We all have choices and are free to wield it as we wish. Sometimes, however, it is difficult to exert our God given right when we do not know better. It is nice to be able to make choices, that is what the human rights activists are fighting for but it is better to know what choices to make.
In the place of making a choice between gas and electric stoves, a lot of factors have to be considered. For instance, some areas that experience little or no power interruption have more opportunity to choose than areas that experience interruptions often. The implication of this that areas where power is not frequently interrupted can decide to use either electric stove or gas stove. But for areas where power is not stable, in reality, the choice has already been made for them. In their case, they might want to concentrate on gas stove with the belief it wouldn’t disappoint them.
But whatever the case, knowledge is key and in fact, everything. The reason why many people miss their steps and sometimes make wrong decisions is not as a result of lack of reason but lack of available knowledge. Therefore, it is important to make informed decision on knowing which is more efficient.
To be candid, we could go on and on about how gas stoves are better than electric stoves and vice versa, but that would not be totally accurate because they all have pros and cons. It is common knowledge that there is nothing that has a positive side without a negative side. For many years, carbs have been branded evil and people have been advised to exclude them from their meals. While in reality, carbs are also as important in our meals considering that they give us energy and a complete lack of it could make us lethargic, not to mention cause low blood sugar, which is even more fatal than high blood sugar.
What is being said is no matter the choice you make, there are pros and cons. We are just here to make sure you know those merits and demerits before making your choice.
Electric Stove:
Electric stove is simply stove powered by electricity and as mentioned above, it has both its positive and negative sides. Many people might want prefer it because they feel since it is electricity it would definitely be better than gas stoves. You might want to slow down before you jump to conclusions though. In the same vein, some might also already have preconceived notions against electric stoves; you might also want to be sure your sentiments are right before jumping to conclusions.
Advantages of Electric Stoves
· Cost: Electric stoves are a lot cheaper than gas stoves. Unlike gas stoves that have a lot more accessories accompanying it like the cylinder, electric stove does not need all those, therefore you would spend less in purchasing. Also, for gas stoves, you would need to always top up your gas, leading to more cost but in the case of electric stove; you would not need to top up any extra fuel. All you need is electricity and making sure you pay your electrical bills. If that is done, you are good to go. And as a matter of fact, survey has shown that electric stoves are less expensive than the gas stove even without the extra accessories.
· Easy to Install: It has already been established above that electric stove have less accompanying accessories. In consequence, electric stoves are easier to install. Electric stoves are a good choice for one who doesn’t spend so much time in the kitchen and doesn’t want to face installation complexities. But it is also perfect for anybody who can just do without the stress that comes with gas stoves.
· Easy to Clean: gas stoves don’t come with burners ring and therefore when cleaning does not need you lifting anything. The surface of gas stoves are flat, making it easy to just swipe clean. Imagine the stress of cleaning the spill of a coil-element style range in comparison to a smooth-top electric range.
· Best Surface for Pots: Similar to the above, the flat surface of the electric stoves offers a best surface for pots and pans. Some gas stoves are slanted or the ring of the burner does not accommodate proper placement of pots but electric stoves helps deals with this problem. Additionally, modern electric stoves have flat, sleek tops enhancing its style and beauty.
· Ignition and Heat: Electric stoves are easier to ignite. You do not need matches or even lighter. All you need is to connect it to electric it to electricity and turn the knob to switch it on and the heat would come up immediately. Relatedly, the heat of electric stoves is drier and evenly distributed than that of gas stoves.
Disadvantages of Electric Stoves:
· Cooks Food Slower: For many people, the problem with electric stove is that it cooks food slower than its gas counterpart and really, their fear is not misplaced. Electric stove does cook food slower than the gas stove and the reason for this is not far-fetched. Gas generates more heat than electricity that is most likely regulated in the first place.
· Relies on Electricity: From the title, electric stoves need electricity and if there is no power, then no food. A lot of people have been faced power outage while they were cooking and it is not a nice experience especially when hunger is involved. So this is a downside to electric stoves as well.
· Also, although electric stoves are easier to clean than gas stoves, when any spill becomes heated, it can be hard to take out. If you end up having a number of them on the surface of the stove, it reduces the beauty and style of the stove. They are similarly less durable than a gas stove. Therefore, if a heavy ceramic falls on it, it can easily be broken.
Gas Stoves:
Gas stoves are stoves that are fueled by gas. Many people are beginning to tread the path of gas stoves mostly because of the inconsistency of power supply, especially in areas where electricity is a luxury. However, before you join the wagon, you might want to know the pros and cons of using a gas stove, so as to know what you are getting yourself into.
· One of the greatest advantages of gas stove is the heat. Once you put on the gas stove, you can immediately regulate it to your taste without bothering if it will go up and down. You are sure your food at the temperature you desire.
· Similarly, cooking with gas stove cooks food faster. Most of the advantages of cooking with gas stove in the first place is the fact that it cooks food faster than gas stoves. The heat that gas generates in comparison to regulated electricity is high and for one that spends a lot of time in the kitchen, the gas stove would help with time wastage.
· Another advantage is that you can cook anytime, come rain, come shine. Gas stoves are not concerned about and do not rely on electricity. So, you never have to worry about power shortage affecting your cooking. In as much as you make sure you do run out of gas, you are good to go. Some electric stove lovers might argue that gas could also be a hindrance. But at least with gas, you can monitor it and it is basically in your hands whether or not you run out of gas. With electric stove, you do not enjoy that luxury because the electricity is not something you can generally control.
· Additionally, a factor that is often taken for granted is that at the end of the day, gas stoves are cheaper to maintain. This is because it electric stoves takes a lot out of electricity to generate heat and if you pay your electricity bills based on the amount you consume, naturally, you would pay more bills than you would spend buying gas.
Disadvantages of Gas Stoves
· Ironically, gas stoves are more expensive to purchase. Now, note that not so ironically, it is the maintenance and subsequent payment that makes electric stoves more expensive. The initial payment is expensive and the installment more complicated.
· It is harder to clean than the electric stove. The burner ring is coiled and not flat like that of the electric stove, therefore every part of the ring would have to be concentrated on for proper cleaning. So naturally, it will take more time than its electric counterpart.
· Again and perhaps the greatest demerit of using gas stove is the gas. None is the lesser evil between electricity and gas when they cause damage. However, gas is more susceptible to accidents than electricity. The gas could leak out or the cylinder might not be locked properly, releasing gas into the air. We all know what the implication of that is if there is any ignition. However, you might want to understand that as far as you are very careful, you can use your gas stove without any problem.
From the foregoing, we can see that it is difficult to determine a winner. The matter now is a matter of choice. As far as your choice is based on informed knowledge, you can go for whichever you believe works for you.