View Full Version : Electric vs gas stove?
For many decades, I have had an electric stove and find them convenient but they do limit one at times.
I would love to use a wok, for one thing, which is hard with my electric stove and it is impossible to use with a pressure canner.
What are some pros and challenges with a gas stove and contraindications vs an electric stove that you would consider important in choosing one over the other?
I don't do much (any!) cooking but I do like a gas stove for the instantaneous on/off thing. Seems to cook more evenly too. I have used a wok on an electric stove before with success - not that anyone would call anything I ever cooked a "success" :-)!
I prefer a gas stove. It heats things more quickly and the heat is easier to adjust to your requirements.
We have an induction stove at the moment. It came with our apartment. It's surprisingly good but not all cookware works on it.
IshbelRobertson
5-1-14, 1:43pm
Having a kitchen fitted at the moment. I have bought a Neff gas hob with a wok burner and a double electric oven. Sadly gas ovens seem to be disappearing in the UK in built-in units. But there are loads of free standing gas stovesavailable.
I grew up cooking on an Aga. When I had the kitchenrenovated a number of years ago, I replaced it with gas hob and ovens. I prefer gas to electricity for its immediacy (no milk boil-overs!)
Gas stove ALL THE WAY. I grew up with electric, but since I've known DH, we've had a gas stove. Much easier to control the heat when you can see the flame. And as others have said, when it's on it's on. When it's off, it's off.
Also, I like the idea that if the power goes out, usually, unless it's a huge disaster like an earthquake, you can always cook.
No reason at all to get electric as far as I'm concerned. Some people say they're easier to clean, but that's not true anymore. I just got a new gas stove when we spruced up our kitchen and it's a dream to clean.
And in most places - at least in the US - natural gas is MUCH cheaper then electric.
ToomuchStuff
5-2-14, 11:57am
And in most places - at least in the US - natural gas is MUCH cheaper then electric.
Except for heating in winter time. Gas tends to have seasonal prices and those I know whose entire homes are electric, have a consistant bill, while the gas goes up in winter.
Both chefs I know, prefer gas tops and electric ovens.
ApatheticNoMore
5-2-14, 2:10pm
Hmm, not sure gas has seasonal prices here (wouldn't that kind of presuppose having seasons :) ), my gas bill goes up somewhat in winter but I always assumed that was usage.
I've always used gas stoves except one apartment that was all electric (it was nice having 1 less bill - no gas bill! but you can really only pull that off if you don't use gas for the water heater, heating, etc. - it was an ALL electric setup). With electric you can buy green power and so feel quite green about it (don't know if rooftop solar would be sufficient or not) and electric has energy star ratings for which you can choose an energy star model and might get some government rebates.
I think some pans may not work on electric but most should (apparently even copper should work). Whether it's that easy to control the heat on a gas stove - meh - I have a gas stove that's at least several decades old and probably was an apartment base model even then and sure you can turn the heat up and down, but it's near impossible to get a real low simmer, it tends to get hot fast. But a decades old apartment model, that's why. This makes me want to replace my stove - maybe someday to the extent that's really not worth doing on a rental but ...
Count me among the votes for gas as well. Far far easier to control how hot it is and instantly adjust if need be. The only reason I would willingly choose electric would be if gas service was unavailable, and frankly that would be a big negative towards that pre-existing house or house site if we were building from scratch.
I don't like gas for cooking or heating, though if I did a lot of gourmet-grade wok cooking I might invest in a gas burner (is there such a thing?*). I always picture coming home to gassed pets or having my house go up in flames or something. I know that's unlikely, but we're in an earthquake zone, and I remember Northridge...You can get electric pressure cookers that allow for canning.
ETA: Electricity is relatively cheap here (hydro-electric) I pay less than $100 a month year 'round. When I buy again, I'll look for another all-electric house.
*Yes there is. Butane.
I've had an electric stove for a long time. Wish we had a gas one..........especially for canning. I think electric stoves are almost impossible to keep the pressure in a canner at the proper pressure.
Of course, I worry about carbon monoxide.......but having an alarm would cover that concern.
I would love to have a gas stove when we lose power, 'cause we could still cook.
Just curious........if we did get a gas stove, how big would the tank have to be, if it was just for the stove?
ToomuchStuff
5-3-14, 12:31am
Being my stove (and furnace) is older, can anyone with a higher end gas stove answer a question about if it plugs into the wall as well? Gas furnaces now, typically do NOT work when the electricity is out, because of electric pilot lights (more energy effecient), My older, simpler one (and furnace, again) are both thermocouple based pilot lights.
ApatheticNoMore
5-3-14, 12:37am
Gas furnaces now, typically do NOT work when the electricity is out, because of electric pilot lights (more energy effecient)
well I got curious and decided to research this earlier today and apparently they do. Most "electronic ignition" gas stoves can be lit manually (with a match) without being plugged in apparently. That's the stove top. The oven will not work without electricity. I have a lovely no name stove with permanent pilot from 10 million years ago that wastes gas and just adds heat to the apartment, so that's why I say apparently (as I do about much I have not tested personally and only heard the internet say :)).
But I imagine generally they'd be plugged in because lighting your stove with a match all the time is not normal. :)
ApatheticNoMore
5-3-14, 2:29am
When reading about types of stoves (because it is a boundlessly interesting topic or I like to dream of a better stove maybe) I did come across this interesting tip to save electricity: unscrew the light bulb in your refrigerator. It not only saves the electricity the bulb uses but any heat it generates which the fridge then has to cool.
Ok probably not major savings, but I have little need for the light anyway I figure (when I rarely get up to eat in the middle of the night I usually just make myself oatmeal - oatmeal & cream- very calming). It also says to use an "Energy saver/Less sweating" switch if one exists on your fridge (which I have never seen) and to place the fridge away from heat sources like windows, and ovens etc. (although my kitchen isn't big enough to have any better options). But I did unscrew the fridge light bulb.
Miss Cellane
5-3-14, 8:13am
Having used several of each type of stove in various apartments, I agree with the post above about gas cooktops and electric ovens. It's much easier to control the heat with a gas cooktop, and you get immediate results, whereas with an electric cooktop, it takes much longer to heat up and cool down. But a gas oven cycles on and off, while an electric oven holds a steady heat once it is preheated.
That said, if I were buying a single unit, I'd go for gas, every time. The difference in the ovens isn't all that much, and I bake a lot. Maybe if you were heavily into lots of delicate baking, like souffles, it might make a difference. For some reason, a gas burner makes much better rice than an electric one.
iris lilies
5-3-14, 11:51am
Gas stove every time. Always gas.
My mother had one of the first ceramic top electric stove and those took minutes to get hot. Of course that was 30 years ago. I've seen my friend's electric cooktop warm up and sure eit's faster than back in the old days, but I still like gas.
I have a yen for those old stoves from the 20's and 30's, they are still around and still working. I see them in kitchens in historic houses where fashion doesn't dictate granite counter tops and convection stoves and etc.
When reading about types of stoves (because it is a boundlessly interesting topic or I like to dream of a better stove maybe) I did come across this interesting tip to save electricity: unscrew the light bulb in your refrigerator. It not only saves the electricity the bulb uses but any heat it generates which the fridge then has to cool.
Ok probably not major savings, but I have little need for the light anyway I figure (when I rarely get up to eat in the middle of the night I usually just make myself oatmeal - oatmeal & cream- very calming). It also says to use an "Energy saver/Less sweating" switch if one exists on your fridge (which I have never seen) and to place the fridge away from heat sources like windows, and ovens etc. (although my kitchen isn't big enough to have any better options). But I did unscrew the fridge light bulb.
As little as the door to the fridge is open I can't imagine this will save too much energy. Even if you open the door 30 times/day for 30 seconds each that would be 15 minutes of light times 25 watts of electricity would be approximately 100 watts/month. We pay about $.15 per kw/hour so that would amount to $.015/month of electricity for the light.
Probably more effective is to have everything in the fridge arranged so that you can just open the door and quickly grab what you need and close it quickly. The big energy suck for a fridge is that every time you open the door the cold air all falls out onto the floor (since cold air falls) and warm room air takes it's place and the fridge now has to cool it. The other thing would be to keep the fridge packed with stuff so that there's only a little air that has to be re-cooled after you close the door.
Gardenarian
5-3-14, 4:03pm
We have a gas stove and there are pluses and minuses. Ours is an old (60+ years old) stove, and I worry about leaks. Also, the oven does not heat as evenly as an electric oven.
I still prefer gas top because it heats more quickly and I like the visual element of cooking with gas - you can see just how high the flame is. My cabin has an electric stove and I find it harder to judge.
Blackdog Lin
5-3-14, 9:14pm
Personally: (1) I never learned to cook on an electric stovetop, always had a gas one, so every time I've been exposed to an electric stove, watch out! I'm gonna either burn the food or myself or the kitchen; and (2) in our part of the country, gas is FAR less expensive than electricity. So it's a no-brainer in our household.
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