Domestic appliance with stand-by function

A domestic appliance comprising:

• a cooking hob having a support panel with a first face and a second face, the support panel configured to support one or more cooking vessels on the first face thereof within respective cooking zone(s) of the hob;
• a power supply unit configured to supply cooking energy to the one or more cooking zones;
• a control group couplable to an external power source and coupled to the power supply unit, said control group comprising a main control circuit having therein a magnetically actuated main control switch and configured to supply power from the external power source, when coupled thereto, to the power supply unit, the main control switch being located adjacent to the second face of the support panel and being biased open, the main control switch being magnetically actuable to close the main control switch via magnetic interaction with a ferromagnetic activation device when located adjacent to the first face of the support panel opposite the second face adjacent to where said main control switch is located;
• and
• an auxiliary control device also couplable to the external power source and coupled to the power supply unit, said auxiliary control device comprising an auxiliary control circuit arranged in parallel to the main control circuit, said auxiliary control circuit having therein an auxiliary control switch actuable by a relay;
• wherein the auxiliary control device is configured to:
• close the auxiliary control switch upon closing of the main control switch via magnetic interaction thereof with the ferromagnetic activation device;
• and
• retain the auxiliary control switch in its closed configuration during an auxiliary-control time period after opening of the main control switch, via removal of interaction thereof with the ferromagnetic activation device, until:
• a predetermined length of time has elapsed;
• or
• after interruption of a supply of cooking energy to the one or more cooking zones,
• and thereupon to open the auxiliary control switch;
• and wherein the auxiliary control switch cannot be closed from its open configuration independent of the main control switch being actuated to close the main control switch against its bias via magnetic interaction with the ferromagnetic activation element.