Home » Product Reviews » Smeg Victoria SR964NGH 60cm Gas Hob review
The Smeg Victoria SR964NGH is a 60cm built-in gas hob with a classic, slightly retro look and a solid mid-range specification. Finished in black enamel with chunky cast iron pan supports, it’s designed to be a stylish focal point in a traditional or shaker-style kitchen.
With four burners including a powerful wok zone, automatic ignition and key safety features, it aims to give everyday cooks the responsiveness of gas without feeling basic. A strong user rating of 4.8 out of 5 from owners suggests it delivers on reliability and ease of use.
This is a premium-leaning option in the 60cm gas hob market, better suited to buyers who value build quality and design as much as the headline price.
The Smeg Victoria SR964NGH suits households that cook regularly and want a dependable, good-looking 60cm hob rather than the cheapest option. If you’re upgrading a tired built-in hob and want something that feels solid under your pans, this model is a strong contender.
It’s a good fit for small to medium-sized families: four burners are enough for everyday meals, batch cooking and the occasional dinner party, without taking up extra worktop space. The inclusion of a dedicated wok burner makes it appealing if you enjoy stir-fries, searing steaks or boiling large pans of water quickly.
Budget-wise, this is more of a mid to upper mid-range choice. You’re paying for the Smeg name, Italian-made build and styling, rather than lots of flashy smart features. It’s ideal for confident home cooks who prefer straightforward rotary dials and the instant response of gas, rather than tech-heavy touch controls.
If you’re kitting out a rental flat or want the absolute lowest-cost hob, there are simpler models that will do the job. But if you care about how your kitchen looks and want something built to feel sturdy for years, this Smeg will be more your style.
The standout feature is the dedicated wok burner, delivering up to 3.3 kW of heat for fast stir-frying, searing and boiling. It’s a real upgrade over four identical burners, letting you move quickly when cooking larger or more ambitious meals.
Sturdy cast iron pan supports give the hob a premium feel and keep pans stable, even heavier casserole dishes and large woks. They’re more durable than basic enamel trivets and help pots slide more easily between burners.
Automatic ignition combined with simple front-mounted rotary dials makes everyday use very straightforward: push, turn, light. There are no menus to learn or touch panels to misbehave; anyone in the household can walk up and cook with minimal fuss.
On the safety side, flame failure devices and automatic safety shut off give peace of mind if a flame goes out unexpectedly. LPG compatibility with a supplied conversion kit also makes it flexible for homes running on bottled gas.
Owners rate it highly, with an excellent 4.8/5 score, which backs up the impression of good build quality, reliability and real-world usability.
There’s no timer or control panel lock, so you don’t get some of the convenience and safety extras found on higher-end hobs or modern induction models. Families with curious children may miss a lock on the controls.
The enamel surface, while smart in black, is generally more prone to showing marks and can be a bit more effort to keep pristine compared with some glass or stainless finishes. Careful cleaning is advisable to maintain its looks.
At this price point, the feature set is deliberately traditional. If you’re after digital displays, automatic cooking programs or smart connectivity, this hob will feel basic despite its quality materials.
Finally, the standard 2-year warranty is decent but not class-leading. Some rivals in this price bracket offer longer cover, which could matter if you like maximum long-term reassurance.
Living with the Smeg Victoria SR964NGH should feel reassuringly straightforward. The four rotary dials are positioned along the front edge, so they’re easy to reach without leaning over hot pans, and are intuitive enough for anyone to operate without a manual.
Automatic ignition means there’s no separate spark button or matches to juggle: you just push and turn the relevant knob and the burner lights. The flame is easily adjustable, giving good control from a gentle simmer through to a fast boil, helped by the sensible burner power range of 1.05 to 3.3 kW.
The cast iron pan supports create a flat, continuous surface, which makes it easier to shuffle pans around and reduces the risk of anything tipping. They are removable for cleaning, though their weight means you’ll want to lift them off carefully when wiping down the enamel.
Because it’s a 60cm integrated hob, it doesn’t dominate the worktop and fits the standard cut-out used by most built-in gas hobs. Installation will need a Gas Safe engineer, and an electrician will need to connect the ignition, but once fitted it should feel like a natural, uncluttered part of the kitchen.
Day to day, the lack of extras like timers or touch controls actually makes it a low-fuss appliance: turn it on, cook, turn it off. This suits traditional cooks who value reliability over tech features.
Core performance is solid for a 60cm gas hob. The burner power range from 1.05 to 3.3 kW gives enough flexibility for delicate tasks like melting chocolate, as well as rapid boiling or searing on the ultra-rapid burner. Having three different burner sizes across the four zones helps you match pan size to heat output efficiently.
The dedicated wok burner is the performance highlight. It delivers quick, intense heat across the base of a wok or large pan, which is exactly what you want for stir-fries that stay crisp and for quickly bringing big pots of water to the boil. For keen home cooks, this opens up more adventurous recipes without needing a larger hob.
Build and materials are well considered. The enamel surface keeps the retro Victoria styling consistent, while the cast iron pan supports bring the robustness you’d expect from Smeg. Although the surface may show spills, the supports and overall construction should handle daily use comfortably.
On the safety and practicality front, the hob includes flame failure devices and automatic safety shut off, cutting the gas if a flame goes out. Automatic ignition means faster, cleaner lighting, and the front control layout reduces the need to reach over hot burners.
Installation features are also a plus. The hob is LPG compatible and comes with a conversion kit included, so it’s suitable for bottled gas setups as well as mains gas. A modest 3-amp fuse rating and basic power requirement for the ignition mean it’s straightforward for an electrician to connect as part of a new kitchen fit.
While there’s no timer, lock or smart functionality, the Victoria SR964NGH focuses on delivering dependable, responsive gas cooking with a premium feel, rather than chasing advanced electronics.
As a Smeg Victoria model, this hob sits in the more premium end of the 60cm gas market. You can certainly find cheaper four-burner hobs with similar basic functionality, but they won’t necessarily match the combination of styling, build and brand cachet.
The specification is strong for a traditional gas hob: a dedicated wok burner, cast iron supports, automatic ignition, flame failure safety and LPG convertibility all add value. While you don’t get digital extras, what is included feels well chosen for everyday cooking rather than box-ticking.
The excellent 4.8/5 owner rating suggests buyers are happy with what they’ve paid for, which is always a positive sign. If you simply want the lowest-cost 60cm hob, this will feel expensive, but if you’re investing in a longer-term kitchen upgrade and like the Smeg aesthetic, the price is easier to justify.
Overall, it offers good value for those prioritising design and durability over tech features, and fair value for anyone who cooks often enough to appreciate the wok burner and sturdy supports.
The Smeg Victoria SR964NGH is a well-made, handsome 60cm gas hob that prioritises solid cooking performance and timeless design over bells and whistles. The powerful wok burner, cast iron pan supports and straightforward rotary controls make it a pleasure to cook on for most households.
Its main compromises are a lack of modern extras such as timers and control locks, plus a more involved clean-up if you want to keep the black enamel looking pristine. Given its premium-leaning price, it’s also not the obvious choice for tight budgets or rental properties.
If you want a reliable, traditional gas hob that looks the part in a classic or country-style kitchen, and you’re happy to pay a bit more for the Smeg name and feel, the Victoria SR964NGH is an excellent option. If you prefer advanced features, touch controls or the efficiency of induction, you may be better looking elsewhere.