Hi europhile
Ceramic hobs range from basic with knobs, to advanced with timer buttons, locking mechanism etc.
Things you might want to consider are the position of the knobs (to the side if you have children), whether you want a timer or lock. I believe induction hobs are good, but you need special pots and pans to go on them, they are expensive as it is and the pots will add more to your bill.
We have a new ceramic, very basic model and it's great, heats up almost instantly.
BC