Types of Hob and Oven

A hob and oven is an essential part of many kitchens and can come in a variety of styles. You can even mix kinds like domino, electric, and gas to suit your cooking needs.

A hob may also have safety features, such as child and control of the position. These can prevent children from touching the stove and stop them changing the heat settings by accident.

Types

In every kitchen, the stove is at the center of the room and plays a major part in how your food comes out. There are a variety of kinds of hobs, and the one you choose will depend on what your specific cooking needs are.

Gas hobs are a classic choice and offer a fast heating process and instant reaction to temperature changes. They are a preferred choice for professional chefs as they offer precise control. However, they are not as easy to clean as other hobs and could require a higher level of maintenance.

Electric hobs feature a flat ceramic surface and heated elements beneath. They are available in a variety of sizes and come with four to six cooking zones. Each zone is equipped with its own heating element which can be controlled separately by you. This allows you to boil potatoes on one ring while making sausages in another. This type of hob is able to be quicker to heat than gas and is a child-safe option since the cooking area only becomes hot when you put a pan on it.

Traditional ceramic hobs are a convenient alternative to electric and gas and are also a very fashionable option. They have a smooth, hard-wearing surface that is easy clean but aren't as fast at responding to temperature fluctuations as other hobs and can be slower to cool down.

Domino hobs are a space-saving alternative to electric and gas hobs that combine ovens below the cooking surface. They can be incorporated into smaller kitchens with little space for installation and are suitable for flats and kitchenettes. They tend to be cheaper than standard hobs and can be energy-efficient, but they are also susceptible to damage and require more maintenance.

Gas

A gas hob is a cooking surface with burners that can be fitted in kitchen countertops to create seamless appearance. Gas hobs and ovens are typically powered by LPG or natural gas, but they can also be powered by propane gas. They have a modern and sleek design that can add a touch of sophistication to your modular kitchen.

A traditional gas stove has a range of burners, typically 4 but sometimes as many as 6. The flames are ignited using an igniter or by turning a knob. The flames are then controlled by a series of valves which can be adjusted to regulate the temperature.

In contrast, most modern gas hobs that have built-in gas burners feature multi-flame burners that let you control the inner and outer rings of each burner to control your cooking. These kinds of burners provide faster heating times and are more reliable than older models.

In the past, it was essential to keep a gas burner lit constantly to ensure the burners were constantly fueled and hot. This was done to prevent accidents, such as accidentally turning on an oven when the stove is still lit with a match or pilot light. Modern cookers have been built with safety as a top priority. They come equipped with a device to stop the flame which shuts down the burners when the pilot light fails.

Gas stoves and hobs require to be checked regularly and cleaned, as well as maintained. The best way to ensure this is to book an appointment for maintenance with a licensed Gas Safe registered engineer. Not only will they be able check your appliance is operating properly and hob and oven safely, but they will also offer expert advice and suggestions on how to avoid issues in the future.

Electricity

A well-designed hob is equally important in creating the perfect kitchen. Worktops, refrigerators, freezers, and ovens hobs are the first things that come to mind. Whichever type you choose, conventional, induction or gas cooker, the kind of hob you pick will affect the way your kitchen functions and how easy it is to keep clean.

Electric hobs use heating elements that are placed on a smooth glass surface which is typically cleaned with a non-abrasive cleaning agent. The elements turn on when you turn on the hob and can be notched up to a range of power levels by turning or adjusting the control knob. They can take a little longer to warm up than a gas cooker but once they are done, they usually provide better, regular temperature control. They are equipped with indicators that tell you whether a particular area is hot or not.

Typically, they are available in four to six different sized rings that can be cranked up to various power levels. They are perfect for flat-based cookware but aren't the best ovens and hobs uk option for cast-iron pans since they can overheat. Certain models (such as Belling BELCH602T) have dual-ring designs that let you cook sausages and boil water in the same ring. Some models even come with a 'boost' feature that concentrates the power of high-powered heat into a single ring for stir fry cooking, searing meat or boiling large pots of water.

Induction hobs are different from regular electric models as they use electromagnetic fields to directly heat your cookware, rather than the conventional method of gas flames. This allows them to achieve precise temperatures in a shorter period of time, making them extremely energy efficient. They also have a cool-to touch surface and flashing heat indicators to let you know that a ring is in use or is still hot.

Ceramic

Ceramics can be used to make functional or decorative objects. It is made by mixing clay with earthen elements, powders and water, and then firing it in a hot oven, also known as Kiln. Once it's been made it can be decorated or covered with decorative materials in order to add texture and colour.

Ceramic hobs are an exquisite combination of form and function and can be found in any modern kitchen. They operate using radiant heating technology that passes an electric current through coiled elements hidden beneath the black glass surface of the hob. When they are activated, they create heat which is then transferred to your pan via an infrared heating system. You can adjust the strength of this heating by adjusting the controls using a knobs or buttons.

Some ceramic hobs come with dual-ring designs, having one smaller and one larger cooking zone which allows you to select the best size for your pan. You can also get hobs equipped with booster burners that produce high-powered heat quickly, great for searing meat or bringing pans of boiling water to the boil quickly.

Compared to other types of hobs, ceramic cooktops generally take longer to heat up and then change temperature however once they do, they're generally more energy-efficient. You can also opt for vented hobs that incorporate a ventilation system with the cooktop made of ceramic. This ensures that steam, smoke and cooking smells do not linger in your house.

Induction

The heating elements in induction hobs consist of a series of copper wire coils beneath the surface that generate electromagnets to heat pans that sit on them. The coils stir up free electrons within your pan's base metal, which in turn, distributes heat evenly to your food. The surface of the hob is never hot, and the cooking zones are automatically shut off when your pan is removed.

Induction hobs are usually more expensive than other types however, they're also more efficient to heat and consume 30-70% less energy than gas or ceramic hobs. Induction hobs are also easier to clean because only the contents of the pan heat up and not the surface.

Certain manufacturers offer an induction model that has additional features, for instance the pause feature that shuts off power to your stove when you leave or link two cooking rings simultaneously with the same power to provide increased flexibility. These are often referred to as FlexInduction hobs. They are more expensive than traditional models, however they're worth a look if you prefer to multitask.

This induction hob is our top pick. It comes with four cooking zones with a Bridge function and nine power settings, offering you a variety of options for cooks who want to be more adventurous. It was a great performer in our test, with fast heating and precise control when making pancakes. The oven comes with dishwasher built-in and automatic pan detection to make cleaning easier. The only problem is that there are only a handful of compatible pans and you can't make use of it for cooking with appliances with magnetic bases. This could be a problem when you have a lot of non-compatible cookware or only some of them are suitable for use on induction hobs.