Which is better: a single stove for the kitchen or a hob and oven independent of each other? There is no single correct answer to this question. Each owner has his own option. After all, both solutions have their advantages.
However, the separate approach is much more popular today. At least in the post-Soviet space. To come to this conclusion, it is enough to look at several dozen kitchens from the latest projects of Russian designers (for example, on the houzz.ru portal). But we didn’t stop there and created a survey on a Russian-language forum with a predominantly female audience. 84% of respondents believe that a hob and oven are better than a classic stove.
Well, this is not surprising. If you make a list of advantages for both options, everything will become clear. Objectively: a separate solution has more advantages. See for yourself.
Gas stove and gas hob: what to choose?
Kitchen cooking equipment is usually judged in terms of the time spent preparing food. In addition, attention is paid to its practicality, convenience and functionality. Today, traditional gas stoves and their compact analogues, hobs, compete in these parameters. Let's take a closer look at these two types of devices and answer the main question “which is better?”
Choosing hobs: manufacturer ratings
When choosing a hob, it is very important to pay attention to the manufacturer of the equipment. All manufacturers who produce induction and electric hobs can be divided into three categories depending on the quality of the product:
- elite professional models are produced by Miele, AEG, Gaggenau, Kuppersbusch;
- mid-range products, which are characterized by an ideal price-quality ratio, belong to Bosch, Siemens, Whirlpool, Gorenje, Zanussi, Electrolux;
- Good quality budget series are offered by manufacturers Hansa, Ariston, Ardo.
The greatest demand is for mid-price hobs from global manufacturers.
Elite class models are most often purchased for cafes and restaurants. They are characterized by a maximum number of heating zones, have high power and expanded functionality. The main feature of such models is their high cost, which is not justified for using the products in modern kitchens.
Based on numerous reviews, mid-price hobs from global manufacturers are in greatest demand. This is due to the wide range of reliable products that the average family can afford. The models are distinguished by decent workmanship, an expanded range of necessary functions and programs used in everyday use, and an original design, thanks to which the products fit perfectly into the modern kitchen interior.
Models from the budget category are characterized by good quality and affordable cost. Here we mainly present products equipped with a minimum set of functions.
What is the difference between a slab and a panel?
The main difference between a stove and a hob is the design. On the stove, the block with burners and the oven are a single unit. The hob consists only of a thin, durable base and burners. But the oven is not included in the equipment package. If desired, you can purchase it separately or not purchase it at all.
Large dimensions and bulkiness are the main disadvantages of gas stoves . It is especially difficult to place appliances in small rooms. It is necessary to reduce the number of floor cabinets and cabinets in order to free up the necessary area for a cooking unit.
The black hob looks very impressive. Gives the interior solidity and a luxurious look. But it requires constant care, since dust particles, crumbs, drops of water, stains and fingerprints are clearly visible on the dark surface.
Thin hobs are built into the countertop and do not “eat up” a lot of usable space in the room. Even in a small-sized kitchen, they are conveniently placed and make the process of creating everyday and holiday dishes pleasant, easy and comfortable. There is more free space in the room and the space does not look overloaded.
Choosing the right dishes
The electric stove is compatible with cookware made from a variety of materials. Uniform heating directly depends on the size and density of the material from which the cookware is made. In order for the hob to fully cope with the task, it is necessary to choose pots and pans with a flat, thick bottom.
Important! It is not recommended to use thin-walled dishes, which are more susceptible to deformation due to periodic temperature changes. The size of the cookware must match the diameter of the burners. If the pan is smaller than the burner, there is a constant loss of heat energy.
If ducklings, grill pans and other dishes with an asymmetrical shape are often used, then you should choose an electric panel model with elongated oval burners or burners with several contours.
In this regard, an induction hob is more demanding than an electric one. Despite the fact that absolutely any diameter of cookware is suitable, the main criterion is the presence of ferromagnetic properties in the material of manufacture . When purchasing a new stove, do not rush to completely update your kitchen utensils. You can buy special cookware for induction stoves, and you can also use old enamel and cast iron pans, as they are prone to “magnetism”.
There is an alternative option for using the induction surface, which requires a magnetic adapter disk. With its help, thermal energy is directed to the bottom of the cookware, so you can avoid buying kitchen utensils with a magnetic bottom. It seems that you have saved the family budget, but in reality this is not the case. With the help of a magnetic adapter disk, the induction furnace begins to work on the electric principle, which leads to a significant consumption of electricity .
Safety
The use of electricity and gas carries certain dangers. Outdated or poor-quality wiring can cause a short circuit and, as a result, a fire. Therefore, it is important to monitor the condition of the electrical network and carry out all necessary preventive work in a timely manner. Apartment residents bear full responsibility for safety. In the event of a fire, the total area of the fire depends on the prompt action of the special services. However, most residents of nearby apartments will be able to evacuate in time.
Gas is a completely different matter. The media often receives information about domestic gas explosions in apartment buildings. There were 28 such incidents in 2021, up from 32 in 2021. In some cases, entire spans of buildings are destroyed. Special services monitor the condition of pipes and gas stoves. However, the negligent attitude of the tenant of one apartment can affect the entire house. Even if you fully comply with safety precautions, this will not protect you from gas leaks in a neighboring living space. In the event of an explosion, one can only rely on the actions of rescuers.
COMPARATIVE CHARACTERISTICS
To understand which cooking units deserve more attention, it is worth comparing them according to several criteria.
Dimensions.
Standard gas stoves have a rectangular or square shape, and their height usually does not exceed 85 cm. The width varies between 35–100 cm, and the depth - from 50 to 60 cm. The devices are quite bulky, so moving them from place to place is very difficult. Hobs, on the contrary, are very mobile, and the wide variety of their dimensions allows you to select models for even the most cramped kitchens. For example, you can purchase narrow appliances 30 cm wide with one or two burners. Or rectangular with 3-4 burners placed in one row.
The Kaiser gas stove with a standard width of 60 cm has a number of functions that make it easy to use in everyday life. Like all Kaiser stoves, this model is also equipped with automation that controls the gas supply. If the dish boils over and extinguishes the flame of the burner or oven, the gas supply stops automatically.
Gas stove Kaiser HGG 62502 S Eco
Installation technology.
When thinking about what is better – a gas hob or a gas stove, you should pay special attention to their installation. A traditional stove can be installed where there is a central gas connection. If desired, it can be moved even to the middle of the room with the help of additional pipes and with the participation of specialists. At the same time, the gas stove does not need to allocate a niche required for the hob. The latter is “seated” into the mounting cutout on the countertop of the kitchen unit and connected to the gas pipe using a flexible adapter.
3. Possibilities for cooking.
If you cook food only on the burners, then there is no difference between the units under consideration. But you can bake meat or chicken, make a pie and some other dishes only in the oven, which is not available on an independent hob. Modern gas stoves, in addition to their appearance, have equipment that makes daily cooking easier, and also allows you to prepare culinary masterpieces at home. For example, a gas stove from Sigmund Stein in the Provence style is equipped with telescopic guides that will prevent you from getting burned while checking the readiness of dishes. There is also a spit in the stove. You can roast chicken or whole pieces of meat on a spit or grill without leaving your home.
Gas stove Zigmund & Shtain VGG 38.62 X
Control.
A gas stove has one control system, which is responsible for both the operation of the burners and the functioning of the oven. If you install an independent hob, then it will have its own control panel, and the oven will have its own, which is not convenient for everyone.
Gas consumption.
In this regard, the operation of the appliances will be no different if you do not cook in the oven of a traditional stove.
Appearance.
No matter how beautiful a gas stove is, it will still divide the set into two parts and stand out strongly. Therefore, you need to try very hard to choose a model that matches the color of the furniture. The design of hobs is more attractive and varied, which greatly simplifies the selection of options taking into account other kitchen interior items. The Maunfeld hob will fit into any interior. Despite the white surface color, this tempered glass gas panel is easy to clean.
Built-in gas hob Maunfeld EGHG 64.1CW/G
Safety.
For a traditional stove you only need one gas outlet, and for separate connection of the panel and oven - two. This complicates installation and reduces fire safety.
Price.
If you buy an independent cooktop with a separate oven, you will have to spend more than on a traditional stove.
Criterias of choice
To make the right choice and purchase convenient and functional kitchen appliances, you need to consider different types based on certain criteria. These include:
- Dimensions. An extremely important indicator when purchasing. In the end, it won't matter so much what features a device has if it can't be installed in a small kitchen. If the size of the room allows, then dimensions are not such an important parameter.
- Price. When purchasing kitchen appliances, every buyer strives to purchase high-quality and functional appliances at the best price, so this selection criterion is also important.
- External qualities. The times when the same gas models were installed in every kitchen are long gone. Now these are not only functional, but also stylish elements of a kitchen set. Recently, more and more attention has been paid to the appearance of the device.
- Energy consumption. When the cost of electricity increases, this indicator must be taken into account.
- Technical capabilities. A modern kitchen stove has a number of functions that speed up and simplify the cooking process.
- Easy to install. This indicator also follows when purchasing, especially if the installation is planned on your own or the equipment is purchased as a replacement for an existing one, and not in the process of repair work.
These criteria are mandatory when choosing between different kitchen devices. In this case, the list can be supplemented with your own specific requirements.
Using the word in speech with examples
The word “burner” and its derivatives are widely used in speech.
The samovar was used in the tea traditions of the 19th century. You can see the samovar burner in paintings depicting merchants. In the work of M. Gorky “The Life of Klim Samgin” there is a sentence: He (Samgin) stood in the middle of the room, watching steam burst out of the samovar, enveloping the kettle on the burner.
In these sentences, the word denotes a part of the cooking plate:
- I placed a kettle on the second burner. I remember all the little things of my past life: gypsies in the open air, a strange stove with burners.
- The burner was red hot.
- There are just enough coals left to light the burner.
MATERIALS OF MANUFACTURE
When understanding what is better - a gas stove or a panel, one cannot ignore the materials used by manufacturers to produce devices of these two types. Traditional stoves are usually created from stainless steel or metal with an enamel coating. Hobs are exactly the same, but they have one advantage - the use of glass ceramics. Models made using the gas-on-glass technology look more elegant and fit better into the interior than bulky stoves. They are also equipped with stable grilles that protect the glass ceramics from possible damage.
In pursuit of savings
When buying a hob, it is important not only to look at the cost of the model, but also to calculate how much its operation costs. From the above advantages, the conclusion suggests itself: an induction furnace uses electricity more economically, so its operation is much cheaper. But at the same time , the price of a new induction cooker is higher than an electric stove .
It is also worth considering the cost of purchasing new cookware if there is no hob suitable for the burners.
Modes
Since there are many of them, it is worth paying attention to the main ones: heating source (upper, lower, combined - variety is a plus in this case); the presence of a fan for convection and cooking with steam (and the fan also reduces the required heating level and speeds up the cooking process); grill (optional); maintaining the temperature (the main thing is not to dry it out), defrosting, heating (the microwave can handle the latter). Additionally, there is a backlight (without it you will have to shine a flashlight or constantly open the door).
There is no information in the oven descriptions about what tricks it allows you to do - all this can be found in the user manual. They will tell you that the oven can tidy up stale bread (although it will be “disposable” and will have to be eaten quickly). Or pizza: the presence of a separate mode does not mean that without it you will have to forget about the Italian pancake. The manuals usually list combinations (temperatures and tray positions) for pastries, cakes, juliennes and other strange things - that is, all these dishes can be prepared without “dedicated” modes.
Incredible, but true: enough heating from everywhere, a fan and lighting, the rest is makeweight.
Technology and installation conditions
According to this criterion, the stove definitely wins. To make sure of this when solving the problem of which is better - a stove or a hob, you just need to understand the following nuances:
- The stove can be installed anywhere, without any special restrictions. If this is electrical equipment, professional services of connection specialists will not be required. If you purchase a gas model, then you only need to clearly calculate the dimensions of the installation site when arranging the rest of the furniture, and connection and commissioning is carried out only by energy service employees.
- Hobs are always installed by craftsmen of suitable profile and qualifications, since they must be built into the furniture. In addition, you will first need to prepare the surface of the furniture for installation - make perfectly accurate cuts, without significant gaps or missing centimeters.
Important! If you plan to install new equipment yourself, then use our detailed algorithms for connecting different types of equipment:
- Connect the gas stove.
- How to connect an electric stove yourself?
- Installation of an induction hob.
Advantages and disadvantages
Any technique has positive and negative qualities - this is an axiom. Gas products are still in high demand due to the price, which is the lowest on the household appliances market, and also because blue fuel is cheaper than electrical energy. Installation and connection are carried out by specialists in similar equipment.
The disadvantages are that it is necessary to ensure the laying of a gas pipeline, there is an increased risk of fire, since an open fire is used, and the fuel itself is explosive. The difference between a standard stove and a panel is very significant: the first does not sit well next to furniture, because the body gets very hot, and there are gaps between the stove and cabinet furniture where dust and small debris accumulate.
Electrical surfaces made of glass ceramics have the following positive qualities:
- Aesthetics of appearance.
- The contours of the heating zone are marked on the surface.
- No clunky grilles or rotary switches.
- They are simple and easy to use and have small dimensions.
- The induction version has increased comfort, high efficiency and safety.
Among the disadvantages:
- the cost is much more expensive, this is especially true for induction panels;
- the working surface is quite capricious: as soon as a grain of sugar lands on the heated part of the stove, a small crack immediately appears; maintenance requires special detergents;
- user inattention can lead to chipping and breakage of such a surface;
- Repairs are very expensive, especially replacement after even a small area is broken.
The difference in coverage is huge, each has its own nuances, as well as flaws, so you need to weigh the pros and cons so that the chosen model does not disappoint you during operation.
Surface Features
All users know the individual features of gas and electric stoves from operating experience, so let’s not waste time, but pay attention to the panels.
Familiar appearance
The best representatives of gas surfaces have burners with two or even three rows of perforations, which significantly increases the heating time of the dishes. The kit necessarily includes an economy nozzle, sometimes equipped with a device that hides open fire for uniform heating of the bottom of the cookware.
The gas hob is made of glass ceramics, which guarantees a rather stylish appearance; according to users, it is very convenient to cook on such splendor, and cleaning is not difficult. The burners are protected by durable original grates made of cast iron or steel coated with heat-resistant enamel.
New technologies
Glass ceramics have firmly entered the everyday life of Russian users; it has a number of advantages over enameled surfaces, but is afraid of mechanical stress: it is easily scratched even by sugar or salt crystals, not to mention pinpoint impacts that can split it. As for a simple electric stove, it only heats up in the area where the burners are installed, while an induction panel has no surface heating at all.
Such hobs are already being replaced by mirror glass panels, which have similar advantages, but cost much less, decorate the kitchen interior many times better and are not afraid of mechanical impact from falling small objects. A lot can be said about the advantages of conventional gas and glass-ceramic built-in panels; they perform well in operation and have individual advantages, but the main thing is safety. For new surfaces it is much higher than for gas stoves.
The nuances of an independent oven
Many users are still not aware of the difference between an oven and an ordinary oven installed in a standard stove. The main differences between electric and gas ovens are known to everyone: the former are much more powerful, and their baked goods turn out more appetizing, with a fragrant golden brown crust. They are not very different in size: the same standard is 600x600 mm, but models are available with a width in the range of 700-900 mm, however, their cost is high.
They are installed independently, i.e. it is not necessary to build them under the countertop. Many users place them separately and above the table for convenient use, and bright lighting helps to monitor the cooking process. An autonomous cabinet is available in gas or electric, but the former has a smaller range, because it is in little demand: making a separate connection is unprofitable for many buyers.
The electric option has a number of advantages:
- location at eye level;
- ease of connection;
- delay start timer;
- several modes;
- Some models have a microwave mode - you can save money and space in the kitchen by purchasing two in one.
The disadvantages are similar to all the negative qualities that are inherent in electrical equipment.
Electric stoves
Classic electric stoves with burners in the form of cast iron “pancakes” are gradually becoming a thing of the past. They have been replaced by modern models with glass-ceramic surfaces.
If gas stoves have improved more externally, then electric stoves have changed radically. Completely different designs of stoves and even electric stoves with new operating principles appeared.
The most progressive among them are induction models. These are multifunctional electrical appliances that not only allow you to cook quickly and comfortably, but can also decorate the interior of your kitchen with their beautiful appearance. Instead of the protruding burners of outdated models, there is now a perfectly smooth mirror glass surface.
There are also many pleasant and useful options in controlling the device.
How safe are household appliances?
Unlike conventional electric stoves, modern models are safer to use. Comparing electric and induction hobs, we can say that the former are significantly inferior to the latter in terms of safety. In addition to the fact that an induction cooker does not heat its surface, it does not require increased vigilance during cooking, as happens when working with an electric one.
Also produced models of hobs (both induction and electric) have additional functions:
- child protection and control lock;
- overheat protection;
- residual heat indicator;
- auto shutdown;
- utensil recognition sensor.
WHICH DEVICES TO GIVE PREFERENCE
So, taking into account the considered pros and cons of gas stoves and gas panels, we can conclude that both deserve the attention of modern housewives. If you don’t want to experience installation difficulties, allocate a large sum for purchase and get used to the dual control system, you should choose a regular stove. In addition, this option is more convenient for older people who are accustomed to rotary switches and standard forms. In other cases, we recommend taking a closer look at the hobs. They take up less space in the kitchen, look more beautiful and fit perfectly with any interior. And in terms of cooking (if you don’t take into account the oven), they are no different from conventional stoves.
If you liked our article, please like it, we will be pleased. You can also subscribe to our channel and find out useful information.
Noise level
According to this indicator, the induction furnace passes on the laurels of the winner to the electric one. The latter is absolutely silent in operation, while the former constantly shows signs of “life”. It makes various sounds, crackles every time the transistor radiator and the fan, hidden from view , are turned on, responsible for cooling the coil.
The resulting noise is not particularly annoying, and over time, stove users do not notice the sounds and completely get used to the “induction” operating mode.
Generalized advantages and disadvantages of induction
Based on all of the above, let’s summarize.
Advantages of this type
- Heating occurs faster than with gas, for example, 5 liters of water boils on induction in 4 minutes, and on gas in 12;
- 4 times more economical than heating element;
- during cooking, you can lay a towel under the frying pan, or simmer dishes without a lid;
- dishes and furniture are not smoked;
- many programs and timers;
- temperature regulation without accidentally extinguishing the fire.
Disadvantages of the induction model
- relatively fragile surface;
- special utensils or adapters are required;
- Aluminum and copper utensils are not suitable;
- for certain models you will have to derive a separate phase.
Rating of the TOP 15 best electric stoves with oven of 2021
| Place | Name | Price |
| TOP 5 best electric stoves with oven in price/quality ratio | ||
| 1 | Beko FSM 67320 GWS | Find out the price |
| 2 | Hansa FCEW53001 | Find out the price |
| 3 | GEFEST 5140 0031 | Find out the price |
| 4 | Beko FSM 67320 GAS | Find out the price |
| 5 | Gorenje EC 6341 XC | Find out the price |
| TOP 5 best 4-burner electric stoves with oven | ||
| 1 | Hansa FCCW53000 | Find out the price |
| 2 | Gorenje EC 5121 WG-B | Find out the price |
| 3 | Beko FFSS 67000 W | Find out the price |
| 4 | Candy TRIO 9503 | Find out the price |
| 5 | GEFEST 6140-03 | Find out the price |
| TOP 5 best 2-burner electric stoves | ||
| 1 | DARINA S EM 521 404 W | Find out the price |
| 2 | Flama CE3201-W | Find out the price |
| 3 | Dream 221H | Find out the price |
| 4 | Dream 15M | Find out the price |
| 5 | Dream 231T | Find out the price |
( 2 ratings, average 5 out of 5 )
