The AEG IKB64431XB is our premium pick: a 60 cm induction hob that adds a flexible bridge zone and optional Hob2Hood control to four powerful rings. It costs more than the all-rounders, and for keen cooks it earns it. Here's where it shines, and where it doesn't.
AEG sits at the upper end of the mainstream hob market, and the IKB64431XB shows why. It takes the fundamentals every good induction hob shares and adds two genuinely useful extras: a bridge zone that links two rings into one long cooking area, and Hob2Hood, which lets the hob control a paired AEG extractor. The result is a hob that suits people who cook a lot and want flexibility, rather than the bare minimum, and that makes it our premium recommendation.
| Model | Price | Width | Controls | Bridge zone | Rating | Link | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ★ Top pick AEG IKB64431XB 60cm Induction Hob | £449.99 | 60 cm (4 zones) | Touch slider with 9 power levels | Yes, two zones combine | ★ 4.5 | View → |
£449.99
60 cm (4 zones) · Touch slider with 9 power levels · Yes, two zones combine
The verdict from Freya Lindqvist, kitchen appliance tester
A polished premium choice. The AEG IKB64431XB pairs four powerful zones with a bridge function that links two of them into one long cooking area, ideal for a griddle plate or a fish kettle. Add the optional Hob2Hood feature, which talks to a paired AEG extractor and adjusts the fan automatically, and you have a genuinely clever hob. You pay for the badge and the extras, but the build and the bridge zone justify it for keen cooks.
Glides smoothly between heat levels and the bridge zone heats a long pan with real evenness.
This hob is for the keen cook who wants more than four round zones and is happy to pay for it. The headline reason to choose it is the bridge function: link two zones and you have a single long heating area at one power level, which is exactly what a rectangular griddle plate, a fish kettle or a roasting tin needs. On an ordinary four-zone hob those pans heat in the middle and stay cold at the ends; here they cook evenly. If you regularly use large or odd-shaped cookware, that alone can justify the step up.
It's less obviously worth it if you only ever cook with round pans and have no AEG extractor. In that case you're paying a premium mostly for the finish, and a four-zone all-rounder like the Bosch Series 6 will cook your food just as well for less. Be honest about whether you'll actually use the bridge zone and Hob2Hood, because those are what your extra money buys.
The four standard zones are quick and powerful, with PowerBoost to push a pan up to heat fast. The bridge zone is the star, though: combine two rings and you get even, controllable heat down the whole length of a griddle, so pancakes or a row of chops cook at the same rate from end to end. It's the kind of feature that sounds niche until you have it, and then you wonder how you managed without it for batch cooking.
The touch slider moves smoothly through nine power levels, and the hob holds a low simmer reliably. Heat changes are instant, as they should be on induction, and the response is consistent across all the zones including the bridged pair. For careful cooking, reducing a sauce or melting chocolate, it's precise and predictable, which is what you want from a hob in this class.
Hob2Hood is the convenience extra. Paired with a compatible AEG cooker hood, the hob automatically adjusts the extractor fan and light as you cook, so you don't have to reach up and fiddle with the hood mid-recipe. It only works with an AEG extractor, so it's a real bonus if you have or plan to buy one and irrelevant if you don't. The hob itself feels suitably premium: a clean bevelled edge, a tidy glass surface and crisp controls, all of which reinforce that this is a hob you pay a little more for.
The IKB64431XB's drawbacks are straightforward. It costs more than the four-zone hobs that cook everyday meals just as well, so the premium only pays off if you use the bridge zone or value the finish. And Hob2Hood, one of its selling points, only functions with a paired AEG extractor, so if your hood is from another brand that feature simply sits unused. Neither is a flaw in the hob, but both are worth weighing honestly. If you want premium cooking without the bridge-zone premium, the Bosch Series 6 is the more economical route to a hob that lasts.
The bridge zone links two of the hob's cooking zones into one long heating area at a single power level. That is exactly what you want for a rectangular griddle plate, a fish kettle or a roasting tin, where a single round zone would heat the middle and leave the ends cold. For keen cooks it is the headline reason to choose this hob.
Yes. Hob2Hood lets the hob talk to a compatible AEG cooker hood and adjust the extractor fan and light automatically as you cook, but it only works with a paired AEG extractor. If you already have or plan to buy an AEG hood it is a genuinely useful convenience; if not, you simply lose that one feature.
If you value the bridge zone, the premium finish and Hob2Hood, yes. It costs more than a plain four-zone all-rounder for similar everyday cooking, so the premium really buys you the flexible bridge function and the build. If you only ever cook with round pans, a cheaper four-zone hob will serve you just as well.
The AEG IKB64431XB is our premium pick because it adds genuinely useful flexibility, the bridge zone above all, to a well-built and precise induction hob. For keen cooks who use large or rectangular pans, or who already own an AEG extractor, it's money well spent. For everyone else, the extras may go unused, and the Bosch Series 6 or the value Samsung NZ64H will deliver the same everyday cooking for less. Whichever way you lean, check our buying guide and the standard 60 cm options before you commit, and make sure your kitchen has the wiring a built-in hob needs.