subject: Electric or Gas Cooktop? 5 Tips to Choose the Best For Your Needs [print this page] Electric or Gas Cooktop? 5 Tips to Choose the Best For Your Needs
Perhaps you are remodelling the kitchen and have a choice of gas or electriccooktop. Make sure you review all the options between the two. While some chefs simply prefer the instant heat of gas, others say the constant heat from electric is perfect for all cooking needs. Here are five points to help you consider which is the best for your home kitchen needs.
Initial investment
While gas is much cheaper on a daily usage basis, the initial outlay is going to be higher than any comparable electric range. This may be a deciding factor from the beginning but if you prefer to cook with gas and can envisage the long term benefits and savings in terms of ongoing energy costs paying a little more to begin with could be worth it in the long term.
Temperature control
Gas versus electric for temperature control is a debate that will continue for as long as there are chefs and cooks in the kitchen. For anyone new to the art of cooking with gas, this can take a bit of getting used to. There can be a fine line between boiling and simmering if the controls aren't handled carefully. Electric can be difficult to control once the hotplate has heated up and it might be that the pot needs to come away from the heat entirely to cool down to a simmering point.
Heating time
Electric hotplates will take longer to get to the desired temperature but once there, the heat is maintained throughout the cooking process. Whereas gas is an instant heat that can be turned down or off by adjusting the knob there can be a continual need for checking the simmering or boiling point to stop overheating.
Starting controls
Long gone are the days of the first gas cooktop that needed a match or an ignition lighter to get things fired up. The latest gas cookers have inbuilt electronic ignition switches making it as easy as any electric hotplate to start.
Energy costs
The newer models of electric stove tops are far more energy conscious than the older versions but gas still seems to come out on top for ongoing energy costs. Carbon footprints seem to be similar if using gas or electric.
Another consideration for gas cooking may be the availability of the gas line in your area. Bottled gas can be a bit of a nuisance if you've forgotten to order a new batch after your last one ran out but having to cylinders on hand can prevent this inconvenience. Electricity is available no matter where you live so this could be the easiest solution if the rest of the house is electric.
Whether you decide on gas or electric,home appliances can easily be researched and sourced on line making the shopping experience simpler than ever.
