How to Choose the Best Hob
There are a lot of aspects to take into consideration when selecting the best hob, from price to energy efficiency. Therefore, deciding which features are essential is vital.
best hobs than PS100. However you'll have to pay more for one with numerous features. Gas hobs are a popular option and offer excellent temperature control, but they're also pricier.
1. Haier I-Flex Induction Hob
With four cooking zones and three 'Push&Go' functions this hob from Haier will allow you to cook quick meals. It was among the fastest boiling water hobs in our tests, taking only four minutes. It's child-safe and comes with an option to pause the process, so you can stop the process without having to mess around with controls.
Its design is modern and sleek it blends seamlessly with modern kitchens. It is usually made of glass (shatterproof and heatproof) or ceramic, and comes with controls that are in the same place as the worktop to make it easy to use.
The controls are easy 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 in a brief time. It is perfect for stir-frying and quickly bringing pans to boil. Safety features such as the hot hob light or automatic shutdown are also useful.
It's not as responsive as other hobs we tested in this test. It took nine presses to reach the maximum temperature, compared to six or seven for other models. It takes a bit longer for the pan to respond to changes in temperature. It is possible to adjust the settings multiple times to get the right temperature.
This model is 60cm long and has four cooking zones. One of them is a half-flex zone which allows two areas to easily be joined to accommodate larger pans or pots. It features a dual-ring design that can operate on both 'normal and boost' power levels. It is perfect for cooking, searing meat or bringing water pans to the rapid boil.
It's fully integrated with the hOn app and comes with 100's of recipes with cooking instructions and 30 different programs divided into different food categories and preparation types. It features a simple multislider interface and a 'lockable control panel. Additionally, it can automatically detect the type of pan you're using and set the proper cooking mode. It also works with hOn pans made by third parties and has several safety features such as 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 increasingly popular. Prices have plummeted over the past few years, with basic four-zone models starting at less than PS100. If you are looking for the most modern induction technology, it is worth paying a bit more.
This sleek model from Smeg features 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 9cm and then automatically activates the zone that is appropriate.
Smeg's main focus is on energy efficiency, but it doesn't ignore the possibility of flexibility. The hob can be adjusted to conserve energy based on the maximum operating temperatures of the zones. There are options to save even more energy with 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 edges of it. The control panel's colour scheme helps you quickly identify the status of each zone, while the 'Flexi Duo' feature allows you to connect two zones together to accommodate larger pots. There are a variety of useful features, such as four automatic cooking presets (melting boiling slow cooking, keeping warm) and a Power Boost for quick results.
The hob also has a FlameSensor that can alert you if there's a danger of a meal that's been burned or the possibility of a fire. There are several safety features like the residual heat sensor, as well as an automatic shut-off if the surface becomes too hot.
It's also hard-wearing with a protective CleanProtect coating to protect it from tough marks and stains from cooking. This hob has nine power levels and the FlexiDuo feature for accommodating large pans and is easy to install. There are a host of bonus features, including locking controls and a safety fuse in case of accidental button pushing.
3. Indesit I-Flex Induction Hob
Induction hobs are powered by electricity and not gas. They use copper plates to create magnetic force when a pot or pan is placed on them. They are able to heat up faster than gas hobs and they also consume less energy since the cooking zone only gets hot when you turn on the pan. They're generally less expensive to run than gas and are easier to wipe clean too, which makes them a popular choice.
This induction hob from Indesit is packed full of features that make it easy to create your own ideas in the kitchen. It has two separate zones that can be combined to form the Dual Zone to accommodate larger pans, and a rapid booster zone to quickly bring boiling water to. A range of automatic functions such as Push&Go let you cook your food perfectly at the touch of one button. The controls are simple to use and let you select nine power modes, including the P boost option that gives maximum power to each zone for five minutes.
The controls are easy to operate and feature a modern, minimalist design that's perfect for a modern kitchen. In our tests, it was able to boil pasta water in a flash and quickly heated up when we put an oven in the Booster zone. It took a while for it 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 has an overheating and child lock block, as well as an auto switch-off system that shuts down the hob when it's overheated. The ceramic glass is easy to clean and there are no flames visible. Our test subjects were pleased with that. Contrary to traditional extractor hoods, vented hobs draw steam and smoke away from the pan and out of the room via a duct in the surface. The duct on this hob is easy to clean, but it required two people to remove the filter.
4. GE Induction Hob
Consider how the stove can be able to fit into your kitchen's layout and design as well as what your cooking style is. For instance, if often cook with small children or elderly people in mind, security features such as an automatic shut-off feature and cool to the touch surface can make an induction cooker a better option. Alternatively, for those who prefer efficiency and speed an electric hob that has a wipe-clean ceramic glass fascia is ideal. For those who live in areas prone to load-shedding, the ability to use gas hobs during power cuts may tilt the balance in favor of gas models.