What Is a Hob Separator Plate?

When buying an induction hob, or any hob, for that matter, there can be a few items that cause headaches for even the most seasoned amateur kitchen designer.

One of these items is a hob separator plate. What is it, why do you need this plate and can you live without a hob separator plate?

Well, let’s take a quick at what hob separator plates are first, and then discuss the potential issues if you don’t install one, shall we?

 

What Is a Hob Separator Plate?

A hob separator plate does precisely what it says. Let’s say that your hob is going to be installed over a drawer or a cupboard. The top of this unit will be exposed so that the hob can be fitted.

However, after installation, the hob’s guts (for want of a better word) would be left exposed if it wasn’t for a hob separator plate.

You see, all a hob separator plate is for is to separator your hob from whatever is underneath it. The idea is that the plate will protect the underside of your hob from being damaged from anything inside the drawer or cupboard.

 

Is a hob separator plate essential?

A lot of people think that hob separator plates are only needed if there could be any issues with heat or in an induction hob’s case, magnetism. With an induction hob, many worry that metal drawer slides underneath the hob could cause magnetism issues as the hob works with magnetism.

However, this isn’t the case – it’s fine to install an induction hob over a drawer. I’m not saying that you could store a great big magnet underneath an induction hob without any issues. However, for the typical stuff you’d find in a kitchen drawer, you shouldn’t have any issues.

The same is true for shielding the drawer or cupboard from the heat of the hob. All hobs should have built-in heat protection. Plus, heat rises, so the cupboard or draw probably wouldn’t get too hot anyway.

So, is a hob separator plate needed? Well, yes. You see, while a hob separator plate isn’t solving a magnetism or heat issue, it is still required.

Underneath a hob, you’re likely to find wires and very sharp corners and things. So, a hob separator plate is designed to block these parts from damage.

The sharp edges of the hob could really damage you and any cooking equipment in a drawer or cupboard. The wires could be damaged by items in the drawers.

 

What happens if you don’t install a hob separator plate?

Honestly? Probably nothing! However, hob separator plates cost very little and could save you a massive headache.

Let’s say that you don’t install a hob separator plate, and then put a big saucepan in the cupboard below your hob and pull the wires out of the hob as you do. That is expensive to fix.

Also, let’s say you don’t have a hob separator plate install and reach into the drawer in a rush, taking a little less care than usual and catch your hand on some very sharp metal on the underside of the hob. For the small price of a hob separator plate and a few minutes of installation, you’ll wish you had taken the time!

 

Conclusion

Hob separators don’t help with any magnetism or heat issues—all of that stuff is already built into the hob itself (if it’s a good-quality hob, anyway). Hob separator plates are designed so that a hob can be installed above a cupboard or a drawer. They are to protect the underside of the hob and you from the components on the underside of a hob.

We hope this look at hob separator plates has been helpful. For more info on hobs and items like hob separator plates, please explore our website further. We have articles about everything hob-related on here. Check out our guide to the best induction hobs if you still haven’t picked out a hob for your kitchen.