Cooking surfaces by the type of heating surface are divided into gas and electric, they are made of stainless steel, enameled surface, glass ceramics, with mechanical and touch control panels, with various additional functions of control and protection. How to choose the best hob from all this variety?
Before choosing a built-in hob, it is worth determining which heating element will be used: gas or electricity.
Hob: gas or electric?
The undoubted advantages of an electric cooking surface include the absence of combustion products and an aesthetic appearance.
Gas stoves do not always look aesthetically pleasing (especially with enameled surfaces), but they have one very important advantage - they are cheaper to operate:
- The heating of the dishes starts immediately after switching on, and the electric cooking zone takes time to heat its own surface to start.
- Gas burners allow precise adjustment of the flame output.
It is believed that electrical plates are easier to operate - they do not need to be ignited and electricity is safer than gas. In fact, it all depends on individual preferences and habits. The only actual advantage of the electric cooker in operation is the cleaning of the surface: if the hot plates of the gas cooker are strongly poured, they can not burn until they dry out.
How to choose the right hob: a few tips
How to choose a gas hob:
- Small burners should be convenient for placing on them a small ladle or a Turk. You can conduct a kind of test in the store: enough for the smallest hotplate to put the Turk.
- The device of the cooking zone will help you decide which gas cooking surface to choose. The ideal burner is designed so that the flame heats not only the bottom of the dishes, but also its side walls. So the time for cooking is reduced, therefore, the gas and money of the owner is saved.
- Grating material: steel or cast iron. Cast iron is heavier, costs more, but it will last longer. Steel looks more aesthetically pleasing, but it quickly deteriorates.
- The presence of a gas monitoring system in the gas surface is an undoubted plus. The fire can go out because of the boiling water flowing out, and if the stove is not equipped with a control system, the gas will quickly fill the room. "Smart" modern panels stop the flow of gas after a sudden extinguishment of the flame.
- Additional functions are really needed only if they provide security. Functions like auto-ignition usually do not cost overpay for them: they quickly fail or require regular replacement.
How to choose an electric hob:
- As a heating element, cast iron, halogen lamps or induction burners are used. Cast iron keeps heat well and is very resistant to damage. The average time for heating the cast-iron pancake is 10 minutes. Halogen burners are heated faster, which significantly reduces the amount of electricity required. Induction burners do not
heated, but perfectly cope with the task of heating the surface of dishes, save electricity. Induction burners allow you to precisely adjust the heating power, but are very expensive and can only cope with the heating of special utensils with a magnetized bottom. - Of the additional functions are really significant protection functions, for example, the blockage from accidental inclusions will become a rescue for moms and their curious children. The overheating protection system, which stops the work of the burners, if no one has touched the hob for a couple of hours, will save the money very much for forgetful owners and prevent a fire in the building with old wiring.