How to Choose ovens hobs
When selecting the ideal hob to buy there are a lot of aspects to take into consideration. From price to energy efficiency. Decide what features are most important.
A basic ceramic electric hob costs as little as PS100. However, you will need to pay more for a model with many features. Gas hobs, which are also well-known and offer excellent temperature control, but are expensive, are a different alternative.
1. Haier I-Flex Induction Hob
This Haier hob has four cooking zones, three "Push&Go" functions, and can assist you in making quick meals. It was also one of the quickest on test to boil water, which took just under four minutes. It has the child lock as well as a the ability to pause, which means you can stop the process quickly without having to mess with controls.
Its design is sleek and contemporary it blends seamlessly with contemporary kitchens. It's typically made of glass (shatterproof and heatproof) or ceramic, and comes with control buttons that sit 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 informs you the current power settings, and which of the five zones are in use. The 'Boost' feature generates high-powered heat for a brief period of time. It is ideal for stir-frying, or bringing pots of water to a boil quickly. Safety features like the hot hob light and automatic shutoff are useful.
It's not as responsive as other hobs in this test. We observed that it took nine presses of the control to reach the highest temperature, compared with six or seven on other models. It takes longer to respond when you alter the temperature of cooking, which means you may have to change settings several times before your pan is at the right temperature.
This model is 60cm long and has four cooking zones. One of them is a half-flex zone that allows two zones to easily be joined to accommodate larger pans or pots. Dual-ring design permits it to operate with both "normal" and "boost" power levels. It is perfect for cooking and searing meat, or bringing water pans to a rapid boil.
It is fully integrated with the hOn App, and offers hundreds of recipes, a guide to cooking, and 30 different programs divided into various food categories and types of cooking. It features a multislider controls panel that has a lockable interface' and can detect the type pan you are using to determine the appropriate cooking mode. It's also compatible with hOn pans made by 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
If you're working on your kitchen or simply looking for an alternative to gas, induction hobs are becoming increasingly popular. Prices have dropped dramatically in the past few years. Basic four-zone models are now sold at less than PS100. If you're looking for the latest induction technology, it's worth the extra cost.
This sleek model from Smeg comes with the most advanced induction technology that makes cooking more efficient and convenient. The revolutionary Auto-pot detection technology automatically detects the location of pots with minimum diameters of 9 cm, allowing you to switch on the appropriate zone without having to select it manually.
Smeg's emphasis on energy efficiency doesn't overlook flexibility either This hob is designed to reduce power consumption by adjusting the maximum operating temperature of the zones to meet your cooking needs. Eco-Logic advanced mode enables you to reduce energy consumption by reducing power output to as little as 2.4kW.
Testers were awed by the hob's user-friendly design that has intuitive controls that slide along the edges of the hob in order to follow the pan. The control panel's color-coded design allows you to easily identify the state of each zone. The 'Flexi Duo" feature lets the connection of two zones to accommodate larger pans. There are plenty of useful features, such as four cooking presets for automatic cooking (melting boiling, melting, slow cooking and keeping warm) and a Power Boost for super-quick results.
In addition to this, the hob has a 'FlameSensor' that warns you of any risk of a burning or burning food. There are a variety of safety features, such as a residual heat indicator as well as an automatic shut-off when the surface becomes too hot.
It also has a protective CleanProtect coating to help it resist tough stains and cooking marks. This hob has nine power levels and a 'FlexiDuo feature' to allow for large pans, and is simple to set up. There are some additional features like control locks, as well as a safety fuse to protect against accidental button pressing.
3. Indesit I-Flex Induction Hob
Induction hobs are powered by electricity and not gas. They use copper plates to create a magnetic force when a pan or pot is placed on them. This means they can reach temperatures more quickly than gas hobs. They also conserve energy since the cooking zone only is heated when you turn on a pan. They're generally less expensive than gas and are easier to clean, which makes them an extremely popular choice.
The induction hob made by Indesit is packed full of features that make it easy to create your own ideas in the kitchen. It has two separate cooking zones that can be combined to create the Dual Zone for larger pans and a rapid Booster zone to bring water to a boiling point quickly. A variety of automated functions like Push&Go allow you to achieve perfectly cooked dishes with the click of a button. The controls are simple to use and allow you to select nine power modes including the P boost option that provides maximum power to each zone for five minutes.
The controls are simple to operate, and the minimalist design is perfect for modern kitchens. In our tests, it swiftly heated up a pan once we placed it on the Booster Zone and pasta water that was boiling. It took a while to cool down after turning off the hob, and our test subjects were unable to determine the exact temperature on the control panel.
As well as having a Dual Zone and Push&Go, the Indesit hob comes with a bridge function that lets you combine two cooking zones to accommodate larger pans. It also comes with an overheating and child lock block as well as an auto shut-off feature that stops the appliance from working when it's overheated. Ceramic glass is easy to clean and has no flames visible. Our test subjects were pleased with that. In contrast to traditional extractor hoods vented hobs draw heat and smoke away from the pan and out of the room through an air duct that is built into the surface. Our experts thought this hob's duct was easy to clean, though it took two people to take the filter out and change it.
4. Induction Hob by GE
When selecting a kitchen appliance, consider how it fits into your kitchen's design and layout, and also your cooking style and life. Induction hobs are a good choice for cooking with children or the elderly in mind. They are equipped with safety features like automatic shut-offs and a cool to touch surface. For those who value speed and efficiency using a ceramic glass facia on an electric hob is the best choice. If you live in areas susceptible to load-shedding, the ability to use gas hobs in power outages could tilt the balance in favor of a gas model.