Types of Hob and Oven
Hobs and ovens are popular feature in many kitchens. They are available in various designs. You can mix different types, like gas and electric to meet your needs.
A hob may also come with safety features such as child and position controls. These features will prevent children from accidentally altering the temperature setting or touching the stove.
Types
In every kitchen, the hob is at the center of the room and can play a huge part in how your food is executed. There are many different types of hobs, and which one you pick will depend on your cooking needs.
Gas hobs are the classic option and provide a quick heat-up function and instant reaction to temperature fluctuations. They are a preferred option for professional chefs because they are precise in their control. They are not as easy as other hobs to clean and could require more frequent maintenance.
Electric hobs are made of ceramic with a flat surface and heated elements underneath. They are available in different sizes and with up to six cooking zones. Each zone is equipped with its own heating element which can be controlled individually by you. This allows you to boil potatoes on one ring and cooking sausages in another. This type of hob is much easier to warm up than gas, and it offers the safety of children as the cooking zone gets hot only when you place an oven on it.
Traditional ceramic hobs are a user-friendly alternative to electric and gas and are a elegant choice. They have a smooth, hard-wearing surface that is easy to wipe down but aren't as responsive to temperature changes like other hobs and can be slower to cool down.
Domino hobs are an alternative to electric and gas hobs that combine ovens below the cooking surface. They are perfect for kitchens with limited space. They are also suitable for kitchenettes and flats. They are usually cheaper than conventional hobs and can be energy-efficient, but they can also be fragile and require more frequent maintenance.
Gas
A gas hob is a cooktop with burners that can be incorporated into kitchen countertops for an elegant look. They are typically used with natural or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) however they can be powered by propane gas. The sleek, modern design could bring sophistication to your modular cooking space.
A traditional gas stove comes with various burners, usually 4 but sometimes as many as 6. The flames are ignited using the use of a match or a knob. The flames can then be controlled by a set of valves which can be adjusted to regulate temperature.
Contrary to this, modern gas hobs that have built-in gas burners feature multi-flame burners that let you manage the outer and inner rings of each burner to manage your cooking. These types of burners provide quicker heat up times and are more reliable than the old-fashioned ones.
Traditionally, it was necessary to keep a gas stove on all the time to ensure that the burners are constantly fueled and hot. This was done to avoid accidents, like the mistake of turning on an oven when the stove was still lit by the help of a match or a pilot light. Modern cookers are built with safety as a priority. They are fitted with a device to stop the flame that shuts off the burners if the pilot light fails.
Gas stoves and hobs have to be regularly inspected and cleaned, as well as maintained. The best way to do this is to schedule an appointment for maintenance with a qualified Gas Safe registered engineer. Not only will they be able to ensure that your appliance is functioning properly as well, but they'll also provide expert advice and guidance on how to avoid problems in the future.
Electric
A well-designed hob is equally important when it comes to creating the perfect kitchen. Refrigerators, worktops, freezers and ovens are the first items that come to the mind. Whichever type you choose, traditional, induction or gas cooker, the type of hob you choose will affect the way your kitchen functions and how easy it is to keep clean.
Electric hobs feature heating elements set beneath a smooth glass surface. This is typically cleaned with a nonabrasive cleaner. The elements turn on when you turn the hob on and can be notched up to a range of power levels by turning or adjusting on a knob. They can take some time to warm up but once they've done so, they have a tendency to offer more stable and reliable temperature control. They have built-in indicators that tell you whether a space is hot or not.
They are available in four to six sizes and can be notch-up to different power levels. These are great for flat-based cookware but not for cast iron pans because they could overheat. best hob come with dual-ring designs (such as the Belling BEL CH602T) that allow boiling water on one ring and sauté sausages on the other. Some models have a 'boost' function which concentrates high-powered heat onto one ring to stir fry cooking sauteing meats, searing or boiling large pots of water.
Induction hobs differ from conventional electric hobs because they utilize electromagnetic fields instead of traditional gas flames to cook your food. This allows them to reach precise temperatures in a short space of time and makes them extremely energy efficient. They also have a cool-to-the-touch surface and flashing heat indicators to signal that a ring is being used or is still hot.
Ceramic
Ceramics can be used to make decorative or functional objects. It is formed by mixing clay, earthen elements, powders and water to a specific shape, then fired in a very high-temperature oven known as the kiln. Once made, it can be covered with decorative or paint-like substances to add colour and texture.
Ceramic hobs blend design and function to create an impressive piece of contemporary kitchen furniture. They work by using radiant heating technology, passing an electric current through coiled elements hidden beneath the black glass surface of the hob. When they are activated, they produce heat which is then transferred to the pan by an infrared system. You can adjust the intensity of this heating by controlling the controls via knobs or buttons.
Some ceramic hobs have dual rings, with the smaller and the larger cooking area. This allows you to select the right size for your pan. You can also get hobs with booster burners that generate high-powered heat rapidly perfect for searing food or bringing pans of water to a boil quickly.
Ceramic cooktops are more energy efficient than other types of hobs as they take longer to heat up and alter temperatures. You can also opt for vented cooktops that have ventilation systems with the cooktop made of ceramic. This makes sure that smoke, steam, and cooking smells don't remain in your home.
Induction
The heating elements inside induction hobs consist of a set of copper wire coils that are placed beneath the surface that generate electromagnets to heat pans sitting on them. The coils stir up the free electrons within the base of your pan, which then transmits heat uniformly and directly to your food. The surface of the stove never gets hot and, the moment you remove your pan, the cooking zones turn off automatically.
Induction hobs are typically more expensive, however they also are more efficient in heating and consume 30-70% lower energy than gas or other kinds. They're also easier to clean since the surface of the hob isn't hot, and only the contents of the pan do.
Some manufacturers provide an induction model with additional features, for instance the pause feature, which cuts the energy to your stove when you leave or link two cooking rings simultaneously at the same power for more flexibility. They are commonly referred to as FlexInduction hobs. They are more expensive than traditional models, however they're worth considering if you like to multitask.
This induction hob is our top pick. It comes with four cooking zones, a Bridge function, and nine power settings, which gives you a lot of options for cooks who want to be more adventurous. It was a great performer in our test with a fast heating speed and precise control when making pancakes. The cooker also comes with dishwasher built-in and an automatic pan detection function to make cleaning easier. The only problem is that there are only a handful of compatible pans that can use it to cook with utensils with magnetic bases. This could be a problem in the event that you have a large amount of non-compliant cookware, or just some of them are suitable for induction cooktops.