If the kitchen’s the heart of a home, then a hob could be considered the heart of a kitchen. From boiling al dente pasta to steaming vibrant broccoli to frying tender steaks, the hob is truly the workhorse of the kitchen.

But with new tech and brands seemingly appearing from nowhere, buying a hob can prove to be a minefield. Is ceramic old hat? Does gas really provide a better cooking experience? Are Bosch hobs worth their price tag? You’ll have several questions you’ll need answered.

In this in-depth guide to buying a kitchen hob, we’ll be tackling these questions and more. Making it far easier and stress-free to pick the right hob for you, whether you’re an avid cook in search of temperature control or busy family seeking convenience.

Types of Hobs

Gas Hobs

For decades gas hobs have been a staple in both domestic homes and professional kitchens. Whilst they are loved for the control they provide whilst cooking, they can be a hassle to keep clean. Here are the advantages and disadvantages of gas hobs:

Pros

• Instant Heat: Whilst other hobs can take a minute to get to temperature, gas hobs will heat your pan in seconds. This doesn’t just allow you to get the food on the table quicker but makes it easier to get the timing right between the various pots and pans you’ll find yourself using for more complex recipes.
• Responsive Cooking: Gas hobs provide unrivalled control whether frying, boiling, or steaming food. When you ramp up the temperature, you’ll get an immediate ‘sizzle’. Equally, when you need to lower the heat, you won’t have to take the pan away form the hob. This makes it easier to cook delicate meals. 
• Heat Distribution: Cooking is made far easier when the base of your pan maintains an equal and consistent temperature. As the flame of a gas hob spreads across the base of the pan, it should heat it evenly to ensure your pan doesn’t have any hot or cold spots that may cause food to stick.
• Running Costs: Whilst the cost of gas and electric fluctuates, gas is typically the cheaper of the two. Over time this can make your gas hob more cost-effective to run. This is particularly crucial for busy households who find themselves using their hob each day or perhaps even multiple times per day.

Cons

• Installation Costs: If you’ve got an existing gas hob in place, this won’t be a huge concern. But if you’re replacing an electric hob or are moving the location of your gas hob, then this can prove costly. This is as you’ll need a Gas Safe registered engineer to install or extend your gas line. 
• Maintenance: Unlike their electric alternatives, gas hobs should be serviced by a Gas Safe registered engineer regularly. Unless the manufacturer provides guidance, this should be done annually. This is to identify any degraded parts, which could result in a leak or may already be leaking. 
• Safety: There are two risks with gas appliances such as hobs – gas leaks and fires. Both can be avoided if you maintain your hob regularly and ensure any malfunctions are tackled quickly. It’s also crucial that your kitchen is well ventilated, particularly if using a large hob or if you have a smaller kitchen. 
• Cleaning:  Because of their risen burners and removable parts, gas hobs can be more challenging to keep clean. Whilst a ceramic or induction hob can be wiped clean in a few seconds, you’ll benefit from giving your gas hob a thorough clean every so often if you’re an avid cook.

Ceramic Hobs

Ceramic hobs can be found in many houses due to them being low cost and keen on the eye. But unlike gas, they don’t provide much control whilst cooking delicate foods. Here are the advantages and disadvantages of electric ceramic hobs:

Pros

• Low Cost: When compared to alternatives, ceramic hobs are usually the cheapest to buy and install. This makes them ideal for people who don’t regularly cook as well as rented premises where cost is a key consideration. Unlike gas, these hobs also require virtually no maintenance and, should they break, can be replaced with minimal fuss. 
• Cleaning: Ceramic hobs usually have a flat glass surface with the heating elements out of sight beneath. The lack of burners or grates makes it easy to keep your hob clean, even if you live in a house with messy cooks. Plus, you can use most kitchen cleaners on these hobs to tackle grease and grime. 
• Style: The minimalistic aesthetic of ceramic hobs makes them ideal for modern kitchens, such as those with slab or j-pull cabinetry. Plus, the black glass top is easily paired with other appliances throughout your kitchen to achieve a sleek appearance. 
• Safety: Although not as safe as induction, ceramic hobs are far safer than gas. This is as there is no chance of a gas leak and using a ceramic hob is less likely to result in a fire (although not impossible). This makes these great for families where teenagers may mistakenly leave a burner switched on after cooking.
• Installation: If you’re replacing an existing electric hob, you’ll just need a qualified electrician to ‘wire in’ your new hob. If you’re moving your hob to a different spot in your kitchen, you’ll need an electrician to create a new outlet for you. Although this will cost a little, it’s far cheaper than extending or laying a new gas line.

Cons

• Little Control: As the ceramic rings beneath the glass retain their heat when switched off, you’ll often have to remove a pan from the hob to stop your food from cooking. Equally, it will often take a few minutes for any temperature adjustment to take effect. This makes it a little tricker to achieve the desired temperature when cooking delicate foods.
• Slow Warm Up: Whilst gas and induction provides instant heat, ceramic hobs can take a little while to warm up. Although not a major disadvantage, this can cause a headache if you’ve forgotten a step of a recipe and need a pan heating quickly. 
• Energy Consumption: Ceramic hobs are the costliest type of hob to run. This is as they don’t use low-cost gas or have the efficiency of induction hobs. Whilst this may not be a deal breaker for many, it’s a consideration for households using their hob daily or even multiple times per day. 
• Fragility: Whilst a glass surface may look sleek, it’s also vulnerable to scratches and cracks. From accidentally dropping a pan to pulling a griddle along the surface, there are several ways you could damage a ceramic hob. But this shouldn’t be a major setback if you take care whilst cooking.

Induction Hobs

Combining the controlled cooking of gas and the easy maintenance of ceramic, induction hobs are quickly becoming the most popular type of hob. But that comes at an upfront cost unlike other hobs. Here are the advantages and disadvantages of electric induction hobs:

Pros

• Energy Efficiency: Unlike ceramic hobs, induction works by heating the cookware directly. This eliminates any heat loss, therefore demanding less energy to fry, boil, or steam. Over time this will have a noticeable impact on your energy costs if you use your hob regularly. 
• Precise Control: Although hotly debated, many believe induction hobs provide as much temperature control as their gas alternatives. Whether true or not, induction hobs certainly provide almost instantaneous shifts in temperature due to them heating the cookware rather than surface beneath. 
• Safety: As the surface of an induction hob isn’t heated itself, it remains relatively cool after cooking. This minimises the chances of nasty burns, whether that be from a moment of carelessness whilst cooking or because of curious little hands. But remember that the cookware itself will get very hot, very quickly. 
• Cleaning: Much like ceramic hobs, induction hobs have a flat glass surface. This allows you to wipe away grease and grim with ease. But unlike ceramic hobs, induction hobs are cool enough to clean a matter of minutes after cooking. This makes them by far the easiest type of hob to keep clean.

Cons

• Cookware Compatibility: For pots and pans to work on an induction hob, they must be ferrous (or magnetic). You may, therefore, need to replace existing cookware for those that have been ‘optimised for induction’. Before you do this, simply see whether your existing cookware have a magnetic base.
• Cost: Because of the list of advantages they offer, induction hobs tend to be more costly than gas or ceramic alternatives. Whilst this extra expensive will likely be recouped in time due to the reduced energy consumption, it can prove too higher initial cost for those who don’t use their hob regularly. 
• Power Supply: Whilst low power ‘plug and play’ induction hobs are available; these will often lack power. Instead, you’ll likely find that an induction hob demands either a 32A or 42A connection. Whilst this will be fine for most modern homes, older properties may need some electrical wiring to be upgraded. 
• Cooking Style: With induction hobs being used in both domestic and professional kitchens, there is no doubt that they can be used to create intricate meals. But there is a ‘learning curve’ for those moving from different hob types due to the rapid heating and temperature control they provide.

Hob Considerations

Now that you have a detailed understanding of the different types of hobs, let’s look at the main considerations when buying one. From precise temperature control to the number of cooking zones, considering these will ensure your hob meets the needs of your household.

Temperature Control

If you’re a keen cook, then you’ll want a hob that outputs a precise temperature when you need it. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself burning food or having to constantly take your cookware away from the hob.

Gas and induction hobs provide both rapid heating and temperature control. This makes them an ideal partner for any home chef. Unfortunately, ceramic simply takes too long to heat up and retains too much heat.  

Energy Efficiency

We all want to cut our bills, right? If you’re a household who loves to cook big meals each night or who find themselves using their hobs multiple times a day, then energy consumption should be at the top of your list.

Gas hobs are great as natural gas is usually the cheapest domestic fuel. Induction, on the other hand, uses electric but in a far more efficient way than ceramic. Both are therefore great options for anybody wanting to save money in the long term.

Cooking Zones

The number of cooking zones or burners you’ll need will depend on several factors. Firstly, how many pots and pans do you often have on the go at once? Secondly, do you often find yourselves using large cookware that covers multiple zones?

Whether you choose gas, ceramic, or induction, most hobs are available in a few configurations. This may include a hob with 2 zones, 4 zones, or perhaps 6 zones. Each zone provides space for a pan or pot, with some hobs having ‘flexi zones’ that work together for large cookware.

Installation Dimensions

Whether you’re replacing an existing hob or are having your entire kitchen replaced, checking the dimensions of your new hob is crucial. This isn’t only to make installation easier, but to ensure it has adequate ventilation whilst cooking.

Firstly, you should ensure the length (back to front) provides adequate space at both the front and back of your worktop. Also, ensure the width (left to right) of your hob aligns with the width of your hood to maximise ventilation. Lastly, check that the depth (or thickness) won’t result in drawers catching immediately beneath.  

Top Hob Brands

You've likely chosen the ideal type of hob for you but what about the brand? From premium brands such as Bosch to less familiar brands like CATA, it can be tricky seeing through the ‘fluff’. Here is a summary of a few popular manufacturers.

Bosch

Famed for the reliability and quality of their appliances, Bosch is a great option for ovens, hobs, dishwashers, and more. For more than 125 years, Bosch appliances have been used in households throughout the UK. Many come with a 5-year warranty and parts are easy to find should they be needed. View Bosch’s gas, ceramic, and induction hobs here.

Hotpoint

Likely the most familiar kitchen appliance brand in the UK, Hotpoint cooking, refrigeration, and washing appliances can be found in 2 out of 3 homes. Their popularity isn’t by chance but instead because of their commitment to making appliances with ease of use in mind. Most of their appliances come with a 1-year warranty and can be browsed here.  

Beko

Delivering a unique balance of affordability and quality, Beko are renowned for their fridges, freezers, dishwashers, and washing machines. But the Turkish brand also make a range of hobs to suit any budget. Some of these are backed by an unrivalled 10-year Beko parts guaranteed to provide reassurance of your choice. View Beko’s gas, ceramic, and induction hobs here.

AEG

The second German brand to make this list (Bosch being the first), AEG appliances are likely the most stylish and innovative available for domestic kitchens. From their nutrient-saving SensePro hob feature to their back-saving ComfortLift dishwasher feature, AEG appliances are packed full of convenient features. View AEG’s gas, ceramic, and induction hobs here.

CATA

Although popular in much of Europe, this Spanish brand is relatively new to UK kitchens. That said, CATA appliances have all the most important features at an unrivalled price. Despite their cost-effectiveness, their appliances are built to last whilst also looking sleek. View CATA’s gas, ceramic, and induction hobs here.

Which Hob Should You Buy? 

Now that you have an understanding of the types of hobs available, features to look for, and brands to choose from; we hope that you now feel ready to buy your new kitchen hob. Whether buying a hob online or in-store, it's crucial to find the right balance between functionality, auesthetics, and cost. So, don't spend more for features you're unlikely to use but don't spend less only to find that your hob isn't suitable for you. 

If you're tackling a larger kitchen renovation, take a look at our kitchen guides. You can also discover hundreds of kitchen appliances from trusted brands such as Hotpoint, Indesit, and CATA.