Ten Myths About Hob And Oven That Aren t Always True

Types of Hob and Oven

Hobs and ovens are a common feature in most kitchens. They come in various styles. You can mix different types of ovens, like gas and electric to meet your needs.

Safety features such as child and position controls could be integrated into the hob. These are designed to prevent children from touching the hob, and prevent them from changing the temperature settings in error.

Types

The hob is the main focal point of any kitchen and has a huge impact on the final outcome of your cooking. There are a number of different types of hob and the one you select will be based on what your specific cooking requirements are.

Gas hobs are a classic choice and offer a fast heat-up function and instant reaction to temperature changes. Professional chefs favor them because they provide precise control. They are not as easy to clean as other hobs and could require more care.

Electric hobs are flat ceramic surface that has heated elements beneath and can be found in different sizes that have between four and six cooking zones. Each zone has its own heating element that can be controlled individually by you. It is possible to boil potatoes in one ring while cooking sausages in another. This kind of hob is easier to heat up than gas, and is a safer alternative for children since the cooking zone is heated only when you place a pot on it.

Traditional ceramic hobs are a very comfortable alternative to gas and electric and are also a stylish option. They have a smooth, hard-wearing surface that is easy to wipe down but aren't as quick to respond to temperature changes as other hobs and can be slower to cool down.

The Domino hob is an alternative to gas and electric hobs. It incorporates ovens under the cooking surface. They can be fitted into smaller kitchens that have limited installation space and work well in flats and kitchenettes. They are often cheaper than standard hobs and are energy efficient however they are also fragile and require more maintenance than other types of cookers.

Gas

A gas hob is a cooktop that has burners that can be incorporated on kitchen countertops to give an elegant look. They are typically used with natural or liquid petroleum gas (LPG) but can also be powered by propane gas. The sleek, modern design could bring sophistication to your modular cooking space.

A traditional gas stove is equipped with a number of burners. Usually there are four burners, however it can be as many as six. They are ignited by either the use of a match or a knob. The flames are controlled by a series of valves that can be adjusted to control the temperature.

The majority of modern gas stoves built-in however, have burners with multiple flames. This lets you control both the outer and inner rings of each burner to allow you to precisely control your cooking. These types of burners offer faster heat up times and are more reliable than older models.

Traditionally, it was important to keep a gas burner lit constantly to ensure that the burners were constantly fueled and hot. This was a safety measure to avoid accidents like having the oven turned on when the stove was lit by match or pilot flame. Modern cookers have been made with safety in mind as a top priority. They are fitted with a device to stop the flame that shuts off the burners if the pilot light is not working.

Gas stoves and hobs must be cleaned, checked and maintained regularly. The best method to do this is to schedule an appointment with a licensed Gas Safe registered engineer. They will not only make sure that your appliance functions properly, but will also give you expert guidance on how to avoid any future problems.

Electric

A well-designed hob is just as important in making your kitchen the best it can be. Worktops, refrigerators, freezers and ovens hobs are always the first things that pop up to your mind. The type of hob you select will impact the way your kitchen works and how easy for you to clean it.

Electric hobs are equipped with heating elements under a smooth, glass surface. The glass surface is typically cleaned with a nonabrasive cleaner. These elements are activated when you turn on the oven and can be adjusted to various power levels by turning a knob. They can take some time to get heated up but once they've done so, they tend to provide more reliable and consistent temperature control. They are equipped with indicators that inform you if a zone is hot or not.

Typically, they are available in four to six different sized rings that can be cranked up to different power levels. They are great for cookware that is flat, but aren't the best ovens option for cast-iron pans as they can overheat. Some models (such as Belling BELCH602T) come with dual rings that let you cook sausages and boil water in the same ring. Certain models come with a Boost function that concentrates high-temperature elements into one ring. This is great for stir-frying, searing meat, or boiling large pots.

Induction hobs are different from regular electric models due to the fact that they utilize electromagnetic fields instead of traditional gas flames to heat your cookware. They can achieve precise temperatures quicker and are more efficient in energy use. They also have a cool to the touch surface and flashing heat indicators to inform you that the ring is in use or still hot.

Ceramic

Ceramic is a material which can be transformed into decorative or practical objects. It is made by mixing clay, earthen elements, powders and water to an exact shape, and then fired in a very high-temperature oven hob, also known as the Kiln. After it's been made it is then covered with decorative or paint-like substances to add color and texture.

Ceramic hobs are a stunning blend of form and function, sitting comfortably in any modern kitchen. Radiant heating technology is employed to heat the ceramic hobs through the passage of an electric current through coiled elements that are concealed beneath the black glass surface. When they are activated, they create heat, which is then transferred to the pan through an infrared system. You can adjust the intensity of the heating using the knobs or the touch controls.

Certain ceramic hobs have dual-ring designs, having one smaller and a larger cooking area, allowing you to choose the ideal size for your pan. You can also find hobs with booster burners that generate high-powered heat rapidly, great for searing meat or bringing pans of water to a boil in a short time.

Compared to other types of cooktops, ceramic cooktops typically take longer to warm up and change temperature however once they do, they are generally more efficient in energy use. You can also opt for vented hobs that incorporate ventilation systems with the cooktop made of ceramic. This ensures that steam, smoke and cooking smells do not remain in your home.

Induction

The heating elements of hobs with induction are made up of a set of copper wire coils beneath the surface. They create electromagnets that heat the pans that sit on them. The coils stir up the free electrons within the base of your pot and then transfer heat efficiently and directly to your food. The surface of the hob is never hot, and the cooking zones are automatically shut off when the pan is removed.

Induction hobs tend to be more expensive than other hobs however, they're also more efficient to heat and use 30-70% less energy than ceramic or gas hobs. Induction hobs are also simpler to clean since only the inside of the pan gets hot, not the surface.

Some manufacturers provide an induction model that comes with extra features, such as a pause function, which cuts the power to the stove when you walk away or connect two cooking rings at the same time for increased flexibility. These are sometimes called FlexInduction hobs. They can be more expensive than traditional induction models but they're worth a look when multitasking is important to you.

Our favorite is this induction cooktop from Smeg. It has four good-sized cooking zones with a bridge function as well as nine power levels that give you a wide range of options for the ambitious cook. It did well in our tests with a fast heating speed and accurate control when making pancakes. The cooker comes with dishwasher built-in, as well as automatic pan detection, which makes cleaning much easier. The only issue is that there are only a few compatible pans, and you cannot use it to cook using appliances with magnetic bases. It could be a problem if have a large quantity of cookware that's not compatible or the smallest portion is compatible with induction hobs.