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Grabbing one of the best induction hobs is an excellent way of bringing your kitchen up-to-date, providing a more eco-friendly way of cooking, and faster heat-up times. Electric Hob Hot Plate
Knowing exactly what to get though is where things get a little fiddly. While hobs may seem simple, there’s a lot to consider in terms of how powerful they need to be, and what additional features they may have, such as heat-control sliders and pause buttons.
Well, to help you out, our team of experts has tested a wide range of hobs, keeping an eye on key indicators such as their design, build quality and size, as well as how well they function in a range of tests, including how quickly they boil a pan of water. We’ve used them for an extended period of time, so we can best assess their strengths and weaknesses and provide an honest verdict.
If you can’t find an induction hob you like at the moment, be sure to bookmark this page as we’ll be adding more worthy contenders as they pass through our Trusted Labs.
Unlike other sites, we test every induction hob we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product. We test how long it takes to bring pans of water from 20C to 90C: we measure times for 1.5-litres of water in a large pan, 1-litre in a medium pan and 500ml in a small pan. We use the most appropriate sized burner for each hob. We also test how long the large pan takes to heat up, while all other burners are in use. This helps us see if there are any power-sharing options going on, where only one burner can be run on maximum power. We test a hob’s usability features: any auto-cooking features, such as chocolate melting; how timers work; and any smart features. By cooking on each hob, we can also tell you what each model is like to use, and how easy they are to clean.
If you want an easy to use and stylish hob that offers you precision and control over your cooking then the Neff N90 T66YYY4C0 is a great option.
Available in a range of trim colours including bronze, black, silver and grey, the Neff N90 T66YYY4C0 isn’t just stylish but practical too as the trims magnetically connect to the clips on the side of the hob. This means you can easily change the colour, if you ever want to, but it also means they can be removed for hassle-free cleaning.
The Neff T66YYY4C0 has a few unique features that help make it easier to use. Firstly, the Neff doesn’t use traditional zone or burner markings, instead the hob is split into left and right zones. This is an incredibly useful feature, as it means pots and pans can be spread across the hob and aren’t limited to certain sized burners.
The Neff T66YYY4C0 is also controlled by the Twist Pad Flex, which we found makes this the most accessible hob we’ve ever tested. As opposed to typical touch controls, the Twist Pad Flex magnetically attaches to the centre of the hob and can be pressed in four directions to select and set the power for any of the four nominal burners.
Not only is it easy to use but it also offers precise temperature control and speedy performance. In our tests we found that it took just 2.5 minutes to boil 1L of water, which is some of the fastest speeds we’ve seen on an induction hob.
As a smart hob, the Neff T66YYY4C0 can also be operated through the Home Connect app, although we found it much easier to just use the Twist Pad Flex. The app however allows you to set the hob’s power modes, receive notifications about cooking activities and download firmware updates.
Whether you’re a true kitchen novice or an aspiring head chef, the Neff T66YYY4C0 is an easy to use induction hob that allows you to have total control of your cooking.
Full Review: Neff N90 T66YYY4C0
If you have larger pots and pans and want the flexibility of a wider hob, then the generously sized 77cm Belling IHL773 is a great value option.
As an average hob is around 60cm, the Belling IHL773 can easily accommodate larger pans and offers much more room around the burners than a traditional model.
Each of the four burners are controlled by a dedicated slider control at the bottom. While the two round burners are controlled individually, the flexible bridge zone can be used as either two individual burners or combined into one higher-power zone via a simple swipe.
To assess how evenly the hob heated, we used a thermal camera and checked how each of the burners worked. We found that all individual burners, and the flexible bridge zone, heated evenly without one side getting hotter than the other.
We also tested the basic performance and power of the hob and concluded that this is one of the fastest hobs around. While smaller pans of water took comparatively similar times to reach 90°C as other hobs, the largest 1.5L of water took only 3 minutes and 24 seconds to reach 90°C, which is unbelievably speedy.
It’s worth noting that the Belling IHL773 does lack some smart features that are found on other induction hobs and it doesn’t have dedicated cooking modes, such as melting or boiling. If, however, you need a wide hob that works quickly and heats evenly then you’d be hard-pressed to find a better option than this.
The Hotpoint CleanProtect makes both cooking and the dreaded clean-up that much easier, which is perfect if you love to cook but hate the mess.
One of the standout features for the Hotpoint is its CleanProtect glass surface. Boasting a special nano coating, the Hotpoint is durable and much easier to clean just by using water, in fact the company states that for any marks on the hob, all you need to do is saturate the area with water for up to five minutes and simply wipe it clean with a cloth.
Measuring at 77cm, the Hotpoint Clean Protect also offers you extra space and flexibility while making dinner. Although it only has four burners (which is the usual amount for an induction hob), each burner offers numerous cooking options and programs.
Each burner gets its own touch-slider control, with 18 individual settings, a power boost setting and automatic chef-mode programs including boil, keep warm, slow cook and melt. We were wowed by the automatic cooking programs, especially with the melt option which allowed us to melt a lump of butter perfectly without stirring or any trace of burning.
All burners can also be used simultaneously on maximum power settings, which is incredibly useful if you’re cooking a meal of many components.
This hob is incredibly capable and boasts numerous features but it’s worth noting that this is definitely not the fastest available. For example, we found it took just over five minutes to bring 1.5-litres of water from 20°C to 90°C, which although is still a good result, it’s definitely not the quickest turnaround. However, if you aren’t fussed about super speedy performance then this is something that can be looked past.
Full Review: Hotpoint CleanProtect TS6477CCPNE
The AEG IAE84851FB is a hob that offers some especially clever cooking modes, and a whole lot of versatility.
At 80cm, it’s a fraction wider than most four-zone induction hobs and also features an LCD display for control, which we found to be especially useful. In addition, each of the cooking zones is activated automatically when a pan is placed on it, but there are nine power modes available for proper control, as well as a power boost option for rapidly boiling water in a matter of minutes. You can also expand the left-hand induction area so it offers a range of three sizes as opposed to being used as two separate areas. This AEG hob also offers a clever function known as PowerSlide, which separates the zone into three areas with different power levels, which you can change with a simple slide of the pan between zones to change power: just by sliding the pan, you can move from boil to simmer to keep warm. It makes this hob a joy to use, as power modes can be changed without touching any buttons.
This AEG candidate also proved to be a speedy customer, with a 1.5 litre pan of water being heated to 90 degrees in a touch over 3 minutes in the flexible zone. Over the standard rings, it also managed to boil a small 500ml pan in 90 seconds or so, offering an especially fast time that’s largely thanks to the fact this AEG hob drew 2800W of power. It also offered consistent heating over the flexible zone.
Full review: AEG IAE84851FB
If it’s flexibility you’re after, the Indesit IB 88B60 NE should be a more than capable choice.
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.
In testing, it offered okay speeds for boiling water, but this Indesit hob proves that speed isn’t everything. To this end, it’s a consistent performer with the ability to have max power in all zones without siphoning power off from elsewhere. This helps to make it a star when it comes to power management. The automatic modes also performed decently, with consistent near-100 degree temps for the Push&Boil mode, while Push&Warm offered a consistent temperature of 72 degrees, which is ideal for keeping food warm without drying out.
Full review: Indesit IB 88B60 NE
Who wants an ugly extractor hood ruining the look of their kitchen? With the Samsung Infinite Range CombiHob NZ84T9747VK/UR, you get extraction built into the hob, sucking away moisture and other elements from cooking. You have to give up a bit of cupboard space below, but if you’ve got a big enough kitchen, it’s a sacrifice worth making.
There are four identical burners on this hob, each running at 2.1kW per burner, plus a boost mode that increases power to 3.7kW. You can run the boost mode on one burner on the left, and one on the right; the remaining burners are limited to power mode 5. Still, that’s quite flexible, as you can fast-boil two pans of water simultaneously. This is a fast hob: 2m 48s to bring 1.5-litres of water to 90°C.
The two burners on the left (or the two on the right) can be combined into one large zone for bigger pans. This is good for flexibility, but the option to do this is a little confusing, requiring both power mode controls to be selected; a dedicated linking button would have made life easier. Likewise, it’s not immediately obvious how to resume cooking after hitting the pause button.
There are timers for each burner, plus automatic cooking controls that use a temperature sensor to control power: melt, warm and simmer. If you want a high-quality fast hob with built in extraction, this is a great choice.
Full review: Samsung Infinite Range CombiHob NZ84T9747VK/UR
The Miele KM7201FR is a well-designed, easy to clean and incredibly powerful induction hob that will suit most households.
Although the majority of induction hob designs are glass, the KM7201FR is instead bordered by a stainless steel surround. Not only do we love the style of this but more importantly, it protects the side of the hob from chipping.
Thanks to its TwinBooster mode, the Miele KM7201FR is capable of pushing a huge amount of power to each of its four cooking zones to deliver impressively fast heat-up times that similar induction hobs simply can’t reach.
The four zones consist of two mid-sized areas for pans between 14cm and 19cm in size, a smaller one for 10cm to 16cm pans and a larger zone for 16cm to 22cm pans.
To start cooking, you can either manually select a zone with the controls or use auto-detect, which picks up the presence of a pan on the hob and moves control over to that cooking zone.
There are even clever hidden features that make a huge difference including Power Boost and TwinBooster modes which are enabled by tapping the number nine setting twice and thrice respectively, which in turn increases the amount of power used by the zones.
Press the gap between the ‘0’ and ‘1’ controls for Keep Warm mode which, as the name suggests, keeps dishes gently warmed. Finally, press and hold any power level and the hob will switch to maximum power to heat a pan and then return to the original established mode after a set amount of time.
We’d have appreciated it if these extra modes had dedicated control buttons however as it’s far too easy to forget that they exist.
We found the Miele KM7201FR to be especially powerful, able to heat a 1.5-litre of water from 20ºC to 90ºC with a total 3650W of power in just over two minutes, which is faster than a kettle could manage.
If you’re looking for a powerful hob with tons of extra functions then this is a great choice, just be wary that you don’t forget about all of those hidden features.
Full review: Miele KM7201FR
This induction hob delivers power and features aplenty
Unrivalled at cooking pricey and not without its issues.
Gas hobs are cheaper to run, but induction hobs are more efficient, heat faster, respond to controls faster and have more features, such as being able to cut off power when a timer goes off. They’re a far better way of cooking and they’re more eco-friendly than gas models.
This of course depends on how careful you are with the hob, but given the glass surface that most induction hobs feature, they can be somewhat prone to scratching if you aren’t that careful.
You can run all four burners at the same time. Most hobs have power management, so running one burner on maximum may reduce the power of the other burners. The settings vary by burner, but our reviews tell you all.
In most cases, no. Most induction hobs require a dedicated 32A circuit. There are some models designed for a 13A plug, but they are much more restrictive in use, as you can only use one or two burners on maximum power. Think of plug-in hobs as an upgrade option for situations where you can’t run a new circuit.
Most hobs are (nominally) 60cm wide, so should fit into a standard worktop cutout, even replacing a gas hob. There are wider 80cm hobs, too.
Starting life on the consumer PC press back in 1998, David has been at the forefront of technology for the past 20 years. He has edited Computer Shopper and Expert Reviews, and once wrote a book on ho…
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
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Infrared Cooktop Burner Products tested and reviewed since 2003