Gone are the days of gas burners which needed to be ignited with a gas lighter or matchstick. Nowadays, there are hobs that ignite with the turn of a knob. Based on size, functionality, style and price, there are different kinds of hobs available in the market. The two major types of hobs are gas and electric hobs.
As the name suggests, the electric hobs use electricity for ignition. Radiant spiral, solid plate, halogen hob and induction hob are the four types of electric hobs found in the market. These provide a gradual heat build up before the cooling down.
The basic electrical hobs had sheathed electrical coils that were wound onto a radiant spiral element to generate heat. This has been replaced by the solid hotplate or sealed plate that is made from cast iron with a concealed electrical element. These are highly cost effective as they conduct all the heat evenly into the pan. The highly efficient ones come with red dots to provide more power.
The ceramic hobs are often heated by a halogen lamp placed under the glass that transmits heat upwards. A completely new type is the Induction hob. A high frequency induction coil heats up the special magnetic cookware by producing an alternating magnetic field which flows through the vessel. This is a high speed, energy saving and safe method of cooking food.
Before you make the purchase, there are a few things that you need to consider. Firstly, determine the number of cooking zones you need. Normally there are four hobs, one simmer, another large and two medium. Nowadays some cooking tops come with a choice of 1 to 5 zones. Different hobs have a different heating speed which calls for a different kind of cookware.
The surface could be stainless steel, enamel, tempered and bevelled glass or ceramic. Electric hobs largely come with a ceramic or glass surface that are elegant looking and are easy to clean as well. Select ones that match your kitchen décor.
Other features to look out for are the heat indicator, child safety lock, control knobs and efficiency, besides style and colour. The heat indicator indicates that the surface of the hob is hot. There are residual heat indicator lights with a digital display indicating the varying temperatures in cooking zones. Touch controls are often laced under the glass on electric hobs with a ceramic surface and can be activated by the touch of a finger.
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