How Do I... Choose the Right Fuel Type for My Oven and Stovetop?
Shopping for a new oven and cooktop? A kitchen expert reveals how to choose between gas and electric models
In this practical series, we ask experts to answer your burning home and design questions. Here, David Gilmore, managing director at Glem Gas Australasia, gives the lowdown on choosing the right fuel type to suit your cooking needs.
Ask yourself the right questions
When choosing your fuel type, ask yourself these important questions first:
When choosing your fuel type, ask yourself these important questions first:
- Is natural gas available in your home? If not, an electric oven is more practical.
- Does your home have enough electric current available? Many electric ovens require a 15-amp circuit, but not all homes are wired to accomodate this. Your oven’s amperage will be marked on your switchboard.
- What don’t you like about your current oven, and would changing the fuel type make a difference?
- Is roasting and baking important to you? If so, you may prefer gas, which tends not to dry out food like standard electric ovens can.
- Do you want to do healthy steam cooking in the oven? If so, you’ll need to choose an electric model.
The benefits of gas
- Most professional chefs use gas and many say it offers better temperature control. Although noways, gas and electric ovens offer the same heat-up and temperature control.
- Gas ovens cost considerably less to run than electric ovens.
- Gas ovens’ moist heat can make manually cleaning them easier than cleaning electric ovens.
The benefits of electricity
- Electric ovens often have programmable cooking functions, which means you can set dishes to cook perfectly at the touch of a button. Some will even ‘read’ when a dish is done and switch the oven off automatically. Gas ovens cannot be programmed.
- Pyrolytic self-cleaning is a feature of some electric ovens, which means no longer manually scrubbing the inside of your oven until it’s clean.
…And then there’s induction
Induction cooktops are a type of electric cooktop. Unlike a regular electric stovetop, induction offers instant heat, while being comparatively cool to the touch (so reducing the risk of burns). Induction cooktops transfer less heat to the kitchen than other fuel types, keeping it naturally cooler, plus you can simply wipe them clean without needing to scrub.
Induction cooktops are a type of electric cooktop. Unlike a regular electric stovetop, induction offers instant heat, while being comparatively cool to the touch (so reducing the risk of burns). Induction cooktops transfer less heat to the kitchen than other fuel types, keeping it naturally cooler, plus you can simply wipe them clean without needing to scrub.
What’s good to know when choosing an induction cooktop
- You may need to buy new saucepans: Induction cooktops only work with pans with a ferrous base, so your old copper-base saucepans may no longer be usable. To check if your pans are induction-compatible, place a magnet on the base. If it sticks well, it should work fine with induction.
- Maximise your options: Flexible cooking zones to accommodate different-sized pans, and booster functions that increase the power to specific cooking zones, are useful features that are worth seeking out.
Your turn
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Want more kitchen inspiration? Don’t miss Room of the Week: A Kitchen For Entertaining Crowds with Ease
Did you find this story useful? Tell us in the Comments, like this story, save the images and join the conversation.
More
Want more kitchen inspiration? Don’t miss Room of the Week: A Kitchen For Entertaining Crowds with Ease
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