>>Have you used gas before and know that's what you want? Then fine. But if
>>you are getting one just because of the supposed "superiority" of gas, take
>>a look here before you decide: http://www.pgacon.com/KitchenMyths.htm
Response speed
When you turn the heat up or down gas responds immediately. This is important
for certain cooking tasks. Electric is definitely much slower responding than
gas. You can compensate to some extent by moving the pan off and on the
element, but it's not nearly as convenient as gas.
Gas is the winner
Simmering
Many gas stoves, particularly high-end ones, have greatly improved simmering.
For slow, even, worry-free simmering, however, electric is still the champ.
Not true... gas can be infinitely adjusted to match any size pot, whereas
electric burner controls are limited by one simmer setting. Gas is the winner.
Boiling speed In comparison tests, gas stoves are almost always slower to boil
a large pot of water than an electric stove with the same BTU rating. This is
probably because a lot more heat escapes with gas.
Electric wins only under ideal theoretical conditions, that the pot bottom
makes good contact with the element. Gas could care less regarding pot
configuration. Gas almost always wins.
Use with a wok Woks are designed for cooking over an open flame, and the fast
response speed of a traditional thin steel wok will be compromised when used on
an electric element. If you have an electric stove you can do a perfectly good
stir fry by placing a flat-bottomed wok directly on the element, but a round
bottomed wok over a gas burner is better. gas wins
Escaping heat It's unavoidable - a gas burner produces a lot of hot air that
has no choice but to flow up and around your pan and into the kitchen. This
means that less heat gets into your food, the pan's handles may get very hot,
and the room heats up more. With electric and a pan that is not too small for
the element, more heat goes into the food and less into the handles and the
room.
With a pot properly sized for the burner heat loss minimal with gas... even
with a properly sized pot unless there is excelent contact with the electric
element much heat is lost. Gas wins.
In addition, gas ovens vent more heat than electric ovens.
This is utter nonsense, gas and electric ovens both vent the same.
Choice of pans
Electric stoves, particularly the flat top models, require the use of pans with
reasonably flat bottoms. The bottom does not have to be perfectly flat - which
is essentially impossible anyway - but if the pan is too far off flat the
efficiency of heat transfer will be lowered. Plus, pans with a convex (bowed
out) can be unstable on a flat top stove, rocking or spinning while in use. In
contrast you can use pretty much any pan on a gas stove regardless of how flat
the bottom is.
This supports the previous contentions that gas loses more heat, it does not.
Gas wins.
Cleaning
While the old-style coil electric burners are not all that easy to clean, they
are still easier than gas because you do not have to worry about gunk getting
into the burners. Needless to say, the new flattop electric ranges are a breeze
to clean. electric
Modern gas burners are sealed, making them as easy if not easier to clean than
modern electric burners... gas berner parts can even go into the dishwasher,
not so with electric elements. Gas wins.
Btw, gas is also substantially less expensive to operate
In each and every respect, GAS WINS!
---= BOYCOTT FRANCE (belgium) GERMANY--SPAIN =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
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"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."
Sheldon
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