While the internet is beaming with No-Oven recipes for different cuisines, having an oven helps save up a lot of time and brings in perfection in the cook-off. Whether you plan to make yourself some pizza or plan to design an amazing cake for your friend’s birthday, a reliable oven always comes in handy. However, when it comes to selecting between gas and electric oven, the choice could be a bit confusing.
To help you select the right one for your cooking escapades, let us understand these two variants feature-by-feature.
Electric Oven vs. Gas Oven: Understanding the Basics
1. Heat Distribution:
A lot of the modern-day electric ovens (cheapest ones being an exception) come with properly placed fans that help even circulation of the heat generated. Fans are important when it comes to reduction of core temperature while cooking in an even manner which eventually reduces the cooking duration.
On the other hand, the gas ovens are generally of the built-in kind and don’t have these fans for heat distribution. This could result in delayed cooking and even abnormal heating up of the oven’s core. However, you can surely adjust the overall heat in order to achieve an efficient cooking result.
This means you might have to indulge in a bit of hard work with the gas ovens. While you are at it, do check out some amazing options from the list of the best gas stoves and electric stoves for your kitchen.
2. Temperature Control:
With the electric oven, it is fairly easy to control the temperature and get even heating all around your dish. Given the combination of digital thermostats and fans within the electric ovens, you can easily adjust the temperature & set it as required.
In the case of gas ovens that do not come with fans, it might be rather difficult to ensure a maintained temperature for your dish. Gas ovens are generally and noticeably hotter in the top section as compared to the bottom. So, if you see that your cake is all cooked on the top but watery on the bottom, blame your oven.
3. Installation:
When it comes to installing built-in ovens, the job can be particularly tricky. This is especially true for the gas ovens. The right advice, in any case, is to call in a professional to get the job done. If you are planning a DIY, better be an expert at it otherwise you would ruin your expensive machine just to save a few bucks.
While you are at it, do not forget to register for regular maintenance service for your electric or gas oven to ensure that it lasts for long without breaking down.
4. Pricing:
When you discuss the pricing of a gas or electric oven the former surely comes cheaper when cooking. A study conducted by a firm found out that cooking with the use of the gas oven can be as much as 50 percent cheaper as compared to cooking with the electric oven.
Not just that, gas ovens also come cheaper as compared to electric ovens. For an electric variant, you might have to shell at a higher price especially when you are in need of high-end features.
5. Cooking Style:
As you decide between gas and electric ovens, you also need to consider the type of food you plan on cooking with them. With a gas oven, you get more heat along with higher moisture content as compared to electric ones. This helps certain cuisines from drying out during the cooking process such as a juicy and tender meat-based dish.
On the other hand, electric ovens tend to bring in drier cuisine standards that help you achieve crispy texture. In case you plan on baking chips or cookies, an electric oven is something you can try out.
6. Availability:
Regardless of the choices available in the market, you might also have to consider fuel availability. If the gas connectivity in your area isn’t of the best standard, you might be better off cooking with the help of electric ovens.
On the other hand, if your area doesn’t have a proper electric supply with frequent power cuts, you need to get your hands on a gas oven. The decision is entirely yours when it comes to selecting convenience and better usability.
7. Pre-Heat Time:
When talking about pre-heating, this thing is pretty important in an efficient cooking scenario, especially when you plan to bake something right. If you happen to own a bakery, the shorter the pre-heating time, the faster would be your cooking duration.
Generally, most gas ovens bring in a pre-heat time frame of 10 to 15 minutes. On the other hand, electric ovens might require you to wait about 20 to 30 minutes before you put in your dish for cooking.
8. Safety:
As compared to gas ovens, electric ones are considered safer. Gas ovens although safe might come with a small risk of gas leakage or abrupt fire due to the same. With an electric oven, you would surely make a safe investment that doesn’t put you at risk of a fire hazard. However, you might have to be wary of issues such as short circuits or power failure that might happen due to unchecked power fluctuation.
9. Design:
Most modern-day kitchens make use of electric ovens as compared to the gas variants. This means you would get access to a better variety to choose from with electric ovens. You can also get better designs and futuristic features that help cook better with a bit of additional cost as compared to the gas models.
Conclusion
Broadly speaking, it might be hard to choose which oven would be a better fit for your kitchen. However, with these aspects in mind, you can make the choice easier and faster. An electric oven might be a tad expensive but surely helps you cook better. Depending on the cooking plans and budget, you can select any option that fits your bill. If you are still unsure, the market has also started to bring in certain hybrid ovens that work on both electricity as well as gas.