Best Hobs with Hi-Light Burners

The built-in cooktop by Hansa is a solution at the intersection of entry-level and mid-range segments. The model features a glass-ceramic work surface, which looks striking in the interior and is quite easy to maintain. Moreover, it is manufactured by the reputable company Schott Ceran, providing additional confirmation of its high temperature resistance, durability, and overall reliability.

The Hansa BHC63366 is quite standard in dimensions for a four-burner solution — 58x52 cm. It is equipped with Hi-Light zones with 9 power level settings. There are two identical small burners (14.5 cm diameter, 1.2 kW each) located at the left rear and right front. The right rear heating zone is considered medium — 18 cm and 1.8 kW, while the left front is the largest and most powerful — 21 cm and 2.3 kW respectively. This combination of burners allows the use of pots and pans of different sizes.

A simple touch control panel with child lock is provided for interacting with the device. Additional features include an automatic power reduction system, eliminating the need for the user to manually "lower the heat."

The downside of the model is the lack of a timer, which most electric panels have today. If this is not a critical issue for you, the Hansa BHC63366 is a solid choice with an excellent price-quality ratio.

The cooktop by the well-known Slovenian brand Gorenje will not only be a reliable assistant but also a decoration for your kitchen. The black glass-ceramic surface stands out against competitors' classic white color, but keep in mind that such a panel requires constant maintenance. Strangely, dark surfaces are more prone to markings than light ones: fingerprints, minor scratches, and even dust are clearly visible on it. So, if you want to maintain its original appearance — daily thorough cleaning is necessary.

Under the glass are four circles representing the heating zones, with a touch control panel at the front. The buttons respond instantly to presses and provide audible alerts, and most importantly, they do not heat up. The control itself is quite simple and intuitive, although it is still better to familiarize oneself with the instructions before first use.

Despite its low price, the Gorenje ECT 644 BCSC offers useful features that will surely appeal to users who value their time and convenience. First of all, the surface can accommodate almost any size of cookware. Two regular burners with a diameter of 14.5 cm and a power of 1.2 kW are intended for small pots and pans. But the most interesting features are the two expandable zones: the first one with 12 or 21 cm (0.8/2.2 kW), and the second one with 12 or 18 cm (0.7/1.7 kW). There is no need to measure anything, as circles indicate the required bottom diameter, and in the contour burners, they are paired.

Finally, let's proceed to the device's functionality. It features residual heat indication for each burner, child lock, and a countdown timer that automatically turns off the heating. Of course, their usefulness is not underestimated, but most models are equipped with such features. Among the less common but equally useful ones is the StayWarm heating, keeping the dish's temperature at 70 degrees for late arrivals to family dinners, and the StopGo pause, which allows temporarily halting cooking (e.g., to clean stove stains) and resumes operation with the saved settings.

The Bosch electric cooktop is a representative of the 2022 Serie 6 line. The manufacturer positions the appliance as a comfort-class solution. Convenient controls and additional options confirm this status.

Thus, Bosch PKF 631 FP3E not only suggests 17 levels of heating power but also features a DirectSelect touch panel, allowing you to select the desired intensity with one touch. In addition to the timer and child safety lock, there are ReStart and Cleaning pause functions. The first recovers the set settings if the appliance is accidentally switched off, while the second allows wiping the surface during operation (without altering the working parameters).

Additionally, there's an energy consumption indicator: when the model is turned off, the total electricity consumption for the last session is displayed for 10 seconds.

Aside from two standard small (14.5 cm diameter) 1200-watt Hi-Light zones, one contour burner is offered — rear left. It can accommodate small dishes (12 cm) as well as large cookware (21 cm). And the peak power accordingly varies from 750 to 2200 watts. Plus, for quick heating, there's the fourth zone (front, right) at 18 cm. It supports the PowerBoost mode, temporarily increasing the power from 2 to 2.3 kW.

All "four" burners have a 2-level residual heat indication. It increases operational safety and helps use the device more efficiently (for example, maintaining the temperature of freshly cooked dishes without extra energy costs). The heaters are hidden under stylish, perfectly smooth glass-ceramic from the reputable manufacturer Schott Ceran. This is another argument in favor of Bosch PKF 631 FP3E — a practical, functional, and reliable cooktop.

The built-in cooktop by Samsung can be considered a solid mid-range market player. It uses a quality glass-ceramic surface made by EuroKera. The material looks impressive, is easy to clean from dirt, does not scratch from utensils, and resists impacts and high temperatures better than noname analogs.

Sensory controls help with operating the Samsung NZ64T3516AK. They make it easy to select one of the 9 available heating power levels and set a timer for any of the burners. For child safety, the controls can be easily locked. To ensure safety, residual heat indication and automatic shutdown of the device when idle are also provided.

Users have four Hi-Light burners at their disposal. This set is quite versatile for different kitchen tasks — whether it is reheating, slow simmering, or quick boiling of water. The front right and rear left heating zones are identical. Their diameter is 14.8 cm, and the maximum power is 1200 watts.

On the front left is an expandable (contour) burner of 2200 watts. It can "accept" small ladles (12.9 cm diameter) or large pots or pans (21.5 cm). The fourth burner (rear right) is also expandable, but it can turn into an oval one of 26.5 cm and 2400 watts when needed. Such a form factor is excellent for goose dishes and other elongated cookware.

The Samsung NZ64T3516AK is an interesting cooktop with a balanced set of heating zones.

A representative of the iQ100 Siemens line, in the brand's hierarchy, belongs to the initial solutions. However, analyzing the market as a whole, the model can be classified as a mid-range segment.

Despite its economy status, the Siemens ET 61RBEA1E features premium glass-ceramics manufactured by Schott Ceran. This is a quality material with increased resistance to scratches and other impacts (e.g., intense thermal).

With standard built-in dimensions (560x490 mm), the cooktop is equipped with 4 Hi-Light burners. On the front left and rear right are two small (14.5 cm) 1.2 kW zones, suitable for reheating food and cooking meals for children. On the rear left is a medium-sized (18 cm) 2000-watt burner for universal use. On the front right is the largest and most powerful (21 cm and 2.2 kW respectively) burner for quick heating.

The device's operation is controlled by a touch panel. Among other things, it provides flexible power setting — 9 primary and 8 intermediate values, that is, a total of 17 variations, among which optimal parameters can be found for a specific culinary task.

The model features a number of useful options, not limited to automatic shutdown during idle or child safety lock. For example, 2-level residual heat indication for each zone shows when the burner is hot enough to melt butter or chocolate and when it is just warm. There's also a quick restart: if the appliance is accidentally turned off but immediately turned back on, all previously set settings will be restored.

However, the timer seems to have been forgotten, which is a downside of the model. In other respects, the Siemens ET 61RBEA1E is a solid cooktop from a reputable brand.