Gas Range vs Electric Range

[guywithashovel]

I have recently purchased a new home, and since the appliances the previous owner left behind were pretty dirty and old, I opted to replace them with new ones. Just last weekend, I was at HHGregg shopping for a new stove. When I went shopping for this stove, I went for an electric stove as if that were the only one available. It never occurred to me to consider a gas stove.

See, when I was growing up, we always used electric stoves. I never remember us having a gas one. My mom doesn't like the gas stoves. She doesn't like having to fool with the pilot light, for one thing. I think she has some other objections, too, but I can't think of them. Likewise, no one else in my family---that I can think of---used gas stoves, so I kind of forgot they existed (in a way). But when I was at HHGregg, I caught sight of the gas ranges, and it did get me to thinking. I started considering one, but I remembered I'd probably have to get a gas line installed for it in the kitchen. Long story short, I ended up buying one of the electric stoves with the flat glass top. Mom was advising me to opt for that kind, anyway, since she insists they are easier to clean. I did get online and do a little research, and it seems that some people think gas stoves heat better, though.

What's been your experience with this? Which do you prefer and why?

[Mishi]

I've had several different types of stove since I learnt how to cook and I personally prefer gas stoves. The ones I used didn't have a pilot light though. I love being able to turn the heat down when something's about to boil over and the heat dissipates much quicker than an electric cooktop (less mess to clean up). There seems to be less heat up time as well. If it had been an option when I replaced the appliances in this house, I'd have bought a gas stove as well as a gas oven. I've never had cakes fall in a gas oven, and my current electric oven is very finicky. The glasstop electric stoves are much easier to clean though, so it's a good choice too.

[Andara Bledin]

I don't know how to cook anything well on an electric range. How the hell do you decide what level of heat you have going if you can't see the flame?

Another thing to note is that with an electric range, you need your cookware to be flat as the heat won't reach up the way that a flame will.

Anyway, I just had a stove bought for me (a gift) and made a point of getting a gas range. Of course, part of that was due to the fact that I have family visiting and they will be doing a lot of cooking and baking and they only use gas ranges.

I just did a quick check on "gas vs electric" at a bunch of foodie blogs and forums (most dated 2007 - 2009, so not completely up-to-date) and they're pretty unanimous for gas over electric for range-top cookery.

^-.-^

[Greenday]

Ugh, I can't stand electric stoves. They take forever to heat up compared to gas which is automatically hot. I have no trouble cleaning a gas stove. Electric stoves are such a hassle compared to gas.

[Panacea]

If you are a serious cook, gas is the way to go. You can do so much more with gas, and get the heat tuned much more finely than with electric.

Electric ranges have gotten a lot better over the years, but they still take time to heat up and cool down, and you can't be very precise with them.

When I bought my house, I wanted to replace the electric stove (which was very old) for gas. However, local code would have required me to replace my cabinets on that side of the kitchen because they were too low over the range. I couldn't afford that.

So I bought a very nice smooth top range that I like fairly well. I would still rather have gas.

[IDrinkaRum]

I have a smooth top range for my electric stove.

I. hate. it. With a passion. I've talked to others who have them. 9 out of 10 owners hate them. The 1 that doesn't? Doesn't cook.

Sure it looks really pretty. However, it gets dirtier way faster than a regular electric range top. And if you have elbow/wrist problems (like I do - I have tennis elbow), you're never ever going to get it clean. My husband has to do the cleaning of it because it's a p.i.t.a. to clean.

[HYHYBT]

How can it *possibly* be harder to keep a glass cooktop clean than a regular one? I usually just have to wipe mine off with a wet towel. On the other hand, mine is an induction stove. They have advantages and disadvantages of their own, but are pricey enough that I'd never have chosen it had it not already been there. (Advantages: instant on and off, no actual heat unless there's a pot there, can take oddly-shaped pots, safe counter space when no cooking is going on. Actually, safe in general. The main disadvantage is that it only works with cookware a magnet will stick to, which is surprisingly little of what's available.)

As for gas.... I wouldn't consider it unless there was already a pipe there. After all, plenty of people cook quite well with electricity. You can tell how much heat you're using by where the knob is turned (as many do with gas stoves too) rather than looking under the pans to see how high the flame is. True, on the rare occasion that you've let something boil over you'd do better to move it to another eye than let it sit there waiting for the element to cool under it, but other than that the temperature changing thing is vastly overblown.

[blas87]

Everything in my apartment is electric. Granted, my range is probably older than I am (it's even that ugly baby shit yellow license plate color from the early 80s), but it warms up fairly quick.

I'm not a serious cook, but I use it on the weekends to make hotdishes and whatnot for lunches for work the following week. Never had a problem.

The oven is a different story. It doesn't work with a shit. Landlord refuses to fix it. So I make pizzas and cookies on my Pizzazz.

Cleaning the stove is easy. I just use vinegar/water mix and Clorox wipes for the tough stuff.

[guywithashovel]

I've also done some online research on this, and this little "debate" (or whatever you wish to call it) seems to resemble the debate over gas grills and charcoal grills. People who grill a lot and grill seriously usually seem to prefer charcoal, while people who grill just for fun or not much at at all usually either don't care either way or prefer gas. Likewise, it seems that a lot of serious cooks prefer gas, while people who cook to survive or don't cook much at all prefer electric or don't care either way.

Then again, my grandma is a pretty avid cook, and she prefers electric. Then again, she doesn't like the pilot lights on gas grills.

Also, I'm a little surprised at the animosity towards the flat glass tops. Everyone in my family swears by them.

[protege]

Here's something else that nobody's mentioned. Suppose your power goes out during a snowstorm. If you have an electric stove...you're SOL

Seriously though, even though I don't cook much, I prefer gas stoves. I've used both, and electrics just don't seem to heat up as fast. Plus, the coils take a bit of time to cool back down. Also, if something does spill, it's easier to take the metal 'grids' off gas burners, wipe off the mess...than it is to carefully reach under an electric coil.

[HYHYBT]

Most of the stoves I've used with open electric coils have them hinged. Just lift the coil up with your hand and it will stand on end out of the way. (Wait for it to cool first, of course )

I don't think they were still making yellow appliances by the 80's. The newest I've seen were no newer than early 70's.

[Gravekeeper]

Having cooked with both: For stove top, gas is certainly more responsive when you want to change the temp really fast but lifting the pot off the burner is faster regardless. Gas tends to be more expensive, so consider if you want to spend more for the convenience of not lifting the pot when it boils over, heh. Both are fine once they hit temp though. I don't understand how one or the other is easier or harder to clean though I've found them equal in that regard.

The difference lies in the oven, not the stove top. A gas oven is going to add moisture, while an electric oven is a dry heat. Its much easier to add moisture when you're cooking then it is to take it away. So I've found I perfer electric in that regard.

Finally, if you don't already have the hook ups for gas, you're going need to bring in a gas fitter. Additionally, depending on where you live, you may need to weight which utility is cheaper: Gas or electric. So you're possibly looking at more expense to buy a gas stove overall which you may not get a heck of a lot out of.

If you're a die hard cook, gas may be appealling for stove top cooking. But otherwise, its not like electric is incredibly inferior. You're not deciding between Good and Bad here, you're deciding between Good and Slightly Better.

[protege]

I don't think they were still making yellow appliances by the 80's. The newest I've seen were no newer than early 70's.

I just replaced one of those wonderful yellow stoves, a Tappan. It had apparently been in my house since it was built...over 40 years ago Anyway, green was another popular color. My mom had one of those. That piece of shit lasted until the late 1990s, until it was finally replaced. Nearly everything on it had failed--the lights, the latch for the oven door (requiring a board strapped across the front), one of the burners, etc.

Now, nearly all the 'colored' appliances are being phased out. Most are now white, black, or stainless, since those tend to go with everything. I never saw the appeal of stainless, since I'd be wiping paw prints and fingerprints off it constantly.

[Andara Bledin]

Brushed stainless actually doesn't show pawprints like that. Plus, it won't chip or ding like paint if you happen to run into it with something. My fridge and toaster oven are both stainless, as well as the range that's being delivered next week.

^-.-^

[smileyeagle1021]

The difference lies in the oven, not the stove top. A gas oven is going to add moisture, while an electric oven is a dry heat. Its much easier to add moisture when you're cooking then it is to take it away. So I've found I perfer electric in that regard.

Finally, if you don't already have the hook ups for gas, you're going need to bring in a gas fitter. Additionally, depending on where you live, you may need to weight which utility is cheaper: Gas or electric. So you're possibly looking at more expense to buy a gas stove overall which you may not get a heck of a lot out of.

First point, they do make stoves that are gas stove top and electric oven, so best of both worlds.

Second point is a real big one... if you don't already have gas hookup you may also be looking at getting a new gas main for it. My condo was built originally with gas heating and water heating and electric appliances, so they only put in a gas main to the unit big enough to provide gas to the water heater and furnace, for us to have gas appliances we'd have to replace the gas main (which depending on configuration of your home could be anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars).