Home » Product Reviews » Smeg Victoria SR964NGH 60cm Gas Hob review
The Smeg Victoria SR964NGH is a 60cm built-in gas hob in black, designed to bring traditional styling together with everyday practicality. With four burners, cast iron pan supports and a powerful wok burner, it’s aimed at home cooks who like the precision and speed of gas.
Smeg sits firmly in the premium bracket, and this model reflects that – you’re paying for design and brand as much as the basics. User feedback is very strong, with a high average rating from owners, suggesting that day-to-day performance largely lives up to expectations.
If you want a compact hob that looks the part in a more classic or shaker-style kitchen, and you value solid build over flashy extras, this Victoria model is a strong candidate.
The Smeg Victoria SR964NGH is ideal for small to medium-sized households that mainly cook on the hob for everyday meals. Its 60cm width and four-burner layout make it a good fit for standard UK kitchens without needing any special worktop arrangements.
It suits buyers with a mid-range to premium budget who care about aesthetics as much as function. If you’re putting together a coordinated Smeg Victoria kitchen, or you want a hob that looks more traditional than a flat glass design, this will feel right at home.
Confident home cooks and keen stir-fry fans will appreciate the dedicated wok burner and the broad burner power range from 1.05 to 3.3kW. That spread lets you simmer sauces gently on the smaller zones while hitting high heat quickly when you need it.
First-time buyers and those upgrading from an older basic hob will also find it straightforward. The controls are simple rotary dials at the front, there’s automatic ignition, and key safety systems like flame failure cut-off are built in.
The standout here is the wok burner, which delivers quick, intense heat – perfect for stir-fries, searing meat, or getting large pans up to temperature quickly. Combined with a burner range of 1.05 to 3.3kW, you have good flexibility from low simmer to full blast.
Sturdy cast iron pan supports give the hob a solid, premium feel and make it easier to slide pans around without lifting. They’re more durable than lightweight enamel supports often seen on cheaper models.
Everyday use is simplified by front-mounted rotary dials and automatic ignition, so you’re not hunting for awkward switches or separate igniters. Safety is well covered too, with automatic safety shut-off and flame failure devices to cut the gas if a flame goes out.
The enamel surface should be easier to wipe clean than brushed stainless steel, and at just 3cm high, the hob has a neat, low-profile fit that works well in most worktops.
For the price, the feature set is fairly traditional. There’s no timer, no control panel lock and no extra convenience functions you sometimes see on newer gas or mixed-fuel hobs.
The enamel surface, while easier to clean than some finishes, is generally more prone to scratching and chipping than toughened glass or high-end stainless, so it may show wear over time if you’re not careful.
Installation requirements are also a consideration: you’ll need both a Gas Safe engineer for the gas connection and an electrician to attach the plug or cable. A hose is not included, which adds a small extra cost and step.
Finally, the standard 2-year warranty is decent but not exceptional in this price bracket, where some rivals occasionally offer longer cover.
Day to day, the Smeg Victoria SR964NGH is designed to be straightforward. The front-facing rotary dials are clearly laid out and easy to grip, so you can adjust flame levels without reaching over hot pans. Automatic ignition means you simply turn and light – no separate spark button or matches.
The four burners are laid out to give decent pan spacing on a standard 60cm frame, and the robust cast iron supports keep everything stable, even with heavier cookware. Being able to slide pans between zones is particularly handy when juggling multiple dishes.
Cleaning is fairly simple: the enamel top can be wiped with a cloth and mild cleaner, and the pan supports lift off for a more thorough clean underneath. You won’t get the wipe-flat simplicity of a glass hob, but for a traditional gas surface it’s manageable.
Safety systems work quietly in the background. The flame failure device cuts the gas if a flame is accidentally extinguished, and the automatic safety shut-off offers extra reassurance, especially in busy family kitchens.
Performance-wise, this hob covers the essentials very well. With a burner power range from 1.05 to 3.3kW, it can handle delicate tasks like simmering custards as easily as boiling a large pot of pasta. The ultra-rapid burner (wok burner) is the star for anyone who likes fast, high-heat cooking.
The inclusion of a dedicated wok burner sets it apart from the most basic four-burner hobs. It gives you the concentrated heat you need for proper wok cooking, but it also doubles nicely for big frying pans or stockpots when you’re batch-cooking.
Cast iron pan supports are a quality touch. They distribute weight evenly and feel more solid than typical enamel supports, helping stability and giving that “professional” look many people want in a gas hob.
On the safety front, the Smeg Victoria is well specified. Automatic ignition means fewer mishaps with lighters, while the flame failure safety device and automatic shut-off provide protection if a pan boils over or the flame is blown out. These are important reassurance features, especially in family homes.
For installation flexibility, the hob is LPG compatible and comes with a conversion kit, so it can be adapted for bottled gas if you don’t have mains supply. That makes it a viable option for rural properties, cottages or holiday homes where LPG is the norm.
This is clearly positioned as a premium-looking 60cm gas hob rather than a budget option. You’re paying for Smeg’s Victoria styling, solid build and reputable brand name as much as the raw specification.
While you can find cheaper four-burner hobs with similar basic layouts, the combination of cast iron supports, a powerful wok burner, comprehensive safety features and LPG flexibility helps justify the step up in price for many buyers.
The strong user rating suggests owners feel they’ve had good value overall. If you simply want the lowest-cost gas hob, this won’t be it. But if you’re updating a kitchen and want a reliable, stylish centrepiece that should last, the SR964NGH offers respectable value within the premium segment.
The Smeg Victoria SR964NGH is a stylish, well-built 60cm gas hob that focuses on doing the fundamentals properly. It delivers strong everyday performance, a powerful wok burner and reassuring safety features, all wrapped in a classic black enamel design with robust cast iron supports.
It’s not packed with modern extras like timers or child locks, and the specification is fairly traditional for the price, so those chasing cutting-edge features or touch controls may prefer a different style of hob. However, for households that value looks, solid construction and reliable gas performance, it’s a very satisfying choice.
If you’re creating a classic or country-style kitchen, or simply want a dependable four-burner gas hob from a respected Italian brand, the Smeg Victoria SR964NGH is easy to recommend – as long as you’re comfortable paying a little more for design and brand cachet.