45A Cooker Control Unit - Piano Black

A kitchen needs one plate that deals with the cooker and the worktop at once, and that is the job here. A double pole rocker isolates the cooker circuit at 45A, and a switched 13A socket sits beside it for the kettle, the toaster or whatever else lands on the counter. Both rockers are chrome against a screwless piano black plate, so the front shows no screw heads and reads as one clean rectangle on the wall. The switching is double pole, so line and neutral are both broken when the rocker is down.

It goes where cooker controls always go, on the wall above the worktop and within easy reach of the hob, and the socket built into it means one plate covers both. Black switchgear suits handleless slab doors, dark stone tops and matt black taps, while the chrome rockers keep some brightness in the plate so it does not vanish against a dark splashback. We would choose it for a kitchen where the switches and sockets are going black throughout rather than white, since one pale plate in a dark run tends to pull the eye straight to it.

Plate and rockers are moulded ABS, the face finished in deep gloss piano black with a chrome insert. Gloss like this shows fingerprints and cooking mist, so keep a soft dry cloth to hand and wipe it over with the power off; leave solvents and cream cleaners well alone, as they dull the shine. It carries a ten year warranty, and it is intended for indoor use on a household supply. Run it with black plates elsewhere in the room and the line of switchgear stays consistent from the hob to the far end of the worktop.

What does the 45A rocker do?

It is the cooker control, a double pole rocker that breaks both line and neutral to the cooker circuit, so the appliance can be isolated without going to the consumer unit.

Is the 13A socket switched separately?

Yes. The socket has its own rocker on the same plate, independent of the cooker rocker, so a kettle or toaster can be switched off on its own.

What size is the plate?

It measures 146mm across and 88mm high, with a depth of 47mm behind the face.

How should the piano black finish be cleaned?

Switch off at the consumer unit first, then use a soft dry or barely damp cloth. Kitchen sprays, solvents and cream cleaners can mark the gloss and are best avoided.

Is it suitable for a garage, utility or outbuilding?

It is rated for dry indoor rooms only, on a domestic supply, so a kitchen or a dry utility is fine but an unheated damp space or anywhere exposed to weather is not.

How long is the warranty?

It carries a 10 year warranty from the manufacturer.