Those of you who’ve used both, what do I need to know about the difference?
I’ve used Gas Range, Electric, and Induction.
I love induction the best, Gas comes near 2nd (better in some cases), and electric dead last.
Electric is the worst, it heats up unevenly, takes a lot of time to heat up as wll.
Gas is good, especially for non-flat cookware like woks. It just heats up the room more, and is less efficient in heating up stuff.
Induction is the best, it directly heats up the pan so it’s the most energy efficient of the bunch. It is loud though because of the fans.
Look at the flame to judge heat, dials mean nothing
I don’t think gas gets as hot as electric—only really matters for a tea kettle though.
When you kill the flame, it just stops. You don’t need to jostle pans around to not burn your rice. Or remember which burner was still warm.
Cast iron on a gas range is cooking bliss.
You can cook corn tortillas right on the hob if you want to get them toasty :)
That’s why I love induction so much. It’s on instantly, and it’s off instantly
I think it depends on the kind of gas stove for if it gets as hot, definitely agree to an extent, for gas stoves a lot of the heat is lost anyways due to dissipating into the air and not into the pan.
But I suspect if you’ve got one of those jet wok gas burners you’re getting pretty darn hot.
That’s a good point. I know they have crazy jet gas things for woks, but I felt like the regular hobs I’ve used have taken a little longer to boil water than on our electric. It wasn’t a big deal, I just expected the opposite when I first fired it up
Ymmv, my impression was always that gas is much faster to boil water or cook almost anything, than electric resistive burners.
Yeah, also the efficiency of electric just heating the surface that the pot is directly sitting on probably helps transfer the heat to the pot faster even if it isn’t actually getting hotter than gas.
I’m quite happy with my electric I think the only thing that would be better is if I had an induction burner for when I want it really hot really quick.
I hope you have many options for gas suppliers. Didn’t realize I only had one when I made the choice for gas and now I’m stuck with the only one in the area and they suck. Propane is nice but a broken tank can really be a pain.
Be aware that the flames from a gas burner can go up around a small pot if they’re turned up to high, so always double check that your pot is centered and the flames are on the bottom of the pot only and not going up the sides, to prevent accidents.
For similar reasons, don’t leave wooden spoons in pots or pans unattended, my mom has a couple wooden cooking spoons that have burnt divots in the handle from being left in a pan or pot.
And maybe be a touch more careful when adding liquids to oil or using spray oils, they can and will flare up, unlike an electric where you can slop oil all over the surface and be mostly fine with just some smoke.
It’s much harder to go from gas to electric IMO because there’s much less sensory feedback on electric ranges. You should be able to get a feel for gas quickly because it’s easier to see and feel where things are at temperature-wise, and adjustments take effect much more quickly.
Be aware of potential health risks, especially to children. There’s a growing body of evidence that gas ranges, even when turned off, emit noxious chemicals that contribute to asthma and other health problems.
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/1/75
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/worried-about-your-gas-stove/
Check that the supplier offers cleaner-/hotter-burning propane gas.
Will do, Hank!
Temp responsiveness is just immediate. Don’t have to wait for the coils to heat up/cool down, kind of makes cooking more fun :)
Gas ranges are a pain in the ass to clean.
When installing a gas range you need to make sure you have an overhead exhaust vent that vents to outside air.
You should have a vent regardless of the fuel type.
With an electric stove, it doesn’t matter if the vent exhaust goes outside. For gas stoves it’s recommended that the gas byproducts are removed from the home. Sorry if this wasn’t clear.
https://www.prolinerangehoods.com/blog/do-gas-ranges-require-venting/amp/
I’m looking at it from a humidity and grease particulates point of view.
I went from electric to gas a couple years ago moving to a new apartment.
The most jarring part of the transition was the fumes. You can really smell the pollution.
The dial means nothing… the flame gets a bit bigger/smaller, but there really isnt the same level of granular control as an electric.
I find myself constantly worrying about bumping the handles.
Bitch to clean…
Overall, not impressed & cant wait to go back to electric.
I’m curious what was difficult about cleaning your gas stove? The range I’m getting rid of had a self-cleaning oven, just like many electric ones, and the stovetop has sealed burners where all the exposed burner parts could be picked up and thrown in the dishwasher. It’s quick and easy to clean, but I don’t know how typical that is
For me, its the 3 large cast iron grates that sit above the burners.
Gotta remove them to do even the most quick/basic wipe down & they’re awkward/heavy. They dont fit in the dishwasher & only fit in the sink at an angle, which leads to scratching up the sink.
It’s a pain compared to a flat glass surface that you just need to wipe.
Induction is the best of both. No pollution, fast, and a glass surface to wipe clean.
I have gas and am planning to switch to electric since it’s cheaper for me and eventually would like to get rid of gas all together…only thing that use it now is water heater, stove/oven and dryer…don’t use the gas heater since it’a pretty useless…
One perk i haven’t seen mentioned yet… gas ranges still work when the power is out. If you live in outage prone areas, this can come in handy.
Will your oven run on gas too? I recommend an oven thermometer so you know if 350 is really 350.
Very good point. Just remember that the starter is usually electric so you still need a lighter.
Maybe. My gas stove is an older low end model but the oven is electrically controlled: I can’t use it without electricity. The stovetop is fine, since the electric ignition works on gas flow and the knobs physically turn a valve, but that’s not true of all stoves
I’ve owned electric, gas, and induction. I recently switched from gas to induction because of the health concerns. Like others have said, gas is a pain to clean. I enjoyed gas more for things that you need to toss, but remain on the heat.
As a few have said, induction is the way. I’ve had all three and the ease of cleaning, heating power (boil water in like 2 mins), and level/consistency of control you get with induction make it superior to gas and electric resistive. And, of course, you’re not combusting anything in your house and introducing all the pollutants associated with that.
You are going to love it. Gas is so much nicer to cook on, having flame control and immediate feedback. There’s nothing you really need to know, as such, you’ll figure it out quickly.
