For a vegetable curry cooked alongside rice, a tempering pan and a side dish, start with a four-zone hob that has room for your actual pans. Consider a bridge or flex-zone induction model if a wide or oval curry vessel is a regular part of the meal; otherwise, separate usable zones may matter more. Induction requires compatible cookware, and any built-in hob must match the worktop opening and electrical installation.
If the curry pot, rice saucepan, tempering pan and a side dish are often on the hob together, check how those pans fit across the zones. Four zones on the specification sheet do not, by themselves, tell you whether your widest pans can sit side by side.
A wide kadai or oval casserole may make the shape of the cooking area more important than the number of zones. AEG describes a bridge function on the SO64IB00FB, while Hotpoint describes a flexible area on the TB 7960C BF; check how the arrangement fits your usual vessel.
If you want induction for family meals, check the bases of the pans you already use before choosing a model. Bosch advises that induction needs ferromagnetic cookware; the selected hob must also fit the kitchen and have a suitable electrical connection.
Choose around the pans you use for the whole meal, not just the main curry pot. Induction and radiant ceramic hobs also heat differently, so cookware and installation checks belong in the decision.
Consider it: When several separate pans need space at the same time.
Check: The pans must have induction-compatible bases, and their sizes must suit the zone layout.
Consider it: When a wide or unusually shaped vessel regularly needs a larger cooking area.
Check: The linked area must suit that vessel; a bridge feature does not replace the need to plan space for the other pans.
Consider it: When you prefer conventional electric heating after comparing the particular hob with your cookware and cooking routine.
Bear in mind: Elements heat beneath the glass, and the surface can remain hot after cooking.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Space for several pans | Compare usable zone positions with the bases of your curry pot, rice saucepan, tempering pan and side-dish pan. | If I cook the curry and its accompaniments together, I need room to use my everyday pans without crowding them. Around 36% of consumers put separate cooking space first. |
| Room for a large vessel | Check whether the exact model has a bridge or flex area and which pan shapes and base sizes fit it. | A wide kadai or oval casserole drives my choice when it will not suit an ordinary zone; around 29% of consumers prioritise large-vessel flexibility. |
| Heat and simmer control | Look at the model’s power settings, boost function and per-zone timer options; check how each function operates. | I need to change the heat as the curry moves from cooking to simmering while other dishes continue. For around 21% of consumers, that control is the primary concern. |
| Cookware and installation | For induction, check pan bases; for any built-in hob, confirm the cut-out, connection method and electrical requirements. | Keeping my current pans or avoiding changes to the worktop and electrical connection matters most to me; around 14% of consumers put compatibility first. |
The curry pot may be your most important pan, but every pan you plan to use on induction needs a suitable ferromagnetic base. Bosch also advises matching the pan base to the cooking zone.
Check each regularly used pot, kadai and saucepan against the induction cookware guidance and the intended zone sizes before ordering.
Pans without suitable bases may need replacing if you switch to induction.
A hob described as 60 cm wide still has a model-specific worktop opening and connection requirement. AEG specifies a 560 × 490 mm cut-out and hardwired installation for the SO64IB00FB.
Give the exact installation instructions to the installer and check the opening, required clearances, electrical load and connection before purchase.
A mismatch can mean worktop alteration or electrical work before the hob can be fitted.
A bridge or flex area addresses particular pan shapes and sizes. AEG describes linked zones on the SO64IB00FB, while Hotpoint describes using the TB 7960C BF flexible area for two pans or one extra-large pot.
If you normally cook in several separate, conventionally sized pans, check their simultaneous placement before making a large-pan feature the deciding factor.
These models illustrate different zone layouts and connection requirements; features vary within each brand’s range.
Bosch offers examples of both four-zone induction and four-zone radiant electric hobs.
The SO64IB00FB is a 60 cm-class induction example for households considering a linked cooking area.
The TB 7960C BF is an induction example with a flexible area and manufacturer-described cooking functions.
These built-in induction hobs cover four-zone cooking and, on some models, a flexible area for larger cookware. For each one, compare your usual pans with its zone layout and check the installation instructions before choosing.
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Consider its flexible bridge when a large curry vessel needs more space, while checking how your other pans fit around it.
The product name specifies four cooking zones, touch controls and a boost mode. Check the worktop opening and electrical connection against the installation instructions.
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Area Flex is relevant if a larger curry vessel is part of your regular cooking; check which pans fit the flexible area and the remaining zones.
Confirm the required worktop cut-out, electrical connection and induction cookware guidance for this model before ordering.
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Consider this four-zone layout if separate pans for curry, rice and sides are the priority; compare their bases with the zones before choosing.
Check the worktop cut-out and hardwired installation requirements, as well as the compatibility of each regularly used pan.
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The four-zone layout is worth checking if you usually make curry and several accompaniments at once; make sure your pans fit its cooking areas.
The product name specifies touch controls, nine power levels and a booster function. Check its pan-size guidance, worktop opening and electrical requirements before installation.
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Consider the four-zone layout for cooking curry and separate side dishes, provided your usual pans fit and have induction-compatible bases.
The product name specifies hardwired installation. Check the exact worktop cut-out and electrical requirements for this model; it is not the Bosch PUE611BB5B Plug & Play model described above.
Only if the pans you intend to use lack induction-compatible bases. Bosch advises using ferromagnetic cookware; check the curry pot and every regularly used saucepan individually, then compare their base sizes with the hob’s zones.
No: nominal width does not establish the required cut-out or electrical connection. AEG specifies a 560 × 490 mm cut-out and hardwired connection for the SO64IB00FB, while Bosch describes the different PUE611BB5B model as Plug & Play. Use the installation instructions for the exact hob you choose.
No; check the requirements where the hob will be installed rather than assuming one UK-wide procedure. Electrical Safety First discusses Part P for homes in England and Wales and distinguishes the systems used in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Have the selected model’s connection requirements assessed before work begins.
No. A bridge function can provide a larger area for a suitably shaped pan, but it does not automatically leave enough separate space for the rice, tempering pan and sides. Decide whether your usual difficulty is one oversized vessel or several pans at once, then check the exact zone layout.