20 Important Questions To Be Asking About Best Hob Before You Purchase Best Hob
20 Important Questions To Be Asking About Best Hob Before You Purchase Best Hob
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How to Choose the Best Hob
When choosing the best hob for your needs there are a lot of aspects to consider. From cost to energy efficiency. Determine which features are the most important.
A basic ceramic electric hob costs as little as PS100. However you'll have to pay more for one with numerous features. Gas hobs, also well-known and offer excellent temperature control but are more expensive, are another option.
1. Haier I-Flex Induction Hob
This Haier hob has four cooking zones with three "Push&Go" functions, and can help you prepare quick meals. It was one of the fastest ways to boil water in our tests, taking only four minutes. It's child-safe and comes with an option to pause the process, so you can quickly stop the process without having to faff around using controls.
Its design is sleek and modern and blends well with modern kitchens. It is typically made from glass (which is heatproof and shatterproof) or ceramic. The controls are touch-sensitive and rest directly on the worktop.
The controls are intuitive to operate and we loved the clear display which tells you the current power setting, and which of the five zones are in use. The "Boost" feature generates high-powered heat in a brief time. It is ideal for stir-frying and quickly bringing pans to boil. Safety features such as the light on the hot hob or automatic shutdown are also useful.
However, it's not as responsive to touch as some other hobs we tested. We found that it took nine presses of the control to attain the highest temperature in contrast to seven or six on other models. It also takes longer to react when you alter the cooking temperature, meaning you might have to alter settings several times before the pan is ready to cook at the proper temperature.
This model is 60cm long and includes four cooking zones, including a half-flex zone where two areas can be joined together to accommodate larger pans and pots. The dual-ring design allows it to be operated at both "normal" and "boost" power levels. Boost is ideal for frying meat, searing it or bringing water pans to the rapid boiling point.
It is fully connected to the hOn App and has 100's of recipes, guides for cooking, and 30 unique programmes divided into different food categories and types of preparation. It comes with a user-friendly multislider interface and a 'lockable control panel. In addition, it can automatically detect the kind of pan you're using and set the right cooking mode. It is also compatible with hOn cookware from third party companies and has a number of security features, including a lockable panel and boil-dry prevention.
2. Smeg I-Flex Induction Hob
Whether you're having work done on your kitchen or simply looking for an alternative to gas induction hobs, induction hobs are becoming increasingly popular. Prices have plummeted over the past few years, with basic four-zone models starting at less than PS100. If you want the latest induction technology, it's worth paying a bit more.
This sleek model from Smeg has the latest induction technology to make cooking more energy-efficient and convenient. The Auto-pot detection system recognises pots that have an overall diameter of at least 9 cm and automatically selects the zone that is appropriate.
Smeg's attention to energy savings does not leave out flexibility too The hob is built to reduce power consumption by altering the maximum operating temperature of the zones according to your cooking needs. There are options to save even more energy using the Eco-Logic advance mode that reduces the power output from 11.1 kW to as low as 2.4 2 kW.
The ovens hobs user-friendly interface of this stove impressed testers, thanks to its intuitive sliding controls that follow your pan's edge the edges of it. The control panel's color-coded layout makes it easy to determine the state of each zone. The 'Flexi Duo" feature lets the connection of two zones to accommodate larger pans. There are a variety of useful features, such as four cooking presets for automatic cooking (melting boiling, melting slow cooking, and keeping warm) and a Power Boost for quick results.
The oven also comes with a FlameSensor which will alert you when there's a risk of a food item being burned or a fire. There are several safety features like the residual heat sensor, as well as an automatic switch-off when the surface is too hot.
It's also hard-wearing with the CleanProtect coating that is designed to protect it from tough stains and cooking marks. The stove is simple to set up and comes with nine power levels and the handy FlexiDuo feature that allows catering for large pans. There are also a number of additional features, including control locks and a safety fuse in the event of accidental button-pushing.
3. Indesit I-Flex Induction Hob
Induction hobs are powered by electricity and not gas. They make use of copper plates to create an electric force when a pot or pan is placed on them. They can heat up much quicker than gas hobs, and they also consume less energy since the cooking area only gets hot when you turn on your pan. They're generally less expensive than gas and are simpler to wipe clean too making them a popular option.
This induction hob by Indesit is packed full of features that allow you to create your own ideas in the kitchen. It comes with two cooking zones that can be combined to create an Integrated Zone for larger pots and the Booster Zone is quick to bring water to a boil quickly. For instance, the Push&Go allows you to cook with perfection with the click of a button. The controls are simple to operate and allow you to choose nine power options, including the P boost option which gives the highest power to each zone for five minutes.
The controls are also easy to operate and feature modern, minimalist designs that's perfect for a modern kitchen. In our tests, it swiftly heated up a pan after we put it on the Booster Zone, and pasta water that was boiling. However, it took an extended time to cool off after we turned off the hob. Our test participants were unable to see the exact temperatures on the control panel.
This Indesit hob also features a bridge function, which allows the user to combine two cooking zones to make larger pans. It also comes with a child lock and overheating block as well as an auto shut-off feature that shuts down the hob when it's overheated. The ceramic glass is simple to clean and there are no flames visible. Our testers liked that. Unlike a traditional extractor hood vented hobs draw steam and smoke out of the pan and out of the room through a duct in the surface. The duct on this hob is easy to clean, but it required two people in order to remove the filter.
4. GE Induction Hob
When choosing a new hob, consider how it fits into your kitchen's design and layout, and also your cooking style and lifestyle. For instance, if frequently cook with children or elderly people in mind, security features like an automatic shut-off or an icy to the touch surface can make an induction cooker an ideal choice. If you're looking for speed and efficiency, a ceramic glass front on an electric hob is the ideal choice. For those living in regions that are prone to load-shedding, having the ability to use gas hobs during power cuts may tip the scales in favour of a gas model.