This Week's Most Remarkable Stories Concerning Best Hob
How to Choose the Best Hob
When deciding on the best hob there are a lot of aspects to take into account. From cost to energy efficiency. Decide what features are most important.
A basic electric ceramic hob could cost as low as PS100 However, you'll need to shell out more for a model with a lot of features. Gas hobs, also popular and provide excellent temperature control but are more expensive, are a different alternative.
1. Haier I-Flex Induction Hob
This Haier hob has four cooking zones with three "Push&Go" functions, and will help you prepare quick meals. It was also one of the quickest on test to boil water, taking just under four minutes. It's child-safe and comes with an pause feature, meaning you can quickly stop the process without having to fiddle around using controls.
Its design is sleek, contemporary and blends well with contemporary kitchens. It is usually made of glass (which is shatterproof and heatproof) or ceramic. The controls are touch-sensitive and rest directly on the worktop.
The controls are intuitive to use and we liked the clear display that informs you the current power setting, and which of the five zones is active. The 'Boost" feature generates high-powered heat in a short time. It is perfect to stir fry and speedily boiling pans. The hot hob light and the automatic shutoff are helpful safety features, too.
However it's not as responsive to touch as other hobs in this test. We found it took nine presses on the control to attain the highest temperature compared with six or seven on other models. It also takes longer to respond when you change the cooking temperature, meaning you might have to alter settings several times before your pan reaches the right heat.
This model is 60cm long and has four cooking zones. One of the zones is a half-flex that allows two zones to easily be joined to accommodate larger pans or pots. It features dual-ring design and is able to operate on both normal as well as 'boost' power levels. It is great for cooking meat and searing it, or bringing water to a rapid boiling.
It's fully integrated with the hOn app and boasts hundreds of recipes that include guided cooking and 30 unique programmes split into different food categories and preparation types. It has an intuitive multislider interface as well as a lockable control panel. Additionally, it can automatically detect the kind of pan you're using and set up the proper cooking mode. It's also compatible with third-party hOn sets and comes with a variety of safety features, like a lockable control panel and boil-dry protection.
2. Ovens & Hobs -Flex Induction Hob
If you're working in your kitchen, or searching for a substitute to gas, induction hobs are becoming increasingly popular. Prices have slashed over the past few years, with basic four-zone models starting at less than PS100. If you want the latest induction technology, it is worth paying a bit more.
This sleek model from Smeg comes with the most advanced induction technology to make cooking more energy-efficient and convenient. The innovative Auto-pot detection system automatically detects the position of pots that have a minimum diameter of 9cm, which allows you to switch on the appropriate zone without having to manually select it.
Smeg's primary focus is on energy efficiency, but it doesn't ignore the flexibility of this appliance - it can be adjusted to conserve energy based on the maximum temperatures of the zones. Eco-Logic advanced mode lets you to reduce energy consumption, reducing the power output to as low as 2.4kW.
The user-friendly interface of this cooker was a hit with testers, thanks to its simple sliding controls that follow your pan along the edge of it. The control panel's color scheme lets you quickly see the status of each zone, and the Flexi Duo function allows you to connect two zones together to cater for larger pans. There are numerous useful functions including four automatic cooking presets: melting, boiling, slow-cooking, and keeping warm.
The oven also comes with an alarm system that will notify you when there's a risk of a meal that's been burned or an igniting fire. There are a variety of safety features like a residual heat sensor as well as an automatic shut-off when the surface gets too hot.
It also has the CleanProtect coating that is designed to protect it from tough marks and stains from cooking. This hob is easy to install and has nine power levels, as well as a handy 'FlexiDuo' feature that allows catering for large pans. There are also a number of additional features, including locking controls and an emergency fuse in the event of accidental button-pushing.
3. Indesit I-Flex Induction Hob
They are powered by electricity, not gas, induction stoves utilize copper plates that create a magnetic field when the pan is placed on top. This means that they can heat up much quicker than conventional gas hobs. They also save energy as the cooking area only is heated when you turn on the pan. They're generally less expensive to run than gas and are easier to wipe clean too, which makes them a popular choice.
This induction hob from Indesit is packed full of features that make it easy to get creative in the kitchen. It comes with two cooking zones that can be combined to create a Dual Zone for larger pans and the Booster Zone is quick to bring water to the boiling point quickly. The Push&Go feature, for instance, lets you cook flawlessly with the click of the button. The controls are easy to operate and allow you to select nine power modes including a P boost setting that gives maximum power for each zone for five minutes.
The controls are easy to operate, and the minimalist design is ideal for modern kitchens. In our tests, it was able to boil pasta water in a flash and quickly heated up after placing an oven in the Booster zone. However, it took an extended time to cool down after we turned off the hob. Our testers found it difficult to determine the precise temperature on the control panel.
This Indesit hob also comes with the bridge function, which allows the user to combine two cooking zones for larger pans. It has a child lock and an overheating block as well as an automatic shut-off mechanism that stops the hob from working when it gets too hot. Our test subjects were pleased that there weren't any visible flames that were messy and messy, and the glass was easy to wipe clean. Ventilated hobs in contrast to traditional extractors draw steam and smoke from the pan out of the room via an air duct that is located on the surface. Our experts thought the duct of this hob was simple to clean, though it took two people to take the filter out to change it.
4. GE Induction Hob
When choosing a new hob, consider how it fits to your kitchen's design and layout, and also your cooking style and your lifestyle. For example, if you frequently cook with children or elderly people in mind, security features such as an automatic shut-off feature and cool to the touch surface may make an induction hob the best choice. Alternatively, for those who prefer speed and efficiency, an electric stove with a glass face that is wipe-clean is a great choice. For those who live in areas prone to load-shedding, the capability to use gas hobs during power outages could tip the scales in favour of gas models.