Hobs: How to buy the best hob Hob features

Wok burner on a hob

Wok burners are larger than standard hob rings

Wok burners

Some hobs now feature a large high-powered wok burner for stir-fry cooking. Wok burners can be a larger fourth burner or an extra burner in the middle of the hob that provides intense, rapid heat. 

Work burners heat up more quickly than standard gas burners and are easy to control.

If you already know the kind of hob you're looking for, go straight to our hobs reviews for full test results for more than 30 hobs.

Dual zones on hobs

Hob dual zones

Versatile dual hobs can expand to fit large pans

On electric hobs, a dual zone allows you to operate an inner zone within the main ring so you can save energy when cooking with smaller pans.

Pans for induction hobs

Induction hobs require ferrous pans (pans which contain iron). 

As a general rule, if a magnet sticks to your pots and pans, they'll work on an induction hob.

Hob child-safety locks

Most induction hobs have safety locks to stop the controls from being operated by inquisitive children. 

Some ceramic hobs have them too.

Hob power boost

All the induction hobs we've tested had a power boost that heat up cooking zones more quickly, saving around a third of the normal heating up time. 

This sort of rapid intense heat is good for stir frying or searing meat.

Induction hob timers

Many induction hobs have a timer that can be used for programming zones to switch off automatically when you want them to stop cooking. 

You won’t find timers on gas hobs.

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