Electric and gas remain two of the most prevalent means of powering cookers and ovens across the UK today. For those looking to invest in a new cooker, it can be difficult to work out what type of cooker would be best suited to their lifestyle and property. If that’s you right now, not to worry: we’re here to list the primary advantages and disadvantages of both gas and electric cookers – as well as the major differences – to allow you to make a more informed decision.
The Cost Factor
But before we get to the specifics, let’s talk about the thing that ultimately guides our choices: money.
As both gas and electricity aren’t free, it’s important to understand the difference in cost between the two fuels.
Despite electric ovens and cookers using less energy than their gas counterparts, the cost of electricity in comparison to gas means that an electric cooker can be a little bit more expensive to run. According to consumer watchdog Which?, it will cost you about £40 per year to run an electric, dual-fuel or electric induction cooker. In contrast, a gas cooker is said to cost less than £20 per year.
Electric Cookers: The Good
Outside of being a little more expensive than gas, but not dramatically so, electric cookers do have a number of positives.
Firstly, electric hobs are really easy to clean. This is due to them being super flat in comparison to awkward gas hobs that have pan supports and burners that need to be taken apart and cleaned. As gas cookers have dials to control the release of the gas, there is space for dirt getting trapped under them. However, many modern electric cookers have touch controls – which means that is not a problem for them.
If you like to grill a lot of your food, then perhaps an electric oven would suit your needs. Electric grills tend to perform better than gas grills as they do a better job of browning foods in an even manner.
To follow on from that point, electric ovens also tend to more evenly-distribute heat – meaning you will get more consistent results when baking.
Electric Cookers: The Bad
Outside of the higher running costs, electric cookers can be slower to heat up than gas cookers.
If the electric hob is made from ceramic, it will stay hot for quite some time – even after you’ve turned off the heat.
Gas Cookers: The Good
Outside of the positive running costs, gas hobs are particularly good at providing an even distribution of heat across a pan’s base. This means you don’t need to worry about stirring your dinner or moving food around to ensure that it is getting cooked in a consistent manner. Temperature can also be changed rather quickly when compared to electric hobs, which can be slower to react.
Gas Cookers: The Bad
Money isn’t everything, and there are definitely some disadvantages to consider when it comes to a gas cooker.
Firstly, heat distribution within the oven isn’t generally as good as an electric oven. This is due to gas ovens not usually having fans in comparison to electric ovens. As such, gas ovens tend to be hot at the top, and less so at the bottom. While you can use this discrepancy to possibly cook two different types of food, it does make it harder to obtain a consistency if you are baking a large batch of food.
Despite temperature control being a plus point of gas hobs, they are slower to get started. If you want instant heat, then electric hobs are best.
Lastly, gas requires installation. In order for your gas cooker to be installed, you’re going to need an engineer who is part of the Gas Safe Register (or, as it was previously known, the Corgi Register). This can, essentially, nullify any small savings that you’ve made on your gas cooker – as it costs more to have a gas cooker installed than an electric one.
Which One Is Best?
As you can see from above, there is no real clear winner in this fight. Both gas and electric ovens have their advantages, while both have their disadvantages.
While electric cookers may seem a bit more expensive in the short-term, the installation cost can make it much appetising. Well, that is as long as you find a reasonably priced, quality installer of electric ovens. Thankfully, you needn’t look too far. At Just Fixed, we provide quality installations of electric ovens on a regular basis. We even offer a 12-month guarantee on all of our work.
To help you in deciding what oven to buy, just call us for your free quote today. That way, you’ll know in advance how much it’ll cost to install your electric oven of preference.
