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Types of Hobs A hob (known as a stove top in North America) is a cooking appliance that heats pans with flame or electricity. There are several different types of hobs available, so you can pick one that fits your style and kitchen. Induction hobs have a flat ceramic cooking surface and come with five or four zones to heat your pans. Modern touch-operated designs are sleek and fashionable, and they are easy to clean. Ceramic hobs Ceramic hobs provide a sleek and modern look which can greatly enhance the overall aesthetic of your kitchen. They feature a flat glass-ceramic surface that is easy to clean, meaning spills and splatters can be quickly wiped away. They are fast to heat up and are energy efficient which means they can cut down on the cost of electricity. However, one drawback of ceramic hobs is that they can be slow to change the temperature, which can be frustrating when cooking something that requires an instant reduction or an increase in heat. Electric hobs use plates that are heated by electric elements underneath. The elements can be controlled separately with rotary knobs, and then tacked up to the power level you require. You can also use the 'boost' feature in order to increase the heat of a single area. Ceramic hobs are able to hold heat well, so even after they have been turned off, they will still be hot to the touch. It's important to install ceramic hobs in a location that is far from items that could ignite and out of reach of children. This type of hob can be mounted on a variety of worktops, including laminate, solid hardwood and granite. It's also fairly inexpensive and can be an excellent option for those looking to replace your old stoves without spending a lot. However, like all appliances they must be properly installed and connected to the mains, so we suggest hiring an electrician who is experienced to ensure that your new hobs are safe for use. This type of hob is sensitive to the pan's size and shape. It is necessary to purchase cookware that's either the exact size as the element or that will fit comfortably inside each heating zone on the hob. If the cookware doesn't fit the element, it will not recognize it and won't begin to heat up the bottom of the pan. This can lead to uneven cooking results and will make the hob less efficient. Gas on glass hobs Glass hobs made of gas have a sleek and modern look. Although they may cost more than electric ones and require professional installation, they often require less time to heat up. It's not uncommon for a full pan of water to boil within four minutes or less. This type of hob also is a great choice for cooks who need to limit the amount of heat is generated. However, it must be observed that a glass-based hob can be more vulnerable to damage than stainless steel ones and will require cleaning more often, since the build-up of grease and residue tends to remain instead of slipping off. This Bertazzoni hob is an excellent example of gas on glass. It has four monobloc burners that are matte black with metal control knobs to create a sleek, elegant finish. It also has an oblong wok ring with 4kW for added versatility, plus dishwasher-proof pan supports that are easier to keep clean. Another highly recommended model is this Bosch gas hob, which combines an attractive slab of toughened glass with advanced cooking technology. The dual ring design to the left side of the gas hob has two burners inside to increase the distribution of heat and speed up cooking. It also comes with an easy-to-read power indicator that allows you to regulate the precise temperature of the flame. You can choose from nine pre-set settings, like the highest setting for sear steaks, and a low one for scrambled egg. Its simple yet intuitive controls were liked by our testers who found them be very simple to use. Some minor drawbacks are that you need to press the controls a further nine times before reaching the maximum temperature and the glass can make it difficult to discern what the burners are doing. Some of the top gas-on-glass hobs can be found at affordable prices like this Neff model. While it's not going to be a winner of any design awards but it can do the job well and can be an ideal addition to your kitchen at just 120 dollars. Electric hob s There are a number of electric hobs that are ideal for modern households. Not only do they offer an elegant design that fits in with the rest of your kitchen and are also equipped with advanced functionality that is safer, faster and more efficient in energy use than their predecessors. One of the most popular electric hobs is the ceramic glass hob. They are designed with a sleek glazed finish, and have a surface that is easy to clean and resistant to scratches. They're also typically equipped with a power boost feature, which allows you to increase the temperature of your stove for a brief period of time. Induction hobs are another electric hob perfect for modern homes. Induction hobs heat your cookware directly by using electromagnetic fields, unlike traditional electric plates and gas stoves. This means they are more energy efficient and offer precise temperature control. However they require a certain kind of pan to work and can be expensive to set up. A gas-on-glass hob is another option that's an excellent choice for modern homes. It is equipped with a burner under the glass, which is flat, similar to a standard gas stove. However the glass is heat-resistant and shatterproof, which means it's much simpler to clean than glass that is tempered. Many of these hobs have a “hot surface indicator” which alerts you to the temperature. Gas hobs remain a popular option for many home cooks however they can be noisy and difficult to clean. The flame can also be difficult to control and take an extended time to heat up and cool off. On the other hand electric hobs are energy-efficient and simpler to clean. To achieve the highest level of modern efficiency You can also find electric stoves that are compatible with LPG gas. This lets you switch between different fuel sources, meaning you'll have the flexibility to suit your lifestyle. It is important to note, however, that these hobs require installation by a registered gas safe engineer and require an appropriate cable of 6mm for your kitchen. They're not suitable for those with pacemakers as the electromagnetic field could cause interference with them. Hobs with induction Under the glass surface of induction hobs are copper coils that generate an alternating electrical current. When an induction-compatible pan is placed on the hob, the coils generate magnetic fields which heat the pan directly instead of heating a surface of the worktop or heated plate. This makes induction hobs very efficient from a energy perspective because there's no leftover heat being wasted. There are many different models of an induction hob that range from basic ones that have one cooking zone that is marked by rings to more advanced multi-zoned hobs that can have up to six zones, allowing the cooking of multiple pots simultaneously on one flexible zone. Some of these models come with a touch slider control that resembles to how you operate an iPhone. Simply swipe your finger across the power bar at the middle to select the desired level of heat, left to right increases the heat and right-to-left decreases it. Some models even have pre-programmed settings for specific recipes or food types that can help you save time and effort in the kitchen. Induction hobs can be more expensive than ceramic hobs, however they are considered to be more efficient over the long term as they heat up much faster and use a smaller space for heating up which can help reduce your energy bills. They also cool quicker and feature a safer design without hot plates, making them perfect for families with children or elderly people who live in the house. However, they create a magnetic field which could interfere with some medical devices such as pacemakers therefore it is essential to center your pans over the burner and avoid placing small pans on large burners. As with all electric hobs, you'll need to keep your electric hob clean as food and debris can build up over time. You can employ a standard oven cleaner or purchase a specialist one to keep your oven in good shape and shiny for a longer time. Make sure you don't use the abrasive cleaning pads or scouring pads on your induction cooker as they could scratch the surface.