Types of Hob and Oven
Hobs and ovens are a common fixture in kitchens. They are available in many different designs. You can mix different types, like gas and electric to meet your needs.
A hob could also come with safety features, such as child and position controls. These features can prevent children from accidentally altering the heat setting or touching the stove.
Types
The hob is the focal element of any kitchen and can have a major impact on the outcome of your cooking. There are many kinds of hobs, and which one you select will depend on your cooking needs.
Gas hobs are a popular option. They are quick to heat up and respond instantly to temperature changes. Professional chefs prefer them since they are precise in their control. They aren't as easy as other hobs to clean and could require more frequent maintenance.
Electric hobs are flat ceramic surface with heated elements beneath. They are available in various sizes, with between four and six cooking zones. Each zone has a separate heating element that you can control individually. This lets you boil potatoes on one ring whilst making sausages in another. This kind of hob is quicker to heat up than gas, and also offers a safer alternative for children as the cooking zone is heated only when you put a pot on it.
Ceramic hobs are a fashionable and user-friendly alternative to electric and gas hobs. They have a smooth, hard-wearing surface that is easy wipe down but aren't as quick to respond to temperature changes like other hobs and are slower to cool down.
The Domino hob is an alternative to gas and electric hobs. It incorporates ovens under the cooking surface. They are great for kitchens that have little space. They also work well in kitchenettes and flats. They are often cheaper than standard hobs and can be extremely energy efficient however they are also fragile and require more attention than other types of cookers.
Gas
A gas hob is a cooking surface with burners that can be incorporated in kitchen countertops to create seamless appearance. Gas hobs are typically powered by LPG or natural gas, however they can also be powered by propane gas. They are sleek and modern design that can add a touch of sophistication to your modular kitchen.
A traditional gas stove comes with several burners, usually 4, but sometimes as many as 6. These are ignited with either the use of a match or a knob. The flames are then controlled by a set of valves that can be adjusted to regulate the temperature.
However, the majority of modern gas hobs that have built-in gas burners feature multi-flame burners that allow you to control the inner and outer ring of each burner to manage your cooking. These burners are faster and more reliable than earlier models.
In the past, it was required for the gas stove to be continuously lit to ensure that the burners were hot and well-fueled. This was a safety feature to avoid any mishaps like having the oven turned on when the stove was lit by a match or a the pilot flame. Modern cookers are designed with safety in mind and have a built-in flame failure device that shuts down the burners automatically if the pilot light fail.
Gas stoves and hobs must be cleaned, checked and maintained on a regular basis. To achieve this, it is recommended to make an appointment with a Gas Safe registered engineer. oven with hob will not only make sure that your appliance functions properly, but also give you expert advice on how you can prevent any future issues.
Electric
A quality hob is just as crucial when it comes to making your kitchen the best it can be. Worktops, refrigerators freezers and ovens are the first items that come to your mind. Whichever type you choose, traditional, induction or gas cooker the type of hob you choose can impact how your kitchen operates and how easy it is to keep clean.
Electric hobs are equipped with heating elements under a smooth, glass surface. This is typically cleaned using a nonabrasive cleaner. These elements switch on when you turn on the hob and can be adjusted to a range of power levels by turning or clicking a control knob. They can take some time to heat up however once they are heated, they are in place, they provide better and more consistent temperature control. They also have built-in indicators that let you know that a zone is in use or still hot from cooking.
They are available in four to six sizes and are notch-upable to different power levels. They are ideal for cookware with a flat base, but not for cast iron pans since they can get hot. Certain models (such as Belling BELCH602T) have dual-ring designs which allow you to cook sausages and boil water on the same ring. Some models even have a 'boost' function which concentrates high-powered heat onto one ring for stir fry cooking, searing meat or boiling large pots of water.
Induction hobs differ from normal electric models because they employ electromagnetic fields to directly heat your cookware, instead of the traditional method of gas flames. They can reach precise temperatures faster and are more energy efficient. They have a cool-to the touch surface, and flashing indicators that indicate whether a ring was used or is still hot.
Ceramic
Ceramic is an ingredient that can be used to create decorative or practical objects. It's formed by mixing clay, earthen elements powders and water into an exact shape, and then fired in a high-temperature oven called the kiln. Once it's been made it can be decorated or covered with decorative materials to add texture and colour.
Ceramic hobs are a stunning combination of form and function and can be found in any modern kitchen. They operate by using radiant heating technology, which passes an electric current through the coiled elements hidden beneath the black glass surface of the hob. They produce heat when activated, which is then transferred to the pan by way of an infrared system. You can alter the intensity of this heating by controlling the controls using a knobs or buttons.
Some ceramic hobs come with dual ring designs, with one smaller and a larger cooking zone that lets you select the best size for your pan. There are hobs with booster burners that produce high-powered heat quickly ideal for searing meat or bringing pans of boiling water to a boil quickly.
In comparison to other types of hobs ceramic cooktops take a little longer to heat up and change temperature, but once they do they are generally more efficient in energy use. You can also select vented hobs, which integrate ventilation systems with the cooktop made of ceramic. This ensures that smoke, steam and cooking smells do not linger in your house.
Induction
The heating elements of hobs with induction are made up of a set of copper wire coils that are placed beneath the surface that create electromagnets that heat the pans that sit on them. The coils agitate the free electrons in the base of your pot, which then transmits heat uniformly and directly to your food. The surface of the hob is never hot, and as soon as you remove your pan the cooking zones are turned off automatically.
Induction hobs tend to be more expensive, but they also get hotter faster and use 30-70% lower energy than gas or other kinds. Induction hobs are also easier to clean because only the contents of the pan gets hot but not the surface.
Certain manufacturers offer an induction model that has additional features such as a pause feature that shuts off the power to your stove whenever you move away from it, or link up two cooking rings at the same power level for additional flexibility. These are often referred to as FlexInduction hobs. They are more expensive than traditional induction models, but they're worth considering if you prefer to multitask.
This induction hob is our favorite. It has four large cooking zones as well as a Bridge function and nine power settings, giving you a variety of options for ambitious cooks. It did well in our tests with fast heating and accurate control when making pancakes. The hob also has an integrated dishwasher as well as an automatic pan detection feature to make cleaning simpler. There's a small selection of compatible pans, however, and it can't be used for cooking with the utensils with magnetic bases. This can be a problem when you have a lot of non-compliant cookware, or just certain pieces are suitable for use on induction hobs.