10 Best Hobs for Sale in South Africa

Size
In most cases, a hob will have four burners and a width of 60 cm. But there are other stoves with adjustable cooking zones and widths of 70, 80, or 90 cm.

Decide with caution. Always measure your work surface area in relation to the net measurements of the hobs you’re considering before purchasing one of the larger sizes.

Be mindful of the space. Your stove has a recess in the countertop that it slides into, creating a cutout underneath. Since the surface of the hob covers the space, the cut-out is really less than the dimensions of the hob. Never assume that a 60 cm broad hob will fit into a larger hob; measure carefully.

Burners
Determine with precision how many burners you will actually require. Just because it’s on sale doesn’t mean you ought to get more burners. Large hobs reduce the amount of counter space available for other uses.

Although 4-burner hobs organised in a square are widespread, they are also extremely cramped, making it impossible to use all four burners simultaneously. You should expect to discover the best bargains on these models. You should look for a model with adequate spacing between the burners if you intend to use all four at once. A model with the burners arranged along an arc is one example.

Ultra-rapid burners: This type of burner is also called a “wok burner,” a “booster” for induction, or a “triple crown burner” for gas. A burner that heats food very quickly is built into most stoves. They quickly produce intense, high-powered heat and are made for cooking stir-fry in a wok, big pans, or to get water boiling quickly.

A burner’s efficiency, heating capacity, and lifespan are all determined by the material used to make it. Two materials can be used to make burners:

• Brass: Less time is needed to cook food when using these burners since heat is delivered more efficiently. They last for a long time and are sturdy, but end up costing more as a result.
• Aluminium: The cooking time is slightly longer due to the inefficiency of these burners. But the efficiency decreases, the aluminium slightly bends, and cooking times increase with time.
• Brass burners are more expensive than aluminium.

Timers
You can find minute minders and hob timers on nearly every type of stovetop. They allow you to monitor your cooking progress and stay in control of the kitchen. When the allotted time has passed, some timers will turn off the hob or sound an alarm. You might be able to set the timer for each cooking zone separately on certain higher-end stoves.

Automatic Ignition
Automatic ignition, which is exclusive to gas stoves, causes the burner to light up in response to the user pushing in or turning the controls. In order to get an older model to light, you may need to push and hold a separate ignition button.

Flexible Cooking Zones
A unique cooking zone on some induction and ceramic hobs lets you combine two smaller zones into one bigger one. Pans of different sizes and shapes can be accommodated in this way. 

Protective Lock for Children
To stop kids from turning on the stove or changing the settings, you can lock these touch controls. The majority of induction and ceramic stovetops have them.

Controls that are Activated by Touch

Adding electronic touch controls to electric and induction stoves is a terrific idea since they make it easy and accurate to pick the heat level and adjust it as needed. While simple to operate, they could become clumsy when wet.

Customer Support Following the Purchase
Before purchasing a product, it is wise to learn as much as can about the brand’s after-sale support. Service levels might vary greatly from one city to another, and even from one neighbourhood within a city, so it’s important to research what’s available in your area. Choose a brand with solid after-sale support. Read reviews posted online, call around to brick-and-mortar establishments, and poll the folks in your neighbourhood for their thoughts.

Warranty
While stoves typically have a long lifespan, it’s still wise to compare warranties before making a final decision.  The burners and the body will each have their own warranty. Extensive five to 10-year warranties will be standard on higher-end models. Additionally, the guarantee on brass burners will be longer than that on aluminium ones.