Around 6 months ago, we had a new kitchen installed in our home. It was a room we had wanted done for quite a while as the previous kitchen in our home was quite vile and had been there since we moved in but we couldn't afford to replace it until now. We decided to make the kitchen what we wanted, but without spending an absolute fortune and leaving ourselves struggling for money.

We previously had a gas hob and although I had no trouble cooking on gas, I hated cleaning a gas hob and much preferred the look of an electric hob. I was willing to compromise on a lot of items in the kitchen to keep costs down but I was adamant that I really wanted a touch control electric ceramic hob.

The reason I wanted a hob like this was because I love the clean and sleek look they have. I also wanted the oven and hob to be built into the worktop instead of a stand alone cooker/hob combined that we had previously. We eventually went for the Beko HIC64402T hob. We chose this one as it was available in our catalogue so it would give us extra time to pay it off, but also because it was well priced and looked a decent quality hob. Although Beko isn't a premium brand, we have owned a few products from this brand and have never had a problem with them and their products are well priced so I had no hesitation in choosing this brand.

When it was eventually fitted, I was very impressed with the look of it. As I wanted, it had a lovely smooth, sleek look to it and really set the kitchen off. It was built into a real wood work top and it went perfectly.

Cleaning is a doddle with this hob. Even stubborn marks are removed easily. I simply use cillit bang with a sponge scouring pad and the marks are removed with ease and leave the hob looking really clean and shiny.

The hob has four heating plates, two large and two smaller ones like most other hobs. Each heating plate has nine different power levels. This also has a timer, child lock and an automatic shut off if the hob is left on for too long. I love the touch controls as it makes a real difference to the look of the hob. You can get similar hobs without the touch controls but it just doesn't have the same look to it. A touch control hob such as this one looks far nicer in the kitchen and is easier to clean.

The nine settings make it really easy to control the heat so you don't have anything not getting warm enough or getting too warm that your pans boil over. It is easy to maintain a constant temperature so that your items simmer/boil consistently and therefore cook to exactly how you want them.
The price from my partner's catalogue at present is £269.99, though it was £299.99 when we purchased it. Even at the higher price, this hob is still really well priced in my opinion. Similar products from premium brands can cost twice the price of this and it wasn't unusual for me to find a ceramic hob for £450 whilst I was searching for the one for us.

The dimensions of the hob are 58cm wide x 51cm deep which is around the standard size for a hob. The hob is completely black with only the linings of the heat plates marking the ceramic.

Overall, I am really impressed with this hob and would recommend it to all. It looks fantastic, is easy to control heat on and is ridiculously easy to clean. The price isn't cheap, but it is far cheaper than other similar ceramic hobs on the market so I do this this hob is really good value for money. Thus far, it has proven to be completely reliable too and has never failed to switch on or heat properly in the 5 months or so we have had the hob fitted for.

In summary this is a great touch control ceramic hob and I recommend it to all.