Candy PLE64X

The candy PLE64X electric hob is something of a disappointment. I bought one from Homebase whose kitchen fitter installed it. 1st annoyance: The hob came with an instruction booklet which refers to a gas hob instead of electric, though fortunately the booklet does cover a gas hob with electric hot plate. 2nd annoyance: The hob cannot be left switched-on with no pans, or empty pans, on the burner plates. If it is, it burns-out. This happened to my hob: smoke emanated from the hob during burn-in (see instructions below), which is usual apparently, then a load bang was heard, similar to the sound made by an electric fuse when it burns-out. The instruction booklet states:- "Leave the hot plate to heat up for 5 minutes before placing a pan on it for the first time. This will allow the heat resistant coating of the plate to harden due to burning....However it must never be left on for more than a few moments without a pan on top... Do not leave burners unattended without a pan or with an empty pan on top...They (pans) should completely cover the burner surface; they may be a little bigger but no smaller... Empty pans must not be left on the plates, and the plates should not be left switched on without a pan". Conclusion: The Candy PLE64X electric hob is less robust than an old-fashioned electric cooker from the 1970s/1980s. Disappointed (July 2009).