Most home chefs prefer gas hobs as they offer instant heat and instant control of the cooking temperature. Electric hobs can be a pain, as you have to wait for them to heat up, and then wait for them to cool down again as your pan boils over.
Gas hobs may be falling out of favour among manufacturers, but they’re still popular among consumers. If you’re looking for a high-quality and reliable gas hob, we’ve researched the market and picked out some of the best options available in the UK.
Read on to see our recommendations plus more info about how to choose a gas hob.
Best Gas Hobs in the UK
1. Neff N70 T27DS59N0 Gas Hob
Width: 75 cm
Burners: 5
If you’re looking for a five-burner hob with a wok burner, the Neff T27DS59N0 could be a good choice.
The wok burner is great for quickly heating all kinds of large pan including not just woks but also Le Creuset casserole dishes and similar dishes from other brands.
This hob uses automatic ignition and features tough cast-iron pan supports. This hob is 75 cm wide, so you’ll need more space than with a regular hob.
If you want a five-burner gas hob with plenty of cooking space and enough burners for complex dishes, the Neff T27DS59N0 is a good choice.
2. Zanussi ZGNN645K Gas Hob
Width: 60 cm
Burners: 4
This smart black gas hob from Zanussi has four individual burners giving you plenty of room to cook even the most awkward Sunday roast.
If you like very heavy pots and pans, this gas hob has cast iron pan supports to handle even the weightiest pots.
The rotary dials are easy to use meaning you’re never fumbling with the controls at that crucial moment.
Once you’ve finished cooking and the hob has cooled right down, you can keep the hob looking at its very best with just a quick wipe over.
Overall, this hob performs well and is reasonably priced. Users find that this is a great quality hob that proves to be good value for money and offers more than enough space to cook the average meal.
If you do use your wok or a large pan frequently, this hob even has a handy large offset area that is ideal for cooking these meals.
3. Bosch Serie 2 PBP6B5B60 Gas Hob
Width: 58 cm
Burners: 4
The Bosch PBP6B5B60 is a straightforward and reliable mid-priced gas hob with four burners and cast-iron supports.
It uses manual ignition (a match or lighter), and has a flame failure safety device to switch the gas off automatically if the flame isn’t lit.
The controls on this hob are at the side, which makes it safer if you have kids.
This hob is well made and offers good value for money. It’s sturdy and has good safety features. However, it can be a bit hard to clean, and it needs to be ignited manually as it doesn’t have an automatic ignition feature.
4. electriQ IQGH75S 75cm 5 Burner Gas Hob
Width: 75 cm
Burners: 5
This 75 cm gas hob from electriQ has five handy burners and a sleek stainless-steel finish. The hob has more than enough space in between the burners for you to use a wide range of cookware.
Each burner has a failure safety device that will automatically cut off the gas should the flame go out, and the hob as a whole is incredibly easy to wipe clean once it has cooled down too.
For stability whilst you cook, the hob has cast iron pan supports to keep everything steady, and they lift away easily for cleaning too.
One downside is that setting a low burn for a simmer can be tricky.
Overall, this affordable electriQ gas hob is the ideal choice for larger households or those who simply enjoy cooking. The burners are well spaced out making it easy to use large pans and a wok all at the same time.
This five-burner hob proves to be great value for money and it has a sleek, attractive appearance. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that the hob needs a deeper cut out than some others do.
5. electriQ IQGH604B 60cm Gas on Glass 4 Burner Gas Hob
Width: 60 cm
Burners: 4
This black glass gas hob from electriQ has a sleek, modern finish that would look right at home in your kitchen.
The burners are well spaced out giving you plenty of room to manoeuvre whilst you cook, and the cast iron supports keep everything steady.
The glass surface is easy to clean, and the durable cast iron supports can be easily removed if you need to carry out a deeper clean.
In addition, this hob also benefits from auto-ignition and an unbranded design that will look great in any kitchen setting.
Overall, this four-burner gas hob from electriQ is the ideal choice for families who want something that looks great and performs well but don’t want to spend too much money.
The hob proves itself to be easy to use and easy to clean, however the height of the pan supports does mean it can take longer to heat up.
6. Zanussi ZGH66424XX Gas Hob
Width: 60 cm
Burners: 4
This sleek gas hob from Zanussi has four burners, one of which is perfect for woks or large frying pans.
Not only is the wok burner larger, but it can help rapidly heat pots and pans for faster cooking too. In fact, the wok burner can halve cooking times.
The Zanussi hob has large, sturdy pan supports suitable for all manner of cookware, and this hob offers great temperature control too.
For safety, this hob has an auto shut-off feature, and it can be run using a 13A plug from any regular socket.
Overall, this four-burner gas hob from Zanussi is an affordable choice that is easy to use and looks good.
The wok burner is a nice touch, and the fact you can comfortably use two large pans at once makes it great for families or complicated meals.
However, some people do find that the design of the burners and their pan supports means that it is tricky to keep clean, and the stainless-steel finish shows dirt easily.
7. Samsung NA64H3110AS 60cm Gas Hob
Width: 60 cm
Burners: 4
This regular-sized 4-burner gas hob from Samsung offers the reliable performance and ease of use most people are looking for in a gas hob.
It has a stylish stainless-steel design and uses automatic ignition to light the hob without the need of a match or lighter.
The pan supports are coated in enamel, which makes them easy to clean and means you can put them in the dishwasher.
This hob looks very stylish, is easy to clean and has automatically turns the gas off if you switch it on without igniting the hob.
There’s a good selection of burner sizes, including a small burner suitable for a moka pot. However, it might have been nice to have a small burner at the back for safely keeping large pans warm, as the two large burners at the back are a bit too hot for simmering.
All in all, this is a great hob that will meet most people’s needs perfectly.
What to Consider When Buying a Gas Hob
There are lots of factors to consider when buying a gas hob. Here are some of the main things to think about.
Price
The price of a gas hob can range from under £100 to over £1,000, but the most popular products on the market in 2o2o cost between £100 and £200. Spending more usually means you get a product with better quality from a more reliable brand.
Number and arrangement of burner zones
The vast majority of gas hobs for home use have four burner zones, so you can use a maximum of five pans at once. The burners have different sizes, so you can arrange your pans depending on how much power each one needs.
It’s a good idea to think about your cooking habits and take a close look at how the burners are laid out before buying a hob. Will you have enough space to arrange your pans they way you like to use them?
Kitchen layout
Most four-burner gas hobs measure about 60 cm wide, 50 cm deep and 5 cm high. Hobs with five burners will be wider, usually around 70-80 cm wide. If you need to fit the hob into a narrow space, make sure you’re not buying one that is too wide.
Hobs also need to be at least 75 cm from the cooker hood.
Ease of cleaning
Gas hobs are a bit harder to clean than flat ceramic hobs that can be simply wiped clean. On a gas hob, you have to remove the cast iron pan supports and clean them in the sink or put them in the dishwasher.
Sometimes the cast iron has a ceramic coating, which makes them easier to clean as the surface is smooth and can be wiped with a cloth. If the cast iron doesn’t have this coating, it will have a rough surface that is harder to clean and accumulates grease more easily.
Gas Hob FAQs
Unless you’re an expert on the topic, it’s likely that lots of questions will come up when you’re researching gas hobs. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions with their answers.
Are gas hobs a standard size?
Gas hobs usually have the same depth and height, but there’s no standard size for the width. The depth is usually 50 cm and the height is usually 5 cm, but the width can vary from between roughly 60 cm to 90 cm.
Since the width is what varies, the most important thing to measure is the width of the space you have to fit a gas hob.
Bear in mind that five-burner hobs that feature a central wok burner are wider than regular four-burner hobs.
Are gas hobs being phased out?
Gas hobs seem a bit old-school compared to fancy electric ceramic hobs, but are they being phased out? Yes, as the UK government’s Committee on Climate Change has recommended that no gas hobs are installed in new homes from 2025. This is just a recommendation, and as far as we’re aware this hasn’t become law yet.
There’s no indication that you will be prevented from replacing an existing gas hob with a new one.
Are gas hobs environmentally friendly?
Gas is a fossil fuel, so it’s not very environmentally friendly. It’s cleaner than coal, but still contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Electric hobs, in particular induction hobs, are better for the planet provided your energy supplier is relatively green.
Are gas hobs safe?
Gas hobs can be dangerous when they are faulty or haven’t been installed properly. They can also be dangerous if you accidentally leave the hob turned on without being lit, as this will release carbon dioxide into the house.
Some gas hobs now have safety features that automatically turn the gas off if they are left on without the ignition being lit. Many also have a special mechanism for turning the gas on that prevents children from switching it on.
Gas hobs don’t have to be dangerous, but they usually require you to be a bit more careful than with electric hobs.
Can a gas hob go in the dishwasher?
A gas hob’s racks and burner rings can usually be detached easily and put in the dishwasher. Dishwasher salt can rust cast iron, so bear this in mind.
Do gas hobs need electricity?
If your gas hob uses automatic ignition, it needs to be connected to an electrical power supply in order to light the ignition. However, most can be lit with a match in the event of a power cut, so an electrical power supply isn’t essential.
What is a gas on glass hob?
A gas on glass hob is a gas hob that is mounted on a smooth ceramic glass surface. This makes it easier to clean and also looks more elegant and modern.
What is automatic ignition on a gas hob?
Automatic ignition is a mechanism that lights the gas hob using an electrical spark. This means you don’t need to light it manually using a match or lighter. However, it means that the hob needs to be connected to the electricity supply.
Gas Hobs vs. Electric Hobs
Gas hobs used to rule supreme, but electric hobs are becoming more and more popular each year.
Gas hob advantages
Some of the advantages that gas hobs offer over electric hobs are:
- Offer instant control of heat
- Pans are less likely to boil over
- Can be used in event of a power cut (as long as they don’t require on automatic ignition)
- Easy to tell if they are hot or not. With electric hobs, you can accidentally burn yourself while the hob is cooling down after use.
Electric hob advantages
There are a few ways in which electric hobs are better:
- Usually easier to clean
- More environmentally friendly
- Usually have better safety features (important if you have kids)
Most people seem to find gas hobs easier to use than electric hobs, though it partly comes down to what you are used to—if you get used to an electric hob, you might end up preferring it.
Conclusion
If we had to recommend just one gas hob, it would be the Neff N70 T27DS59N0. It’s a five-burner hob with a wok burner, offering plenty of cooking space for complex dishes.
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