Ovens -- gas or electric??

[joyfulheart]

We currently have an electric oven and cooktop.  We are looking to get a gas cooktop, with an oven (all in one unit).  At the store, the salesperson asked us if we wanted a gas or electric oven with it.  Well, we just don't know!  Gas is cheaper.

What's better - a gas or electric oven??  Or what are the trade-offs??  If you have a gas oven-- what do you like/dislike about it? 

Any input is most appreciated!!

Peace ~~

[onlyzombiecat]

We have an electric oven. It works and I don't have many complaints about it.

I think our oven heats up pretty fast and the heat seems pretty even.

I think spills are a little more annoying.

[Shantimama]

I think my ideal would be a gas cooktop with an electric oven because I like having a convection oven.

[ASusan]

We have a gas oven that is convection.

[ASusan]

And I detest cooking (stove-top) with electric. Gas heats faster; it cools faster, and is MUCH easier (for me) to control while I am cooking. It's just immediately responsive, and you *know* how much heat it is putting out by the size of the flame. Each electric stove-top is different, and you have to "learn" what setting to use for the specific level of heat that you want. And it might even vary by burner.

[lapoli]

We've got a gas convection oven as well. (It heats up quickly and cooks evenly.)  There's really nothing that I dislike about it.

Our last place had an electric stove and I really, really disliked cooking on it. In fact, having a gas stove was one of our house-buying requirements.  As ASusan said, it's SO much easier to control the heat with gas. I never want to cook on anything else. 

[elsie]

There is the expression "now you're cooking with gas for a reason"! LOL

The main differnce is that you can broil with gas, which is nice for that crispy top once in awhile. I always prefer gas, I just know how to do it the right way.

[springbabes]

I have a dual-fuel range with a gas cook top and electric convection oven that I really like.  It even has a broiler.  I do think that electric is considered better for baking, though I'm sure it costs more to use.  The one thing I've found that's better about electric ovens is the smell.  Gas ovens always smell like gas and it always bothers me.  I don't notice any smell on the cook top unless the flame goes out.

[ASusan]

I've never noticed a gas smell with any modern gas stove. If I can smell gas, it means a burner is on, but has blown out. I want to know about that.

Older gas stoves with pilot lights that you have to light (or however it is that they work) might smell a bit, but even then, I would think it was because they were malfunctioning.

[springbabes]

Originally Posted by ASusan 

I've never noticed a gas smell with any modern gas stove. If I can smell gas, it means a burner is on, but has blown out. I want to know about that.

Older gas stoves with pilot lights that you have to light (or however it is that they work) might smell a bit, but even then, I would think it was because they were malfunctioning.

I was talking about gas ovens not stoves.  The gas oven at my last house always had a gas smell when I first turned it on and we bought it new in 2005.  My mom's gas oven has the same smell and she has a newer house.  It's not as strong a smell as a burner not being lit, but it's still there.  I actually think it's more common with newer ovens (electronic ignition) than with older ones (pilots).

[chel]

I like my gas oven. Also a convection. I'm not that great of a cook to see a difference. Though it is nice to know that if the power goes out I can still cook. Not sure if that is an issue where you live.

[lunarlady]

I'm a baker and a cook so went for duel fuel (gas top, electric oven). The issue with gas ovens is most of them do not maintain temperatue well. So they fluctuate in a range of 10-15 degrees F as they are on, switching gas on, gas off, gas on, gas off. For most people, this isn't really an issue because your pizza, casserole, etc will be fine with minor temperature fluxes. But if you bake, it is annoying because one tray of cookies is done at 7 minutes, the next is too soft and needs a minute or two more, then the next tray is overdone... It drives me batty.

The other issue to consider is gas ovens are generally less energy efficient. Because the gas requires oxygen to burn, the oven draws household air in and vents hot air out. Not a huge issue if you are just cooking for a short time, but if you plan to braise meats all day in the oven, I imagine the difference in efficiency would add up to real money over the life of the appliance. This same drawing of air can cause delicate soufflés to fall or fail to rise.

I guess what I'm trying to say is it really depends on you as a cook, and what you plan to do with your oven. I love my duel fuel range, and consider it well worth the extra cost up front.

[newbymom05]

I like to cook, like to bake, and as a SAHM usually cook all three meals every day, and I hate our gas stove. We had electric, but when it died, years of reading cookbooks extolling the benefits of gas made me get a gas one. IMO, there aren't any benefits, or not enough. Yes, I can broil. But I rarely do, because it's messy w/ the splatters and all. Yes, I can minutely adjust the stovetop temp for fussy sauces, but I never make any fussy sauces. The oven takes forever to heat up--easily twice the time as my builder-grade original electric, and it drastically loses heat when the door is opened. The kicker for me was a NYT article about toxins in the home, and of course they mentioned a gas oven as in the top 5. You need to have very good ventilation, a really good fan that you run every time you use it,  and vent it outside which we don't. When he read the article my husband was ready to replace the stove, but since it's new and I'm cheap we're keeping it, although because of that article I'm afraid to run the self-cleaning cycle. Ever. So my oven is pretty messy. IMHO, electric is superior. 

[joyfulheart]

Originally Posted by newbymom05 

I like to cook, like to bake, and as a SAHM usually cook all three meals every day, and I hate our gas stove. We had electric, but when it died, years of reading cookbooks extolling the benefits of gas made me get a gas one. IMO, there aren't any benefits, or not enough. Yes, I can broil. But I rarely do, because it's messy w/ the splatters and all. Yes, I can minutely adjust the stovetop temp for fussy sauces, but I never make any fussy sauces. The oven takes forever to heat up--easily twice the time as my builder-grade original electric, and it drastically loses heat when the door is opened. The kicker for me was a NYT article about toxins in the home, and of course they mentioned a gas oven as in the top 5. You need to have very good ventilation, a really good fan that you run every time you use it,  and vent it outside which we don't. When he read the article my husband was ready to replace the stove, but since it's new and I'm cheap we're keeping it, although because of that article I'm afraid to run the self-cleaning cycle. Ever. So my oven is pretty messy. IMHO, electric is superior. 

Really?  Gas ovens leak toxins into the home??  That is scary!  I was all set to go for gas over electric, but that causes me to worry!! 
 

[cappuccinosmom]

I much prefer gas for stovetop, don't care so much about which for baking. 

[swd12422]

I've never had good luck with gas ovens. Both times I had one, the part that regulates temperature failed. It took months for the maintenance folks in my apartment to get the right part in and get it working. I think they went through 3 different parts before they got one that worked. And then it failed again. (It was months, but that was when I didn't cook every day, and rarely used my oven so maybe it would've only been a few weeks if I'd tested it out more.)

If you can do duel fuel, get the gas cooktop and electric oven.

[Ramzubo]

I always wanted a gas stove and the new house came equipped with a new, top of the line one....which I hate. It's mostly the stove top that bothers me as I do a lot of low and slow cooking and the gas just doesn't have the ability to stay low enough for long simmers. I guess it would be more useful if we were more of a high temperature, frying, wok using kind of family since it gets much hotter than electric. Although the gas seems inefficient, the propane does last a long time and we can use it if the electricity goes out which is a plus.

I am concerned about the fumes though. I've also read about needing to keep the vent going the whole time you cook which always pulls the flames to one side of the stove making even cooking a pain. Same thing happens if the windows are open which up North, without central a/c, is a lot.  Recently we had a gas leak when one of the automatic ignitions stopped working and we couldn't tell that a small amount of gas was coming out. We could smell it in the house, but had not idea what it was. It took us over 10 hours to find out it was the oven by which point the house was full of gas. It was very scary, none of our carbon monoxide detectors went off so I guess it was OK, but I still feel like the house could have gone up in flames if we'd lit something.

[lunarlady]

I did forget to mention that all gas ranges should have an outside vent overhead. That was actually the first thing I did because I think those dinky things built into the bottom of microwaves are useless. A properly installed and powerful enough vent should draw air up, not to the back or side. Choose a quiet one because you do want it running the entire time you are cooking.

All natural gas burning does release a small amount of toxins into the air. So running a stovetop or gas oven without a vent going is a no-no. But I love my gas stovetop for searing meats and stir frys. Darn electric never gets hot enough. For very low and slow you can get a metal or ceramic plate to put between the heat and the pan. It is less efficient, but it works. I usually do a double boiler for delicate things, or stick them in the oven instead.

[sweetBBkendall]

We actually have a gas oven and are looking at maybe going electric. We are getting new cabinets and our oven is an odd size so we are replacing to add cabinet space. I don't have too much experience with electric. My sister says hers heats up faster and it would be nice to have a self cleaning oven for a change. Those are the pros- But I also really like the gas range even if ours does run a little hot. I know some people have said here that gas is cheaper so I'll keep that in mind as I'm making my own decision. :)

[skreader]

We have a gas stove-top & electric oven and have been very happy with that combination. I don't like to cook on an electric stove-top.