Home » Product Reviews » Smeg Victoria SR964NGH 60cm Gas Hob review
The Smeg Victoria SR964NGH is a 60cm built‑in gas hob with four burners, styled to match Smeg’s retro Victoria range. Finished in black enamel with chunky metal pan supports, it’s clearly aimed at buyers who care as much about how their kitchen looks as how it cooks.
At this price it sits in the mid‑to‑upper part of the gas hob market, reflecting Smeg’s premium positioning. You’re paying for design and build quality rather than a long list of flashy extras.
Owners clearly rate it highly: with a 4.8 out of 5 user score from a healthy number of reviews, it’s regarded as a reliable, easy‑to‑live‑with hob that feels a cut above standard stainless models.
The Smeg Victoria SR964NGH is ideal if you’re planning a stylish, traditional‑looking kitchen and want a hob that complements classic or shaker cabinetry. The enamel surface and front‑mounted rotary dials look more like a range cooker top than a modern glass hob, which will appeal if you dislike the ultra‑minimal look.
With four burners and three different sizes including a powerful wok burner, it suits most small to medium households who cook regularly but don’t need a five‑ or six‑burner layout. There’s enough space to manage a family meal, but if you constantly have multiple large pans on the go, a wider hob may still be better.
Budget‑wise this is a mid‑range to premium choice. It’s not the cheapest 60cm gas hob, so it makes most sense if you value the Smeg brand, robust cast iron supports and the cohesive look with other Victoria appliances.
It’s also a good option for gas cooking enthusiasts who like responsive heat and use a wok or large frying pan often, but who aren’t bothered about touch controls or smart features and would rather have straightforward knobs and instant ignition.
The standout plus is the powerful wok burner, which delivers quick, intense heat for stir‑fries, searing meat or rapidly boiling large pans of water. It instantly makes this hob more versatile than basic four‑burner layouts where all zones feel similar.
Cast iron pan supports give the hob a sturdy, high‑end feel. They hold heavier cookware securely and span the surface well, so sliding pans between burners is easy. Combined with the enamel base, the overall look is upmarket and in keeping with Smeg’s retro styling.
Everyday operation is simple thanks to front‑mounted rotary dials and automatic ignition – just turn and the flame lights. There’s no separate ignition button to fumble with, which is especially handy if you’re juggling pans.
Safety is well covered too, with automatic safety shut off and flame failure devices. If the flame goes out unexpectedly, the gas supply stops, offering peace of mind in busy family kitchens.
Finally, the hob is LPG compatible and comes with a conversion kit included, which is very convenient if you’re on bottled gas or planning a future switch.
This is a fairly traditional gas hob, so you don’t get some of the extra features seen on newer designs, such as timers, residual heat indicators or a child lock. If you want a lot of built‑in safety and convenience tech, you may find the spec a little bare.
The enamel surface, while attractive, can be more prone to showing marks and needs a bit more care than plain stainless steel or tempered glass. Combined with the chunky cast iron supports, cleaning around the burners will take a little more effort.
There’s no control panel lock and the dials are front‑mounted, so in homes with very young children you may prefer a model with a dedicated child safety feature.
Finally, the warranty is a standard 2‑year cover for domestic use. It’s decent, but some rivals offer longer guarantees, which might matter if you’re looking for maximum long‑term reassurance at this price point.
Day to day, the Smeg Victoria SR964NGH is about as straightforward as gas cooking gets. The automatic ignition means you simply turn a dial to spark the burner, making it very quick to get a flame under a pan.
The four burners are arranged sensibly, with different sizes to suit everything from small saucepans to larger stockpots. The wok burner is particularly handy for your biggest pans and for high‑heat cooking – it brings water to the boil more quickly than the smaller burners.
Cast iron pan supports feel solid and reassuring, so pots don’t wobble, even on the larger burner. They also bridge the burners nicely, making it easy to slide pans around without lifting. The trade‑off is that they’re weighty and need removing for a thorough clean.
At just 3cm high and 59.5cm wide, it sits nearly flush with the worktop once installed, giving a neat, integrated appearance. The front‑mounted controls are easy to see and reach, which is especially convenient if you’re shorter or if the hob is installed slightly deeper into the worktop.
Cleaning is typical of an enamel gas hob: spills should be wiped up promptly to avoid staining, and you’ll need to work around the burner caps. There’s no mention of dishwasher‑safe supports, so expect to hand‑wash the cast iron and surface for the best finish.
In terms of raw performance, the Smeg Victoria SR964NGH offers a sensible burner spread with a power range from 1.05kW up to 3.3kW. The smaller burner is ideal for simmering sauces or gently melting chocolate, while the mid‑range burners handle everyday boiling and frying. The 3.3kW ultra‑rapid wok burner is the star, delivering the intense heat needed for proper stir‑fries and fast searing.
As a gas hob, heat control is immediate and finely adjustable via the rotary dials. You can see the flame at a glance and tweak it instantly, which many cooks still prefer over electric and induction. The enamel surface also helps radiate heat evenly around the pan bases.
On the safety side, Smeg has included both flame failure devices and automatic safety shut‑off. If a pan boils over and extinguishes the flame, the gas is cut off, reducing the risk of gas build‑up. This is an important feature that not all older or cheaper hobs include, and it’s reassuring in open‑plan spaces.
Feature‑wise, it remains deliberately simple. There’s no electronic timer, no touch controls and no smart connectivity. Instead you get automatic ignition, LPG compatibility with a supplied conversion kit, and robust cast iron pan supports on an enamel bed. For many households that combination of classic design, solid hardware and straightforward controls is exactly what’s wanted.
As an integrated 60cm hob, it will drop into a standard cut‑out and matches other Smeg Victoria appliances, making it a strong contender if you’re building a coordinated suite with the same look and feel.
With a current price around the £400 mark, the Smeg Victoria SR964NGH is positioned as a premium 60cm gas hob rather than a budget choice. You can certainly find cheaper four‑burner models, but they rarely offer the same level of design, brand appeal and build quality.
The specification is focused rather than flashy: there’s no timer or touch panel, but you do get a powerful wok burner, automatic ignition, robust cast iron pan supports and full gas safety features. For many buyers, those are the things that matter day in, day out.
The strong user rating of 4.8 out of 5, backed up by a decent number of reviews, suggests owners feel they’ve had good value from their purchase, particularly in terms of reliability and ease of use.
If you simply want the cheapest possible gas hob, this won’t be it. But if you’re after a stylish, well‑made model from a respected brand to sit in a mid‑range or premium kitchen, the price is reasonable for what you get.
The Smeg Victoria SR964NGH is a well‑executed, classic 60cm gas hob that combines strong everyday performance with attractive retro styling. The mix of burner sizes, especially the 3.3kW wok burner, makes it versatile enough for most households, and the cast iron supports give it a reassuringly solid feel.
It doesn’t chase modern bells and whistles like touch controls, timers or child locks, and the enamel surface plus heavy supports mean cleaning takes a little effort. The warranty is perfectly adequate rather than standout, and the price is on the premium side for a four‑burner hob.
If you value sleek minimalism or cutting‑edge tech, you may be better off with an induction hob or a more feature‑rich gas model. But if you’re building a traditional or retro‑inspired kitchen and want a reliable, handsome hob that cooks quickly and safely, the Smeg Victoria SR964NGH is an excellent choice.