Gas vs. Electric Stoves – Which Is Right For You?

If you’re in the market for a new stove for your kitchen, it’s important to do your research on both gas vs. electric stoves. Although they both have their advantages and disadvantages, your decision will likely come down to personal preference. To help you make your choice, here’s a look at the key differences between gas and electric stoves. 

Gas vs. Electric Stoves

Before choosing a stove for your kitchen, you’ll need to understand how the models differ.

Different fuel types mean different ways of cooking. To understand how gas stoves will save you money, you first need to know how both gas and electric stoves use energy.

Gas stoves are comprised of either a pilot light or an electronic ignition system. A pilot light is burning blue flame that is used for ignition rather than an electronic ignition system. An electronic ignition system creates a spark only when you turn the burner on. As you turn the electronic ignition, you should hear a clicking noise. This high voltage arc will then safely ignite the gas producing a consistent flame to cook with.

Wondering how your gas stove heats up? Natural gas enters your stove from the main gas supply to your house. It’s then carried to the burner, where it mixes with air inside a manifold. As you turn the burner control knob, you control precisely how much gas reaches the stove. The higher you set the knob, the more gas is delivered.

Electric stoves, on the other hand, convert electricity to heat by running wire inside the coils on the cooktop. When a burner dial is turned on, the electricity runs through the coil, causing the metal to heat rapidly. The dial controls how long the burner cycles and how hot the burners get.

Note: If you don’t have a gas hookup, an electric stove may be your best bet. If you just purchased an electric stove and you have an existing power outlet, all you need to do is install a power cord.

Now that we’ve discussed the key differences between gas vs. electric stoves, here’s an overview of their benefits. 

Pros of Gas Stoves

Cooking Quality: The most significant advantage of using a gas stove is cooking. A gas stove provides immediate flames, giving you instant heat and precise control. Since the flames disperse themselves along the bottom and sides of the pan, food tends to be cooked more quickly and evenly. So if you’re a homeowner who enjoys cooking, a gas stove may be your best option.

Affordable Fuel Source

Gas ranges operate on either propane or natural gas, both of which are relatively cheap and clean burning. You’ll save money in the long run on operating and energy costs if your home is already using natural gas.

Works in a Power Outage

Gas stoves don’t operate on electricity, so homeowners can still use them to cook when the power is out. Most gas ovens do require electricity to operate. 

Cons of Gas Stoves

Costly Without a Gas Line

If you don’t already have a gas line in your home, you’ll need to install one. Thus, the costs will increase accordingly. Also it is possible to leave a burner on and have gas vent into the home. Ensure that valves are always completely closed be mindful of children that may want to play with the knobs. Gas stoves are very safe but be mindful of the position of the knobs to ensure they are completely turned off.

Note: Gas leaks can be hard to find. With our training, expertise, and state of the art tools, we can find even the smallest leak resolving those “I keep smelling gas” moments. Our experts will troubleshoot a variety of problems to identify what is causing the failure.

Pros of Electric Stoves

Style

One advantage of electric ovens is their looks. Most electric stoves sold today offer a smooth ceramic cooking surface, which is easier to clean. You’ll no longer need to remove a burner ring to wipe up spills.

Easy to Operate

Electric stoves are relatively easy to operate. Plus, they’re less expensive to purchase and install, which makes them an excellent choice for people who don’t want to deal with the hassle of installations.

Small Price Tag

Electric stoves aren’t only affordable, but they often come with little set-up and adjustments needed in the kitchen.

Cons of Electric Stoves

Cooking Quality

The biggest criticism homeowners have about electric stovetops is cooking evenly. With a smooth top stove you pot and pans need to be flat to allow for proper heat transfer. Most pots and pans will crown over time causing performance to change. Use a straight edge to ensure the are flat and don’t have and crown to them. While electric stoves are fairly easy to use and operate, they cook food slower than gas stoves do.

Affected by Power Outages

If you live in a city that has frequent power outages, your stove will be inoperable during those times.

Other Types of Stoves

Induction Stovetop

Induction cooking uses high-frequency induction coil to directly heat the cookware through magnetic induction, as opposed to the open flames on gas stoves or heated coils on electric ones. Induction stoves are considered the safest, most energy efficient, easiest to keep clean.

Dual Fuel Stovetop

A dual fuel kitchen range combines the best of both worlds. The stove is gas while the oven is electric. Since electric ovens tend to create more heat and provide consistent and even baking, electric ovens are generally preferred to gas. It’s an ideal solution if you love the precise control of gas burners up top, but want the excellent baking skills of electric in the oven.

Gas vs. Electric Oven

Electric and gas ovens provide different types of heat, which creates a different cooking experience for your food. Gas ovens provide a moist heat, helping to prevent your meats and baked goods from drying out when heated.

On the flip side, electric oven cooking gives you a drier baking experience, adding a crisp or crunch to your food.

Electric oven heat tends to be a more true temperature with less heat swings. This is mostly a personal preference. All ovens cook slightly different and have a learning curve.  

Is a Gas Stove or Electric Stove Right For You?

When sorting through a sea of stoves, it can be difficult to choose between the different brands and models. During your decision process, there are lots of factors that may influence you in one direction or the other, including hookups, cooking, cleaning, and more. Be sure to weigh these pros and cons carefully to make the most informed decision. In the end, the choice is yours.

Call iFiX Today for Your Utah Stove Repair Service

If you have a problem with your gas or electric stove or need helping to select your new stove, call iFiX today at 801.731.4349. Our team is capable of diagnosing and resolving the issue with ovens, stoves, and ranges. We have the ability to service a wide variety of different makes and models.