How Do I Explain Best Hob To A Five-Year-Old

How to Choose the Best Hob

There are many factors to take into consideration when selecting the best hob, from the price to energy efficiency. Choose the features that are the most important.

A basic ceramic electric hob can cost as little as PS100. However you'll have to pay more for a model that comes with numerous features. Gas hobs are also a popular choice and provide great temperature control, but they're more expensive.

1. Haier I-Flex Induction Hob

This Haier stove has four cooking zones and three 'Push&Go" functions, and can help you prepare quick meals. It was also among the most efficient tests to boil water, taking less than four minutes. It has an child lock and pause function so you can stop the process swiftly without having to mess with controls.

Its design is modern and sleek and blends well with contemporary kitchens. It is typically made of glass (which is heatproof and shatterproof) or ceramic. The controls are touch-sensitive and sit directly on the worktop.

The controls were simple to use, and we liked the display that displays the current power level and which zone is in use. The 'Boost" feature generates high-powered heat in a short time. It is perfect for stir-frying and quickly boiling pans. Safety features such as the hot hob light or automatic shut-off are also beneficial.

It's not as responsive as the other hobs we tested in this test. We found that it took nine presses of the control to attain the highest temperature as opposed to seven or six on other models. It takes longer to react when you alter the temperature of cooking, which means you may have to change settings several times before the pan is ready to cook at the proper temperature.

This 60 cm model includes four cooking zones, including a half-flex zone that two areas can be joined to accommodate larger pots and pans. It comes with dual-ring design and can operate on both 'normal and boost' power levels. It is perfect for cooking and searing meat, or bringing pans of water to the rapid boil.

It is fully integrated with the hOn App and has 100's of recipes, guides for cooking, and 30 unique programmes divided into different food categories and types of cooking. It has a multislider control panel with a 'lockable interface' that detects the type pan you are using to set the correct cooking mode. It also works with hOn cookware from third party companies and has a number of security features, including a lockable panel and boil-dry prevention.

2. Smeg I-Flex Induction Hob

Induction hobs are increasingly popular, whether renovating your kitchen or are looking for a gas-free option. Prices have dropped dramatically in the past few years. The basic four-zone models can be found for less that PS100. If you're looking for the latest induction technology, it's worth paying a bit more.

This slick-looking model from Smeg comes with the most modern induction tech to keep your cooking energy-efficient and convenient. The Auto-pot detection system recognizes pots with an overall diameter of at least 9 cm and automatically activates the appropriate zone.

Smeg's primary focus is on energy efficiency but it doesn't forget the possibility of flexibility. The hob can be adjusted to conserve energy based on the maximum temperatures that the zones can operate at. Eco-Logic advanced mode allows you to save more energy by reducing power output to as low as 2.4kW.

The user-friendly interface of this stove impressed testers, thanks to its intuitive sliding controls that follow your pan's edge the edge of it. The control panel's color-coded design makes it easy to determine the status of each zone. The "Flexi duo" function lets you to connect two zones to accommodate larger pans. There are a variety of useful functions, including four automated cooking presets: melting, boiling, slow-cooking and keeping warm.

The oven also comes with a FlameSensor which will alert you when there's a risk of a burnt-on meal or the possibility of a fire. There are many safety features such as the residual heat sensor, as well as an automatic shut-off when the surface gets too hot.

It also has an anti-corrosive CleanProtect coating to help it resist tough stains and cooking marks. This hob is easy to set up and has nine power levels, as well as the handy FlexiDuo feature for catering to large pans. There are some additional features such as lockable controls, and an emergency fuse to stop accidental button pressing.

3. Indesit I-Flex Induction Hob

Induction hobs are powered by electricity, not gas. They use copper plates to create a magnetic force when a pot or pan is placed on them. They are able to heat up faster than gas hobs and they also consume less energy because the cooking zone only gets hot when you turn on your pan. They are generally less expensive to run than gas, and they are also easier to clean.

The induction hob made by Indesit is packed with features that make it easy to get creative in the kitchen. It has two separate cooking zones that can be combined to create a Dual Zone for larger pans as well as an accelerated Booster zone to bring water to the boiling point quickly. Push&Go, for example, allows you to cook perfectly by pressing the button. The controls are simple to operate and allow you to select nine power options, including the P boost option that gives maximum power to each zone for five minutes.

The controls are easy to use, and the minimalist design is ideal for a modern kitchen. In our tests, it cooked pasta water in a snap and quickly heated up after placing an oven on the Booster zone. However it took a long time to cool off after we shut off the hob. Additionally, our testers were unable to determine the precise temperature on the control panel.

This Indesit hob also has the bridge function, which allows you to connect two cooking zones for larger pans. It comes with a child lock, an overheating block and an automatic switch-off feature that stops the hob from working if it gets too hot. The ceramic oven and hob glass is simple to clean and there are no flames visible. Our testers liked that. Ventilated hobs in contrast to traditional extractors draw steam and smoke from the pan out of the room by an air duct that is located on the surface. Our experts thought the duct of this hob was simple to clean, though it required two people to take the filter out and change it.

4. GE Induction Hob

When selecting a hob take a look at how it fits to your kitchen's design and layout, as well as your cooking style and life. For instance, if frequently cook with children or elderly people in mind, security features such as an automatic shut-off or a cool to the touch surface may make an induction hob an ideal choice. For those who are looking for speed and efficiency, a ceramic glass fascia on an electric hob is the ideal option. For those living in regions susceptible to load-shedding, the ability to use gas hobs in power outages may tip the scales in favour of a gas model.