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.
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.
How we test
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.
- Flexible
- Simple to use
- Clever Push&Go settings
- Not very fast
- Only two timers
- Main cooking zone is super-fast
- Simple heat controls
- Looks fantastic
- Additional features difficult to use
- Clever PowerSlide
- Intuitive touch controls
- SenseFry makes cooking automatic
- Not much more cooking space than a 60cm hob
- Very easy to clean
- Intuitive controls
- Genuinely useful automatic programmes
- Not the fastest boiler
- Powerful extraction
- Fast heat-up times
- Useful automatic programmes
- Controls not always that intuitive
- Expensive
Hotpoint CleanProtect TS3560FCPNE
Best overall hob
Pros
- Very easy to clean
- Intuitive controls
- Genuinely useful automatic programmes
Cons
- Not the fastest boiler
If you’re looking for a 60cm hob that can do everything you want, then the Hotpoint CleanProtect TS3560FCPNE should be top of your list. Well priced, feature-packed and easy to use, this induction hob gets the balance exactly right.
Before we get into the details, it’s worth talking about the CleanProtect surface. As well as being tougher than normal glass, this surface can be cleaned with water alone. Soak the dirty area with water, and then simply rub it off with a cloth, and stains are gone. It really does work, and it’s hard to state just how brilliant this is.
Otherwise, there are four burners, each of which can be run at maximum power at the same time. This does mean that this isn’t the fastest hob at boiling (5m 43s for 1.5-litres), but that’s not exactly slow and, more importantly, there’s no confusing situation where running one burner on boost reduces the power settings available on other burners.
For normal use, the burners have 18 power settings, selectable using a responsive touch slider. Our only minor complaint is that selecting a burner, say to check the timer, adjusts power as well.
On the left, there’s the Flexi Space zone, which lets you combine two burners into one large zone for large pans, or it can go into Active Heat mode. In this mode, power settings are decided based on where a pan is: the top zone is high heat, bridging the two zones is medium heat, and the bottom zone is low heat. It makes it easy to cook, as you can just slide a pan around to adjust heat as required.
Other automatic cooking modes include boiling (the hob makes sure water doesn’t spill over), melting (you can melt butter and chocolate without burning), keep warm and slow cook. Overall, this powerful combination of features and the hob’s excellent price make it a clear winner.
Reviewer: David Ludlow
Full review: Hotpoint CleanProtect TS3560FCPNE
AEG IAE84851FB
Best overall hob
Pros
- Clever PowerSlide
- Intuitive touch controls
- SenseFry makes cooking automatic
Cons
- Not much more cooking space than a 60cm hob
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.
Reviewer: David Ludlow
Full review: AEG IAE84851FB
Indesit IB 88B60 NE
Best mid-range hob
Pros
- Flexible
- Simple to use
- Clever Push&Go settings
Cons
- Not very fast
- Only two timers
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.
Reviewer: David Ludlow
Full review: Indesit IB 88B60 NE
Samsung Infinite Range CombiHob NZ84T9747VK/UR
Best hob with integrated extraction
Pros
- Powerful extraction
- Fast heat-up times
- Useful automatic programmes
Cons
- Controls not always that intuitive
- Expensive
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
Reviewer: David Ludlow
Miele KM7201FR
Best for power
Pros
- Main cooking zone is super-fast
- Simple heat controls
- Looks fantastic
Cons
- Additional features difficult to use
The Miele KM7201FR is an especially fast heating hob, but it’s one that’ll come at quite the premium price.
In testing, it managed to boil a big 1.5 litre full pan of water in a speedy 2 minutes 19 seconds, which is faster than most kettles, for reference, with a total 3650W of power. These speeds get lower by around ten seconds each when you dial the quantity of water back to 1 litre and half a litre respectively. As well as heating food and liquid insanely quickly, a quick look through a thermal camera also reveals the KM7201FR’s round cooking zones also distribute heat relatively evenly, although the pans do tend to get warmer around the outside – even cooking can be ensured by stirring, as is typical for more conventional hobs.
This is a hob that provides a stainless steel surround as opposed to featuring edge-to-edge glass, which helps it to look classy as well as aiding in protecting the side of the hob from any potential damage. In addition, its four round ring setup is easy, with a pair of mid-sized rings as well as a smaller zone and a larger one for, well, bigger pans.
Controlling the hob was nice and easy with an auto detect function which picks up when you place a pan down on the hob; there is a row of buttons along the button for manual control of the 9 power levels for more control, too. In addition, this Miele hob also comes with two levels of power boost to quickly boil up pasta and the like, as well as a special Keep Warm function ans an auto-heat-up for getting pans all warmed up quickly so you aren’t waiting around for pans to heat.
Reviewer: David Ludlow
Full review: Miele KM7201FR
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FAQs
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.
Trusted Reviews test data
Editorial independence
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.
Professional 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.
Editorial independence
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.
Professional 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.
