Home » Product Reviews » Smeg Victoria SR964NGH 60cm Gas Hob review
The Smeg Victoria SR964NGH is a 60cm built-in gas hob with classic styling, finished in gloss black enamel with chunky cast iron pan supports. It aims to blend the brand’s retro look with the everyday practicality busy households need.
With four burners including a powerful wok zone, automatic ignition and front-mounted rotary dials, it is a straightforward, traditional hob rather than a feature-packed smart appliance. The price sits in the more premium end of the 60cm gas hob market, reflecting Smeg’s design-led approach and Italian build.
Owners rate it very highly, with an average score of 4.8 out of 5 from a solid number of reviews, suggesting that real-world reliability and ease of use largely live up to the stylish first impression.
The Smeg Victoria SR964NGH is ideal for households that want a traditional 60cm gas hob but do not want to compromise on looks. If you are updating a classic or shaker-style kitchen and want the hob to match other Smeg Victoria appliances, this model will sit neatly in that design scheme.
With four burners and three different burner sizes, it suits couples and families who cook most days, from simple weekday meals to more involved weekend dishes. The dedicated wok burner will particularly appeal if you enjoy stir-fries or dishes that need fast, high heat.
Budget-wise, it is best for buyers prepared to pay a little extra for brand, build and styling rather than simply chasing the cheapest 60cm hob. If you are fitting out a rental on a tight budget, there are more basic, lower-cost alternatives.
It is also a good fit for users who prefer straightforward controls. Front-mounted rotary dials, automatic ignition and no complicated timers or touchscreens make it an easy step up from an older gas hob, even if you are not especially tech-savvy.
The standout strength of the Smeg Victoria SR964NGH is its combination of classic looks and solid build. The enamel surface and heavy cast iron pan supports give it a substantial, premium feel and create a stable platform for everything from small saucepans to large casseroles.
Performance is helped by a dedicated ultra-rapid wok burner, which delivers quick, intense heat for searing, boiling water in large pans or rapid cooking. The remaining burners cover lower and mid power needs, so you can simmer sauces gently while cooking something more vigorous alongside.
Usability is refreshingly simple. Automatic ignition on the rotary dials means you can light burners with one hand, and the front control layout keeps everything easily in reach without leaning over hot pans. There is also a flame failure safety device and automatic safety shut-off, giving peace of mind if a flame is blown out.
The hob is LPG compatible and supplied with a conversion kit, which is a real advantage if you are on bottled gas or planning a future move to a property without mains gas.
For a 60cm hob, the feature set is fairly traditional. If you are looking for extras like a built-in timer, control panel lock or modern touch controls, they are not present here. Some families may miss the child lock, especially with the controls mounted at the front.
The enamel surface, while attractive, will usually require a little more care to keep looking its best than some stainless steel or glass surfaces. Spills left to bake on can be more fiddly to clean, especially around the pan supports.
The price is on the premium side for a four-burner 60cm gas hob, largely due to the Smeg brand and Victoria styling rather than a long list of advanced functions. Buyers purely focused on performance per pound could find better-equipped or cheaper options if they are not committed to the aesthetic.
Finally, installation does require both an electrician (to attach the plug or cable) and a Gas Safe registered engineer for the gas connection, with a hose not included. That is standard for many gas hobs, but it is worth factoring into your total cost.
Day to day, the Smeg Victoria SR964NGH feels pleasantly straightforward. Automatic ignition means burners light with a twist and push of the dial, so there is no juggling matches or separate igniters. The front-mounted controls are clearly laid out, helping you see at a glance which burner you are adjusting.
The cast iron pan supports span the hob and give a reassuringly solid base for your cookware. Pans feel stable, even when you are moving a heavy pot from one burner to another. The flip side is that these supports add some weight and can be a little unwieldy to lift off for cleaning, but they are durable and should stand up well to years of use.
With four burners and a 60cm width, space is adequate for most everyday cooking, though like all standard hobs it can feel snug if you often use several large pans at once. The low profile design (only 3cm high) sits nearly flush with the worktop for a neat, built-in look.
Cleaning is fairly typical for a gas hob: you remove the pan supports and burner caps, then wipe down the enamel surface. Regular wiping after cooking will keep it easier to maintain and help avoid staining around the burners.
The performance centrepiece here is the burner layout and power range. With a spread from 1.05 kW up to a punchy 3.3 kW on the ultra-rapid wok burner, you can cover everything from delicate simmering to full-throttle boiling. The high-output burner is particularly handy for large pots of pasta, woks and deep frying, where fast heat makes a clear difference.
Three different burner sizes provide good flexibility. Smaller burners are well suited to sauces, porridge and tasks where you do not want too much heat, while the mid-sized burners handle everyday frying and boiling. This variety makes it easier to match pan size and heat for better control.
Safety is a strong point. The integrated flame failure safety device cuts the gas if a flame goes out unexpectedly, reducing the risk of gas build-up. Automatic safety shut off adds another layer of protection, which is reassuring in a busy household where distractions are common.
The hob uses traditional rotary controls rather than touch surfaces. While not as visually minimalist as some glass-top models, many cooks prefer the tactile feel and instant response of physical knobs, particularly when hands are damp or oily. Automatic ignition built into the controls keeps things quick and clean.
From an installation perspective, the hob is compatible with both natural gas and LPG, and comes with the necessary conversion kit. That flexibility is useful if you live in a rural property on bottled gas or might move in future, as it increases the chances the hob can come with you.
At its current price, the Smeg Victoria SR964NGH sits towards the premium end of the 60cm gas hob market, especially when you consider it offers four burners rather than five. You are paying for design, brand reputation and build quality as much as raw specification.
However, the feature set does cover the key essentials very well: a powerful wok burner, sturdy cast iron supports, automatic ignition, flame failure safety, LPG compatibility and Italian manufacture. Combined with a strong 4.8 out of 5 average user rating, that suggests buyers generally feel they get their money’s worth.
If your priority is simply the lowest cost hob that heats pans, you can find cheaper models. But if you value a cohesive look with other Smeg Victoria appliances, appreciate the solid feel of the components and want a straightforward, reliable performer with a two-year manufacturer warranty, the price becomes easier to justify.
Overall, it represents good—though not bargain-basement—value, particularly for style-conscious buyers who intend to keep it in place for many years.
The Smeg Victoria SR964NGH 60cm gas hob is a strong choice if you want a traditional four-burner layout wrapped in a stylish, retro-inspired design. It marries a powerful wok burner, sturdy cast iron supports and straightforward rotary controls with safety features that inspire confidence in everyday use.
Its main compromises are a relatively high price for a four-burner hob and a deliberately simple feature set: there is no timer, no child lock and no modern touch controls. For many cooks, those omissions are not a problem, but value hunters and tech enthusiasts may prefer something more advanced.
If you are refurbishing a kitchen with a classic feel, already own Smeg appliances or simply want a reliable, attractive gas hob that is easy to live with, the Victoria SR964NGH is a very appealing option. Those who only need a basic workhorse at the lowest possible cost should look elsewhere, but for design-led homes it earns its premium.