How to Choose the Best Hob
There are many factors to consider when choosing the best hob, from price to energy efficiency. Determine which features are the most important.
A basic electric ceramic stove can cost as low as PS100, but you'll need to spend more for a feature-packed model. Gas hobs, which are popular and offer great temperature control but are more expensive, are another alternative.
1. Haier I-Flex Induction Hob
With four cooking zones and three 'Push&Go' functions this hob from Haier can help you make quick meals. It was also one of the most efficient tested to boil water, taking less than four minutes. It's child lock-compatible and features an pause feature, meaning you can stop the process without having to mess around with controls.
Its design is sleek, modern and is a great match for contemporary kitchens. It is typically made from glass (which is heatproof and shatterproof) or ceramic. The controls are touch-sensitive and rest in a flush position on the countertop.
The controls were simple to operate and we loved the display that shows the current power level as well as which zone is currently in use. The 'Boost' feature creates high-powered heat for a brief period of time, and is ideal for stir-frying, or bringing pans of boiling water to a boil quickly. The hob's light that is hot and auto shut-off are great safety features, too.
However it's not as responsive to touch as some other hobs tested in this test. We found it took nine presses on the control to reach the highest temperature, compared with seven or six on other models. It takes a bit longer for the pan to respond when you change the temperature. You may need to adjust the settings several times to get the right heat.
The model in 60 cm has four cooking zones, including a half-flex area where two areas can be joined together to accommodate larger pots and pans. Dual-ring design permits it to operate on both "normal" and "boost" power levels. The Boost model is great for frying and searing meat, or bringing water pans to the rapid boiling point.
It is fully integrated with the hOn App and has hundreds of recipes, a guide to cooking, and 30 special programs that are divided into different food categories and types of cooking. It comes with a user-friendly multislider interface as well as a lockable' control panel, plus it is able to automatically detect the kind of pan you're using and set the correct cooking mode. It also works with hOn pans made by third party companies and has a number of safety features like the ability to lock the panel and boil-dry prevention.
2. Smeg I-Flex Induction Hob
When you're doing work on your kitchen or simply seeking a better alternative to gas induction hobs, induction hobs are becoming increasingly popular. Prices have slashed in the last few years, with the simplest four-zone models available for less than PS100. But if you want all the bells and whistles that include induction, it's worth paying extra for the latest innovations.
This sleek model from Smeg has the latest induction technology to make cooking more efficient and convenient. The revolutionary Auto-pot detection technology automatically detects the position of pots with minimum diameters of 9 cm, allowing you to activate the appropriate zone without needing to select it manually.
Smeg's main focus is on energy savings, but it doesn't ignore the flexibility of this appliance - it can be adjusted to conserve energy based on the highest temperatures of the zones. Eco-Logic advanced mode enables you to conserve more energy, reducing the power output to as little as 2.4kW.
The user-friendly interface of this stove impressed testers, thanks to its intuitive sliding controls that follow your pan's edge the edges of it. The control panel's color-coded layout makes it easy to determine the status of each zone. The 'Flexi Duo" function lets you connect two zones to accommodate larger pans. There are a variety of useful functions, including four cooking presets that automatically cook (melting boiling, melting, slow cooking and keeping warm) and a Power Boost to get results that are quick and efficient.
The hob also comes with a FlameSensor that can alert you when there's a risk of a food item being burned or a fire. There are many safety features, including a residual heat sensor and an automatic shut-off when the surface is too hot.
It is also resistant to hard stains and comes with a protective coating of CleanProtect. The hob comes with nine power levels and a 'FlexiDuo feature' to accommodate large pans and is easy to install. There are a few bonus features such as control locks, as well as a safety fuse to prevent accidental pressing of buttons.
3. Indesit I-Flex Induction Hob
Induction hobs are powered by electricity, not gas. They make use of copper plates to create magnetic force when a pan or read more pot is placed on them. They heat up faster than gas hobs, and they also use less energy since the cooking zone only gets hot when you turn on the pan. They are generally less expensive to operate than gas and they are also simpler to clean.
Indesit's induction hob is full of features to help you get creative in the cooking. It has two separate zones which can be combined into a Dual Zone to accommodate larger pans, and a rapid booster zone to quickly bring the water to a boil. A range of functions that are automatic like Push&Go allow you to create perfectly cooked meals by pressing a button. The controls are simple to use and allow you to select nine power modes including a P boost setting 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 quickly heated up a pan after we placed it on the Booster Zone, and boiled pasta water. However it took a long time to cool down once we turned off the hob. Our testers were unable to see the exact temperatures on the control panel.
In addition to having a Dual Zone and Push&Go, this Indesit hob also has a bridge function that allows you to combine two cooking zones to fit larger pans. It also has a child lock and overheating block and an auto shut-off feature that stops the appliance from working when it's too hot. The ceramic glass is easy to clean and has no flames visible. Our testers were impressed by the fact that there was no visible flame. Ventilated hobs in contrast to traditional extractors draw steam and smoke from the pan out of the room through a duct on the surface. Our experts thought the duct on this hob was easy to keep clean, although it took two people to take the filter to change it.
4. Induction Hob by GE
When selecting a kitchen appliance take a look at how it fits to your kitchen's style and layout, as well as your cooking style and your lifestyle. For instance, if you often cook with small children or elderly people in mind, security features such as automatic shut-off and cool to the touch surface can make an induction stove an ideal choice. If you prefer speed and efficiency, an electric hob with a glass face that is wipe-clean is ideal. For those who live in areas prone to load-shedding, having the ability to use gas hobs in power outages may make the difference in favor of a gas model.