Gas hob. Gaggenau v Miele v Smeg....

[orangina]

Hi there...

Help! I have made thousands of decisions relating to the house refurbishment and I have just about run out of steam... Just finalising kitchen appliances, and I had decided on a lovely Gaggenau gas hob, which was stretching our budget to the limits, but (somehow) justifiable. Unfortunately, the hob in question is now discontinued, so am having to re-decide. The original hob was 80cm wide and quite robust in design and I loved it. here it is.

The options I have been provided with (am sourcing through a kitchen supplier who is getting me v good prices) are as follows:

Gaggenau new options: this which isn't the same aesthetic at all, plus it is 90cm wide, which is really too wide.
or
this, which I prefer, but is much more £££ and is also 90cm wide.

So, I am looking at Miele. Specifically this which is cost effective compared to the Gaggenau. Plus it is 775mm wide which suits me better.

Should I also be thinking of a Smeg? I always felt that they were all looks and not so much function, but would love to hear from anyone who has a Miele or Smeg gas hob and either loves it or loathes it.

Or should I bite the bullet and go for a Gaggenau, come what may?

I have this Smeg hob, it is 90cm though. And I love it. Especially the wok ring in the middle.

I chose it because it has the knobs on the side rather than along the front. On the side is better for me - don't accidentally move them with my boobs when I bend over!!

Looks great PickyParent... do you happen to know the model number?

Smeg Classic PGF95-4 90cm 5 Burner Ultra Low Profile Gas Hob, Stainless Steel

You should NOT be thinking of Smeg EVER, really appalling quality and dreadful customer service.

Sorry pickyparent!

I'm sure they're good when there are no issues but I have had an oven,dishwasher and my mum's dishwasher broke within a year too.

Took us a year to get it resolved! I honestly would avoid anything Smeg at all costs.

Meile - yes!

We had terrible trouble with Smeg as well. One of the gas burners broke within a few months so you couldn't vary the heat at all. All the numbers around the dials peeled off too. Shocking for a cooker that cost over a grand. No one at Smeg wanted to know and we never did manage to get the burner fixed.

This was 10 years ago mind, but it's put me off Smeg completely.

Thank you all....

DameDiazepam, I had heard horror stories before, but none from the horse's mouth, so to speak, so wasn't sure whether they had got their act together and sorted things out. Do you have a Miele hob? Am thinking I will end up going down that road.....

No, but have two friends who do.

Bosch? I have an induction Bosch oven and it's amazing and would replace it with another when the time comes.

Slightly OT but I saw a SMEG toaster for sale just the other day - a bargain at £139 - yes that was sale price. It isn't like you can do much with the concept of a toaster to improve its value! Therefore I'm going to assume SMEG anything is bog-standard stuff with a horrifically overpriced price tag.

I have a Miele induction hob and I just wouldn't have gas. I have gas in my second home and I just don't see any advantage to it over induction. The induction hob is a wonderful invention! Mine is 90 cm but I would not get a cheap one.

No to Smeg. Style over substance.

I have the same hob as PickyParent

I too was absolutely totally going to avoid Smeg but had the same sort of last minute issues as OP. The reasons I love it are;

The wok burner

The controls on the side which means the rings are spaced further apart front to back (I cook often with multiple big pans)

You can securely drag pans from ring to ring because the iron grids are weighty and there are no gaps for pans to tilt into

For stainless it is fairly easy to clean, spills stay in a zone and there are curves not corners under the racks.

The low profile means the top is pretty flush with the worktop which is a nice aesthetic to me. This does mean you lose some height under it in the drawer or cupboard.

6 months on I am very pleased. I figured there was less to go wrong in a gas hob than oven, dishwasher etc. Fingers crossed.

see I'd go with an induction as they are so much easier to maintain than gas and cheaper to run

I spent some months dithering over the gas v induction question, but I have decided on gas and my mind is totally made up. Induction may easier to keep clean, but having lived in a flat for the last few months with a good gas hob, I have remembered why I love gas so much.

Ok, I will not consider Smeg. Think I will probably go for the 80cm wide Miele. It also has a wok burner in the centre, which I really like. Very similar robust aesthetics as the Gaggenau I originally wanted, but (hopefully) cheaper.

Are you aware Gaggenau is posh Bosch/Neff/Siemens. Same company.

I would go Miele out of your list.
Appliances are the family business so speak from retailing and supporting aftercare.

Thanks Buckinghambae..... think I will go for Miele, they do have a good reputation. Had no idea that Gaggenau was the same company as Bosch/Neff/Siemens... think I would still have gone for original Gaggenau choice if it was still available, but there we are.
Thank you all...

Always Miele, never Smeg! Miele cleans up well. I see ovens, hobs, extractors on a day to day basis with my job and you can see the difference even just on the pan rack as it's much stronger. We just had an extension and new kitchen. I've got a simens hob 5 rings and extractor. Couldn't stretch for Miele! Shame...