10 Tell-Tale Signs You Must See To Know Before You Buy Best Hob

How to Choose the Best Hob

There are many factors to take into consideration when selecting the best hob, from cost to energy efficiency. Decide what features are most important.

A basic electric ceramic hob can cost as little as PS100 however, you'll have to spend more for a model with a lot of features. Gas hobs are another popular choice and provide great temperature control, but they're more expensive.

1. Haier I-Flex Induction Hob

With four cooking zones and three 'Push&Go' functions this hob from Haier will allow you to cook quick meals. It was one of the fastest to boil water in our tests, taking just four minutes. It's child-safe and comes with a pause function, so you can stop the process without having to mess around with the controls.

Its design is sleek, modern and is a great match for modern kitchens. It is usually made of glass (which is heatproof and shatterproof) or ceramic. The controls are touch-sensitive and sit flush on the worktop.

The controls were simple to use and we loved the display which shows the current power level and the zone that is currently in use. The "Boost" feature generates high-powered heat in a short time. It is ideal to stir fry and speedily bringing pans to boil. Safety features like the hot hob light or automatic shut-off are also beneficial.

However, it's not as responsive to touch as some other hobs tested in this test. We observed that it took nine presses on the control to attain the highest temperature compared with six or seven on other models. It takes longer to respond when you alter the cooking temperature, meaning 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 the zones is a half-flex which allows two areas to easily be joined to accommodate larger pots or pans. It comes with a dual-ring design that can function on both 'normal' and 'boost' power levels. The Boost model is great for frying, searing meat or bringing pans of water to the rapid boiling point.

It's fully integrated with the hOn app and comes with 100's of recipes, with guided cooking and 30 special programs that are divided into various food categories and preparation types. It comes with a multislider control panel with a 'lockable interface' and can detect the type pan you are using to set the proper cooking mode. It also works with hOn cookware from third parties and has various safety features like the ability to lock the panel and boil-dry prevention.

2. Smeg I-Flex Induction Hob

Whether you're having work done on your kitchen or simply seeking a better alternative to gas, induction hobs are becoming more popular. Prices have dropped over the past few years, with basic four-zone models costing less than PS100. But if you want all the bells and whistles that come with induction it's worth the extra cost for the most up-to-date technology.

This sleek model from Smeg comes with the most advanced induction technology to make cooking more energy-efficient and convenient. The revolutionary Auto-pot detection technology automatically detects the location of pots that have minimum diameters of 9cm, allowing you to activate the appropriate zone without having to select it manually.

Smeg's focus is on energy savings, but it doesn't ignore flexibility - this hob can be adjusted to save energy based on the maximum temperatures that the zones can operate at. There are other options to save energy by using the Eco-Logic advance mode that reduces the power output from 11.1 kW to as low as 2.4 2 kW.

Testers were impressed with the user-friendly interface of this hob with easy-to-use controls that slide along the edges of the hob to follow the pan. The color scheme of the control panel lets you quickly see the operating status of each zone, and the Flexi Duo function allows you to connect two zones together to cater for larger pans. There are plenty of useful features, including four automatic cooking presets (melting boiling, slow cooking and keeping warm) and a Power Boost for super-quick results.

Additionally the hob comes with an 'FlameSensor' feature that alerts you if there is any risk of fire or food that has been burned. There are many safety features, including a residual heat sensor and an automatic switch-off when the surface gets too hot.

It also has a protective CleanProtect coating to help it resist hard staining and cooking marks. This hob is easy to set up and features nine power levels as well as an excellent 'FlexiDuo' feature that allows catering for large pans. There are some additional features like locking controls and an emergency fuse to stop accidental pressing of buttons.

3. Indesit I-Flex Induction Hob

They are powered by electricity, not gas, induction stoves utilize copper plates that create an electromagnetic field when a pan is placed on top. They are able to heat up quicker than gas hobs, and they also use less energy because the cooking zone is only hot when you turn on the pan. They are generally less expensive to run than gas, and they are also less difficult to clean.

This induction hob from Indesit is packed with features that allow you to get creative in the kitchen. It has two cooking zones that can be combined to create an Integrated Zone for larger pans as well as a rapid Booster zone to bring water to a boiling point quickly. A range of functions that are automatic such as Push&Go lets you create perfectly cooked meals by pressing a button. The controls are easy to use and allow you to choose nine power modes including a P boost setting which gives the highest power to each zone for five minutes.

The controls are simple to use and the minimalist design is ideal for a modern kitchen. In our tests, it boiled pasta water in a snap and quickly heated up when we put an oven in the Booster zone. It took a while for it to cool down after we turned off the hob, and our Ovens And Hobs test subjects had difficulty seeing the exact temperature on the control panel.

This Indesit hob also features the bridge function, which allows you to combine two cooking zones to make larger pans. It also has a child lock as well as an overheating block. It also has an automatic switch-off feature that stops the hob from working if it gets too hot. Our testers appreciated the fact that there were no visible flames that were messy and messy, and the ceramic glass was easy to clean. Contrary to traditional extractor hoods vented hobs draw heat and smoke away from the pan and out of the room via a duct in the surface. The vent on this hob was easy to clean, but it required two people in order to remove the filter.

4. GE Induction Hob

Consider how the hob will fit into your kitchen's layout and design, as well as what your cooking style. For example, if you often cook with small children or elderly people in mind, safety features like an automatic shut-off feature and an icy to the touch surface can make an induction cooker an ideal choice. Alternatively, for those who value speed and efficiency, an electric stove with a wipe-clean ceramic glass fascia is the best choice. For those living in regions that are prone to load-shedding, the capability to use gas hobs during power outages may tip the scales in favour of gas models.