Gas versus electric stove top

[Deb]

I’m looking for opinions. I’ve had a gas stove my whole life. I will be moving soon to an area that has mostly electric. I’ve been trying to find a home that has both gas and meets my other “wants” but it’s not easy.
who has gone from has to electric? Did you hate it? Was it not a big deal?

 

[skyblue17]

It's definitely an adjustment! Gas stoves are just so much easier to control. When we moved when I was a teenager, it took a little time to get used to the electric element staying very hot even when you turn it off, which can be a thing if you're in the habit of leaving pots and pans on the stove after they are done cooking. The temperature change also takes longer when lowering, and it takes longer to get hot, in my experience.

 

[kdonnel]

I've gone from gas, to electric, to electric, to gas.

Electric seems to boil water faster.

Gas provides more immediate heat control.

I have adjusted fine each time so it really doesn't matter to me.

My current house has gas and electric in the laundry room and kitchen. I have an electric dryer, gas cooktop, and electric oven. But since both are available I could mix it up if I wanted to spend some money on new appliances.

 

[fly girl]

Gas is easier to adjust temperature while cooking.

The one really great thing about electric is if it is a flat surface top. SOOO much easier to clean. I really love that part about my electric stovetop.

 

[Deb]

Unfortunately that’s not an option in the top non gas contender. No gas anywhere in the house.

 

[seashoreCM]

Regarding the rest of the house, an all electric water heater will make for more expensive hot water than a gas one and also take longer to heat more water for the next shower. Also, electric heating will be somewhat more expensive than gas unless you have a heat pump system and also the weather does not have really cold snaps or sends a polar vortex your way that can cause a heat pump to switch to a more expensive mode.

 

[amcnj]

I didn’t have a problem going from gas to electric and now back to gas, but I know others who had one or the other and then bemoaned the loss of whichever they were used to.

There might be a little adjustment period as you learn which electric setting numbers work best for various tasks.

 

[aprilchem]

Induction! Check it out - it controls the level of heat better than gas, heats up immediately, and is safer because it only heats when in contact with an induction-friendly pan. It was what we did when I got a new range - I reallllly wanted gas, but it was going to cost a ton of money to get gas run to my kitchen. I LOVE my induction range and will probably never go back to gas.

 

[RUDisney]

Induction! Check it out - it controls the level of heat better than gas, heats up immediately, and is safer because it only heats when in contact with an induction-friendly pan. It was what we did when I got a new range - I reallllly wanted gas, but it was going to cost a ton of money to get gas run to my kitchen. I LOVE my induction range and will probably never go back to gas.

That's what I would do if I had to give up my gas range.

When I moved from my parents' house into my own place with a gas stove, I felt like I had found Eden! I couldn't imagine going back to an electric stove if it wasn't induction. I bragged so much about my gas stove that my parents converted theirs to one when they updated their kitchen. 20+ years later, my siblings and I bought them a new gas stove for Christmas last year.

 

[Deb]

As far as induction, is it just a matter of replacing the electric equipment with induction equipment? Nothing else required? What about special pans?

 

[wvjules]

I love a gas range, stove, and heat! Right now we have electric for all 3 and I'm not a fan. Even worse is that its a glass top stovetop. I HATE IT!

Gas all the way!

 

[kdonnel]

As far as induction, is it just a matter of replacing the electric equipment with induction equipment? Nothing else required? What about special pans?

Anything made from a magnetic metal will work, which covers most every pot as long as it is not made from Aluminum.


https://www.metrokitchen.com/induction-compatible-cookware

What cookware is compatible with Induction cooktops?
Not all pieces of cookware can be used on induction cooktops and stoves. Since induction technology uses the power of magnetism, the cookware piece itself must be magnetic and have a flat bottom. For this reason, cookware made from aluminum, copper or glass, including Pyrex will not work on its own.

Induction cookware must be made of a magnetic-based material, such as cast iron or magnetic stainless steel. Fully clad cookware brands, such as All-Clad, Cristel, Demeyere, Hammer Stahl, Hestan Nanobond, Le Creuset and Zwilling work on induction cooktops because they're magnetic. Cast Iron cookware also works on induction, like Le Creuset Signature Cast Iron & Staub Enameled Cast Iron.

If you're not sure if your cookware will work with induction cooktops, try sticking a magnet to your cookware. If it sticks, it should work; if it doesn't, most likely it is not induction compatible.

 

[Lilsia]

The city I live in has primarily electric, so when my parents moved here when I was a teen, we went from gas to electric. And when I moved out and got my own places, they all had electric. We all hated it. It is so much harder to control the heat and pots over boiled if you turned your back. When we built our new house, I made sure to have a gas range. I LOVE it. I am able to keep my temperature at a more even degree and so the food comes out better, IMO without me having to stand over it all the time. I would never go back to electric.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Most people have electric in my area (but will have a natural gas furnace) but once we had gas at the rental house before getting our home we made the decision to add gas lines in the kitchen and get a gas stove but the house was being built for us so it was quite easy to do that at that time. Love having a gas stove.

That said an electric stove is totally fine. It's what we always had until the rental house as all apartments had electric, everyone's home I had been in had electric, etc.

I do find cooking to be easier with gas because of how it heats the food and more control.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

The one really great thing about electric is if it is a flat surface top. SOOO much easier to clean. I really love that part about my electric stovetop.

That's a specific type of electric range though to get the flat surface.

Majority of the ones I see are these style:


I believe you're talking about this style though:

 

[TipsyTraveler]

I’ve recently started using gas for the first time after having used electric my whole life. I know gas is supposed to be the superior option but I loathe it and would go running back to electric in a heartbeat if given the chance. It seems to take so much longer to get to temperature, it’s harder to clean, and I just don’t feel safe having open flames around splattering oil and small children. I keep envisioning the whole place burning to the ground thanks to a stray toy landing on the stove while I’m cooking. Every meal is stressful!

I know this is opposite to the experience you’re looking for, but I thought I would just chime in to say that you won’t necessarily adjust (or adjust quickly) if you don’t like the change. I’ve been using the gas for months and I still hate it.

 

[firefly_ris]

I've used both. The first 2 houses we had gas stovetops and I generally prefer that. The house I'm in now has an electric, flat glass stovetop, but I don't mind it either, it just took some adjusting and different methods (I tend to pull the pan off the burner when I'm lowering the heat and then putting back on, etc)

Pros to gas:

- More quickly adjust temp

- You can use it when your power goes out -- our power seems to go out at least 3 or 4 times per year, sometimes for a few days because there's only 17 people on our line so we're "low priority".... would be nice to have the gas top here so I could still cook.

- There's flames and that's fun


Pros to electric:

- Glass tops are nice because when not in use it's like having extra counter space. I also can use it as like a "warming tray" to keep stuff warm if the oven is currently in use below

- Easier to clean (again, if glass top)


[eta] and as for gas elsewhere in the house, yes I definitely prefer having a natural gas furnace, water heater, and dryer over any electric equivalent. I can't imagine how expensive electric heat would be in WNY in January when it's 0 degrees for a week straight.

 

[kdonnel]

- Glass tops are nice because when not in use it's like having extra counter space.

That seems like a recipe for disaster!

I would never store items on my cooktop, electric or gas. You never know when someone or something might accidentally turn on a burner/element.

 

[firefly_ris]

That seems like a recipe for disaster!

I would never store items on my cooktop, electric or gas. You never know when someone or something might accidentally turn on a burner/element.

I don't store things on it. I use it as serving space when serving food in casseroles, etc. It's extremely difficult to accidentally turn on the burners on my stove. They are on the rear of the unit above the top.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I’ve recently started using gas for the first time after having used electric my whole life. I know gas is supposed to be the superior option but I loathe it and would go running back to electric in a heartbeat if given the chance. It seems to take so much longer to get to temperature, it’s harder to clean, and I just don’t feel safe having open flames around splattering oil and small children. I keep envisioning the whole place burning to the ground thanks to a stray toy landing on the stove while I’m cooking. Every meal is stressful!

I know this is opposite to the experience you’re looking for, but I thought I would just chime in to say that you won’t necessarily adjust (or adjust quickly) if you don’t like the change. I’ve been using the gas for months and I still hate it.

My mom refuses to cook on my gas stove (I also have a gas oven too but have a spill mat so she's not as worried) due to her thoughts on safety.

I kinda just employ normal safety things such as no having loose items like roomy sleeves (from a robe or something) and things hanging down. I totally get the children aspect. So far I've been cooking with gas for over 6 1/2 years total and though there aren't kids around it would be pretty difficult for a toy at least with ours to somehow make it into the flame itself with pots and pans on them at the time. We don't let an open flame just sit there.