Gas, electric, induction, ceramic... what's the difference between them and how does each affect cooking performance and fuel efficiency? Size and space is important when choosing a hob. With such frequent use, you'll need to consider the most suitable place to fit it - not necessarily above the oven.
Our Hob buying guide will help you choose the right one for you.

Fuel Types

  • Gas - Gas hobs provide fast and responsive heat immediately, along with visible heat. They allow you to control the flame size and therefore the heat intensity. Gas hobs need to be installed by a registered Gas Safe Installers.

  • Electric - Electric hobs can be slower to heat up compared to gas hobs and it is more difficult to tell whether it is on or not, however they allow heat to be equally spread over the heating element.

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Size

Hobs with 4 burners are usually 60cm wide, or with 5 burners they are usually 70cm wide. We do have hobs in larger sizes available.

Oven Configuration

There are several ways ovens and cookers are organised:
  • Single oven with integrated grill - Medium/Large oven with a grill integrated within the cavity
  • Single oven with separate grill - Medium/Large oven with a grill situated in a separate cavity to allow for simultaneous roasting and grilling
  • Double oven - One medium/large cavity and a small/medium cavity, that has a grill integrated within to allow for flexibility when cooking larger meals.
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Type

  • Electric Solid Plate - Electric solid plate hobs are a low priced option for a long lasting and wearing product. They distribute heat across the base of the entire saucepan

  • Electric Ceramic - Electric ceramic hobs are a stylish and easy clean version of the solid plate hobs. They are more efficient than gas hobs with heat being transferred equally to the pans. However, they take longer to heat up but sometimes feature indicators to let you know when the hob is safe to touch.

  • Electric Induction - Induction hobs create magnetic fields between the element and the pan, meaning the pan heats up instead of the cooking surface making the hob safe to touch immediately after using. They also have a quick warming up speed and are economical with regards to only using energy required.

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Energy Rating

Under EU legislation, every new hob must have an energy label showing its energy rating. All of our hobs are rated in line with the regulations, ranging from C (low efficiency) to A+++ (high efficiency).
You can work out an appliance's annual running costs by multiplying kWh used by 0.1427 (the average national cost of electricity + VAT), however this figure may vary according to how much you pay for your local electricity supply.

For further help and advice, don't hesitate to contact us.
View our full range of hobs here.