Types of Hob and Oven
Hobs and ovens are a common feature in most kitchens. They are available in a variety of styles. You can mix different types of ovens, such as electric and gas to meet your needs.
Safety features such as child and position controls could be integrated into the hob. These can prevent children from touching the hob, and stop them changing the heat settings by accident.
Types
In the heart of every kitchen, the stove is at the center of the room and plays a significant role in the way your food comes out. There are many kinds of hobs, and the one you choose depends on your cooking needs.
Gas hobs are a classic option and provide a quick heat-up function and instant reaction to temperature fluctuations. Professional chefs prefer them since they provide precise control. However, they're not as easy to clean as other hobs, and they may require more maintenance.
Electric hobs are a flat ceramic surface that has heated elements underneath and can be found in different sizes that have between four and six cooking zones. Each zone is equipped with its own heating element which can be controlled separately by you. You can boil potatoes on one ring and cook sausages on a different. This type of hob is able to be quicker to heat than gas and offers a child-safe alternative as the cooking zone only heats up when you place a pan on it.
Traditional ceramic hobs are a convenient alternative to electric and gas and are also a very elegant choice. They have an extremely smooth and durable surface that is easy to clean. However, they are not as fast to respond to temperature changes or cool down as other hobs.
The Domino hob is a space-saving option to gas and electric hobs. It incorporates ovens under the cooking surface. They can be installed in smaller kitchens that have small installation space and work well in kitchenettes and apartments. They tend to be more affordable than standard hobs, and can be energy efficient, but they are also prone to breaking and require more frequent maintenance.
Gas
A gas hob is a cooking surface with burners that can be incorporated in kitchen countertops to create a seamless look. Gas hobs are typically powered by LPG or natural gas, but they can also be powered with propane gas. The sleek, modern design could bring sophistication to your kitchen space.
A traditional gas stove is fitted with a number of burners. The majority of them are four, but there can be as many as six. hob and oven are ignited using an igniter or by turning a knob. The flames are then controlled by a series of valves that can be adjusted to set the temperature.
Modern built-in gas stoves however are equipped with burners that have multiple flames. This lets you control both the outer and inner rings of each burner so that you can precisely control the cooking. These types of burners provide faster heat up times and are more reliable than old-fashioned ones.
Traditionally, it was necessary to keep a gas stove on constantly to ensure that the burners are constantly fueled and hot. This was a safety feature to prevent any accidents like having the oven turned on while the stove was still lit by match or the pilot flame. Modern cookers are designed with safety in mind and come with a built-in fire failure device that shuts off burners automatically should the pilot light fail.
Gas stoves and hobs need to be inspected, cleaned and maintained on a regular basis. The best way to ensure this is to arrange an appointment for maintenance with a licensed Gas Safe registered engineer. They will not only be able check your appliance is working correctly and safely, but they will offer expert advice and guidance on how to avoid issues in the future.
Electric
When it comes to designing your dream kitchen, the countertops, fridge freezer and ovens will always get the most attention but a good hob is also essential. Whichever type you choose, conventional, induction or gas cooker the kind of hob you pick can affect how your kitchen operates and how easy it is to clean.
Electric hobs are equipped with heating elements that are placed on a smooth glass surface. This is usually cleaned using a nonabrasive cleaner. These elements are activated when you turn on the oven and can be adjusted to different power levels by turning a knob. They can take some time to get heated up, but once they have they tend to provide better and more consistent temperature control. They are equipped with indicators that inform you whether a space is hot or not.
Typically, they come in a range of four to six sizes that can be notched up to various power levels. They are ideal for flat-based cookware, but not for cast iron pans because they could overheat. Certain models come with dual-ring designs (such as the Belling BEL CH602T) that allow you to boil water on one ring while you saute sausages on another. Some models even have a 'boost' function which concentrates high-powered heat onto a single ring for stir fry cooking sauteing meats, searing or boiling large pots of water.
Induction hobs differ from standard electric models because they use electromagnetic fields instead of traditional gas flames to cook your food. This enables them to achieve precise temperatures in a smaller period of time, making them extremely energy efficient. They have a cool-to the touch surface as well as flashing indicators that indicate whether a ring was used or is still hot.
Ceramic
Ceramic is an ingredient that can be made into functional or decorative objects. It is made by mixing clay with earthen elements, powders, and water, before firing it in a hot oven known as Kiln. Once it's been made it can be decorated or covered with decorative materials to add texture and color.
Ceramic hobs are an exquisite blend of form and function and can be found in any modern kitchen. Radiant heating technology is employed to heat the ceramic hobs by passing an electrical current through coiled components which are hidden beneath the black glass surface. When activated, they generate heat, which is then transferred to your pan via an infrared heating system. You can adjust the strength of this heating by controlling the controls using a knobs or a touch.
Some ceramic hobs have dual rings, which have the smaller and the larger cooking area. This allows you to choose the appropriate size for your pan. There are hobs equipped with booster burners that generate high-powered heat rapidly, great for searing meat or bringing pots of water to a boil quickly.
In comparison to other types of cooktops, ceramic cooktops generally take longer to heat up and change temperature, but once they do they're generally more energy-efficient. You can also opt for vented hobs, which integrate ventilation systems with the cooktop made of ceramic. This ensures that steam, smoke, and cooking smells don't remain in your home.
Induction
Induction hobs have heating elements made up of copper wire coils. The coils create electromagnets that make the pans hot on top of them. The coils stir up the free electrons in the base metal of your pan, which in turn, distributes heat evenly to your food. The surface of the hob is never hot, and the cooking zones are automatically shut off as soon as your pan is removed.
Induction hobs are generally more expensive, however they also heat up faster and use 30 to 70% less energy than gas or other kinds. Induction hobs are also easier to clean because only the contents of the pan are heated, not the surface.
Certain manufacturers offer an induction model that has additional features such as a pause function that cuts off power to your hob when you step away from it, or link up two cooking rings at the same power level for added flexibility. They are commonly referred to as FlexInduction hobs. They are more expensive than traditional induction models, but they're worth a look if you are a multi-tasker.
This induction hob is our favorite. It has four large cooking zones as well as a Bridge function and nine power settings, offering you plenty of options for cooks who want to be more adventurous. It was a great performer in our tests with fast heating and accurate control when making pancakes. The cooker comes with dishwasher built-in and automatic pan detection, which makes cleaning much easier. hobs and ovens is that there are only a few compatible pans and you can't use it to cook using the utensils that have magnetic bases. This can be a challenge in the event that you have a large amount of non-compatible cookware or only some of it is suitable for induction cooktops.