A Vibrant Rant About Best Hob
How to Choose the Best Hob
There are lots of factors to take into consideration when selecting the best hob, from the price to energy efficiency. Decide what features are most important.
A basic ceramic electric hob can cost less than PS100. However, you will need to pay more for a model that comes with numerous features. Gas hobs, also popular and offer great temperature control, but are expensive, are another option.
1. Haier I-Flex Induction Hob
With four cooking zones and three functions called 'Push&Go', this stove from Haier will allow you to cook quick meals. It was also one of the quickest tested to boil water, which took just under four minutes. It has the child lock as well as a pause function so you can stop the process in a snap without having to fiddle with controls.
Its design is modern and sleek it blends seamlessly with contemporary kitchens. It's typically made of glass (shatterproof and heatproof) or ceramic, and has controls that are in the same place as the worktop for easy use.
The controls were simple to operate, and we liked the display that displays the current power level and which zone is active. The 'Boost' feature creates high-powered heat for a short period of time. It is ideal for stir-frying or bringing pans of water to the boil quickly. The hob's hot light and automatic shutdown are useful safety features, too.
It's not as responsive as the other hobs tested in this test. It took nine presses to reach maximum temperature, in comparison to seven or six for other models. It takes a bit longer for the pan to respond to changes in temperature. You may have to adjust the settings a few times to achieve the correct heat.
This model is 60cm long and has four cooking zones. One of the zones is a half-flex, where two areas can easily be joined to accommodate larger pots or pans. It has a dual-ring design that can operate on both 'normal' and 'boost' power levels. The Boost model is great for frying and searing meat, or bringing water pans to the rapid boil.
It is fully integrated with the hOn App, and offers hundreds of recipes, a guide to cooking, and 30 special programs that are divided into different food categories and types of preparation. It comes with a multislider control panel with a 'lockable interface' and can detect the type of pan you're using to set the correct cooking mode. It's also compatible with hOn pans from third party companies and has several safety features like a lockable panel and boil-dry prevention.
2. Smeg I-Flex Induction Hob
When you're doing work in your kitchen or searching for a substitute to gas induction hobs, they are becoming more popular. Prices have dropped drastically in the last few years. The basic four-zone models are now sold at less than PS100. If you're looking for the latest induction technology, it's worth the extra cost.
This sleek model from Smeg boasts the latest induction technology to make your cooking energy efficient and convenient. The revolutionary Auto-pot detection technology automatically recognises the position of pots with a minimum diameter of 9 cm, allowing you to switch on the appropriate zone without needing to select it manually.
Smeg's focus is on energy efficiency, but it doesn't ignore the possibility of flexibility. Best ovens can be adjusted to save energy based on the maximum temperatures that the zones can operate at. Eco-Logic advanced mode allows you to reduce energy consumption, reducing the power output to as little as 2.4kW.
Testers were awed by the user-friendly interface of this hob, with intuitive sliding controls that slide along the edge of the hob in order to follow your pan. The control panel's colour 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 automatic cooking presets: melting boiling, slow-cooking and keeping warm.
The hob also comes with an alarm system that will notify you when there's a risk of a food item being burned or a fire. There are a variety of safety features, such as an indicator of residual heat and an automatic shut-off when the surface becomes too hot.
It also resists hard stains and comes with a protective coating of CleanProtect. The stove is simple to install and has nine power levels as well as the handy FlexiDuo feature that allows catering for large pans. There are a few bonus features, such as lockable 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 a pan is placed on top. This means they can reach temperatures more quickly than gas hobs and also save energy as the cooking zone only is heated when you turn on the pan. They are generally cheaper to run than gas, and they are also easier to clean.
The induction hob made by Indesit is packed with features that make it easy to get creative in the kitchen. It comes with two cooking zones that can be combined to create the Dual Zone for larger pans and a rapid Booster zone that can bring water to boil quickly. Push&Go, for example, allows you to cook with perfection by pressing the button. And nine power modes including a 'P-boost setting that gives each zone maximum power for five minutes, can be easily selected using the controls, which move along the bottom edge of the hob to follow the pans.
The controls are also easy to use and have modern, minimalist designs 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. It took some time to cool down after turning off the hob, and our test subjects could not determine the exact temperature on the control panel.
In addition to the Dual Zone and Push&Go, the Indesit hob comes with a bridge function that allows you to combine two cooking zones to accommodate larger pans. It also comes with an overheating and child lock block and an auto shut-off feature that stops the appliance from working when it's heated to the point of. Our test participants were impressed that there were no visible flames that were messy and messy, and the ceramic glass is easy to clean. Unlike a traditional extractor hood, vented hobs draw steam and smoke away from the pan and out of the room through a duct in the surface. The vent on this hob was easy to clean, but it took two people in order to remove the filter.
4. GE Induction Hob
Consider how the stove will be able to fit into your kitchen's layout and design, as well as what your cooking style. For instance, if you frequently cook with children or elderly people in mind, safety features like an automatic shut-off feature and an icy to the touch surface may make an induction stove a better option. If you're looking for speed and efficiency, a ceramic glass front on an electric hob is the best alternative. For those who live in areas prone to load-shedding, the capability to use gas hobs in power cuts may tip the scales in favour of gas models.