11 Ways To Completely Sabotage Your Best Hob
11 Ways To Completely Sabotage Your Best Hob
Blog Article
How to Choose the Best Hob
When choosing the best hob, there are many factors to take into consideration. From cost to energy efficiency. Choose the features that are the most important.
A basic ceramic electric hob costs as little as PS100. However, you will need to pay more for a model that comes with many features. Gas hobs are a popular option and offer excellent temperature control, however they are more expensive.
1. Haier I-Flex Induction Hob
With four cooking zones and three 'Push&Go' functions this cooker from Haier will allow you to cook quick meals. It was one of the fastest boiling water hobs in our tests, taking only four minutes. It's child lock-compatible and has an pause feature, meaning you can quickly stop the process without having to mess around with the controls.
Its design is sleek and modern, blending in well with modern kitchens. It is usually made of glass (shatterproof and heatproof) or ceramic, and has touch controls that sit flush with the worktop for easy use.
The controls are easy to use, and we appreciated the clear display that informs you the current power setting and which of the five zones are in use. The 'Boost' feature generates high-powered heat for a short period of time, and is perfect for stir-frying or bringing pots of water to the boil quickly. The hob's hot light and auto shut-off are great safety features, too.
It's not as responsive as the other hobs we tested in this test. It took nine presses to reach maximum temperature, compared to six or seven for other models. It takes a bit longer for the pan to react when you alter the temperature. You may have to adjust the settings multiple times to achieve the correct temperature.
The model measures 60 cm and comes with four cooking zones. One of them is a half-flex zone that allows two zones to easily be joined to accommodate larger pots or pans. It comes with a dual-ring design and can function on both 'normal as well as 'boost power levels. It is perfect for cooking and searing meat, or bringing water pans to the rapid boiling point.
It's fully connected via the hOn app and boasts 100's of recipes, with guided cooking and 30 unique programs that are divided into various food categories and preparation styles. It comes with a multislider control panel with a 'lockable interface' that can identify the type of pan you're using to set the correct cooking mode. It also works with hOn pans from third-party manufacturers and comes with a variety of safety features, like a lockable control panel and boil-dry protection.
2. Smeg I-Flex Induction Hob
When you're doing work on your kitchen or simply looking for an alternative to gas induction hobs, induction hobs are becoming increasingly popular. Prices have dropped drastically in the last few years. Basic four-zone models are now available for less that PS100. But if you want all the bells and whistles that include induction, it's worth paying extra to get the latest technology.
This sleek-looking model from Smeg boasts the latest induction technology that makes your cooking energy-efficient more info and convenient. The unique Auto-pot detection system automatically detects the location of pots that have minimum diameters of 9 cm, allowing you to switch on the appropriate zone without needing to select it manually.
Smeg's primary focus is on energy efficiency however, it doesn't overlook flexibility - this hob can be adjusted to save energy based on the maximum temperatures of the zones. Eco-Logic advanced mode lets you to reduce energy consumption, reducing the power output to as little as 2.4kW.
The user-friendly interface of this cooker impressed testers, with its easy-to-use sliding controls that follow your pan's contours along the edge of it. The control panel's color scheme lets you quickly see the operating status of each zone, and the 'Flexi Duo' feature allows you to connect two zones to cater for larger pans. There are numerous useful functions including four automatic cooking settings: melting, boiling, slow-cooking, and keeping warm.
In addition the hob also has an 'FlameSensor' feature that alerts you when there is a danger of a fire or food that has been burned. There are a variety of safety features, like a residual heat indicator as well as an automatic shut-off when the surface gets too hot.
It also has a protective CleanProtect coating to help it resist tough marks and stains from cooking. This model has nine power levels and a 'FlexiDuo feature' for accommodating large pans and is simple to set up. There are some additional features, such as locking controls and an emergency fuse to stop accidental button pushing.
3. Indesit I-Flex Induction Hob
Induction hobs are powered by electricity, not gas. They make use of copper plates to create a magnetic force when a pot or pan is placed on them. This means that they can heat up more quickly than gas hobs, and can also reduce energy consumption since the cooking area only heats up when you turn on the pan. They are generally cheaper to operate than gas, and they are also less difficult to clean.
This induction hob by Indesit is packed full of features that make it easy to get creative in the kitchen. It comes with two distinct zones that can be combined to form the Dual Zone to accommodate larger pans, and a rapid booster zone to quickly bring the water to a boil. The Push&Go feature, for instance, allows you to cook perfectly by pressing a button. The controls are easy to use and let you select nine power modes, including the P boost option which gives the highest power for each zone for five minutes.
The controls are easy to operate and the minimalist design is ideal for modern kitchens. In our tests, it cooked pasta water in a flash and was quick to heat up once we placed an oven in the Booster zone. However, it took some time to cool off after we shut off the hob. Additionally, our testers were unable to pinpoint the exact temperature on the control panel.
This Indesit hob also has the bridge function, which allows you to connect two cooking zones for larger pans. It comes with a child lock as well as an overheating block. It also has an automatic switch-off system which prevents the hob from working when it gets too hot. The ceramic glass is easy to clean and has no flames visible. Our test subjects were pleased with the fact that there was no visible flame. Ventilated hobs unlike traditional extractors draw smoke and steam from the pan and out of the room via a duct on the surface. Our experts thought that this hob's duct was easy to clean, though it took two people to take the filter out and change it.
4. GE Induction Hob
When selecting a kitchen appliance take a look at how it fits into your kitchen's design and layout, in addition to your cooking style and your lifestyle. Induction hobs are a great choice for cooking with kids or elderly in mind. They come with safety features such as automatic shut-offs as well as a cool-to-touch surface. For those who prefer efficiency and speed, an electric hob with a wipe-clean ceramic glass fascia is a great choice. For those living in regions susceptible to load-shedding, having the ability to use gas hobs during power outages may tilt the balance in favor of gas models.