CIARRA CBBIH3BF 6500W Built-in Induction Hob 3 Zones with Boost Function 1 Flex Zone Touch Control Ceramic Glass 9 Power Levels Child Safety Lock Black

Product Information

With a frameless glass surface and a bevelled front edge, it definitely looks rather good, and comes with a fair amount of control options; there are fifteen power levels for each of the four main cooking areas, offering more control than the more standard issue nine levels. The Samsung NZ64K5747BK may be the oldest hob on our list, having been released some five years ago, but it’s still a handy mid-range induction option even today.

A handy pause function and warm function mean you can safely leave things cooking slowly while you answer the door without fear of everything boiling over or burning. If you also have an electric oven on the same ring, you may in fact need an even higher rated cable.Bear this in mind because it’s the single most important consideration when purchasing any electrical cooking appliance. According to the BHF (British Heart Foundation), it isn’t entirely safe for a person with a pacemaker to come within two feet of an induction hob.So, if you factor these costs into your budget, your debit card won’t scream as loudly when you’re paying. Unlike ceramic or gas hobs that heat the entire pot or pan which in turn transfers the heat to its contents, electric induction hobs heat the ingredients directly using the invisible powers of magnetism. In fact, with the induction system, the pan itself becomes the heat source or element – electromagnetic waves magically penetrate the base of the pot and begin to agitate the electrons in the ingredients, which in turn creates heat for cooking. So how do induction hobs work? That’ll be our old underrated friend magnetism. Even when the hob is on it remains cool to the touch, yet as soon as you place a saucepan on it, a whopping amount of heat is generated and before you know it you’ve whipped up a four-course banquet. The flexible cooking zones allow you to bridge the gaps between cooking zones and increase the size of them.

It’s a hob that doesn’t feature more traditional distinct burner rings, but instead offers a pair of Flex Zones that can also be combined to offer a single, much larger zone that’s ideal for square dishes and larger grill plates. The controls on offer are along the bottom edge, with plus and minus symbols for cycling through the nine power zones. In addition, this Indesit hob also comes with buttons to turn off a zone as well as putting one into max power for 5 minutes to help boil water. The IB 88B60 NE also comes with some clever Push&Go modes for this purpose – Push&Boil brings water to the boil and keeps it rolling, while the Push&Warm function is used for keeping food warm or gently reducing liquid.

The induction hob with the bridging function allows you to connect two cooking zones into one large one. This is perfect when using big or odd-size pots or pans. The induction hob with flexible zones offer the same kind of possibilities. You can vary the cooking surface by using the flexible heating zones together or separately. This means you can adapt them to pots and pans in different shapes and sizes. No flexi-zones but this sleek and minimal hob from Smeg offers some nice features at a wallet-friendly price. Cooking zone selection and temperature control via removable "Point & Twist" magnetical central control

Given the amount of cooking power (7.35Kw) and useful tech it offers, this flagship AEG is outstanding value and well worth considering if you need something more versatile. It’s a great looker, too. Finally, what features does your hob have at the moment that you can’t live without? And what features does your current hob have that you have never used, not even in a moment of curiosity? The Neff’s TouchControl interface is easy to use but, like all touch sensitive controls, it can sometimes be really fiddly changing power settings. Also, your fingers will leave a lot of marks on the shiny ceramic glass surface in the process but thankfully the whole thing’s a doddle to clean. A panoramic induction hob (also known as a linear, shallow depth, slimline or panorama hob) has its cooking zones in a straight line next to one another, rather than some behind each other. If you already have a 90 cm hob in your kitchen that you’re replacing, then a 90 cm hob is perfect for the job. And if you’re having a new kitchen installed, the world is your oyster (or hob in this case).If the hob is especially grubby or shows signs of pot stains that can’t be removed using washing up liquid, try the vinegar and baking soda method. Combine one part baking soda with one part white vinegar in a bowl or spray bottle and apply it to the hob. Leave for 30 minutes, wipe off with a damp sponge and give it a buff with a dry cloth. Job done.

Some induction hobs draw up to 7.4kw of current and that means having a separate ring main fitted if your current setup is, like many older kitchens, just a standard 13 amp cooker plug.Boy, did I find that out the hard way.Since this model doesn’t have a bridging function, you may need to stir the food a little more frequently if using a saucepan that’s bigger than the largest zone but, again, this has never caused me a problem.