Gas Or Electric?

[cabinetman]

We may be upgrading our stove/range, and there is a variety of electric ranges. Gas burners are fairly standard with differences in BTU's. But for the electric, there are ones with an element, and smooth top styles.

With gas it seems that the direct flames to the cookware would be the fastest and most efficient. So, my question is what is the best method, considering cooking speed, ambient heat created, and operating cost?

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[Russianwolf]

smooth top styles can be hard to clean without staining, and can easily be scratched. Had one, wife won't get another.

She only approves gas type now. And it has to be all stainless as some with the burner area that is black can again be hard to clean.

[jon_ramp]

I've used the coil type electric and hated it. It took longer to heat up and then there was always a delay when you wanted to turn the heat down as the coils don't have an immediate reduction in heat like a flame does. We now have a GE unit that has a gas range with an electric oven. The oven has a convection feature if I want to use it. We like it and would get one again.

[BigguyZ]

I say gas all the way. Hot right now, not later. Also, I think they're cheaper to run. The only reason I'd go electric is for one of those induction cooktops, but they're also pretty pricey and you need a specific type of cookware.

[dbhost]

There's no thinking, gas is far cheaper to operate. My current home is all electric with a smooth top stove and I HATE it. The block I am on has no gas run to it. If I could, I would get gas run to me, but they won't do it... Gas does have the severe disadvantage of potential for Carbon Monoxide poisoning, and house explosions though... Very rare, and caused by horrible maintenance, but possible...

[leehljp]

Smooth tops are for people who are more for esthetics than for cooking! IF one cooks on occasion and eats out more than eating at home, then fine. We have a white one and it is a pain to keep white. We clean after every cooking, so it is not a matter of leaving cooked food on. These smooth tops require much higher cleaning maintenance than coil or gas ones to stay nice looking. My sister-in-law has a black one and it is much less problematic than the white. The white show stains and keeps them where as this is not a problem with the black.

Problem number 2 for the smooth top: You need pots, pans and skillets that are FLAT bottomed. Our older copper bottom Reverware work OK but even a very slight distortion that we didn't know was there shows up when place on a FLAT ceramic surface. And heating up some flat pots/pans will cause them to mildly distort which will cause problems with even cooking on the flat ceramic surface. Generally, I don't like aluminum pots, pans and skillets but we have one heavy duty 11" skillet with 3" sides that we have had since we got married. We like using this for a few dishes and have used it about 12 to 15 times a year - until we got the flat surfaced range. It does not fit flat and makes it difficult to cook with. The problem is that there is only a very small area in direct contact with the heated surface. It cooks so-so but I just don't like the fact that direct heat is not transferred to it, or other supposedly flat bottomed pots and pans that have very minor distortions.

We have some heavy duty stainless steel pots, pans and skillets (SaladMaster) from long ago. We have to use these almost exclusively because they are the only ones that are purely flat and stay flat. We have also learned that the only T-Fal/Teflon type skillets - we have to use the expensive ones that have double and triple layer bottoms. Someone around here still has not learned to use only wood/non-metal spatulas on Teflon/T-Fal and therefore we generally have to replace those every three years or so. It is expensive now since only the double and triple layered teflon skillets work effectively on the flat surfaces.

These problems are nonexistent with gas and were nonexistent on electric coil elements also.

Just my opinion! IF you do go with flat surface, get black and make sure you have thick FLAT bottomed pots, pans and skillets.

[twistsol]

You may want to look into magnetic induction. I've never used one so make your own judgmenets. It is as fast as gas and more energy efficient. The advantage is that you still get an electric oven which is generally better for baking. They are still expensive and only steel pots work with them.

At our house we're dual fuel, gas cooktop and electric oven. We've had electric coil and glass top stoves and gas is the way to go. I don't thenk the energy savings of magnetic induction would ever offset the initial purchase price difference.

[cabinetman]

The block I am on has no gas run to it. If I could, I would get gas run to me, but they won't do it...

What about setting up an LP tank?

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[Russianwolf]

What about setting up an LP tank?

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That's what we have. A 100lb tank last a long time if all you are doing is using it for a stove.

[jking]

I've always been told gas cooktop/electric oven is the best combination. Gas cooktops heat the pot up quicker because there's direct contact with the heat source. Electric relies on contact with the cooking element.

The induction cooktops are very nice, but, expensive. They do require good stainless steel pots & pans. This might be better than gas for performance. The nice thing is because of how they work, the pans get hot immediately & the cooktop cools down almost immediately.

One area I have a different opinion from several that have answered is on the smoothtop electric cooktop. We have one because running a gas line to the kitchen was not practical. I find the smoothtop to be less of a hassle to clean than gas or electric coil. I have had electric coil stoves before & I will never have another one. Dealing with the drip pans & the uneven cooktop surface was a pain. I much prefer to have the smooth stovetop because when not cooking, it can be use to stage cooking items. They make cleaners for smooth cooktops that do not scratch the surface. I've not found cleaning to be an issue.

[BigguyZ]

Not to get OT here, but why would electric be better for baking?

[jziegler]

Not to get OT here, but why would electric be better for baking?

Burning gas produces water vapor as one of the by-products. The extra moisture in the air from this will affect baking somewhat. At least that's what I've heard.

I'm going to go against the trend here and say that if you get electric, smooth-top is a better choice than coils. A black smooth top cooktop is much easier to clean than either a coil pan or a gas burner pan. If you ever boil over a pot, I've always found both gas and electric stoves to be very difficult to clean.

Another advantage for electric (either coil or smoothtop) can be better control over the heat in the simmer temperature range. The only gas stoves that I've used (in apartments, so probably not great ones) have a hard time keeping a low temperature for a simmer without the flame going out. Electric does not have that problem.

Overall, I think that the best possible kitchen would have an electric over, some electric burners, and a couple of gas burners.

[toolguy1000]

gas burners for "counter" cooking, although friends have smooth finish electric where ther'e no gas, and it certainly looks nice and is easy to clean. electric for baking (at least according to all the relevant "foodies"), broiling and oven cooking.

[scmhogg]

Cab,

Do you have 1/2" or 3/4" gas supply at the kitchen? If you have 3/4", look for higher btu burners.

Another good feature is continuous burner grills. They allow you to slide heavy pots from one burner to another. I have a stainless Kitchen-Aid that works great. I really like the real low setting they allow for slow simmers.

Steve

[tommyt654]

We have a black glass top electric that I wouldn't trade for any of the others, heats quickly, energy star rated, easy to clean(think razor blade scraper). now havin cooked in several resteurants when I was younger a convection over is the way to go as far as an oven and gas will cook well, but from the homeowner standpoint I would never go back to gas or a regular top range after having the glasstop. However I'm a bit of a cleaning freak when it comes to cookin and clean up behind myself as I go along since doin that after settin up for din-din is a pita and I like a clean kitchen as I was taught by the head chef in Tampa to do that while workin at Bern's Steak House while goin thru college. Its you choice ultimately in the long run and gas is cheaper I gather tho I wonder about that compared to this energy star rated electric we have