How to Choose the Best Hob
When deciding on the best hob for your needs there are a lot of aspects to take into consideration. From cost to energy efficiency. Therefore, deciding which features are important is crucial.
A basic electric ceramic stove can cost as little as PS100, but you'll need to shell out more for a model with a lot of features. Gas hobs are another popular choice, and offer great temperature control, however they are more expensive.
1. Haier I-Flex Induction Hob
This Haier hob comes with four cooking zones and three "Push&Go" functions, and will help you prepare quick meals. It was one of the fastest boiling water hobs in our tests, taking just four minutes. It's child lock-compatible and features an option to pause the process, so you can quickly stop the process without having to fiddle around with the controls.
Its style is sleek and modern it blends seamlessly with modern kitchens. It is usually made of glass (which is shatterproof and heatproof) or ceramic. The controls are touch-sensitive and rest in a flush position on the countertop.
The controls were simple to operate, and we liked the display that displays the current power level and the zone that is active. The 'Boost' feature generates high-powered heat for a short duration, and is perfect for stir-frying or bringing pots of water to the boil quickly. Safety features like the light on the hot hob and automatic shutoff are beneficial.
However, it's not as responsive to touch as some other hobs tested in this test. We found it took nine presses of the control to reach the highest temperature, as opposed to six or seven on other models. It takes longer to respond when you alter the cooking temperature, so you may need to alter settings several times before your pan reaches the right heat.
The model measures 60 cm and comes with four cooking zones. One of it is a half-flex zone which allows two areas to easily be joined to accommodate larger pots or pans. It has dual-ring design and is able to operate on both normal as well as 'boost' power levels. Boost is perfect for frying meat and searing it, or bringing water to a rapid boiling.
It is fully connected through the hOn App, and offers hundreds of recipes, a guide to cooking, and 30 unique programs that are divided into different food categories and types of preparation. It features a multislider controls panel with a 'lockable interface' and can detect the type of pan you're using to set the correct cooking mode. It is also compatible with hOn pans from third party companies and has a number of security features, including a lockable panel and boil-dry prevention.
2. Smeg I-Flex Induction Hob
Induction hobs have become increasingly popular, whether renovating your kitchen or looking for a gas-free alternative. Prices have plummeted in the last few years, with basic four-zone models starting at less than PS100. If you are looking for the most modern induction technology, it is worth paying a little more.
This sleek model from Smeg comes with the most modern induction tech to keep your cooking energy-efficient and convenient. The revolutionary Auto-pot detection technology automatically detects the location of pots that have minimum diameters of 9cm, which allows you to activate the appropriate zone without having to select it manually.
Smeg's focus is on energy efficiency, but it doesn't ignore flexibility - this hob can be adjusted to conserve energy based on the maximum temperatures that the zones can operate at. There are options to save even more energy with the Eco-Logic advance mode that reduces the power output from 11.1 kW to as low as 2.4 4 kW.
Testers were impressed by the user-friendly interface of this hob that has intuitive controls that move across the edge of the hob to follow your pan. The control panel's color scheme allows you to quickly determine the operational status of each zone, and the 'Flexi Duo' function allows you to connect two zones to accommodate larger pots. There are many useful features, such as four cooking presets for automatic cooking (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 which will alert you if there's a danger of a food item being burned or 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 also has a protective CleanProtect coating to help it resist hard marks and stains from cooking. This hob has nine power levels and an 'FlexiDuo feature' that is perfect to accommodate large pans and is simple to set up. There are some additional features such as locking controls and an emergency fuse to stop accidental button pushing.
3. Indesit I-Flex Induction Hob
Electricity is the primary source of power, rather than gas, induction hobs use copper plates that create an electric field when the pan is placed on top. They are able to heat up faster than gas hobs and they also use less energy since the cooking zone is only hot when you turn on your pan. They're generally less expensive to run than gas and are simpler to wipe clean too, which makes them a popular option.
This induction hob from Indesit is packed full of features that make it easy to create your own ideas in the kitchen. It comes with two cooking zones that can be combined to create the Dual Zone for larger pans and a rapid Booster zone that can bring water to boil quickly. For instance, the Push&Go allows you to cook perfectly by pressing the button. There are nine power modes, including a 'P boost' setting that gives each zone maximum power for 5 minutes, can be easily set using the controls, which are positioned along the bottom edge of the cooktop to follow the pans.
The controls are also easy to use and have a modern, minimalist design that get more info is perfect for a modern kitchen. In our tests, it quickly heated up a pan after we put it on the Booster Zone, and boiled pasta water. However, it took a long time to cool down after we turned off the hob. Our testers were unable to pinpoint the exact temperature on the control panel.
As well as a Dual Zone and Push&Go feature, 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 an overheating block, as well as an auto switch-off system that stops the hob working when it's too hot. Our test participants were impressed that there were no visible flames that were messy and messy, and the glass was easy to wipe clean. In contrast to traditional extractor hoods vented hobs draw heat and smoke away from the pan and out of the room through a duct in the surface. Our experts thought the duct on this hob was easy to clean, even though it took two people to take the filter to change it.
4. Induction Hob by GE
Consider how the hob can fit into the layout and design of your kitchen, as well as what your cooking style is. Induction hobs are an excellent choice for cooking with children or the elderly in mind. They are equipped with safety features such as automatic shut-offs and a cool to touch surface. If you value efficiency and speed an electric hob that has a wipe-clean ceramic glass fascia is a great choice. For those living in regions susceptible to load-shedding, having the ability to use gas hobs in power outages may tip the scales in favour of gas models.