I am told there is a central screw behind the front panel. Trouble is I can't for the life of me see how to get at this. I have removed the dial knobs and timer knobs and the two screws under the front edge and two screws from each side at the front but nothing moves. Has anyone got a diagram or know how to open the top?

Silly, November 2007

SillyBilly's notes are excellent I wouldn't have stood a chance without them, but with them - a result!

A few comments:
I removed the 2 screws on each front top side edge but didn't notice whether or not only one was necessary.
I also removed the one screw mentioned as a possible at the top of the back panel but think probably it's better not to do so. It holds a post that the hob fixes to and it's better when refitting if that post is fixed rather than having leeway to move.
When I came to lift off the hob it seemed to be still secured at the front but I couldn't see anything. Turned out to be just a bit sticky with being in place for many years.
When it came to refitting the glass pane I found it best to have it tipped back towards me a bit, slide it on to the guides, making sure the tabs at the bottom were beneath everything it was marrying to, and then rotate it up into position (as mentioned, making sure the rotating dial cups were through their corresponding holes OK).

Overall a tremendous help. Thank you SillyBilly

SuperSlim, February 2016

Thanks a Million, that really helped me.

Noel C, September 2014

thanks this has been a great help with my cooker, but my timer buttons have stoped working when i press them but the display still lights up (can not set time) with 2 buttons pressed?

graham, January 2008

I didn’t get any offers of help but having now replaced two of the simmerstat controls on my Hotpoint EW91, others may find the following of help. It is quite straight forward.
Pull off the 7 identical switch knobs
Pull out the 6 timer buttons
Remove the 2, or 3, black screws from under the front edge of the ceramic hob
Remove the 2 screws on each front top side edge (the longer of which is nearest the front). I suspect only the first screw need be removed.
Remove the 3 screws at the front and rear edges of each side panel. Those at the front are visible when the doors are open). Note which side is which and the top edge to help in reassembly! You don’t need to remove the rear panel though it might be necessary to remove one screw at the top on each side.
Remove only the front and rear screws from each side of the hob. The hob can be lifted off and moved back a few inches.
Remove only the top screw holding the end piece on the glass control pane from each side.
The glass pane and brackets should now slide off the front. If you want to clean the glass you can remove the screw at each end to separate the pane from the end trims. I didn’t remove the pane from the bottom trim.
Write down the arrangement and overlapping of the rotating dials and pull them off for cleaning. Clean and dry the dials and knobs.
Each of the controls is held on by 2 cross-head screws. First remove the loose washer from under the rotating dial. Do one control at a time, one wire at a time, after first noting which terminals were used.
Reassembly is the reverse, but be sure to pull the front of the rotating dials through the holes in the glass.

SillyBilly, November 2007