Types of Hob and Oven
A hob and oven is commonplace in kitchens and is available in a variety of designs. You can mix different types of ovens, such as electric and gas to meet your needs.
A hob can also come with safety features, such as child and control of the position. These features can stop children from accidentally changing the temperature setting or touching the hob.
Types
In every kitchen, the stove takes centre stage and plays a significant role in the way your food is executed. There are a variety of types of hob and the one you choose will depend on what your particular cooking needs are.
Gas hobs are the most popular option and provide a quick heating function and instant response to temperature fluctuations. They are a favorite choice for chefs who are professional as they offer precise control. However, they are not as clean as other hobs and may require a higher level of maintenance.
Electric hobs have a flat ceramic surface and heated elements beneath. They are available in various sizes and have four to six cooking zones. Each zone has a separate heating element that you can control separately. You can boil potatoes on one ring, while cooking sausages on another. This kind of hob is much easier to start heating than gas, and is a safer alternative for children since the cooking area gets hot only when you put the pot on it.
Traditional ceramic hobs are an extremely user-friendly alternative to gas and electric and are a stylish option. They have an even and smooth surface that is easy to clean. However they aren't as quick to respond to temperature fluctuations or cool down as other hobs.
The Domino hob is a space-saving alternative to electric and gas hobs. It combines ovens beneath the cooking surface. They can be installed in smaller kitchens with limited installation space and work well in flats and kitchenettes. hobs uk tend to be less expensive than standard hobs and can be energy-efficient, but they are also susceptible to damage and require more maintenance.
Gas
A gas hob is a cooktop with burners that can be fitted on kitchen countertops to give seamless appearance. Gas hobs are typically powered by LPG or natural gas, but 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 has several burners, usually 4 but often as many as 6. The burners can be ignited with a match or knob. The flames can then be controlled by an array of valves that can be adjusted in the temperature.
Modern built-in gas stoves on the other hand, have burners with multiple flames. This allows you to control both the outer and inner rings for each burner, so that you can precisely control your cooking. These burners are much faster and more reliable than older models.
Traditionally, it was important to keep a gas stove lit continuously to ensure the burners were always hot and fueled. This was done to prevent accidents, for example, accidentally turning on an oven when the stove was still lit by a match or pilot light. Modern cookers have been made with safety in mind as a priority. They come equipped with a flame failure device that shuts off the burners if the pilot light fails to work.
Gas stoves and hobs should be cleaned, checked, and maintained regularly. The best method to do this is to book an appointment for maintenance with a licensed Gas Safe registered engineer. Not only will they be able check your appliance is working correctly and safely, but they will also offer expert advice and suggestions on how to avoid problems in the near future.
Electricity
A quality hob is equally important when it comes to creating the perfect kitchen. Worktops, refrigerators, freezers and ovens are the first things that come to your mind. The type of hob you select will impact the way your kitchen functions and also how easy it is for you to clean it.
Electric hobs are equipped with heating elements set beneath a smooth, glass surface. This is usually cleaned with a nonabrasive cleaner. The heating elements are activated when you turn on the hob and can be adjusted to various power levels using a control knob. They can take a little longer to heat up than a gas cooker but once they are done, they tend to offer better, constant temperature control. They have built-in indicators that inform you if a zone is hot or not.
These rings are available in four to six different sizes and can be notch-up up to different power levels. They are ideal for flat-based cookware, but not for cast iron pans, because they could overheat. Some models (such as Belling BELCH602T) come with dual rings which allow you to cook sausages and boil water in the same ring. Some models include a boost function that concentrates the power of high-powered heat into one ring for stir fry cooking sauteing meats, searing or boiling large pots of water.
Induction hobs differ from normal electric hobs in that they utilize electromagnetic fields to directly heat your cookware, instead of the traditional method of gas flames. This allows them to reach precise temperatures in a smaller space of time and makes them extremely energy efficient. They have a cool-to the touch surface, and flashing indicators that inform you if a ring has been used or is still hot.
Ceramic
Ceramics can be used to create functional or decorative objects. It is made by mixing clay, earthen elements, powders and water to a specific shape, then fired in a very high-temperature oven called a Kiln. Once it's made it can be decorated or covered with decorative materials in order to add texture and colour.
Ceramic hobs combine form and function to create an exquisite piece of contemporary kitchen furniture. Radiant heating technology is employed to heat the ceramic hobs through the passage of an electric current through coiled elements that are hidden under the black glass surface. These generate heat when activated, and this is transferred to your pan through an infrared system. You can adjust the degree of heating by turning the knobs or touch controls.
Some ceramic hobs come with two rings, each with one smaller and one with a larger cooking area. This allows you to choose the ideal size for your pan. You can also find hobs equipped with booster burners that generate high-powered heat rapidly, great for searing meat or bringing pans of boiling water to a boil in a short time.
As compared to other types of hobs ceramic cooktops generally take longer to heat up and alter temperature, but once they do they are generally more efficient in energy use. You can also choose vented cooktops that have ventilation systems with the ceramic cooktop. This makes sure that smoke, steam and cooking smells don't stay in your home.
Induction
The heating elements inside hobs with induction are made up of copper wire coils beneath the surface, which create electromagnets that heat the pans sat on them. The coils agitate the free electrons within the base of your pot and then transfer heat efficiently and directly to your food. The surface of the hob is never hot and the cooking zones automatically turn off when the pan is removed.
Induction hobs are usually more expensive than other models however they're also quicker to heat and consume 30-70 percent less energy than gas or ceramic hobs. They are also easier to clean because the surface of the hob doesn't get hot and only the contents of your pan do.
Some manufacturers offer a special induction model with extra features such as a pause feature, which cuts the power to your stove when you step away from it, or connect two cooking rings simultaneously at the same power level to provide additional flexibility. They are often referred to as FlexInduction hobs. They are more expensive than traditional induction models, however, they're worth considering when multitasking is important to you.
Our top pick is this induction cooktop from Smeg, with four good-sized cooking zones with a bridge function as well as nine power levels, giving you a variety of options for the ambitious cook. It did well in our test, with fast heating and precise control when making pancakes. The hob also has dishwasher built-in and an automatic pan detection function to make cleaning more simple. There's a small selection of pans that are compatible it isn't used to cook with appliances that have magnetic bases. This can be a problem if you have a large amount of cookware that's not compatible or only a small portion of it is compatible with induction hobs.