Home » Product Reviews » Smeg Victoria SR964NGH 60cm Gas Hob review
The Smeg Victoria SR964NGH is a 60cm built-in gas hob in black, blending traditional styling with a straightforward, no-nonsense layout. With four burners, including a powerful wok burner, it’s designed for everyday family cooking as well as the odd stir-fry night.
Smeg sits firmly in the premium camp, and this hob follows that pattern: you’re paying for design, build quality and a trusted Italian brand rather than a long list of flashy extras. User reviews are very positive, with a strong 4.8 out of 5 rating from owners, suggesting it delivers on reliability and ease of use.
If you want a compact gas hob that looks smart, feels solid and focuses on the fundamentals, the Victoria SR964NGH is a strong contender.
The Smeg Victoria SR964NGH is ideal for small to medium households that cook regularly but don’t need a large five- or six-burner layout. Its 60cm width will drop neatly into a standard cut-out, making it a good upgrade for most existing kitchens without needing cabinetry changes.
It suits buyers with a mid to upper mid-range budget who value looks and build quality as much as raw features. If you like the idea of a traditionally styled kitchen with matching appliances, the Victoria line will appeal, and this hob is a natural fit above a Smeg Victoria oven.
Confident home cooks will appreciate the dedicated wok burner and wide burner power range, giving more control over everything from gentle simmering to fast searing. At the same time, it’s friendly enough for less experienced cooks thanks to simple rotary dials and automatic ignition.
It’s also a good option if you’re on LPG or planning to be: the hob is LPG compatible and comes with a conversion kit, so rural homes or static caravans with bottled gas are well catered for.
The four-burner layout with three different burner sizes gives flexible space for everyday pans, from small saucepans to large stockpots. The inclusion of an ultra-rapid wok burner is a real plus, delivering quick, intense heat for stir-fries, searing steaks or rapidly boiling water.
Sturdy cast iron pan supports are a highlight. They feel robust, give pans a stable base and add to the premium, traditional look. They’re also better suited to heavy cookware than lighter enamel supports often found on cheaper hobs.
Everyday operation is very straightforward. Front-mounted rotary dials are easy to reach, and automatic ignition means you just turn and press to light the flame. There’s no fiddling with separate ignition buttons or matches.
On the safety side, the built-in flame failure device and automatic safety shut off provide welcome reassurance. If a flame goes out unexpectedly, the gas supply is cut, which is especially important in busy family kitchens.
Finally, the hob’s slim 3cm profile keeps things looking neat on the worktop, and the classic black enamel finish ties in nicely with both modern and more traditional kitchen designs.
For the price bracket Smeg typically occupies, the feature set is quite traditional. There’s no timer, no control panel lock and no digital display, so if you like tech-heavy hobs with extra functions, this may feel basic.
The enamel surface, while in keeping with the vintage style, can mark more easily than glass or stainless steel and may need a bit more care to keep it looking its best. Cast iron pan supports are solid but relatively heavy, so lifting them off for cleaning can be a little cumbersome.
You’ll also need to budget for professional installation. A Gas Safe engineer is required and the hose isn’t included, plus an electrician may be needed to attach a plug or cable for ignition, which adds to the overall cost.
The standard 2-year manufacturer warranty is decent but not exceptional at this price point, where some rivals now offer longer cover.
Living with the Smeg Victoria SR964NGH is refreshingly straightforward. The four well-spaced burners make it easy to fit a couple of larger pans alongside smaller ones without constant juggling, which is ideal for typical weeknight cooking.
The front-mounted rotary dials are intuitive, clearly visible and save you from leaning over hot pans when adjusting the heat. Automatic ignition built into the controls means one-handed lighting: turn, press, flame on.
Day to day, the cast iron pan supports give a reassuringly solid feel when sliding heavy pans around. Their weight also means they don’t rattle about during cooking. When it’s time to clean, they lift off so you can wipe down the enamel surface beneath, though their heft means you’ll want to be a bit careful when moving them.
The hob surface is a simple, flat enamel finish, so food spills don’t get trapped in lots of crevices. A quick wipe after cooking usually keeps it tidy. With automatic safety shut off and flame failure protection working quietly in the background, it feels like a safe, dependable workhorse for everyday family meals.
Performance-wise, the Smeg Victoria SR964NGH focuses on strong basics. The burner power range runs from 1.05 kW up to 3.3 kW, giving good control over both low and high heat cooking. The smaller burners are well suited to simmering sauces or gently melting chocolate, while the ultra-rapid burner delivers enough punch for fast stir-frying or quickly bringing a big pot to the boil.
The inclusion of a dedicated wok burner sets this hob apart from very entry-level models. Its concentrated, intense flame works well with round-bottomed woks or large frying pans, helping you achieve that all-important high heat that standard burners often struggle with.
Cast iron pan supports are another performance asset. They distribute weight evenly and keep pans stable, which matters for precise cooking and when handling heavier cast iron cookware. The supports span the hob, making it easy to slide pans from one burner to another without lifting.
From a safety and convenience standpoint, the hob ticks the core boxes. Automatic ignition means quick, reliable lighting every time you turn a knob. The flame failure safety device and automatic safety shut off is reassuring, particularly in open-plan homes where a burner might be left unattended for short periods.
Installation features are also worth noting. The hob is designed for integrated installation at 60cm width, which is the standard size in many UK kitchens. It’s LPG compatible and supplied with a conversion kit, so it can be professionally set up for either mains gas or bottled LPG. Power for the ignition requires a simple electrical connection via a 3-amp fuse, which an electrician can fit if a socket isn’t already available behind the hob.
The Smeg Victoria SR964NGH sits in the premium end of the 60cm gas hob market. You’re not paying for advanced electronics or smart connectivity; instead, the value lies in the design, build quality and brand reputation.
For buyers who prioritise a classic look, robust cast iron supports and a powerful wok burner, the price is easier to justify. The solid 4.8 out of 5 user rating suggests that owners generally feel they’ve got what they paid for in terms of reliability and day-to-day performance.
However, if you’re purely feature-hunting on a tight budget and aren’t concerned about styling or brand, there are cheaper 60cm gas hobs that will handle basic cooking tasks. This model makes most sense if you want a smart, cohesive kitchen aesthetic and expect to keep the hob for many years.
Overall, it offers good – though not bargain – value for buyers who appreciate Smeg’s design language and the reassurance of a well-regarded brand, backed by a two-year warranty.
The Smeg Victoria SR964NGH is a well-built, attractive 60cm gas hob that gets the fundamentals right. It delivers reliable heat across four burners, adds a genuinely useful wok burner and wraps it all in a classic, black enamel design with sturdy cast iron supports.
It’s not the most feature-packed hob on the market, and the lack of extras like a timer or child lock will put off those seeking more tech and convenience. Installation costs and a fairly standard warranty also need factoring into the overall spend.
If you’re designing a stylish kitchen, value simple, dependable controls and want a hob that feels solid and looks the part, this Smeg Victoria model is easy to recommend. If you’re working to a strict budget or want advanced digital features, looking at more basic or more modern-styled alternatives may make more sense.