How to choose an electric hob: expert advice

03/27/201708/17/2019 Ivan Korabelnikov

Built-in appliances ensure rational use of kitchen space, significantly saving space. The most common built-ins are ovens, refrigerators, microwave ovens, and hobs.

The latter are divided into two categories: gas and electric.

Electric panels are much safer to use compared to their gas counterparts, which is why their popularity is growing year after year.

But how to choose the right electric hob so that the purchase leaves a pleasant impression and the surface lasts for many years?

Types of electric hobs

Depending on the type of heating elements, built-in kitchen electric stoves are usually divided into the following types:

Panels with classic heating elements. The main advantage of such devices is lower cost compared to other options. The disadvantage is great inertia.

Zanussi two-burner inset frying surface

There are modern modifications in which inertia is minimized, these are rapid and Hi-Light panels. In the first, a high-temperature coil is used as a heating element, the heating/cooling process of which does not exceed one and a half dozen seconds.

Whirlpool panel with rapid burners

In Hi-Light electrical panels, heating is carried out using a special tape made of low-resistance alloy. This solution allows you to reduce the heating/cooling speed to three to five seconds. This type of panel is not widely used due to significant disadvantages, the main of which are high cost and low efficiency. Hi-Light devices, with equal power to their rapid counterparts, consume approximately 50% more electricity.

Panels with only Hi-Light heating elements installed are practically not produced. Many manufacturers offer combined solutions; one of them is presented below.

Rice. 3. Three-burner Siemens panel with one Hi-Light and two rapid burners

Infrared devices, in this technique, a halogen tube emitting in the infrared range acts as a heating element. A distinctive feature of such burners is almost instant heating. The disadvantages include the high price and relatively short service life of the heating element. Combining a halogen emitter with a rapid heater made it possible to partially get rid of the last drawback.

Infrared hob Ariston (Ariston)
Induction technology , the operation of such devices is based on the principle of the same name, according to which, when a closed circuit passes through a magnetic flux, an electric current is generated. In fact, such a plate can be considered as a transformer (see Fig. 5).

Fig. 5. Operating principle of an induction hob
Legend:

A – utensils made of ferrimagnetic alloy.
B – magnetic field lines.
C – induction coil.
D – Ceramic based insulating panel.

Induction coils act as the primary winding of such a “transformer”; the secondary winding will be the metal utensil itself. To be precise, it must be made of a “magnetic” material, otherwise induction will not be induced, therefore, the dishes will remain cold. That is, it makes no sense to use ceramic and aluminum pans.

The undoubted advantages of such devices include:

minimum number of heat losses;
minimal inertia;
fine tuning of temperature conditions;
high efficiency (about 85-92%), that is, such tiles are more economical than other types.

Features of operation include the need to use utensils made of magnetic materials. As for the high cost of products of this type, this statement is somewhat exaggerated. Today, the price of such devices is slightly higher than the cost of built-in panels of other types.

Speaking about built-in panels, we should mention combined devices that use electric and gas burners. Such devices are often installed in a private house or country house where there is no central gas supply. A gas cylinder is connected to the stove; when empty, you can use the electric burners.

Combination of gas and electric burners on a Gorenje stove

Functions

Technology is constantly getting smarter, including stoves. Modern units can do a lot of things that greatly facilitate and speed up the process of cooking:

automatic boiling - the heating process occurs at maximum power, but as soon as the goal is achieved, the intensity decreases;
timer - you can set the cooking time, after which the work will stop, or the device will sound a sound signal;

temperature maintenance mode – allows the finished dish to remain hot for a long time;
auto programs - a book of recipes saved in the device’s memory and allowing you to cook with minimal human intervention: you only need to add ingredients and stir from time to time, and the device regulates the heat intensity and time independently;
residual heat indication - will show which burner has not yet cooled down, so as not to get burned, and it can also be used for heating without wasting electricity;
pause – you can stop cooking with one touch, and then just as easily restore it without having to set the mode again.

Evaluate which of these options will really be useful to you, since for each of them a certain amount is added to the cost of the device.

To ensure safe operation, developers integrate various sensors and options into the equipment to protect the user from possible negative consequences.

Emergency shutdown - if the temperature exceeds the permitted standards, a shutdown occurs.
Self-diagnosis – the technician will let you know if there is a problem with an audible signal or a special message on the display.
Dish presence sensor - the device does not start working if there is no pot or frying pan.
Child protection - locking so that a child cannot switch anything.

Hob installation type (dependent, independent)

Having dealt with the types, let's move on to the type of installation, it can be of two options:

Dependent. In this case, the panel is installed directly above the oven. The advantages of this solution:
uniformity of design.

Serious disadvantages:

if the oven or hob breaks down, the complex device completely fails;
It is not possible to place the components of the complex separately, which reduces installation options.

Built-in stove Electrolux (Electrolux) dependent installation

Independent. This technique is distinguished by its autonomous installation. The advantages of this are obvious:
the ability to place structural components in different places.

Bosch hob for independent installation
It should be noted that with this solution, difficulties may arise with the choice of equipment of the same type. You can get out of this situation by selecting components for kitchen appliances from one company. As a rule, branded manufacturers have a fairly wide range of models.

Errors in selection

When purchasing, it is important to carefully consider the choice of equipment and pay attention to the following nuances:

The “built-in” can be built into the countertop anywhere, but at a distance from the wall or other furniture no less than 10-15 centimeters for gas appliances and 4-6 cm for electric units. Therefore, it is worth carefully considering how to make the most efficient use of the available space;
When purchasing, first of all, you should take into account not the dimensions of the device, but the parameters of the niche for embedding;
When choosing a design and color, it is not necessary to “tie” new equipment to what is already in the kitchen - bold combinations attract the eye;
There are ready-made modular panels (“Domino” design) that combine 3 or more different burners, for example, grill areas, woks, and roasting pans. But you can assemble a modular design to order, with all the necessary functions. This option will cost much more, but at the same time, it will give you the opportunity to realize all your culinary desires;
If the built-in hob is not suitable for some reason, it will be practically impossible to return it back to the store, so you should make sure in advance that the device can function in a particular house or apartment. You should not only consult with sellers, but also carefully read the technical description, understand special terms and study the hidden features that each device has. For example, the control system - some sensors are impervious to moisture and are able to function normally even if you press the buttons with wet hands, while others break at the slightest contact with liquid. Special attention should be paid to such moments.

Hob panel material

It is very important to pay attention to the material from which the panel is made, since many nuances are associated with this. The three most common options are:

Enameled coating. This option is considered budgetary because it belongs to the lower price group. The other side of the coin is problems with removing contaminants, for example, “burnt” fat, and the weak resistance of the enamel to mechanical damage, which leads to the formation of scratches.

Enameled hob Hephaestus
Surface made of stainless steel grades. This coating option is much better than the previous option. Stainless steel is more resistant to mechanical damage and can be cleaned much better than enamel. But the operation of such a coating is different: it is necessary to clean such a surface with special detergents; this will have to be done quite often, since even fingerprints are visible on stainless steel.

Hansa two-burner stainless steel cooktop
Products with glass-ceramic coating . This is the most expensive option. Its advantages include an interesting design, the presence of touch controls, and easy cleaning from dirt. Despite the high cost of glass ceramics, it has disadvantages, namely: the fragility of the material and its instability to mechanical damage.

Electrolux panel with tempered glass (glass-ceramic coating)
This type of coating is used for rapid, infrared, induction, and Hi-Light burners.

Rating of the best electrical panels

Let's consider three models of panels with four heating zones, which have earned positive ratings from customers.

Midea MCH 64260 F

Glass ceramic appliance with Hi-Light burners. A convenient touch switch allows you to adjust the operation with a light touch. The number of functions in such an inexpensive device is surprising. It has: timer, auto shut-off, residual heat indicator, child protection. Total power consumption – 6.6 kW.

The purchase will cost 14,500 rubles.

Electrolux CPE644RBC

The top of the device is also made of glass ceramics with a ribbon heating element (power - 7 kW). The possibility of expansion is provided in two areas, so there will be no problems with selecting the diameter of the pan. In addition, there is a built-in sensor for the presence of dishes, a timer, shutdown when liquid is spilled, and the ability to block switching. Plus, the equipment independently diagnoses the condition and reports malfunctions.

Price – 24,000 rubles.

Kuppersberg FT6VS16 W

First of all, it attracts with its stunning white design. Power is 6300 W. The glass-ceramic surface is equipped with Hi-Light burners, two of which have expanding zones. Useful options: automatic boiling, shutdown timer, automatic shutdown, residual heat indicator, child protection and self-diagnosis of faults.

Cost – 36,000 rubles.

Types of burners and their number

This factor also needs to be paid attention to. In some cases, a combination of rapid heating elements with halogen or Hi-Light would be a good solution. A similar solution was presented in Figure 3.

As for the number of burners, it is necessary to proceed from personal preference. For some, two-burner models will be enough, for others, even four pieces will not be enough. As a rule, devices with two heating elements are installed in the country, but it is unwise to use built-in equipment for this purpose; it is much cheaper to use a medium-power tabletop stove.

Principle of operation

The peculiarity of the hob is that it is covered with a glass-ceramic plate, this is its main difference from a regular stove. The burners are marked with circles or ovals, under which there is a heating element that transfers heat to the cookware.

In gas panels there is a slow supply of gas. If the flame goes out, the gas turns off automatically for safety reasons.
Some models have a turbo burner function—several rows of flames that heat up the dishes and cook the dish faster.
There is an auto-ignition function: under the burner there is an element that will give a spark to ignite the flame.

There are models where the hob is combined with a grill, which can be covered with a glass-ceramic stove or cast-iron grate. Food can be cooked directly on the grate, under which there is a container for liquid.

Which manufacturer is better?

It is difficult to give a definite answer to this question. The most reliable devices are those manufactured under the name of well-known brands (for example, Samsung, Indesit, Pyramid, Veko, etc.); in most cases, their quality is beyond doubt. But even in this case, it is necessary to be careful, namely:

Check for a certificate of conformity; counterfeit products do not have one.
Find out about the availability of certified service centers of this manufacturer in your region of residence.
Check that the warranty card is filled out correctly.

As for the rating from buyers, this information must be treated with caution, since such a comparison is rather arbitrary. Raising or lowering the level using paid reviews is not a problem.

As always, we do not recommend purchasing products from unfamiliar Chinese manufacturers. In most cases, the characteristics of such products are overstated and do not correspond to reality, and the quality leaves much to be desired. It is impossible to buy a good stove cheaply. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGnnzSigoco

Models popular in 2022

Below are reviews of hobs that are top sellers in 2022 according to ratings from leading online stores.

Review of the Bosch PIC 645 F 17 E model:
More details on Otzovik: https://otzovik.com/review_1501130.html

Bosch PIC 645 F 17 E

Review of the Siemens EX675LXC1E model:
More details on Otzovik: https://otzovik.com/review_1309693.html

Siemens EX675LXC1E

Review of the Electrolux EHF96547SW model:
More details on Otzovik: https://otzovik.com/review_4442357.html

Electrolux EHF96547SW

A few additional tips

Having received information on how to choose an electric hob, we recommend reading a small selection of useful tips:

When we choose a built-in, we be sure to check its dimensions, as they are standard, but there are exceptions. Be especially careful when planning a corner installation.
The connection must be made to a separate line designed for the appropriate load.
It is important to choose the right circuit breaker; you can read how to do this on our website.
Without experience, it will be problematic to install and connect the electrical surface yourself, so we recommend using the help of a specialist.

Variety of shapes

Modern technologies make it possible to produce hobs in a wide variety of shapes, including:

square or rectangle;
circle, oval or ellipse;
trapezoid;
sharp or oval;

Designs of complex shapes look especially appropriate in kitchens designed in a high-tech style.

In addition to the shapes, all hobs differ in the size and number of burners available.