Home » Product Reviews » Smeg Victoria SR964NGH 60cm Gas Hob review
The Smeg Victoria SR964NGH is a 60cm built-in gas hob finished in black enamel, aimed at anyone who wants traditional gas control with a touch of retro styling. With four burners, sturdy cast iron pan supports and an ultra-rapid wok burner, it’s designed to cover everyday family cooking as well as the odd stir-fry night.
Smeg sits firmly in the premium bracket, and this hob reflects that with its Italian build and design-led look rather than a long list of flashy extras. Owners clearly rate it highly, with a strong 4.8 out of 5 score from user reviews, suggesting it delivers where it matters: reliable heat, solid build and simple controls.
If you’re upgrading an older 60cm gas hob and want something smarter and better built without jumping to induction, this model is very much in that sweet spot.
The Smeg Victoria SR964NGH is ideal for small to medium households that mainly cook on the hob for everyday meals. Four burners give you enough space for a couple of pans, a sauce and a frying pan without feeling cramped, while still fitting neatly into a standard 60cm cut-out.
It suits buyers with a mid-range to premium budget who value style as well as function. The black enamel surface and traditional Smeg Victoria aesthetic look particularly at home in classic or shaker-style kitchens, but the low profile works just as well in a more modern setting.
This is a good choice if you’re confident cooking with gas and want that instant heat and visual flame, especially if you regularly use a wok or large frying pan. The dedicated wok burner and ultra-rapid output make it attractive for keen home cooks who want a bit more punch than a basic four-burner hob.
If you’re after lots of tech – timers, child locks, touch controls or smart connectivity – you’ll be better served by a more feature-heavy model or an induction hob. The SR964NGH is aimed at people who prefer straightforward rotary dials and a traditional gas setup.
The standout feature here is the dedicated wok burner. With an ultra-rapid output up to 3.3kW, it delivers quick, intense heat that’s ideal for stir-fries, searing meat or bringing large pots to the boil faster than standard burners.
The cast iron pan supports are another big plus. They feel solid and reassuring under heavier pans, give a more premium look than basic enamel supports, and create a stable cooking surface that makes it easier to slide pans between burners.
Everyday use is streamlined by automatic ignition and simple front-mounted rotary dials. You don’t have to fiddle with a separate ignition button; just turn and the burner lights, which is particularly handy when you’ve only got one free hand.
Safety is well covered for a gas hob, with flame failure devices and automatic safety shut-off. If the flame accidentally goes out, the gas is cut off, providing peace of mind in busy family kitchens.
The hob is also LPG compatible and comes with a conversion kit, making it a flexible option if your home doesn’t have mains gas or you’re installing it in a holiday home or rural property.
For a premium brand hob, the feature set is quite traditional. There’s no built-in timer, no child lock and no extra convenience features such as automatic simmer settings or integrated ignition on each dial beyond the basics.
The enamel surface, while in keeping with the vintage look, is generally more prone to showing marks and can take more effort to keep pristine compared with some modern glass or stainless steel tops.
With only four burners, it will feel limiting if you regularly cook with lots of pans on the go, batch cook in large quantities or cater for bigger households. A 5-burner model with a central wok burner may suit heavier use better.
Finally, the two-year warranty is decent but not exceptional for this price bracket, and you will need a Gas Safe engineer and an electrician to install it correctly, which adds to the total cost if you’re not already budgeting for professional fitting.
Day to day, the Smeg Victoria SR964NGH is very straightforward to live with. The front-mounted rotary dials are clearly laid out, so you can see at a glance which burner you’re adjusting, and you don’t have to lean over hot pans to change the heat.
Automatic ignition built into the controls means lighting the burners is quick and reliable. Just press and turn, and the flame appears, which is particularly helpful when juggling plates, pans and ingredients.
The cast iron pan supports cover the cooking area well, providing a generous, stable platform for everything from small saucepans to wide woks. Their weight adds to the feeling of quality but does mean lifting them off for cleaning takes a little effort.
Cleaning is typical for an enamel gas hob: spills need wiping up reasonably quickly to avoid baked-on marks, but the flat surface around the burners gives you enough room to get a cloth in. The low 3cm profile helps the hob sit flush and neat in the worktop, so it doesn’t dominate the kitchen visually.
Because there’s no electronic timer or touch controls, there’s little to go wrong electronically and almost no learning curve. If you’re used to a basic gas hob, you’ll feel at home straight away, just with better build and more powerful heat on tap.
Performance-wise, this hob is built around four burners with a power range from 1.05kW up to 3.3kW. That spread covers gentle simmering on the smaller burner through to rapid boiling or wok cooking on the ultra-rapid burner, giving you enough control for most recipes.
The dedicated wok burner is the performance highlight. Positioned to take larger pans comfortably, it supplies quick, concentrated heat that helps keep stir-fries crisp rather than stewed. It’s equally handy for tasks like boiling big pots of pasta water or stock without waiting around.
The remaining three burners, in a mix of sizes, give flexible pan placement, so you can have a sauce ticking over gently while something else sears on high heat. The cast iron supports help distribute weight evenly, reducing the risk of smaller pans tipping.
Safety features are solid for a gas hob. A flame failure safety device monitors each burner and cuts the gas if the flame goes out, and the automatic safety shut-off adds another layer of reassurance. This is especially useful in family homes where distractions are common.
From a feature perspective, it’s deliberately simple: rotary controls, automatic ignition, enamel surface and compatibility with both mains gas and LPG (with the included conversion kit). You don’t get advanced electronics or smart functions, but you do get a robust, traditional hob that focuses on reliable heat and everyday practicality.
The Smeg Victoria SR964NGH sits in the premium end of the 60cm gas hob market, and you’re clearly paying for brand, build and design rather than an extensive list of modern extras.
If your priority is the absolute lowest price per burner, there are certainly cheaper hobs that will heat your pans. However, they’re unlikely to match this model’s combination of a powerful wok burner, heavy-duty cast iron supports, Italian build and cohesive retro styling.
The strong 4.8 out of 5 user rating suggests that owners feel they’ve had good return for their money, particularly on reliability and day-to-day performance. For many kitchens, it will feel like a worthwhile upgrade over an entry-level gas hob, especially if you cook a lot and value the feel of a more substantial appliance.
Overall, it offers good value if you specifically want the Smeg Victoria look and appreciate the solid construction and powerful wok burner. If you’re less concerned about aesthetics and just want features per pound, mid-range alternatives with extra functions or a basic induction hob might give you more tech for similar money.
The Smeg Victoria SR964NGH is a well-made, stylish 60cm gas hob that focuses on doing the basics very well. It delivers strong, controllable heat, particularly from the ultra-rapid wok burner, and backs that up with sturdy cast iron supports and reassuring safety features.
It’s best suited to households that value the classic Smeg look and prefer traditional gas control without the fuss of advanced electronics. If you often cook with a wok or large pans, you’ll especially appreciate the extra power available on tap.
Where it falls short is in modern conveniences: there’s no timer, child lock or clever pre-set functions, and the enamel surface will need a bit of care to keep looking its best. For those who want a feature-packed, ultra-modern hob, induction or a more tech-heavy gas model may appeal more.
For everyone else, this is a dependable, good-looking choice that feels built to last and has been warmly received by owners. If your budget stretches to a premium gas hob and you want a blend of character and capability, the SR964NGH is well worth putting on your shortlist.