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A great hob will be quick to heat up when you're in a hurry, but also able to maintain a gentle simmer. The best hobs will spread heat evenly to help you prepare a perfect pancake.
While gas hobs are still very popular, they're not easy to keep clean. Induction and ceramic hobs are flat, which makes removing cooking splashes and spills much easier.
Read on for our expert buying advice and Best Buy recommendations, which are based on our rigorous and independent tests.
To browse all the hobs we've tested, see our hob reviews.
There are three main categories of hob to choose from: gas, induction and ceramic. Induction and ceramic hobs both use electricity, but in different ways.
We test hobs thoroughly and evaluate how good each one is at cooking, plus how easy it is to use and clean. These are our top choices from each category.
Full Access first month £5, then £10.99 per month, cancel at any time
For more recommendations, see our induction hob reviews.
Full Access first month £5, then £10.99 per month, cancel at any time
Full Access first month £5, then £10.99 per month, cancel at any time
For more recommendations, see our gas hob reviews.
Full Access first month £5, then £10.99 per month, cancel at any time
For more recommendations, see our ceramic hob reviews.
Last updated August 2024
Once you’ve decided on electric or gas, there are more options to consider. If electric is your choice, do you want a modern induction hob or a traditional electric model? If you’re going for gas, how about a gas-on-glass model or a hob with five burners? Below is a brief overview of the three main types of hob.
For in-depth buying advice and Best Buy product recommendations for each hob type, just follow the links.
Technically, traditional electric, induction and gas on glass hobs are all ‘ceramic’. Ceramic refers to the smooth glass finish on a hob, rather than the workings of the hob itself. However, most retailers use the term to describe a standard electric hob, so that's how we categorise them on our pages.
Pros:
Cons:
For more buying advice, see our guide to the best ceramic hobs.
Conventional gas hobs are simple affairs, usually 60cm wide with four burners. They have auto-ignition and are controlled with chunky dials.
A gas-on-glass hob is a standard hob that’s mounted under ceramic glass. This gives it a modern feel and makes it simpler to keep clean.
Five-ring hobs give you more space and cooking flexibility. The fifth zone is often a powerful wok burner that gives an intense, rapid source of heat, perfect for a crunchy stir-fry.
Pros:
Cons:
For more buying advice, see our guide to the best gas hobs.
Induction hobs use a copper coil magnet within the appliance to create electromagnetic energy. The energy passes through the glass directly to the iron-based pan, producing – or inducing – a current, which in turn releases heat.
Pros:
Cons:
For more buying advice, see our guide to the best induction hobs.
Occasionally, among the shiny rows of glass-covered electric and induction hobs, you might spot older-style models with solid black plates or coils. These can be a much cheaper option but, as there are so few around, we no longer test them.
At the cutting edge of hob design is the venting hob, a special type of two in one appliance that has a built-in extractor fan in an induction hob. This does away with the need for a cooker hood.
We’ve recently started testing these hybrid appliances that let you cook while whisking away unwanted steam, grease and smells at the same time.
See our best venting hobs for more information.
Can't decide between gas and induction? See Gas vs induction: which hob type is right for you?
Watch our video to help you choose the type of hob that's right for you and your kitchen.
From special burners for woks through to child-safety locks, here are some features to consider:
Looking for the perfect cookware for your hob? Read our guide to the best non-stick frying pans.
Hobs come in various shapes and sizes. Most have four cooking zones, but there are plenty of five-zone hobs to choose from. These tend to be 70-90cm wide and 51-52cm front to back which means they'll fit onto standard-sized kitchen counters.
Most ceramic, gas and induction hobs are about 60cm wide. Hobs that are slightly wider should still fit a standard 60cm gap, as they’re designed to overlap the worktop. The size of hob depends on the size of the burners or hob rings, which varies between models.
Larger hobs have five cooking zones and gas hobs often have a central wok burner. This is a high-powered burner used for stir-frying or rapid boiling. Five-zone hobs range in width, but are generally no more than 90cm wide. Having five zones doesn't necessarily mean you'll be able to fit five pots and pans comfortably on the hob, but the extra cooking zone gives more space than a four-zone model.
You don't have to be limited by traditional-sized hobs. Single-zone, two-zone and three-zone hobs are all available and can be built into a countertop.
The quickest induction hob we've tested takes just over three minutes to boil a big pan of water – as fast as some kettles. Compare this with the fastest gas model, which took nearly nine minutes, and induction wins hands down.
On average induction hobs are twice as fast as gas, while electric ceramic falls in between these two.
Type of hob | Induction | Electric ceramic | Gas |
---|---|---|---|
Time to boil a large pan of water* | 4.57 mins | 7.60 mins | 12.43 mins |
* Based on all hobs tested in 2023
Whether you blast your pasta on full power for 10 minutes or you simmer a stew gently for a while, an induction hob uses energy more efficiently than either a gas or an electric ceramic model.
Gas hobs are the least energy efficient of the three main types. A significant amount of heat is lost heating up your kitchen, rather than your food. However, because gas is cheaper, you might save a few pounds a year with a gas hob over an electric one.
In terms of sustainability, induction and ceramic hobs can run on renewable energy (depending on your electricity supplier), while this is not the case for gas.
You can buy a basic gas hob for less than £100 if you go for an own-brand model. Gas-on-glass hobs are a little pricier, starting at around £150. You can pay up to £1,000 for a high-end, five-zone gas hob from an upmarket brand.
Induction hobs have plummeted in price over the past few years, and a basic four-zone model can cost less than £200. We've even found Best Buy induction hobs for less than £250.
At the other end of the scale, a top-of-the-range induction hob could set you back more than £2,000.
Electric ceramic hobs often cost less than £200. As with gas and induction hobs, larger, pricier models are available.
Use the filters on our hob reviews to find one that meets your needs and budget.
Find out which hob brands are the most reliable.
We put each hob through a battery of tests to see which ones will serve you best in the kitchen.
We measure how quickly and efficiently it can heat up a panful of water from tap temperature to 90°C . Then we see how gently it can simmer and whether it can fry evenly. Finally, we assess how easy it is to use, and whether it’s a dream to clean or if you’ll be stuck for ages trying to get cooking grime from nooks and crannies.
Read more about how we test hobs.