Hob Types Explained – Guide to the Different Types of Hob

If you’re in the market for a new hob, it’s a great idea to know some info about each hob type. That way, you can choose the perfect hob for your kitchen and your cooking style.

Now, sadly, we can’t help you choose the perfect hob for you, as all of us enjoy cooking on different hobs.

What we can do, though, is offer this guide to hobs so that you can find out about the hobs readily available in the UK, how they work, and what’s different about them.

Hopefully, with this info, you can choose the best hob for your kitchen and your needs.

So, let’s get straight to it and look at all the different types of hob.

 

Hob Types Explained

There are five hob types readily available in the UK, most of them you have likely seen and cooked with throughout your life.

Here, though, you’ll see a breakdown of each hob and the differences and similarities between them.

1. Ceramic

A ceramic hob has a smooth top that is really easy to clean. They are also nice and simple to use, and they heat up pretty quickly.

Compared with other hobs, though, the heat distribution around the bottom of the pan isn’t as good.

 

2. Induction

 

Induction hobs have a ceramic top, so they are just as easy to clean as a ceramic hob. It’s the guts of an induction hob that is different.

These hobs create a magnetic field between the element and the pan. This is what generates the heat, and all of the heat is in the pan, not the surface of the hob.

This means that induction hobs heat up quicker than most other hobs and are also more energy efficient because the energy is focused on the pan.

The downside to induction hobs is that some pots and pans don’t work on them, but induction hob safe pans are not that expensive.

 

3. Solid-plate electric

This type of hob is generally considered an older style of hob now, but they are still available, but they are harder to find nowadays.

With these hobs, you typically have four hob rings, and they all act like a hot plate. So, there is an electric coil inside that heats up, and this heat is then distributed to the metal hob ring and finally the pan.

This does mean that these hobs are not the most energy-efficient, but they are often cheaper than most other hobs.

 

4. Gas

Gas hobs are so easy to control and provide instant heat, so cooking on them is very fast. They also distribute the heat extremely well.

Gas hobs typically have four burners, but some range cookers can have six and even more too.

Gas hobs have been popular with professional chefs for decades, and they offer a lot of style to a home kitchen too.

However, induction hobs are gaining traction and catching up with gas hobs in professional kitchens. This is largely because they distribute heat just as well but are much easier to clean.

 

5. Gas on glass

Gas on glass hobs work in exactly the same way as regular gas hobs. They have the same burners, same ignition process, and everything. The only difference is that the burners are mounted on a ceramic top.

This simply means that the hob is easier to clean, and the glass top offers some lovely style points too.

 

Which Hob Type Should I Buy?

If you want the most stylish hob, an induction hob would be your best bet. If you want the hob to be practical and easy to clean, again, induction wins that battle too.

If you’d prefer a slightly more traditional style, a gas hob will provide you with great style points and heat distribution that is very comparable to induction.

If you would like to save a bit of money, a ceramic hob can offer good style points but takes a bit longer to heat up.

And if you want to save a lot of money and aren’t too concerned with style, an electric solid plate hob is the choice for you.

 

Conclusion

We hope this look at hob types and the differences has been helpful. As we said, we can’t tell you which hob type is perfect for your kitchen, but hopefully, the info above has helped you choose the best hob for your kitchen and your cooking needs.

We love induction hobs here. They are the perfect mix of cooking control, style and energy efficiency, but the decision is yours!

Make sure to check out our hob articles while you are here. We have the best hobs available in the UK right now so you can choose the best type of hob for you and the best hob in that class too.