Types of Hob and Oven
Hobs and ovens are popular feature in many kitchens. They can be found in many different styles. You can mix different types of ovens, like gas and electric to meet your requirements.
Safety features like child and position controls can be included in a hob. These are designed to prevent children from touching the stove and prevent them from changing the heat settings by accident.
Types
The hob is the central feature of any kitchen, and can have a major impact on the final outcome of your cooking. There are many different types of hobs, and which one you pick will depend on your cooking needs.
Gas hobs are the most popular option and provide a quick heating process and instant reaction to temperature fluctuations. They are a popular option for professional chefs because they are precise in their control. They are not as easy as other hobs to clean and could require more care.
Electric hobs are flat ceramic surface that has heated elements underneath and can be found in various sizes, with between four and six cooking zones. Each zone is equipped with its own heating element, which can be controlled individually by you. This lets you boil potatoes on one ring and cooking sausages in another. This kind of hob is easier to warm up than gas, and it offers an alternative that is safer for children as the cooking zone is heated only when you place a pot on it.
Ceramic hobs are a chic and user-friendly option to electric and gas hobs. They have a smooth and durable surface that is easy to clean. However, they are not as quick to react to temperature fluctuations or cool down as other hobs.
Domino hobs are a space-saving alternative to electric and gas hobs that incorporate ovens beneath the cooking surface. They can be installed in smaller kitchens that have little space for installation and work well in kitchenettes and apartments. They are typically less expensive than standard hobs and are energy efficient however they can be brittle and require more attention than other types of cookers.
Gas
Gas hobs are cooktops with burners that can easily be integrated into kitchen countertops for a seamless appearance. Gas hobs are usually powered by LPG or natural gas, however they can also be powered by propane gas. They are sleek and modern design that can give a sophisticated touch to your modular kitchen.
A traditional gas stove has a range of burners, usually 4, but often as many as 6. The burners can be ignited by a match or a knob. The flames are then controlled by a series of valves which can be adjusted to control the temperature.
The majority of modern gas stoves built-in on the other hand include burners with multiple flames. This lets you control both the inner and outer rings of each burner to allow you to precisely control your cooking. They are also much more efficient and more reliable than earlier models.
In the past, it was required for a gas stove to be continuously lit to ensure that the burners were hot and fuelled. This was a security feature to prevent any accidents such as accidentally turning on the oven even though the stove was lit by a match or a pilot flame. Modern cookers are built with safety as a top priority. They are equipped with a flame failure device which shuts down the burners if the pilot light fails to work.
Gas stoves and hobs must be cleaned, checked and maintained on a regular basis. To achieve this, it is recommended to arrange a visit with a Gas Safe registered engineer. They will not only be able to make sure your appliance is operating properly as well, but they'll offer professional advice and guidance on how to prevent any problems in the near future.
Electric
When it comes time to design your ideal kitchen, the countertops, fridge freezer and ovens will always get the most attention, however the quality of your hob is also essential. The type of hob that you select will influence the way your kitchen works and how easy to clean.
Electric hobs use heating elements under a smooth glass surface that's typically cleaned using an non-abrasive cleaner. These elements are activated when you turn on the hob and can be adjusted to various power levels with a knob. It may take them a little bit longer to warm up but once they've done so, they tend to provide more stable and reliable temperature control. They have built-in indicators that inform you whether a particular area is hot or not.
These rings are available in four to six sizes and can be notch-up up to various power levels. These are great for flat-based cookware, but not for cast iron pans as they can overheat. Some models (such as Belling BELCH602T) come with dual rings that allow you to cook sausages and boil water on the same ring. Some models have a Boost function that concentrates high heat into one ring. This is helpful for stir-frying, searing meat, or boiling large pots.
Ovens & Hobs differ from standard electric models because they utilize electromagnetic fields instead of conventional gas flames to cook your food. This allows them to reach precise temperatures in a shorter space of time and makes them extremely energy efficient. They have a cool-to the touch surface, and flashing indicators that inform you that a ring has been used or is still hot.
Ceramic
Ceramic is an element that can be used to create decorative or practical objects. It's formed by mixing earthen elements, clay, powders and water to an exact shape, and then subsequently fired in a high-temperature oven known as the Kiln. Once made, it can be covered with paint-like or decorative substances to add colour and texture.
Ceramic hobs combine design and function to create an impressive piece of contemporary kitchen furniture. Radiant heating technology is used to heat ceramic hobs through the passage of an electric current over coiled elements which are hidden beneath the black glass surface. When they are activated, they create heat that is then transferred to the pan via an infrared heating system. You can alter the intensity of the heating by adjusting the controls using a knobs or buttons.
Certain ceramic hobs feature two rings, each with a smaller and a larger cooking zone. This lets you choose the ideal size for your pan. You can also find hobs with booster burners which generate high-powered heat rapidly ideal for searing meat or bringing pans of boiling water to a boil quickly.
Ceramic cooktops are more energy efficient than other types of hobs due to the fact that they take longer to heat up and change temperatures. There are vented hobs that integrate a ventilation system into the cooktop's ceramic, making sure that steam, smoke and cooking smells don't stay in your home.
Induction
Induction hobs have heating elements composed of copper wire coils. These coils generate electromagnets that warm the pans that are placed on the top. The coils stir up free electrons in the base metal of your pan, which in turn, distributes heat evenly to your food. The surface of the stove is never hot, and when you take off your pan the cooking zones are turned off automatically.
Induction hobs tend to be more expensive than other types, but they're also faster to heat and consume 30 to 70% less energy than gas or ceramic hobs. They are also easier to clean because the surface of the hob isn't hot, and only the contents of your pan do.
Certain manufacturers offer an induction model that has additional features, such as the ability to pause that shuts off the power to your cooker when you step away from it, or link up two cooking rings at the same power level to provide added flexibility. These are sometimes referred to as FlexInduction hobs. They can be more expensive than traditional induction models, but they're worth a look if multitasking is important to you.
This induction hob is our favorite. It comes with four large cooking zones as well as a Bridge function and nine power settings, which gives you a variety of options for those who are ambitious cooks. It was a great performer in our tests with a fast heating speed and precise control when making pancakes. The hob also has an integrated dishwasher as well as an automatic pan detection function to make cleaning even easier. There is a limited selection of pans that are compatible, and it can't be used for cooking with the utensils with magnetic bases. This can be a challenge in the event that you have a large amount of non-compliant cookware, or just certain pieces are suitable for use on induction hobs.