Do you prefer your steak from the gas or the electric stove – not an easy decision. Because both variants offer very specific advantages and disadvantages. A gas stove convinces with rapid heat development, while an electric stove is easier to clean.
A gas stove is an option, especially if a gas connection already exists in a house, for example because the heating is operated with natural gas. In addition, there is also the option of connecting portable gas bottles to the gas stove. The gas stove is often the first choice for many ambitious hobby cooks. In addition, there is another alternative that combines many advantages of both systems: the induction cooker.
A gas stove has an open flame and nostalgic charme. The bluish gas flames glow, surrounded by the heavy, cast-iron frame for the pots. A gas stove always has a nostalgic and industrial touch. Below the rack, gas is ignited directly on the surface of the hearth. Pots and pans are exposed to the heat directly and absorb it quickly, the temperature can be regulated steplessly and directly. The same applies when extinguishing the flame, the heat disappears immediately, there is no cooling down period. This means that you can leave pots on the stove.
The situation is different with the electric ceramic hob, for example. The surface has to cool down and so you can burn yourself on a switched-off plate that has not yet completely cooled down. Because gas is cheaper than electricity, you can cook with a gas stove in a more budget-conscious manner.
However, the direct flame also has a few disadvantages. So it is complicated to evenly heat food at low temperature. If you want to melt chocolate slowly, for example, you can’t do it without effort. There is a similar problem in the oven: the temperature cannot be set precisely, below 140 degrees does not work with conventional devices. On the other hand, the entire kitchen can become an oven, because the open flame acts like a heater. If you want to prepare an elaborate menu for many guests, this can certainly increase the temperature in the kitchen by a few degrees. The open flame is also a safety risk: packaging or kitchen towels can easily be set on fire. Due to the fragmented structure of gas stoves, cleaning is much more complex than cleaning the smooth surface of a ceramic hob.
Compared to a gas stove, the hotplates of an electric stove react much more slowly to changes. You need to heat up slowly first and cool down after cooking. It also takes time to return the stovetop to a medium temperature. With the gas stove, you can cook in a more targeted manner, which ultimately also affects the taste: Cooking to the point is more cumbersome with an electric stove. Because the hobs have to cool down, you can’t simply leave a pot standing. And even a switched-off plate stays hot for a long time and is therefore a safety risk, especially for small children.
Induction cooker: the best of all?
With induction, you no longer need different sized cooktops. In any case, heat only occurs where there is a pot. The induction cooker works significantly differently than a cooker with a ceramic hob and thus combines many of the advantages of a gas cooker and a conventional electric cooker. Heat is generated by an alternating magnetic field in the pots and pans themselves. The plate itself remains largely cold, apart from heat transfer from the pot back to the glass surface. This is why the warm-up time for kitchen appliances on induction cookers is just as short as on gas cookers. At the same time, low temperatures can also be set. If you turn off the plate, it does not heat up. The safety risks of the open flame and the blazing hot stove are eliminated.
The biggest disadvantage is the acquisition costs. And they don’t just affect the stove itself. An induction cooker releases heat using an alternating electromagnetic field. That means it only works with magnetic pots and pans. All other equipment stays cold.
Before you decide on a new stove, call the Pipe Doctor to see what’s actually possible in your kitchen and whether there are gas lines or you need new pipes installed. We are happy to give you an estimate.
call: 508-775-6670
email: cmurphy@plumberscapecod.com
