Built-in Hob vs Freestanding Gas Cooker Sri Lanka: Cost, Fit and Cleaning

Choosing between a built-in hob and a freestanding gas cooker is usually decided by your counter, your budget and whether you plan to move. This guide compares the two for Sri Lankan kitchens: how each is installed, what it costs at Green Life, how easy it is to clean, and which suits a rented home, so you pick the right gas cooker the first time.

What is the difference between a built-in hob and a freestanding gas cooker?

A built-in hob is a flat cooking top that sits in a hole cut into the kitchen counter, so only the glass or steel top shows. The gas pipe and connections sit underneath, inside the cabinet.

A freestanding gas cooker (a table-top stove) stands on the counter on its own feet. It connects to the cylinder with a hose and regulator, and you can lift it and move it.

How do they compare side by side?

What do they cost at Green Life?

Stock on hobs is limited, so check the product page before you plan the counter around one.

Which suits a family that cooks a lot?

A hob. Four or five burners let you cook rice, two curries and a mallum at the same time. The 5 burner black glass hob adds a centre multi-ring burner for a wok or a big pot, and five front knobs control each burner separately. Our 2, 3 or 4 burners guide helps you match burners to your cooking.

Which suits a rented home or a small budget?

A freestanding cooker. You do not cut the landlord's counter, it costs far less, and it moves with you. The Green Life 2 burner stainless steel cooker has electronic auto ignition and two cosmo burners, which covers rice and curry side by side for a small family.

What do you need to install a built-in hob?

• A counter cut-out to the size given in the hob's manual; measure before you cut and ask us if you are unsure.
• Space under the counter for the gas connection, with the cylinder valve and regulator easy to reach.
• Good ventilation in the kitchen, and the cylinder kept upright.
• A qualified person to make and leak-test the gas connection.

The 4 burner stainless steel hob can also sit on the countertop if you are not ready to cut the counter, and its battery ignition lights the burners without mains power.

Glass top or stainless steel top?

Glass looks sleek and wipes clean in one pass, but needs care not to drop heavy pots on it. Stainless steel shrugs off knocks and hides small scratches. Our glass top vs stainless steel guide compares them in detail.