My mom and grandmother always used a gas stove, while growing up it was embedded in my mind that fire is the only thing that can properly cook a meal, and it was not because I was told so by my parents or anyone, this perspective developed in my mind because I had never seen an electric stove work before. As I went into my adolescence, my mom finally bought an electric stove and I was astonished by experiencing how easy it was to cook and use. It was the battle of the wits as I could see the sparks fly in the Gas vs Electric stoves debate right at the back of my Mom’s mind.
My mom, on the other hand, was a bit puzzled and disappointed as she couldn’t figure out how the stove functioned, having no experience cooking with electricity-induced heat. It was all new for us. Although it was being adapted and accepted by many. My grandmother preferred the old gas stove. She said, “cooking on electric cooktops is like eating artificially prepared food”. She implied that it robs the natural “smell” of the food.
Which is Better a Gas or Electric Stove?
The most fierce rivalry in the history of the cooking world. On one side we have a stove that is powered by gas, on the other hand, we have an electric-powered cooktop. We have to discuss and debate the characteristics of both kinds. It is gas versus electric range.
Throughout history, we have been using gas stoves, but electric stoves had made an entry in the game long back. It’s just that they weren’t well-received by the people. To expand on this, we are going to have to go through their histories and the way they were brought into existence. The way they are used now to what scope either holds. It compares and talking about both mediums is a little tough as they most have no commonalities. Let’s dive deep into the epic rivalry of gas versus electric cooktops. We will study every intricate aspect and analyze which one is the best.
It is time to bring on the fight between the two contenders, the gas vs electric stoves. In this section, we are going to set these two against each other and try to the best of our abilities to make a fair decision. The challenge that can befall us is that there are factors to look into and settle the gas vs electric stoves debate.
Installation and connection
This round is going to be a simple one where we have to judge gas vs electric stoves based on the kind of connection they require to function.
Firstly, a gas connection requires to be hooked up with a natural gas line. There are several fuel connections that you can avail yourself of, like Liquified Petroleum Gas. The gas connection is usually connected to a bigger connection to get the gas to your home.
An electric smooth top, unlike gas ones, doesn’t need to be hooked up to a gas line. It simplifies the procedure with a power outlet. The catch in this scenario is that it does not need to be hooked up to the plug of your electric range in the standard outlet. It necessitates the presence of a dedicated electric circuit. Electric ranges function on higher power capacity than other small appliances like a toaster. It needs additional power to run, which can ultimately increase the number on your electricity bill.
Verdict: We believe that it is very difficult to get a gas connection in some of the states which ultimately makes electric stoves the winner of this round.
Temperature control
Controlling the temperature of a conventional hob is quick and easy. The flames can be regulated to moderate or even simmer with a turn of a knob. The flames react to the simmering of the knobs at that very moment. This ultimately results in the backdrop of the temperature of the cookware.
On the flip side, electric stoves are complex in terms of temperature control. There is no mechanism in the heating element that takes the chill off from the burner. The only thing you can do is simmer the intensity of heat or shut it to refrain it from getting scorching hot. Low heat levels will slow down the pace at which the cookware receives the heat, but the consistency will be maintained.
Verdict: It is evident that the gas stoves provide precise control over the temperature against the electric stoves. This round was an obvious knockout, and it was dominated by the gas stove from the beginning.
Efficiency
You can judge the winner in gas vs electric stoves by looking at the amount of power it saves while working. It is natural that these two will have significant amount of differences in their power-saving capabilities.
A gas stove can be a good opponent of electric stoves when it comes to the efficiency of the energy used. A gas stove transfers half of the heat through the open flames. This means that only 60 % of the total energy produced by a gas stove is transferred to do the job.
While electric stoves can be a good tool if you want to save energy as more than 70 percent of the heat made by electricity is exchanged with the cookware(in inductions and infrared heating systems, those numbers can go up to 90 percent.).
Verdict: Although gas stoves have some capabilities of saving energy, electric stoves are masters of that art. This round is won by “the electric stove”. Electric stoves have beaten their enemy gas stoves by some points in this round.
Safety
One of the most crucial rounds of the fight can redefine or alter the opinion of the people on gas or electric stoves. The safety of your family heavily depends on the kind you choose to go with.
A gas stove does not have a lot of options to ensure that it has taken safety parameters into consideration. Gas stoves don’t possess any mechanism like auto shut off to avoid overheating. There can be many unspeakable accidents around an unattended stove. There is also the chance of a leak with gas burners over electric ones.
The new models of electric stoves are laced with a great safety feature, you are sometimes too safe in the presence of an electric stove(jk, you are never too safe). Features like auto shut-off and safety lockout features have been programmed by keeping in mind even the most hypothetical scenarios that might befall your daily life to stay safe.
Verdict: With a clear upper hand, the winner of this round is the contemporary electric stoves. It doesn’t mean that electric stoves are the safest things out there, they have been the reason for many burn injuries for many people. It becomes hard to tell if the stovetop is hot enough or not.
Speed
Gas stoves are turbo when compared to contemporary electric cooktops. The flames once turned on can provide immediate warmth. It gets the food going swiftly The time in the stoves against the electric stoves is lower.
Electric stoves do have a good build-up of heat but if we compare them with gas stoves, they are far more superior to these galvanic stoves. While heating, the most important factor that plays an important role is the BTU ratings of these two kinds of stoves. The calculated BTU is around the same ballpark. It comes down to the responsiveness of the heat regulation.
Verdict: The lighting speed round has been won by the traditional-style stove. The electric stoves have been thwarted by the ol’ gas stoves because of their operational tactic. They have secured the place of being the fastest one in the round. The gas stoves
Cost
As far as gas stoves are concerned they have relatively lowered price tags on them as compared to electric stoves. From the functional cost to the cost involved in the maintenance, electric stoves cost a hefty sum if you want to change the glass top or even the burners.
Electric stoves are mainly made from glass and ceramic, they need to be dealt with with proper care and even after that, there are chances that they will shatter your bank account(pun intended). With proper care, you can maintain the ceramic glass for a long haul.
Verdict: The winner by a large amount is a gas stove, traditional gas stoves involve going through a lot of procedures, yet they are not too expensive. Electric stove owners bear twice the amount for getting an electric stove.
Quality
This is a controversial topic in every gas vs electric stoves debate. To decide the victor for this one is a tough job. It gives you a subjective task to decide whether the quality of an electric stove is better in terms of performance with gas stoves or if it is the other way around.
Gas vs electric ovens
These two are common in most ways and the only major factor that sets them apart is the mode of fuel that they have. On an obvious note, gas ovens and ranges depend on the gas-powered burners present inside the oven. Whereas, electric ovens contain within them, a heating element powered by induced current. Electric ovens have another heating element on the upper side of the oven called a broiler. If the model is true convection, it comes equipped with a mini fan. This fan circulates the heat generated by the element to the entire oven cavity.
The comparison should be based on the speed and other functions that they hold. A typical gas oven catches on the warm side more quickly than an electric oven. It is not that difficult to understand, since gas is involved, the burners are fueled by it and can’t warm up pretty quickly as well as cool down with a pace that an electric hobs can dream of. This is in a fiery category for the Gas vs Electric stoves debate as it shows that ovens are capable of being far more powerful than regular ovens. Electric Ovens are convenient to start up. Plugging it in is the only step (unless your cord is short- that’s what she said). Whereas, with gas stoves, a potential face-burning hazard is associated with it.
Different types of Gas vs electric stoves
Gas stoves do not vary in terms of types but electric stoves do. When we talk about electric stoves it is a broader term that usually consists of induction and the ones with exposed coils. Induction stoves are counted to be the stoves that are not responsible for discharging unnecessary power. Inductions are proven to have the least amount of power wasted at the time of cooking which is around 10 %. It is true because of the mode of transport of the heat produced in them. Inductions use scattered magnets to evenly distribute the heat to every corner of the cookware.
The transfer of heat is directly done to the cookware itself. In an open, coiled, electric stove, the burners are like an eye, emerging from beneath in a spiral. The coils glow up rather quickly than in a ceramic-covered burner. It takes more time to cool off too. The cleaning of coiled burners requires arduous slogging. If there is a spill inside the coiled burners, you are doomed to eternity while trying to clean it. Gas stoves, in the aspect of cleaning, are quite serene and untroubled.
My view
It is a big task to pick the better one among gas vs electric stoves. They both have phenomenal qualities that are irreplaceable by the other one. Gas stoves have always been a part of my family’s Hearth area. We have a lot of them attached to it.
Conclusion
It has been a long fight to end with a draw. Both electric and gas stoves are potent in changing the cooking process into a pleasing and calming process. Electric stoves have some features that gas doesn’t and vice versa. They have their perks and disadvantages. In the end, what matters is the usability, experience, and willingness to go for either the all-time classic gas stove or the contemporary and high-tech electric stove. Some professional chefs and restaurant owners disapprove of the change from conventional to contemporary-style stoves.
To support their statements, they expressed that the authenticity of the food is lost when it is cooked on an electric stove. They support the use of flame-powered gas stoves and urge us to not make them obsolete. This was their view, but it completely depends on the people for what they think. If it is convenient for them to use. To put the fight between gas vs electric stoves to rest, it would be blasphemy for cooking lovers to completely shift to electric ones. It does not look like they have a lot of choices in places like Berkeley where the local authorities have put a stop to the usage of gas stoves and swiftly changes the mainstream limelight to the emerging champ, electric stoves.
