This could become a moot question with the talk that is circulating around DC these days, but we still wanted to go over the best way to choose an oven when you are shopping for new appliances. There are benefits to each type, so it will really depend on where your biggest needs are in terms of using a gas stove or electric stove.
Cleaning – in terms of the stovetop, it does not get easier to clean than an electric stovetop. Even during the biggest of messes, an electric stovetop cleaning scrubby and cleaning solution or cleanser is all are you are going to need. Compare that to having to remove burners and get into all those tight spaces for a gas range. If this is your main priority, there really is no comparison.
Retained Heat – when you turn off a gas range, the heat is gone on that burner, for all intents and purposes. For an electric stovetop, that heat remains for about 10 minutes while it cools down. Some people prefer the retained heat for finishing off the dish and will allow the pan to sit on the burner even after turning it off. That, however, can be offset by safety concerns, especially if you have small children or pets in the house. We would recommend burner covers if that is the case.
Heating Times – be it in the oven or the stovetop, gas heats up much quicker than electric, which means less time “on†over the course of the month, which means less money spent on using the appliance. This is especially the case for stovetop cooking.
Even Heating – for some, nothing compares to using a gas flame for cooking on the stovetop. However, even those loyalists will sometimes defer to an electric oven for cooking, especially baking. The downfall to gas in the oven is that the heat rises, whereas electric is more uniform.
What Is Best for Me?
You may find the answer to be right in the middle. For instance, my personal preference is a gas stovetop with electric oven. This gives me the ability to use the flame for sauteing on the stovetop and an even heat when cooking larger items in the oven. As we noted above, your priorities are going to dictate the ideal appliance.
