Nine Things That Your Parent Taught You About Best Hob

How to Choose the Best Hob

There are a lot of aspects to take into consideration when selecting the best hob, from the price to energy efficiency. Determine which features are the most important.

A basic ceramic electric hob can cost just PS100. However you'll need to pay more for a model that comes with numerous features. Gas hobs, also popular and provide excellent temperature control, but are expensive, are another alternative.

1. Haier I-Flex Induction Hob

This Haier stove has four cooking zones, three 'Push&Go" functions, and can assist you in making quick meals. It was one of the fastest boiling water hobs in our tests, taking only four minutes. It's child lock-compatible and has an pause feature, meaning you can stop the process without having to mess around with controls.

Its style is sleek and modern, blending in well with modern kitchens. It's usually made from glass (shatterproof and heatproof) or ceramic, and has control buttons that sit on top of the worktop to allow for easy use.

The controls are intuitive to operate and we loved the clear display that tells you the current power settings, and which of the five zones are in use. The 'Boost' feature produces high-powered heat for a short period of time. It is ideal for stir-frying or bringing pots of water to a boil quickly. The hob's hot light and the automatic shutoff are helpful security features, too.

However, it's not as responsive to touch as some other hobs we tested. It took nine presses to reach maximum temperature, as opposed to seven or six for other models. It also takes longer to respond when you change the cooking temperature, so you may have to change settings multiple times before your pan is ready to cook at the proper temperature.

The model measures 60 cm and comes with four cooking zones. One of it is a half-flex zone that allows two zones to easily be joined to accommodate larger pans or pots. It features a dual-ring design and can function on both 'normal and boost power levels. It is great for cooking meat while searing it or bring water to a fast boil.

It's fully integrated with the hOn app and comes with 100's of recipes, with guided cooking and 30 unique programs divided into different food categories and types of preparation. It has an intuitive multislider interface, as well as a lockable' control panel, plus it will automatically recognize the kind of pan you're using and set the correct cooking mode. It also works with third-party hOn sets and comes with a variety of safety features, such as the control panel that can be locked and boil-dry protection.

2. Smeg I-Flex Induction Hob

When you're doing work on your kitchen or simply looking for an alternative to gas, induction hobs are becoming increasingly popular. Prices have dropped dramatically in the past few years. Basic four-zone models can be found for less that PS100. But if you want all the bells and whistles that come with induction it's worth paying more to get the latest technology.

This sleek-looking model from Smeg comes with the most modern induction tech to keep your cooking energy-efficient and convenient. The Auto-pot detection system recognises pots with a diameter of at least 9 centimetres and automatically activates the appropriate zone.

Smeg's focus is on energy savings however, it doesn't overlook the flexibility of this appliance - it can be adjusted to save energy based on the highest temperatures that the zones can operate at. There are also options to save even more energy with the Eco-Logic advance mode that reduces the power output from 11.1 kW to as little as 2.4 kW.

Testers were impressed with this hob's user-friendly interface, with intuitive sliding controls that move along the edge of the hob in order to follow the pan. The control panel's colour scheme lets you quickly see the status of each zone, while the 'Flexi Duo' feature allows you to connect two zones together to accommodate larger pans. There are many useful features, such as four automatic cooking presets (melting, boiling slow cooking, keeping warm) and a Power Boost for super-quick results.

The hob also has a FlameSensor which will alert you in the event of a meal that's been burned or a fire. There are several safety features, including a residual heat sensor and an automatic shut-off when the surface is too hot.

It also has an anti-corrosive CleanProtect coating to help it resist tough stains and cooking marks. This model has nine power levels and a 'FlexiDuo feature' to accommodate large pans and is simple to set up. There are several bonus features such as locking controls and an emergency fuse to stop accidental button pushing.

3. Indesit I-Flex Induction Hob

Induction hobs are powered by electricity, not gas. They utilize copper plates to create an electric force when a pan or pot is placed on them. This means that they can reach temperatures more quickly than gas hobs. They also save energy as the cooking area only heats up when you turn on a pan. They're generally less expensive than gas, and they're easier to clean and that's why they're a popular choice.

This induction hob from Indesit is packed full of features that make it easy to create your own ideas in the kitchen. It comes with two cooking zones that can be combined to create the Dual Zone for larger pans and the Booster Zone is quick to bring water to a boil quickly. The Push&Go feature, for instance, allows you to cook perfectly at the touch the button. And nine power modes including a 'P-boost setting that grants each zone maximum power for five minutes, can be easily selected using the controls, which are positioned along the bottom edge of the cooktop to follow the pans.

The controls are easy to use and have a modern, minimalist design that's ideal for a contemporary kitchen. In our tests, it quickly heated up a pan once we placed it on the Booster Zone and boiled pasta water. However, it took a long time to cool down once it was turned off from the hob and our testers were unable to determine the precise temperature on the control panel.

As well as the Dual Zone and Push&Go, this Indesit hob comes oven with hob a bridge function that lets you connect two cooking zones to fit larger pans. It has a child lock, an overheating block and an automatic switch-off system which stops the hob from working when it gets too hot. Ceramic glass is easy to clean and has no visible flames. Our test subjects were pleased with that. Contrary to traditional extractor hoods vented hobs draw heat and smoke out of the pan and out of the room through an air duct that is built into the surface. Our experts believed that this hob's duct was easy to clean, even though it required two people to lift the filter out to change it.

4. GE Induction Hob

Consider how the hob can fit into the layout and design of your kitchen, as well as the style of cooking you prefer. For example, if you frequently cook with children or elderly people in mind, safety features such as automatic shut-off and a cool to the touch surface may make an induction stove the best option. For those who value efficiency and speed, an electric hob with a wipe-clean ceramic glass fascia is the best hobs choice. For those who live in areas prone to load-shedding, the ability to use gas hobs oven during power outages may make the difference in favor of a gas model.