Home » Product Reviews » Smeg Victoria SR964NGH 60cm Gas Hob review
The Smeg Victoria SR964NGH is a 60cm built-in gas hob designed to bring classic styling and straightforward cooking to modern kitchens. Finished in black enamel with chunky rotary dials and cast iron pan supports, it has that familiar Smeg retro look but with a practical, no-nonsense layout.
This is a four-burner hob with a dedicated high-power wok burner, automatic ignition and key safety features such as flame failure cut-off. It sits firmly in the premium camp for a 60cm gas hob, aiming at buyers who care about design as much as day-to-day performance.
With a strong 4.8 out of 5 owner rating from multiple reviews, it’s clearly pleasing most households, particularly those who want a reliable, traditional gas cooking experience rather than lots of high-tech extras.
The Smeg Victoria SR964NGH is ideal for households that cook regularly and want a solid, traditional gas hob with a bit of style. If you like the control of an open flame and cook from scratch most evenings, its mix of burner sizes and a powerful wok zone will suit you well.
It’s best viewed as a premium choice rather than a budget buy. You’re paying for Smeg’s design, Italian build and sturdy cast iron supports as much as the core functionality. If you’re renovating a period-style or shaker kitchen, the Victoria range aesthetic will feel right at home.
Thanks to the simple front-mounted rotary controls and automatic ignition, it’s very approachable for all experience levels, from first-time gas users to confident home cooks. There’s no complicated interface to learn, so anyone can turn it on, adjust the flame and get cooking in seconds.
It also suits homes on mains gas or LPG. If you’re running a bottled gas setup in a flat or rural property, the included LPG conversion kit makes it a sensible and flexible option.
The standout feature here is the dedicated wok burner, delivering quick, intense heat that’s ideal for stir-fries, searing meat or rapidly bringing large pans of water to the boil. For keen cooks, that extra power is a real advantage over basic four-burner hobs.
Cast iron pan supports give the hob a premium, professional feel. They’re heavy, stable and durable, so pans sit securely without wobbling, even when you’re moving them between burners. Over time, they’ll generally hold up better than flimsier wire designs.
Everyday operation is refreshingly simple. Automatic ignition means you just press and twist a dial to light the burner, and the clearly spaced front controls make it easy to adjust the flame while you’re cooking. There’s no need to reach over hot pans.
On the safety side, the built-in flame failure device and automatic safety shut-off are reassuring touches, cutting the gas supply if the flame goes out. Add to that a two-year manufacturer warranty and you have a hob that feels designed to be used hard, day in, day out.
For a 60cm hob with four burners, the price is on the higher side, largely because of the Smeg name and styling. If you simply want the cheapest way to boil a pan of pasta, more basic models will do the job for less money.
The enamel surface, while in keeping with the retro look, can be more prone to showing marks and may need a bit more careful cleaning than some modern glass or stainless options. If low-maintenance cleaning is your top priority, that’s worth bearing in mind.
There’s no timer, control panel lock or extra convenience features such as automatic simmer settings. Many people won’t miss them, but if you like lots of built-in helpers or have young children who might fiddle with the dials, the feature set is relatively straightforward.
Finally, installation needs both an electrician to attach a plug or cable and a Gas Safe engineer for the gas connection, with the hose not included. That’s perfectly normal for gas hobs, but it does add to the overall cost if you’re budgeting a tight kitchen refit.
Day to day, the Smeg Victoria SR964NGH is all about simple, confident cooking. The four burners are laid out in a familiar pattern, with a good spread of sizes and a wide burner power range of 1.05 to 3.3 kW, so you can gently melt chocolate on a small flame or blast heat under a wok when you need it.
The front-mounted rotary dials are chunky and easy to grip, even with slightly damp hands. Automatic ignition built into the controls means no separate buttons or matches – you just push, twist and the burner lights. Because the controls sit at the front, there’s no reaching across steam or hot pans, which feels safer and more comfortable.
Cast iron supports form a stable platform over the whole hob, so sliding pans from one burner to another feels smooth and secure. Their weight also helps them stay put when you’re stirring vigorously. Cleaning them does mean lifting off heavier pieces, but many users will accept that trade-off for the premium feel.
With its shallow 3cm height and standard 60cm width, it sits neatly into most standard worktops and doesn’t dominate smaller kitchens. There are no digital displays or touch controls to get greasy or fail over time – just simple mechanics that do exactly what you expect.
Performance-wise, the SR964NGH delivers what you’d want from a quality gas hob. The burner range from 1.05 to 3.3 kW covers everything from low, steady simmering to rapid boiling. The ultra-rapid burner doubles up as a proper wok zone, giving you that intense central heat that makes quick stir-frying and high-heat searing so satisfying.
The enamel hob surface provides a traditional finish that works especially well in more classic kitchen designs. Combined with the cast iron supports, it gives the hob a robust, almost range-style look. While it may need a little more care with cleaning to avoid scratching, it’s tough enough for regular heavy use.
Key safety features are all present. Flame failure safety shuts off the gas if a flame is unexpectedly extinguished, reducing the risk of gas build-up. Automatic safety shut off offers extra peace of mind if a burner is left on under certain fault conditions. For families or shared homes, those are valuable additions that some cheaper models still skip.
In terms of flexibility, the hob is LPG compatible and comes with a conversion kit, so it’s suitable whether you’re connected to mains gas or using bottled gas. That makes it a good long-term choice if your fuel supply might change, or if you’re fitting out a holiday home or annex.
There are no smart features, sensors or electronic timers here, and for many buyers that’s a plus. If you prefer appliances that feel solid and analogue, with fewer electronics to go wrong, the SR964NGH focuses on the fundamentals: strong burners, stable supports and straightforward controls.
This Smeg Victoria model sits at the premium end of the 60cm gas hob market. You can certainly find cheaper four-burner hobs with similar basic layouts, but they often lack the combination of design, build and higher-powered wok burner that this one offers.
Where it earns its keep is in the overall package: Italian manufacture, robust cast iron supports, LPG flexibility, comprehensive safety features and that distinctive Victoria styling. If you’re investing in a kitchen where the hob is on show and you want it to feel like a considered design choice, the extra outlay is easier to justify.
The strong 4.8/5 user rating suggests owners generally feel it delivers on its promise, which helps support the value argument. You’re paying more than entry-level, but you’re getting a reliable, good-looking workhorse rather than a purely functional slab of metal.
If you simply need the lowest-cost hob for a rental or very occasional use, this isn’t the most economical choice. But for home cooks who will use it daily and appreciate both the aesthetics and the cooking performance, it represents fair value within the premium bracket.
The Smeg Victoria SR964NGH is a well-judged blend of traditional gas cooking and premium design. It doesn’t try to be clever with touchscreens or smart features; instead, it focuses on strong burners, a powerful wok zone and sturdy cast iron supports, all wrapped in a classic black enamel finish.
Its higher price tag reflects the Smeg branding and styling as much as the specification, and the lack of extras such as a timer or child lock may be a drawback for some families. That said, the combination of safety cut-offs, LPG compatibility and an excellent owner rating makes it a very reassuring choice for everyday use.
If you’re refreshing a kitchen and want a 60cm gas hob that looks the part, feels solid under heavy pans and gives you responsive heat for everything from slow simmering to high-heat stir-fries, the SR964NGH is a standout option. Budget buyers and those seeking lots of electronic features should look elsewhere, but style-conscious home cooks will find a lot to like.