Types of Hob and Oven
A oven and hob is commonplace in kitchens and is available in a variety of styles. You can mix and match different kinds such as domino, electric and gas to meet your cooking needs.
A hob may also come with safety features, such as child and control of the position. These features will prevent children from accidentally altering the heat setting or touching the stove.
Types
In the heart of every kitchen, the stove is at the center of the room and plays a significant part in how your food is executed. However, there are many different kinds of hobs, and the one you select will depend on what your specific cooking requirements are.
Gas hobs are the most popular choice and offer a fast heating function and instant response to temperature fluctuations. They are a popular choice for chefs who are professional as they offer precise control. They are not as easy to clean as other stoves and could require more care.
Electric hobs have a flat ceramic surface and heated elements underneath. They are available in a variety of sizes and come with up to six cooking zones. Each zone is equipped with a distinct heating element that you can control separately. This allows you to boil potatoes on one ring while making sausages in another. This type of hob is quicker to heat up than gas, and is a safer alternative for children since the cooking zone is heated only when you put the pot on it.
Ceramic hobs offer a stylish and user-friendly option to gas and electric hobs. They are smooth and durable. surface which is easy to clean but aren't as responsive to temperature changes as other hobs and are slower to cool down.
The Domino hob is an alternative to electric and gas hobs. It combines ovens beneath the cooking surface. They can be fitted into smaller kitchens with limited installation space and are suitable for kitchenettes and flats. They are often cheaper than a standard cooker and can be very energy-efficient but can be fragile and require more care than other types of cookers.
Gas
Gas hobs are cooktops equipped with burners that can easily be fitted into the kitchen countertop for a seamless appearance. Gas hobs are usually powered by LPG or natural gas, but they are also powered by propane gas. The sleek, modern design could bring sophistication to your kitchen space.
A traditional gas stove has a range of burners, usually 4 but sometimes up to 6. The burners can be ignited with a match or knob. The flames are controlled by a set of valves which can be adjusted to regulate the temperature.
Most modern built-in gas stoves on the other hand are equipped with burners that have multiple flames. This allows you to control both the inner and outer rings for each burner, to allow you to precisely control your cooking. They are also much more efficient and more reliable than earlier models.
In the past, it was required for the gas stove to be constantly lit to ensure that the burners were hot and well-fueled. This was a safety feature to avoid accidents like not turning off the oven even though the stove was lit by match or the pilot flame. Modern cookers are designed with safety in mind. They come with a built-in fire failure device that shuts down the burners automatically if the pilot light fail.
Gas stoves and hobs need to be regularly inspected, cleaned and maintained. To achieve this, it is recommended to arrange a visit with a Gas Safe registered engineer. They will not only be able to make sure your appliance is working correctly as well, but they'll also provide professional advice and guidance on how to prevent any problems in the near future.
Electricity
When it comes time to design your perfect kitchen the worktops, fridge freezer and ovens will always get the most attention, but the quality of your hob is also essential. If you choose a conventional, induction or gas cooker, the kind of hob you pick will affect how your kitchen functions and how easy it is to keep clean.
Electric hobs are powered by heating elements under a smooth glass surface which is typically cleaned with a non-abrasive cleaner. These elements are activated when you turn on the hob and can be adjusted to various power levels with a knob. It can take them some time to heat up however once they are heated, they have a tendency to offer more stable and reliable temperature control. They also have built-in indicators that inform you that a particular zone is active or hot from cooking.
They are available in four to six sizes and can be notch-up up to different power levels. They are great for flat-based cookware but aren't the best option for cast-iron pans since they can overheat. Certain models come with dual-ring designs (such as the Belling BEL CH602T) that permit boiling water on one ring and saute sausages on a different. Certain models come with a Boost function that concentrates high-temperature elements into one ring. This is useful for stir-frying, searing meat, or boiling large pots.
Induction hobs differ from standard electric models as they use electromagnetic fields to directly heat your cookware, instead of the traditional method of gas flames. This allows them to reach precise temperatures in a short time frame, which makes them highly energy efficient. ovens and hobs have a cool-to the touch surface and flashing indicators that indicate whether a ring was 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 into the desired shape, then fired in a very high-temperature oven called a kiln. Once it's made, it can be covered with decorative or paint-like substances to give it a more textured and vibrant look.
Ceramic hobs are a beautiful blend of form and function that can be easily integrated into any modern kitchen. They work by using radiant heating technology that passes an electric current through coiled elements hidden beneath the black glass surface of the hob. They produce heat when activated. This is then transferred to the pan via an infrared system. You can alter the degree of heating by using the knobs or the touch controls.
Some ceramic hobs come with dual-ring designs, having one smaller and a larger cooking area which allows you to select the most suitable size for your pan. You can also purchase hobs with boosters that produce high-powered heat quickly. This is perfect for cooking food and bringing pans to boil quickly.
Ceramic cooktops are more energy efficient than other types of hobs as they take longer to heat up and change temperatures. You can also select vented hobs that incorporate a ventilation system with the ceramic cooktop. This makes sure that smoke, steam and cooking smells don't linger in your house.
Induction
The heating elements in induction hobs consist of a set of copper wire coils under the surface. They create electromagnets that heat the pans sat on them. The coils stir up the free electrons inside the base metal of your pan which then transfer heat evenly to your food. The surface of the hob is never hot, and when you take off your pan the cooking zones are turned off automatically.
Induction hobs are typically more expensive than other types, but they're also faster to heat and consume 30 to 70% less energy than gas or ceramic hobs. They are also easier to clean, as the hob surface itself isn't hot, and only the contents of the pan do.
Certain manufacturers have an induction model that has extra features, such as the pause feature, which cuts the power to the stove after you have left or connect two cooking rings at the same power for greater flexibility. They are commonly referred to as FlexInduction hobs and can be more expensive than traditional models, however they're worth considering if you are a multi-tasker.
This induction hob is our favorite. It has four large cooking zones with a Bridge function and nine power settings, offering you a lot of options for those who are ambitious cooks. It performed well in our test with fast heating and precise control when making pancakes. The cooker also comes with dishwasher built-in and an automatic pan detection function to make cleaning more simple. There's a small selection of pans that are compatible, and it can't be used to cook with utensils that have magnetic bases. This could be a problem when you have a lot of non-compatible cookware or only some of it is suitable for induction hobs.