Venting Hobs - They are not all born the same

In our many conversations with Trade Customers we often hear the phrase "All Venting hobs are the same aren't they ?"

Of course we do not think this is the case , but we are way too polite to argue there and then , however we would like to set out the reasons why we think they are not.

Another classic comment often heard is "we only sell Brand X or Y" ,

This is such a crime against design and so restrictive as it inevitably means that a Mass Market Venting hob

which will be 77 or 87cm wide , with 4 Induction zones will be used 

Plus it will almost certainly require a fixed drawer or modest box directly below the Hob , so no chance of Cutlery drawer directly below.

It is an undeniable fact that the Major brands are constantly seeking to standardise and take the variance out of appliance design in a bid to reduce their costs and thus dominate the market, it really does sometimes feels like a race to mediocrity and blandness , 

This in turn of course leads to knock on effect with the possibilities of design within your plans.

After all is it the job of a Designer to adapt the Kitchen to fit the Hob ? or to provide a Kitchen Design that meets and exceeds the Client's brief ? I think we all know what approach is likely to be more successful ..   

We really all should be thinking at this stage

What if the Client has a smaller kitchen ? or they have a spice kitchen where the majority of the cooking is done ?

Maybe they have an Aga or Everhot Range and they just need supplementary hob cooking ?

Surely a standard 77cm venting hob would be unsuitable ? and a 450mm with 2 cooking zones or a 600mm such as Esistyle would be far more in keeping with the aesthetic and needs of the client ?

Why not consider the Hobby Cook ? are 4 cooking zones going to be enough for their cooking adventures ?

We all know how popular 5 zone induction hobs have been over the years , does the extra zone become

un-necessary just because Brand B does not produce that layout ?

Brands like Novy with their Panorama and Esistyle with their Twins 110 and 118cm wide models have looked at this and have developed models which grasp this concept.

Then we come to the often ignored issue of the Cutlery drawer,

For as long as their have been Kitchen Designers they have planned Cutlery drawers directly below the Hob ,now there has to be a modesty block or a fixed drawer directly below the Venting Hob ,

The Mass market brands have chosen to avoid this issue , either through a lack of desire , the specialist expertise required or maybe the financial will .

Therefore customers have to compromise ...... well they will not have to anymore !

this Autumn Esistyle have released the Recta Slim "Drawerline" Venting Hob 

Uniquely freeing up and revolutionising the furniture surrounding the Venting hob and allowing the consumers what they have been used to all their lives and have had to compromise up to now  

This highlights how specialist brands such as Esistyle and Novy have the ability to assess problems , listen to the market and developed solutions to real issues within the Kitchen .

Something we know that Kitchen Designers do everyday of their lives .

Of course the really successful Designers separate themselves from the mere Planners by being Innovative with their designs , providing those solutions to real issues and elevating their offering to a place where their competition cannot reach.

Be it through the furniture , the appliances they use or their sheer ingenuity and

So really the question is .........

By choosing to use an appliance brand that aims for the the standard and mass market , how will you ever be able to achieve the special , the different and the downright unique that you need to free up the design around the Hob area ?

Hopefully this has made you think about this issue , we would love to discuss this further

maybe Esistyle or one of the specialist brands is absolutely right for you ? Maybe it isn't ?

But one thing is certain, brands like Esistyle think much the same way you do about Kitchen Design and they are not solely concerned with the business of shifting appliance boxes in volume.

Happy Designing and a prosperous end to the year



Andy Aris

07958 232606