Hobs Buying Advice
We’re here to help you!
We're here to help you buy a new hob. We've got advice and information about buying a hob for your kitchen, including gas, electric, and halogen models. We discuss the features and specifications you need to look for, as well as aesthetic and environmental considerations.A hob no longer has to be part of a cooker. With the advent of fitted kitchens a hob can be in one part of a kitchen with the oven in another – and they can run on different fuels offering the best of all worlds.
But there are still a large number to choose from. We offer you the information you need before buying.
- What is my budget?
- Size and space
- What kind of fuel?
- Surface type
- Touch control
- Number and size of burners
- Other features
- Energy consumption
What's my budget
Electric hobs cost anywhere from £90 for a basic electric built in hob to around £1,800 for a fully featured electric built in hob.
Gas Hobs cost anywhere from £90 for a basic gas built in hob with few features to around £1,100 for a fully featured model.
Size and space
Hobs come in a standard size. Most are 60cm wide and have 4 rings. Wider (70cm), 5 ring hobs are now available but there is no need to alter your kitchen work top as they are designed to fit into a standard 60cm cut-out.
This is because the dimensions given for the aperture into which a hob fits will be smaller than the hob itself. This is because of the way the hob overlaps and stands proud of the work surface.
The most popular configuration of burners (or zones on a ceramic hob), whether on a gas or electric hob, is one large, two medium and a simmer. Some hobs now have specialist burners for fish kettles or for woks.
The different Hob Types
Gas Hobs
Gas hobs are popular because of their instant visible heat and controllability. They are also considerably cheaper although they have more parts and are often harder to clean.
Most gas hobs have one large, rapid burner (around 2.8kW), two medium burners (around 1.8kW) and a smaller burner (around 1kW) for gentle simmering.
The ignition system varies; some use a battery while others ignite with power from the mains. The modern automatic version ignites as soon as the knob is turned on.
Modern improvements in safety mean the gas supply is turner off if the flame blows out and some have a glass lid that will automatically cut off the gas supply if it is closed.
Range-style hobs cookers have up to eight burners, and often special features like a large rapid burner (3.5kW to 5kW with a stand to support a wok), a griddle plate designed to sit over two burners, or an elongated burner for fish kettles. Also look out for big chunky pan supports - which provide better stability.
Electric Hobs
There are four main types of electric hobs available but it is important to bear in mind good quality pans with smooth flat bases should be used to protect the hob and get the best results.
Sealed Plate Hobs - the heat is evenly distributed beneath the surface of the cookware placed over the hobs allowing even cooking. Although more expensive than the gas variations they are cost effective in the long run because heat is conducted across the whole pan.
Radiant rings are simply coiled metal elements and are the cheapest hob option. They glow red at full temperature, and are generally slower to heat up and cool down than other hob types. They can also be quite difficult to clean.
Ceramic Hobs have halogen, radiant or semi-halogen heating elements under a heat resistant glass. Halogen is a bulb with a tungsten element and halogen gas. Semi-halogen is a halogen bulb surrounded by a radiant element.
They often have timers, sensors, switches and touch controls. They can even let you know when the hob is cool.
These models are generally viewed as the most effective and are also the most expensive.
Halogen has a faster response than radiant and has been described as electricity's answer to gas, though it cannot match gas for speed and control.
Induction heating works by heating the pan with a magnetic field, instead of heating the ceramic surface of the hob.
Its advantages include energy saving, increased speed of heating and safety. The only types of saucepans that will work with an induction hob are those that have a magnetic base.
There are however disadvantages:
- You cannot use an induction hob if you have a pacemaker fitted because it is thought to interfere with the rhythm of the pacemaker.
- Most manufacturers insist that induction hobs are not installed above a working drawer. This is to allow sufficient ventilation for the electro-magnets in the base of the hob.
- Induction hobs are also expensive starting at £500.
Gas and electric hobs will either have enamel, stainless steel or ceramic surfaces. Ceramic surfaces are available for gas hobs but are mainly used for electric hobs.
Type of Surface
Pan Supports
On gas hobs there are also various types of pan support available. These can be offered in cast iron, enamelled steel or stainless steel.
Cast iron pan supports are considered to be the most durable and are often described as 'heavy' pan supports. This type shouldn't be put into a dishwasher for cleaning as they can rust. Hobs with cast iron supports are normally slightly more expensive than models offered with enamelled supports.
Enamelled pan supports/burner caps are normally made from mild steel and then enamelled. They can normally be cleaned in a dishwasher but over a long period of time, the enamel can become brittle and chip off due to the amount of heat generated by the gas burners. The burner caps can also become dull quite quickly.
Stainless steel pan supports/burner caps will turn blue when the heat is on.
Some brands offer these on some of their hobs, but usually offer alternative black pan supports and burner caps for an extra cost.
Gas on glass
Gas hobs can be made of stainless steel, mild steel which is then enamelled, glass or a combination of metal and glass. The vast majority of coloured hobs are made of mild steel and then enamelled.
Some coloured hobs are made of glass, normally black.
Gas on glass hobs are becoming increasingly popular mainly because of their sleek looks and ease of cleaning. Made of the same material as ceramic hobs the glass is a very dark red, and is used because it is hard wearing and can cope well with extremes of temperature.
Touch control
These are used on ceramic surfaces where the controls are placed under the glass. They are activated by light pressure like placing a finger on them. They provide accurate control and are easy to wipe clean. Digital display is normally used and the display will either indicate time and/or temperature.
Number and size of burners
Standard hobs have four burners – usually one large, two medium and one smaller or simmer burner.
Larger hobs on range-style cookers can have up to eight burners, and often have special features such as a very large rapid burner with a stand to support a wok, a griddle plate designed to sit over two burners, or an elongated burner for fish kettles.
When deciding the number of burners, one thing which is often over looked is the space required above the hob to satisfy the Corgi (body of registered gas installers) regulations.
Wok burners have a specially designed support to ensure the wok stays stable and hot.
Other Features
Heat Indicators
... can be very basic like a flame on gas hobs or lights for halogen hobs.
The more advanced cookers have an additional features which contain digital displays to indicate if the cooking zones are above or below a certain temperature.
Safety
Some hobs include a mechanism which ensures that the hob cannot be switched on easily by a child.
Flame failure is a useful gas hob feature. Its sensors detect when no heat is being generated and will automatically switch off the gas flow.
Timer
Those hobs with more advanced timers allow you to program up to a certain amount of minutes.
Energy consumption
Hobs are one of the few built in kitchen appliances which do not have energy efficiency ratings. As a general rule using gas has lower climate change effects than electric. The exception is electric induction hobs, which match the energy efficiency of gas hobs.
