Home » Product Reviews » Smeg Victoria SR964NGH 60cm Gas Hob review
The Smeg Victoria SR964NGH is a 60cm built-in gas hob that blends traditional styling with modern safety and convenience. Finished in black enamel with chunky rotary dials, it’s clearly aimed at those who like a classic look but still want reliable day-to-day performance.
With four burners including a powerful wok zone, sturdy cast iron pan supports and automatic ignition, it covers the essentials well for most households. It’s also backed by a solid 4.8 out of 5 user rating from owners, suggesting that real-world reliability and ease of use live up to the promise.
This is not the cheapest 60cm hob on the market, but you are paying for the Smeg name, Italian build and that distinctive Victoria design. For many buyers, that combination of style and substance will justify the premium.
The Smeg Victoria SR964NGH is ideal for small to medium-sized households that cook regularly and want a reliable, good-looking hob rather than the absolute cheapest option. Four burners with three different sizes make it well suited to everyday family meals, from boiling pasta to simmering sauces.
It’s a strong fit if you like stir-fries, searing steaks or cooking in larger pans, thanks to the ultra-rapid wok burner. The cast iron pan supports give a sturdy, professional feel that keen home cooks will appreciate.
Style-conscious buyers with a classic or country-style kitchen will get the most from this model. The black enamel finish and Victoria design language are made to be seen, not hidden away. If you’re upgrading from a very basic hob and want something that feels more premium without going to a huge 75cm or 90cm model, this 60cm size is a safe, practical choice.
It’s less suited to those who want lots of smart features, timers or touch controls. The SR964NGH keeps things deliberately simple with rotary knobs and no built-in timer, so it’s better for users who value straightforward operation over high-tech extras.
The inclusion of a dedicated wok burner is a real plus, delivering quick, intense heat that makes stir-frying and fast searing much easier than on standard burners. It also helps when you need to bring big pots of water to the boil in a hurry.
Cast iron pan supports give the hob a solid, top-end feel. They grip pans well, reduce wobble and can handle heavy cookware without flexing, which is especially reassuring if you regularly use large pots or cast iron pans.
Automatic ignition and front-mounted rotary controls make the hob very straightforward to use. You can light burners one-handed, and there’s no reaching over hot pans to change the heat.
Safety is well covered with flame failure devices and automatic safety shut-off. If a flame goes out accidentally, the gas is cut, which is particularly important in busy family kitchens.
The hob is also LPG compatible and comes with a conversion kit, so it’s a flexible choice whether you’re on mains gas or bottled gas in more rural homes.
For a 60cm hob at this price point, the feature set is quite traditional. There’s no integrated timer, no control panel lock and no touch or digital controls, which some buyers may expect on a premium-branded model.
The enamel surface, while attractive, can be a little more time-consuming to keep looking pristine than some modern glass surfaces, especially if you cook a lot of sauces or oily dishes that tend to splatter.
Installation requires both a Gas Safe engineer and an electrician to attach the power connection, and a gas hose is not included. This is standard for many built-in hobs, but it does mean you should factor installation costs into your budget.
Finally, the 2-year warranty is decent but not outstanding. Some rivals in this price bracket offer longer cover, so it’s worth considering if long-term peace of mind is a priority.
Day to day, the Smeg Victoria SR964NGH feels reassuringly robust. The cast iron pan supports create a stable, level platform for everything from small milk pans to wide frying pans, and their weight helps stop things sliding about when you’re stirring or tossing food.
The layout of four burners with three different sizes means there’s usually a suitable burner for whatever you’re cooking, whether you’re gently melting chocolate on a small zone or blasting the wok burner for a fast stir-fry. Front-mounted rotary controls are easy to see and reach, and the automatic ignition sparks the flame as soon as you turn the knob, so there’s no need for matches or separate ignition buttons.
At just 3cm high and 59.5cm wide, it sits neatly into standard 60cm worktop cut-outs, making it an easy upgrade for most existing kitchens. Cleaning is typical for an enamel gas hob: you’ll need to lift off the pan supports and wipe around the burners. Spills are generally contained on the surface, but like most enamel finishes, it will reward regular wiping rather than letting splashes bake on.
The lack of a control lock or timer means you rely on your cooker hood clock or a separate timer when you’re juggling multiple dishes. On the flip side, the simplicity of the controls keeps operation intuitive for every member of the household, including guests or older relatives who may not enjoy touch panels or complex settings.
Performance centres around the four gas burners, with power ranging from 1.05 kW for gentle simmering up to 3.3 kW on the ultra-rapid burner. This spread allows for good control, whether you’re keeping soup ticking over on low heat or driving a wok hard for quick cooking.
The standout feature is the wok burner, which delivers intense, focused heat. This is especially helpful for Asian-style cooking, but it’s equally useful for tasks like searing meat, boiling large pans of pasta or reducing sauces quickly. Many basic 60cm hobs skip a true high-output burner, so this is a genuine performance upgrade.
Cast iron pan supports not only look the part but also help with even heat distribution by holding pans securely over the flame. They are more durable than lightweight enamelled trivets often found on entry-level models, and they give the hob a more professional, range-style appearance.
On the safety side, there’s a flame failure safety device on the burners and automatic safety shut-off, which are important safeguards. Automatic ignition is integrated into the rotary dials, so there’s no separate spark button, and it only draws a small electrical load (3-amp fuse rating) once installed.
The hob is LPG compatible and ships with a conversion kit, which is valuable if you live in a property without mains gas or are planning to relocate the hob to a different fuel setup in future. However, there are no added extras like timers, display panels or smart connectivity; this model focuses firmly on traditional gas cooking with a quality feel rather than modern gadgetry.
With a price that sits toward the premium end for a 60cm gas hob, the Smeg Victoria SR964NGH is not a budget choice. You’re paying for the Smeg branding, Italian manufacture and the retro Victoria styling as much as for raw features.
From a specification standpoint, it offers the essentials done well: a strong wok burner, robust cast iron supports, LPG compatibility and good safety features. What you don’t get are advanced extras like timers, touch controls or smart functions, which some similarly priced or slightly cheaper models may include.
Where this hob earns its keep is in real-world satisfaction. A 4.8 out of 5 average rating from owners is an excellent result, indicating that most users feel they’ve had good value from their purchase in terms of build quality, reliability and everyday performance.
If you’re purely hunting for the lowest cost per burner, you can certainly find cheaper options. But if you want a gas hob that looks stylish, feels solid under the pans and comes from a respected premium brand, the SR964NGH offers fair value for the money.
The Smeg Victoria SR964NGH is a stylish, well-made 60cm gas hob that delivers reliable performance and a genuinely useful wok burner in a compact footprint. It feels a step up from budget models thanks to its cast iron supports, classic design and reassuring build.
Its biggest strengths are simple: easy-to-use controls, strong heat output where it counts and solid safety coverage. Owners clearly rate it highly, and it will slot neatly into most kitchens without fuss, particularly those aiming for a traditional or country look.
However, you do pay a premium for the Smeg name and styling, and the feature set is deliberately traditional. If you want built-in timers, touch controls or smart connectivity, you’ll need to look elsewhere. For everyone else who values a classic gas hob with a quality feel and dependable performance, the SR964NGH is a very strong contender.