10 Best Kitchen Hobs (Expert Reviews and Buying Guide)

Hobs are one of the most important accessories in your kitchen. It is that element that puts cooked food on your table. Hobs are improvised versions of traditional stoves. Like the stoves, these are also available with a lot of variations and compared to the traditional steel stoves these are a tad bit heavy on the pocket. With the variety available in the market and the consumer’s eye for aesthetic appeal in the kitchen, one is bound to be confused while choosing the perfect hob top for your kitchen. Fret not! Here is our 7-point buying guide highlighting the essential features to consider while looking for a hob top, followed by a list of a pick of 10 best kitchen hobs to make your choice easier.

Buying Guide:

1. Size of the hob
The size of the hob matters to a great extent in your selection of the model as per the space availability in the kitchen. There are varied sizes of hobs but the most common size available is 60 x 60 cm.

The size of the hob may further determine the type and size of the chimney that you will be going in for in the future.

2. Burners
The required number of burners in a hob top is determined by the requirement and type of usage of the consumer. The number of burners in a hob range from 2 to 5, with a variation in their powers.

Another criterion to consider when it comes to burners is to check if they have a triple or double ring, this determines the type of flame that the burner gives.

The most common material that the burners are constructed in is brass.

Tip: Try to identify models that come with an additional drip tray with the burner. This helps in cleaning the area easily helping in better maintenance of the hob top.

3. Ignition type
Both auto ignition and manual ignition are available in the market. The auto-ignition function in stoves is operated through a spark plug powered by a battery or in certain cases electricity. The type of ignition the consumer wants is a personal choice.

Consumers have started preferring auto-ignition as it is hassle-free and independent of any external source for lighting up the flame. But do test it before you rest it in your kitchen.

4. Pan support
The pan support is a very important component of the whole assembly. It is the element that supports the pans over the burner. Before taking the final call check the material (preferably coated cast iron) and the stability it provides to the vessels. These can generally be removed for better maintenance of the stove.

5. Flame failure protection
Hob top essentially works with inflammable gas and fire. Flame failure protection feature is a pertinent feature as it helps in cutting off the gas supply if the flame goes off on its own.

6. Type of installation
The hob tops can be in two ways – countertop or built-in. In the countertop format, the hob top is simply kept on the counter while in the built-in type a cut out is made in the counter and the hob is then installed in the cutout. To provide the user with the flexibility for installation type, many models are hybrid. That is they can be used both ways.

The choice of the type of installation also depends on the personal take and aesthetic vision of the user.

7. Warranty
This is an important consideration when choosing a hob top, it helps in covering a lot of issues that arise during the period of usage of the product. Read the documents about the warranty carefully before settling in for a brand or model.

Following are the 10 best kitchen hobs that we picked –