Home » Product Reviews » Smeg Victoria SR964NGH 60cm Gas Hob review
The Smeg Victoria SR964NGH is a 60cm built-in gas hob finished in black, designed to bring classic Smeg styling to a modern kitchen. With four burners, chunky cast iron pan supports and front-mounted rotary controls, it aims to combine a traditional look with everyday practicality.
Smeg sits firmly in the premium camp and this hob is priced accordingly, but you are paying for design as much as function. A dedicated ultra-rapid wok burner and automatic ignition lift it above entry-level models.
With an impressive 4.8 out of 5 rating from owners, it’s clearly gone down well in real kitchens, suggesting reliable performance and a layout that works for day-to-day cooking.
The Smeg Victoria SR964NGH is ideal for anyone upgrading a built-in 60cm hob who wants something smarter than a basic stainless-steel model. Its black enamel surface and retro styling make it a good fit for classic or shaker-style kitchens where looks matter as much as function.
With four gas burners, including a powerful wok zone, it suits small to medium households that cook most days. There’s enough space to have several pans on the go at once, so it will comfortably handle family meals, batch cooking or entertaining without feeling cramped.
This is a better match for cooks who value responsive, traditional gas control over advanced digital features. The rotary dials are straightforward and intuitive, so it’s just as suitable for first-time buyers moving into a new home as it is for more confident home chefs who want strong heat for stir-fries and searing.
If you’re on a very tight budget or want touch controls, timers and smart features, there are more stripped-back or high-tech options. But if you’re after a stylish, well-made gas hob with a focus on solid fundamentals, this model is squarely aimed at you.
The standout feature is the ultra-rapid wok burner, delivering quick, intense heat that’s ideal for proper stir-fries, fast boiling and high-heat searing. It gives you a broader power range than a standard four-burner layout, making the hob more versatile.
Sturdy cast iron pan supports run across the top, giving a stable, continuous surface for your cookware. They feel more substantial than basic enamelled supports and make it easier to slide pans from one burner to another without lifting.
Automatic ignition on the rotary dials keeps operation simple: press and twist and the burner lights straight away – no need for matches or separate ignition buttons. The front control position is convenient too, so you’re not reaching over hot pans.
On the safety side, a flame failure device and automatic safety shut off give reassurance, especially in busy family kitchens. If a flame goes out, the gas supply is cut, reducing the risk of gas build-up.
Finally, owner feedback is excellent. A 4.8/5 rating from multiple reviews suggests the build, performance and usability all live up to the premium name.
You don’t get any built-in timer or control panel lock, which some modern hobs now offer as standard. If you like hands-free countdowns or want an extra safeguard against curious small hands, you may miss these touches.
The cooking surface is enamel rather than glass or stainless steel. While durable, it can show marks and burnt-on spills if not cleaned promptly, and it typically takes a little more elbow grease than a smooth glass surface.
As a premium-branded 60cm gas hob, it’s likely to cost more than the most basic alternatives, yet it doesn’t add advanced extras such as digital displays or automatic cooking programmes. You’re largely paying for build quality and design rather than a long list of smart features.
The 2-year manufacturer warranty is decent but not exceptional at this price point, where some competitors now offer longer cover.
Day to day, the Smeg Victoria SR964NGH is designed to be straightforward. The front-mounted rotary dials are easy to see and reach, even when the back burners are in use, and automatic ignition means a simple push-and-twist lights the flame.
The four-burner layout gives you a good spread of power levels, from a gentle simmer burner through to the 3.3 kW ultra-rapid zone. This variety makes it easy to have a sauce ticking over gently while you blast a wok or quickly boil water for pasta.
The cast iron pan supports feel solid and secure, which is particularly reassuring with heavier pots. Because they form a continuous grid, moving a pan across the hob is smooth, reducing the risk of spills.
Cleaning is relatively straightforward: the supports lift off so you can wipe down the enamel surface beneath. As with most enamel hobs, wiping up splashes soon after cooking will keep it looking its best and prevent stubborn staining.
Installation is standard for a built-in gas hob. It requires a Gas Safe registered engineer to connect the gas supply and a suitable electrical connection for the automatic ignition, so you’ll want to factor that into your plans.
Performance-wise, this is a classic gas hob done well. With a burner power range from 1.05 kW up to 3.3 kW, it covers gentle simmering, everyday cooking and high-heat tasks. The ultra-rapid wok burner is a particular strength, giving you that instant, punchy heat that many cheaper hobs struggle to match.
The four burners are split across three different sizes, so you can match pans more closely to the flame. That helps with both energy efficiency and cooking control, reducing hotspots and overflows.
Cast iron pan supports are a notable upgrade over lightweight alternatives. They distribute weight more evenly, feel robust, and complement the vintage-inspired Victoria styling. For anyone who uses heavier cast iron cookware or large pans, that extra stability is a real plus.
Safety features are well covered. The flame failure device cuts off the gas if a flame is extinguished, while automatic safety shut off adds another layer of protection. Combined with automatic ignition, these touches make it feel like a modern appliance despite its traditional appearance.
There are no digital displays, timers or smart connectivity here; this hob focuses on reliable, tactile control. For many cooks that’s an advantage – fewer electronics to go wrong, and a very direct feel between knob, flame and heat.
As a Smeg Victoria model, this hob sits in the premium style end of the gas hob market rather than competing with budget 60cm options. You’re paying for the design, the upgraded materials like cast iron supports, and the inclusion of a high-output wok burner.
If you simply want the cheapest way to boil pasta, there are certainly more affordable hobs with a similar number of burners. However, they’re less likely to match the build quality, aesthetics and power of the ultra-rapid burner found here.
The strong 4.8/5 owner rating supports the idea that most buyers feel they’ve had good value, particularly if they were already set on a Smeg kitchen or a retro look. The 2-year warranty is respectable, though an extra year or two would have strengthened the value proposition further.
Overall, it offers solid value for those who care about both style and performance, but it’s overkill if you’re fitting out a kitchen purely on a tight functional budget.
The Smeg Victoria SR964NGH 60cm gas hob is a stylish, well-built choice for anyone who wants classic looks, robust construction and strong everyday performance. The combination of a powerful wok burner, sturdy cast iron supports and simple, front-mounted rotary controls makes it easy to live with and versatile enough for most home cooking.
It doesn’t chase high-tech features, so if you’re after touch controls, built-in timers or smart connectivity, you’ll need to look elsewhere. Likewise, if you just want the cheapest possible four-burner hob, this model will feel like a splurge.
For households that cook regularly and want a dependable, good-looking hob from a trusted brand, though, the SR964NGH is an excellent option. It delivers confident heat, reassuring safety features and a design that should still look good years down the line.