Types of Hob and Oven
Hobs and ovens are a common fixture in kitchens. They come in a variety of designs. You can even mix types like domino, electric, and gas to meet your cooking needs.
Safety features like the controls for child and position can be added to a hob. These can prevent children from touching the hob, and stop them changing the heat settings by accident.
Types
In every kitchen, the hob takes centre stage and can play a huge part in how your food comes out. There are many different types of hobs available, and which one you select will depend on the needs of your kitchen.
Gas hobs are a classic option. They are quick to heat up and react immediately to temperature fluctuations. Professional chefs prefer them since they provide precise control. However, they're not as clean as other hobs and may require a higher level of maintenance.
Electric hobs are made of ceramic with a flat surface with heated elements underneath. They come in different sizes and with four to six cooking zones. Each zone is equipped with its own heating element, which can be controlled individually by you. This allows you to boil potatoes on one ring and cooking sausages in another. This type of hob is quicker to warm up than gas, and also offers the safety of children since the cooking zone gets hot only when you put an oven on it.
Traditional ceramic hobs are an extremely comfortable alternative to electric and gas and are also a fashionable 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.
Domino hobs are a space-saving alternative to electric and gas hobs that combine ovens below the cooking surface. They are ideal for kitchens that have little space. They also work well in kitchenettes and flats. They are typically less expensive than a standard hob and are energy efficient however they can be brittle and require more care than other types of cooker.
Gas
A gas hob is a cooktop with burners that can be incorporated in kitchen countertops to create seamless appearance. They are typically used with natural or the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) but they can also be powered by propane gas. They have a modern and sleek design that can give a sophisticated touch to your modular kitchen.
A traditional gas stove is fitted with a number of burners. There are usually four, but there can be up to six. The flames are ignited using a match or by turning a knob. The flames are then controlled by a set of valves which can be adjusted to set the temperature.
Contrary to this, modern gas hobs with built-in gas are equipped with multi-flame burners that allow you to control the inner and outer ring of each burner to control your cooking. These types of burners provide quicker heat up times and are more reliable than the older models.
Traditionally, it was necessary to keep a gas burner lit constantly to ensure the burners were always hot and fuelled. This was a security feature to avoid any mishaps like having the oven turned on when the stove was lit by a match or a pilot flame. Modern cookers have been designed with safety as a top priority. They are equipped with a fire failure device which shuts down the burners when the pilot light fails.
Gas stoves and hobs should be inspected, cleaned, and maintained regularly. To accomplish this, you must arrange a visit with an Gas Safe registered engineer. Not only will they be able to make sure your appliance is working correctly and safely, but they will offer expert advice and suggestions on how to prevent any issues in the future.
Electric
When it comes to creating your ideal kitchen, the kitchen worktops, fridge freezer, and oven will always receive the most attention, however the quality of your hob is equally important. The kind of hob you select will influence the way your kitchen functions and how easy it is for you to clean it.
Electric hobs feature heating elements under a smooth, glass surface. This is typically cleaned with a nonabrasive cleaning product. These elements switch on when you turn the hob on and can be adjusted to a variety of power levels by turning or pressing a control knob. They can take a little longer to heat up than gas cookers, but once they do they usually provide better, regular temperature control. They come with built-in indicators that tell you whether a particular area is hot or not.
Typically, these come in four to six different sized rings that can be cranked up to various levels of power. They are great for flat-based cookware, but not for cast iron pans, since they can get hot. Some models come with dual-ring designs (such as the Belling BEL CH602T) that allow boiling water on one ring and sauté sausages on the other. Some even come with a 'boost' feature that concentrates high-powered heat into a single ring for stir fry cooking, searing meat or boiling large pots of water.
Induction hobs are distinct from conventional electric hobs because they use electromagnetic fields instead of traditional gas flames to heat your cookware. This allows them to achieve precise temperatures in a short space of time and makes them highly energy efficient. They also have a cool-to-the-touch surface and flashing heat indicators to signal that the ring is either being used or is still hot.
Ceramic
Ceramic is a material which can be transformed into useful or decorative objects. It is made by mixing clay with earthen elements, powders and water, before firing it in a hot oven called a Kiln. After it's been made it can be sprayed with paint-like or decorative materials to give it a more textured and vibrant look.
Ceramic hobs blend design and function to create an exquisite piece of modern kitchen furniture. They operate by using radiant heating technology, passing an electric current through coiled elements hidden beneath the black glass surface of the hob. When activated, they generate heat, which is then transferred to your pan via an infrared heating system. You can adjust the intensity of this heating by adjusting the controls with knobs or buttons.
Some ceramic hobs have dual rings, which have one smaller and one with a larger cooking zone. This allows you to choose the ideal size for your pan. There are hobs that have boosters that create powerful heat quickly. This is ideal for cooking food and bringing pans to a boil quickly.
Ceramic cooktops are more energy efficient than other types of hobs due to the fact that they take longer to heat up and switch temperatures. You can also find vented hobs that incorporate a ventilation system within the cooktop's ceramic, making sure that steam, smoke and cooking smells don't linger in your home.
Induction
Induction hobs are equipped with heating elements that are comprised of copper wire coils. The coils create electromagnets that warm the pans that are placed on top of them. The coils stir up free electrons within the base metal of your pan, which then transfers heat evenly to your food. The surface of the stove is never hot and the cooking zones are automatically turned off when the pan is removed.
Induction hobs are typically more expensive, but they also get hotter faster and use 30-70% lower energy than gas or other types. They are also easier to clean since the surface of the hob isn't heated, but the contents of your pan do.
Certain manufacturers offer an induction model that has additional features, like a pause function, which cuts the power to the stove when you walk away, or the ability to link two cooking rings simultaneously with the same power to provide increased flexibility. They are commonly referred to as FlexInduction hobs. They are more expensive than traditional induction models but they're worth looking into if like to multitask.
Our favorite is this induction cooktop from Smeg, with four good-sized cooking zones that have a bridge function, as well as nine power levels, giving you a wide range of options for those who want to cook with a lot of passion. It performed well in our tests with a fast heating speed and accurate control when making pancakes. The cooker comes with dishwasher built-in and automatic pan detection, which makes cleaning easier. The only issue is that there are only a few compatible pans and you can't use it to cook with the utensils that have magnetic bases. It can be a problem if you have a lot of cookware that is not compatible or only a small portion of it is compatible with induction hobs.