the most important.
A basic electric ceramic stove can cost as low as PS100, but you'll need to pay more for a feature-packed model. Gas hobs are another popular option and offer excellent temperature control, but they're also pricier.
1. Haier I-Flex Induction Hob
With four cooking zones and three 'Push&Go' functions this cooker from Haier can help you make quick meals. It was one of the fastest boiling water hobs in our tests, taking only four minutes. It has an child lock and the ability to pause, which means you can stop the process swiftly without having to fiddle with controls.
Its style is sleek and modern and is a great match for contemporary kitchens. It's usually made from glass (shatterproof and heatproof) or ceramic, and has controls that are on top of the worktop to allow to make it easy to use.
The controls are simple to operate and we loved the clear display that informs you the current power settings and which of the five zones is active. The 'Boost' feature creates high-powered heat for a brief period of time, and is perfect for stir-frying or bringing pans of water to the boil quickly. The hob's light that is hot and automatic shutdown are useful security features, too.
It's not as responsive as the other hobs in this test. It took nine presses to reach maximum temperature, in comparison to six or seven for other models. It also takes longer to react when you alter the cooking temperature, so you may have to change settings several times before your pan reaches the right heat.
This 60 cm model has four cooking zones, including a half-flex zone that two areas can be joined to accommodate larger pots and pans. Dual-ring design permits it to be operated on both "normal" and "boost" power levels. Boost is ideal for frying and searing meat, or bringing water pans to the rapid boil.
It is fully connected to the hOn app and includes hundreds of recipes, a guide to cooking, and 30 different programs that are divided into different food categories and types of preparation. It has a multislider control panel with a "lockable interface' and can detect the type of pan you're using to set the proper cooking mode. It's also compatible with third-party hOn sets and has a range of safety features, like the control panel that can be locked and boil-dry protection.
2. Smeg I-Flex Induction Hob
Induction hobs have become increasingly popular, whether you're renovating your kitchen or are looking for a non-gas option. Prices have plummeted over the past few years, with the simplest four-zone models starting at less than PS100. If you want the latest induction technology, it's worth paying a little more.
This sleek model from Smeg has the latest induction technology to make cooking more energy-efficient and convenient. The revolutionary Auto-pot detection technology automatically recognises the position of pots that have minimum diameters of 9cm, which allows you to activate the appropriate zone without needing to select it manually.
Smeg's focus on energy saving doesn't overlook flexibility either The hob is built to reduce power consumption by setting the maximum operating temperature of the zones to suit your cooking requirements. There are other options to save energy by using the Eco-Logic advance mode which moderates the power website output from 11.1 kW to as little as 2.4 2 kW.
Testers were awed by the hob's user-friendly design, with intuitive sliding controls that move across the edge of the hob, allowing it to follow your pan. The color scheme of the control panel helps you quickly identify the operational status of each zone, and the Flexi Duo function allows you to connect two zones together to accommodate larger pots. There are many useful features, including four cooking presets for automatic cooking (melting boiling slow cooking, and keeping warm) and a Power Boost for super-quick results.
The oven also comes with a FlameSensor that can alert you if there's a danger of a meal that's been burned or an igniting fire. There are a variety of safety features, such as a residual heat indicator and an auto shut-off feature if the surface gets too hot.
It also resists tough stains and features a protective coating of CleanProtect. The hob is simple to set up and comes with nine power levels and an excellent 'FlexiDuo' feature for catering for large pans. There are also a number of bonus features, like locking controls and an emergency fuse in the event of accidental button-pushing.
3. Indesit I-Flex Induction Hob
Powered by electricity rather than gas, induction hobs use copper plates that create an electric field when a pan is placed on the top. This means they can heat up more quickly than gas hobs. They can also reduce energy consumption since the cooking zone only is heated when you turn on the pan. They're generally cheaper to run than gas and are simpler to wipe clean too and that's why they're a popular choice.
This induction hob from Indesit is packed with features that allow you to get creative in the kitchen. It has two cooking zones that can be combined to form a Dual Zone for larger pots and the Booster Zone is quick to bring water to the boil quickly. The Push&Go feature, for instance, allows you to cook with perfection with the click of a button. Nine power modes, including a 'P boost' setting that gives each zone maximum power for five minutes, are easily set using the controls, which move across the bottom of the cooktop to follow the pans.
The controls are easy to use, and the minimalist design is ideal for modern kitchens. In our tests, it was able to boil pasta water in a snap and quickly heated up when we put a pan on the Booster zone. However it took some time to cool down after we shut off the hob. Additionally, our test participants were unable to see the exact temperatures on the control panel.
Alongside the Dual Zone and Push&Go feature, this Indesit hob also has a bridge function that lets you combine two cooking zones to accommodate larger pans. It also has a child lock and overheating block as well as an auto shut-off feature that stops the hob working when it's heated to the point of. Our testers appreciated the fact that there were no visible flames or flammable substances and the glass was easy to clean. Ventilated hobs unlike traditional extractors draw smoke and steam from the pan out of the room by an air duct that is located on the surface. The duct on this hob was easy to clean, but it took two people in order to take the filter out.
4. Induction Hob from General Electric
When selecting a hob take a look at how it fits to your kitchen's design and layout, in addition to your cooking style and your lifestyle. Induction hobs are a great choice if you cook with children or the elderly in mind. They come with safety features such as automatic shut-offs and a cool-to-touch surface. For those who value speed and efficiency using a ceramic glass facia on an electric hob is the best alternative. Gas hobs are an excellent choice for those who live in areas that are susceptible to power outages.