HObs Buyers Guide

Completing Your Kitchen

Your cooking range in your kitchen is not complete without the hobs. Like most other kitchen equipments hobs have also come a long way. These days there are a wide range of hobs you can easily choose from. There are several manufacturers who provide good hobs and thereby present before you enough and more variety. However, there are various factors that need to be considered prior to the purchase of the hobs for your kitchen.

Dimensions of the unit

A conventional hobs set will consist of four burners. However, these days you can also come across certain models that consist of five burners or even more. The width of the hobs is generally found to be 60 centimeters. Hobs that have the width of 70 centimeters can also be found. These sets can be placed in the area that is used for a unit that is 60 centimeters wide. This can be done by making the work surface overlap.

While considering the dimensions of the burners, you will notice, that most models, irrespective of whether it is a gas unit or an electric unit, have a big burner, two medium sized burners and a simmer. These days you will also find hobs that consist of burners that are tailor-made for the use of woks or fish kettles. Make your pick based on your requirements.

You must bear in mind that the gap into which the hobs will be placed must have dimensions that are lesser than the dimension of the hobs. The hob will overlap and rise erect above the work area.

Appropriateness

When you decide on buying hobs for your kitchen you must judge the suitability of the appliance in your kitchen. There are various types of hobs available and you need understand which type your kitchen needs. Hobs that suit your neighbor's kitchen need not suit the requirements of your kitchen. The material of your utensils and cookware should essentially be appropriate for the hobs you select. Failing this, you may end up not only ruining the cookware but also the hobs in your kitchen.

Types of hobs

As already mentioned, there are various types of hobs that you can select from. Your requirements, convenience and budget will help you to decide on the hob you should purchase. Let us take a look at the different types of hobs available.

Gas hobs are considerably cheaper and since their heat can be seen it can be controlled and adjusted easily. The ignition system also varies from model to model. There are a few that ignite with the help of battery while there are many others that ignite with the power from the mains. The modern automatic version ignites as soon as the knob is turned on. Yet others ignite when the ignition button is pressed. Modern improvements have brought about models that stop the gas supply if the flame blows out.

The electric version of hobs consists of electric sealed plates. The look and appeal of the hobs due to the presence of these electric sealed plates are essential conventional. The heat is evenly distributed beneath the surface of the cookware placed over the hobs and thereby enables even cooking. These models are more expensive than the gas variations. However, you need to remember that these models conduct the entire heat in the cookware and hence make cooking more efficient. This results in making this model cost effective in the long run. Almost all types of cookware with flat bottoms can be used over these hobs. It is said to be best for the use of cast iron utensils.

The ceramic version has the heating system concealed below the glass surface. These often come with timers, sensors, switches, touch controls and similar modern features. They even have provisions that let you understand when the unit is cool. This model is said to be the most effective one but at the same time the most expensive one.

Key Features

Key Features   Color   Number of Cooking Elements   Element Type		With over 800 Hobs on the market, key features such as Color, Number of Cooking Elements & Element Type are important factors when buying. These features not only effect the performane and quality of the Hob you choose, but also the price. Shown below are price guides for a selection of Hobs focusing on the key features: Color, Number of Cooking Elements & Element Type.

Color White ? Metallic £149.00 Grey ? Beige £200.00 Beige £352.00 Black £525.00 * Metallic £422.00

Number of Cooking Elements 2 £308.00 3 £388.00 5 £457.00 7 £1,195.00 * 4 £387.00

Element Type Solid £132.00 Burner £302.00 Smooth Top £571.00 * Burner £302.00

* Taking into account all current Hobs on the market the most desirable would be a Hob with Metallic Color, 4 Number of Cooking Elements and Burner Element Type.

Price Guide

Min    £29.97 Avg    £398.46 Max    £3,019.00		HObs cost anywhere from £29.97 for a basic Hob with few features to around £3,019.00 for a fully featured Hob.

Brand Guide

Popular Brands     NEFF     SIEMENS     Baumatic     Smeg     AEG     BOSCH		The most popular Hobs brand is NEFF. The most expensive Hobs brand is Küppersbusch. If you're looking for a bargain then look out for Russell branded Hobs as generally they offer the cheapest Hobs.