Who Is Responsible For An Best Hob Budget? 12 Best Ways To Spend Your Money
How to Choose the Best Hob
When choosing the best hob for your needs there are a variety of factors to consider. From cost to energy efficiency. Decide what features are most important.
A basic ceramic electric hob can cost just PS100. However, you will need to pay more for one with numerous features. Gas hobs are another popular choice and provide great temperature control, however they are pricier.
1. Haier I-Flex Induction Hob
This Haier hob comes with four cooking zones and three "Push&Go" functions and can aid in cooking quick meals. It was also among the fastest tested to boil water, taking less than four minutes. It has an child lock and the ability to pause, which means you can stop the process in a snap without having to fiddle with controls.
Its style is sleek and contemporary and blends well with contemporary kitchens. It's usually made from glass (shatterproof and heatproof) or ceramic, and has touch controls that sit in the same place as the worktop for easy use.
The controls are intuitive to operate and we loved the clear display that tells the current power setting, and which of the five zones are active. The 'Boost' feature creates high-powered heat for just a short duration, and is perfect for stir-frying or bringing pans of boiling water to a boil fast. Safety features like the light on the hot hob or automatic shut-off are also useful.
It's not as responsive as the other hobs in this test. We found that it took nine presses on the control to attain the highest temperature as opposed to six or seven on other models. It also takes longer for the pan to react when you alter the temperature. You may have to adjust the settings several times to get the right temperature.
This 60 cm model has four cooking zones, including a half-flex zone that two zones can be joined together to accommodate larger pans and pots. It has a dual-ring design that can operate on both 'normal and boost' power levels. The Boost model is great for frying meat, searing it or bringing pans of water to a rapid boil.
It's fully integrated with the hOn app and comes with 100's of recipes, with guided cooking and 30 special programmes split into different food categories and types of preparation. It comes with a user-friendly multislider interface, as well as a lockable control panel. Additionally, it can automatically detect the kind of pan you're using and set the correct cooking mode. It is also compatible with hOn pans from third parties and has several safety features such as a lockable panel as well as boil-dry prevention.
2. Smeg I-Flex Induction Hob
If you're working in your kitchen or seeking a better alternative to gas induction hobs, they are becoming more popular. Prices have slashed over the past few years, with the simplest four-zone models costing less than PS100. If you're looking for 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 detects pots that have an overall diameter of at least 9 centimetres and automatically activates the appropriate zone.
Smeg's focus on energy saving does not leave out flexibility too This hob is designed to conserve power by setting the maximum operating temperature of the zones according to your cooking requirements. 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 little as 2.4 kW.
The user-friendly interface of this cooker impressed testers, thanks to its intuitive sliding controls that follow your pan along the edge of it. The control panel's color scheme helps you quickly identify the operational 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 automated cooking presets: melting boiling, slow-cooking and keeping warm.
In addition, the hob has an 'FlameSensor' feature that alerts you if there is any risk of a burning or burning food. There are many safety features like a residual heat sensor as well as an automatic shut-off if the surface is too hot.
It also resists hard stains and comes with an anti-smudge coating called CleanProtect. The hob comes with nine power levels and the FlexiDuo feature to accommodate large pans and is easy to put in. There are several bonus features such as locking controls and an emergency fuse to stop accidental button pressing.
3. Indesit I-Flex Induction Hob
Powered by electricity rather than gas, induction stoves utilize copper plates that create an electric field when the pan is placed on the top. They are able to heat up quicker than gas hobs, and they also use less energy since the cooking zone only gets hot when you turn on the pan. They are generally cheaper to operate than gas, and they are also simpler to clean.
Indesit's induction stove is packed full of features to help you get creative in the cooking. It comes with two distinct zones that can be combined to form the Dual Zone to accommodate larger pans, as well as a speedy booster zone that can quickly bring water to a boil. The Push&Go feature, for instance, allows you to cook perfectly by pressing a button. The controls are easy to use and allow you to select nine power modes including a P boost setting that provides maximum power in each zone for five minutes.
The controls are simple to use, and the minimalist design is perfect for modern kitchens. In our tests, it quickly heated up a pan when we put it on the Booster Zone, and boiled pasta water. It took a while to cool down after we turned off the hob, and the testers had difficulty seeing the exact temperature on the control panel.
As well as having a Dual Zone and Push&Go, the Indesit hob has a useful bridge function that lets you connect two cooking zones to suit 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 too hot. The ceramic glass is easy to clean and there are no visible flames. Our testers liked the fact that it's. Unlike a traditional extractor hood vented hobs draw heat and smoke out of the pan and out of the room via an air duct that is built into the surface. The vent on this hob was easy to clean, but it required two people to remove the filter.
4. GE Induction Hob
When choosing a new hob take a look at how it fits to your kitchen's design and layout, as well as your cooking style and lifestyle. Induction hobs are a good option 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. If you're looking for speed and efficiency, a ceramic glass fascia on an electric hob is the ideal option. If you live in areas susceptible to load-shedding, having the ability to use gas hobs in power outages could tilt the balance in favor of a gas model.