How to choose the right stove - Hob v/s counter top? Type of burner? # of burners? Size of burners? Battery v/s electricity?
If you are building a new kitchen or remodeling your existing kitchen - the stove or hob becomes the centerpiece of the kitchen and everything else gets built around it. These days - many people prefer hobs - but there is also the option of the humble counter top stove - which may be the right option for you. You also don’t always need 4 or 5 burners, So I’ll try to walk you through the process of deciding the best hob for you, I’ll have a separate video and product links in the description where I will recommend the best hobs and countertops.
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Let’s get started!
Hob or cooktop or countertop - which should you go for?
Hob is not always the right answer for everyone. The biggest benefit of the hob is that it gives a seamless look in the kitchen but does require routine cleaning and maintenance. There are a number of reasons to go for a cooktop - the most important one being it is easier to install and easier to clean. You don’t need any masonry work to install. You can always lift the stove and clean below it when there are spillages. The rings and burners can also be removed and cleaned while in the hob not everything can be removed. You also have more flexibility in terms of where to place the cooktop and it is less expensive.
I’ve used both - previously I had a cooktop which I used for 10+ years - it was useful when I had to move houses and did not really hamper the look way too much, but definitely a hob looks more seamless and integrated within the kitchen.
Now that we have that out of the way, most of the rest of it is applicable for both hobs and cooktops.
What type of burner to buy for kitchen hob?
For both hobs and cooktops or counter top models - you get both options of an Indian burner (which comes in aluminum and brass) and an Italian / European burner also called SABAF burners. The Italian /European burner comes with a single flame, have a plate on top and cooking time is longer. If you prefer to do slow cooking or need extra boiling without things spilling over (like for tea) - then you may want to go for an Italian burner. Most Indian households prefer the Indian burner in brass. I earlier used an italian burner from Faber and then switched to an Indian burner recently - I do see a tangible difference in cooking time, but my tea and milk spills over more often these days as it cooks so fast that you need to keep a constant eye on the food being cooked. I am OK with both the Italian and brass burners, but my mom was totally unhappy with the Italian burners!
Brass or aluminium burners - which is better?
Brass or aluminium burners? Brass burners have a longer durability and efficiency than aluminium burners.
How many burners should I buy?
This is a very personal preference - it depends on how good you are at multitasking while cooking :) I used to have a 4 burner and recently moved to a 3 burner - as I found that’s the max I can do at a time and also the one that met my design requirements.
What type of burner to buy for kitchen hob?
This is something that is not often advertised or published but is important. Not all burners will be of the same size. If you cook smaller quantities often, you need more number of smaller burners than larger ones. And similarly - if you cook larger quantity of food in large thick bottom vessels (like cast iron), then you need more number of larger burners than smaller ones. The output heat can vary from 1 KW for the small burners to 4 KW for the large burners but is not often published by vendors. You can make out the flame size by the diameter as well. Higher the diameter, larger the flame size. Number of flame rings is the other thing to look out for if published. It comes in 1, 2, 3 flame rings - larger ones can have higher flame rings for more heat output.
What size of kitchen hob/stove/cooktop should you buy?
Cooktops normally come in 60 cms width while hobs are available in 60 cm and 90 cm. You will need to match the kitchen chimney size to this size as well. Ideally - if you want more burners or cook with larger vessels - go for the 90cm option as vessels will get cramped in the the 60 cm hob
What type of ignition to buy for kitchen hob/stove/cooktop?
What type of ignition? Most cooktops come with battery operated or manual ignition. Most hobs come with battery operated or electrical ignition. If you go for electrical - you will need to make sure that you have an electric point setup near where you will set up your hob. If you have frequent power issues, better to go for battery operated as electric will not work without power.
Where should the controls be on hob/stove/cooktop?
Position of controls? Controls come in the front or side. Some people prefer the controls to be on the side if they have small kids at home.
What shape of hob/stove/cooktop to go for? Square or rectangular?
The square ones go all the way upto the backsplash and come all the way to the front. Which means you may need to clean the backsplash often to keep it clean as well. The rectangular ones give a little bit breathing room both in front and back
Glass or stainless steel finish for hob/stove/cooktop?
Glass or stainless steel finish? Again a personal preference which matches the style in your house. But if you do decide to buy the tempered glass one - make sure you don’t keep any hot vessels on the glass directly.
Flame failure devices - is it required?
Flame Failure Device? Most hobs come with this option - making them safer. In case there was a spillage that caused the flame to turn off, the gas supply will be switched off within a few seconds - making sure there is no gas leakage.
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