subject: The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Electric And Gas Cookers [print this page] With so much in the way of household products available these days, it seems that the modern-day consumer is spoilt for choice when shopping for household appliances. Theres no doubt that there are an overwhelming amount of options available for different appliances, and each has its own benefits and downsides. Even something that should be a relatively simple decision to make can often end being far more complicated than expected, for instance the toss up between an electric cooker and a gas cooker is a decision that some people find hard to make.
For most people the choice between an electric cooker and a gas one will be swayed by personal cooking preferences - this is normally shaped by the previous experience with electric and gas cookers - and their budget. Although it is fair to say that circumstance has a large role to play in making a final decision between electric and gas cookers, there are still some useful factors that should certainly be taken into account.
Gas cookers tend to be more frequently found in most households and come with a number of benefits. Probably one of the most appealing factors is the instant heat that a gas cooker can provide - the oven, grill and hobs will all heat up at a fast rate. This is in contrast to electric cookers, which can often take quite some time to heat up. Another reason why many people opt for a gas cooker over an electric one is simply because it is cheaper to run, electricity is more expensive than gas, this is certainly a universal attraction. On the other hand gas cookers can be quite expensive to install initially. They must be installed by professional Gas Safe registered engineers, so in this respect they are less accessible. Also a gas cooker that does not have fan assistance may be susceptible to an uneven oven temperature due to poor air circulation.
Electric cookers do not suffer from an uneven oven temperature, as most of them are fan assisted. Also some electric models offer more control over the heat, so you can cook with different combinations of heat from the top and bottom of the oven. The ceramic hobs that are found on electric cookers are also very easy to wipe clean. However, as mentioned an electric cooker will probably cost more to run than a gas cooker and it will take significantly longer to heat up, and like the gas cooker an electric cooker will require a certified electrical engineer to install it.
