Don’t be seduced by a shiny new gas hob. Not all hobs are equal and some are better than others. Here’s what to look out for when choosing a new gas hob, especially if you intend to use it regularly. If you need your gas hob installed, get in touch here.
Knobs at the front
Some designs have the knobs to the side, on the right. If you’re left handed, good luck with that! But even if you’re right-handed, it can still be awkward and dangerous if there’s a hot pot in the way. You may need to reach past it to turn the furthest knob, putting your hand close to a source of heat and if wearing long sleeves, at risk even of catching fire.
So it’s best to choose gas hobs with all the controls at the front.
Safety device
The safety device will turn off the gas at the hob in the event of the flame going out, so the room doesn’t fill up with explosive gas! Why would you not choose a hob with a safety device? Most or all new gas hobs come with it fortunately, but it’s always worth confirming. Sometimes they’re called a Flame Supervision Device (FSD). Now you know what to look for.
Automatic ignition
To make life just a little bit easier, choose a hob with automatic ignition. This means all you need to do is turn the knob to light a burner. There is no need to press another button or use a hand-held gas lighter as a spark is generated at the same time.
Top tip
Automatic ignition poses a danger if you have small kids. They may play with the knobs, especially to hear the spark crackling, and switch on the flame inadvertently. To prevent this, you all you need to do is turn off the electricity to the hob. Unfortunately, the plug is usually located under the worktop, in hard-to-reach areas.
So the tip is that when running the electrical socket for the hob, install a switched fused connection unit (FCU) above the worktop, within easy reach. This then connects to the socket below the worktop into which the hob ins plugged in. So next time little Johnny plays with the knobs, just switch off the power at the FCU.
The knobs themselves can still let through gas but little Johnny would have to know to turn AND depress the knobs for that to happen. Even if that happens, the gas will be cut off the moment he releases the knobs to play with something more entertaining. So the knobs are quite safe when it comes to gas.
Pot supports
Hob cleaning is no one’s idea of fun so make the task easier by choosing a hob with minimal pot supports so they’re easier to remove or don’t even get in the way of cleaning. Often this means choosing a gas-on-glass type of hob. Beware though as the glass will be more fragile than steel of course.
Largest burner at the front
Some hobs have their wok or largest burner at the rear but this is poor design as the wall limits the space. As the flames go up the sides of the wok, they can soot up the wall and cause a fire risk. It’s best to choose a hob with the wok burner to the front, that way the wok and the flames can have all the space needed.
Conclusion
An ideal gas hob would have:
- the knobs easily accessible at the front,
- a safety device to turn off gas,
- automatic ignition for ease of use,
- minimal pot supports for ease of cleaning and
- the largest burner at the front for more space.
Probably all new gas hobs sold in the UK come with the safety device and many come with automatic ignition. As for the remaining 3 features, it’s just a matter of choosing the right design which will hopefully have all 3 in one hob. Happy cooking!