How The 10 Worst Best Hob Failures Of All Time Could Have Been Prevented
How The 10 Worst Best Hob Failures Of All Time Could Have Been Prevented
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How to Choose the Best Hob
When deciding on the best hob for your needs there are a lot of aspects to take into account. From price to energy efficiency. So deciding what features are important is crucial.
A basic ceramic electric stove costs less than PS100. However you'll have to pay more for one with numerous features. Gas hobs are a popular choice, and offer great temperature control, but they're also pricier.
1. Haier I-Flex Induction Hob
With four cooking zones and three 'Push&Go' functions this stove from Haier can help you make quick meals. It was among the fastest to boil water in our tests, taking only four minutes. It's child-safe and comes with a pause function, so you can quickly stop the process without having to mess around with the controls.
Its design is sleek, modern and is a great match for modern kitchens. It is typically made of glass (which is heatproof and shatterproof) or ceramic. The controls are touch-sensitive, and they sit directly on the worktop.
The controls are easy to use, and we appreciated the clear display that tells you the current power settings and which of the five zones is active. The "Boost" feature produces high-powered heat in a short time. It is perfect for stir-frying and rapidly bringing pans to boil. The hob's hot light and automatic shutdown are useful security features, too.
It's not as responsive as the other hobs we tested in this test. We found it took nine presses on the control to reach the highest temperature, as opposed to seven or six on other models. It takes a bit longer for the pan to respond when you alter the temperature. It is possible to adjust the settings several times before you get the proper temperature.
This model is 60cm long and has four cooking zones. One of them is a half-flex zone, where two areas can easily be joined to accommodate larger pots or pans. Dual-ring design permits it to operate with both "normal" and "boost" power levels. The Boost is ideal for cooking meat and searing it, or making water come to a quick boil.
It is fully integrated with the hOn App, and offers 100's of recipes, guides for cooking, and 30 different programs that are divided into different food categories and types of cooking. It has an intuitive multislider interface as well as a lockable control panel. Additionally, it is able to automatically detect the kind of pan you're using and set the correct cooking mode. It also works with hOn cookware from third parties and has several safety features like the ability to lock the panel and boil-dry prevention.
2. Smeg I-Flex Induction Hob
Whether you're having work done in your kitchen, or looking for an alternative to gas, induction hobs are becoming more popular. Prices have slashed dramatically over the past few years. The basic four-zone models are now available at less than PS100. If you want all the bells and whistles that are included in the induction system it's worth the extra cost for the most up-to-date technology.
This sleek model from Smeg features the latest induction technology that makes cooking more efficient and energy efficient. The revolutionary Auto-pot detection technology automatically detects the position of pots that have minimum diameters of 9cm, allowing you to activate the appropriate zone without needing to select it manually.
Smeg's focus on energy saving does not mean that they don't offer flexibility - this hob is designed to save power by adjusting the maximum operating temperature of the zones to meet your cooking preferences. There are other options to save even more energy with the Eco-Logic advance mode which moderates the power output from 11.1 kW to as little as 2.4 kW.
The user-friendly interface of this hob was a hit with testers, thanks to its intuitive sliding controls that follow your pan along the edge of it. The control panel's color-coded design makes it easy to identify the status of each zone. The 'Flexi Duo" function allows you connect two zones to accommodate larger pans. There are many useful features, such as four automatic cooking presets (melting, boiling, slow cooking and keeping warm) and a Power Boost to get results that are quick and efficient.
The oven also comes with a FlameSensor that can alert you when there's a risk of a meal that's been burned or the possibility of a fire. There are a variety of safety features, such as a residual heat indicator as well as an auto shut-off feature if the surface gets too hot.
It is also resistant to tough stains and features a CleanProtect protective coating. The hob is simple to install and has nine power levels and the handy FlexiDuo feature for catering to large pans. There are also a number of bonus features, like locking controls and an emergency fuse in the event of accidental button pushing.
3. Indesit I-Flex Induction Hob
Induction hobs are powered by electricity and not gas. They make use of copper plates to generate magnetic force when a pot or pan is placed on them. They are able to heat up faster than gas hobs and they also use less energy because the cooking zone is only hot when you turn on your pan. They're generally less expensive than gas and are simpler to clean making them an extremely popular option.
The induction hob made by Indesit is packed with features that allow you to create your own ideas 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 boiling water to. A range of functions that are automatic such as Push&Go lets you achieve perfectly cooked dishes at the touch of a read more button. And nine power modes that include a 'P boost setting that grants each zone maximum power for five minutes, are easily set using the controls, which move across the bottom of the cooktop to follow the pans.
The controls are also easy to operate and feature an elegant, minimalist design that's perfect for a modern kitchen. In our tests, it was able to boil pasta water in a flash and was quick to heat up after placing an oven on the Booster zone. It took a while to cool down after we turned off the hob, and the testers were unable to determine the exact temperature on the control panel.
In addition to a Dual Zone and Push&Go, the Indesit hob has a useful bridge function that lets you connect two cooking zones to accommodate larger pans. It also has a child lock, an overheating block and an automatic shut-off mechanism that prevents the oven from operating when it becomes too hot. Our test participants were impressed that there weren't any visible flames or flammable substances and the glass was easy to wipe clean. Unlike a traditional extractor hood vented hobs draw heat and smoke out of the pan and out of the room via a duct in the surface. Our experts thought the duct on this hob was easy to clean, even though it required two people to take the filter out and change it.
4. Induction Hob from General Electric
When selecting a kitchen appliance take a look at how it fits to your kitchen's design and layout, as well as your cooking style and life. Induction hobs are a great option if you cook with children or the elderly in mind. They have safety features such as automatic shut-offs and a cool to touch surface. If you're looking for speed and efficiency using a ceramic glass facia on an electric hob is the ideal alternative. Gas hobs are a great choice for those who live in areas susceptible to power outages.