10 Best Hob Meetups You Should Attend

How to Choose the best hob uk Hob

There are a lot of aspects to take into consideration when selecting the ideal hob, ranging from the price to energy efficiency. Therefore, deciding which features are essential is vital.

A basic electric ceramic stove can cost as little as PS100, but you'll need to pay more to get a high-end model. Gas hobs are a popular choice, and offer great temperature control, but they're also pricier.

1. Haier I-Flex Induction Hob

This Haier stove has four cooking zones and three "Push&Go" functions, and will aid in cooking quick meals. It was also one of the quickest tested to boil water, taking less than four minutes. It's child-safe and comes with an pause feature, meaning you can stop the process without having to faff around with the controls.

Its design is modern and sleek it blends seamlessly with modern kitchens. It is typically made from glass (which is heatproof and shatterproof) or ceramic. The controls are touch-sensitive and sit flush on the worktop.

The controls were simple to operate and we appreciated the display that shows the current power level and which zone is active. The 'Boost' feature generates high-powered heat for just a short period of time, and is ideal for stir-frying, or bringing pots of water to a boil fast. Safety features such as the hob light that is hot and automatic shutoff are useful.

It's not as responsive as the other hobs in this test. It took nine presses to reach the maximum temperature, as opposed to six or seven for other models. It takes a bit longer for the pan to respond when you alter the temperature. You may have to adjust the settings several times before you get the proper temperature.

This model is 60cm long and has four cooking zones, including a half-flex zone that two zones can be joined together to accommodate larger pans and ovens and Hobs uk pots. It features a dual-ring design and can operate on both 'normal as well as 'boost power levels. The Boost is ideal for cooking meat, searing it or quickly making water come to a quick boiling.

It is fully integrated with the hOn app and includes 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 user-friendly multislider interface as well as a lockable control panel. Additionally, it can automatically detect the type of pan you're using and set the right cooking mode. It also works with hOn cookware from third party companies and has a number of security features, including a lockable panel as well as boil-dry prevention.

2. Smeg I-Flex Induction Hob

Whether you're having work done on your kitchen or simply seeking a better alternative to gas induction hobs, they are becoming increasingly popular. Prices have dropped in the last few years, with the simplest four-zone models starting at less than PS100. However, if you're looking for all the bells and whistles that are included in the induction system it's worth paying more for the latest innovations.

This sleek model from Smeg features the latest induction technology to make your cooking efficient and easy. The innovative Auto-pot detection system automatically detects the position of pots that have a minimum diameter of 9 cm, allowing you to activate the appropriate zone without having to manually select it.

Smeg's main focus is on energy savings, but it doesn't ignore the flexibility of this appliance - it can be adjusted to save energy based on the maximum temperatures of the zones. There are other options to save energy with the Eco-Logic advance mode, which reduces the power output from 11.1 kW to as low as 2.4 kW.

Testers were impressed by the hob's user-friendly design with easy-to-use controls that move along the edges of the hob to follow the pan. The color scheme of the control panel lets you quickly see the status of each zone, and the 'Flexi Duo' feature allows you to connect two zones together to cater for larger pans. There are a variety of useful functions including four automatic cooking presets: melting boiling, hobs slow-cooking, and keeping warm.

The oven also comes with a FlameSensor that can alert you in the event of a meal that's been burned or a fire. There are several safety features like a 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 marks and stains from cooking. This hob has nine power levels as well as a 'FlexiDuo feature' to allow for large pans, and is easy to put in. There are also a number of additional features, such as locking controls and a safety fuse in case of accidental button pushing.

3. Indesit I-Flex Induction Hob

Induction hobs are powered by electricity, not gas. They use copper plates to create an electric force when a pot or pan is placed on them. They heat up faster than gas hobs and they also consume less energy because the cooking area only gets hot when you turn on your pan. They are generally less expensive to operate than gas, and they are also simpler to clean.

Indesit's induction cooktop is packed of features to help you develop your cooking ideas. It has two separate zones that can be combined to form a Dual Zone to accommodate larger pans, and a rapid booster zone to quickly bring boiling water to. A variety of automated functions such as Push&Go lets you achieve perfectly cooked dishes at the touch of the button. Nine power modes that include a 'P boost' setting that gives each zone maximum power for 5 minutes, can be easily set using the controls, which move across the bottom of the cooktop to follow the pans.

The controls are also simple to use and have modern, minimalist designs that is perfect for a modern kitchen. In our tests, it was able to boil pasta water in a flash and quickly heated up once we placed an oven on the Booster zone. It took some time to cool down after turning off the hob, and our test subjects were unable to determine the exact temperature on the control panel.

Alongside the Dual Zone and Push&Go feature, this Indesit hob also has a bridge function that allows you to combine two cooking zones to accommodate larger pans. It also has a child lock and an overheating block as well as an automatic switch-off system which prevents the oven from operating when it becomes too hot. The ceramic glass is easy to clean and there are no flames visible. Our testers were impressed by the fact that there was no visible flame. In contrast to traditional extractor hoods, vented hobs draw steam and smoke out of the pan and out of the room through a duct in the surface. Our experts thought that this hob's duct was easy to clean, though it took two people to take the filter out to change it.

4. GE Induction Hob

Consider how the stove will work with the layout and design of your kitchen as well as what your cooking style is. Induction hobs are a good choice if you cook with children or the elderly in mind. They come with safety features such as automatic shut-offs as well as a cool-to-touch surface. If you prefer speed and efficiency, an electric hob and oven with a clean ceramic glass facia is the best ovens choice. For those living in regions that are prone to load-shedding, the capability to use gas hobs in power cuts may make the difference in favor of gas models.