The reason most professional kitchens use gas cooktops is that they can easily control the heat. With a simple turn of the dial the flame gets bigger or smaller so that the change in heat is immediate and precise. There’s no long wait for the pan to heat up or for it to cool down, saving time and ensuring dishes aren’t spoilt by a slow response. Temperatures are closer to the recommended heat in recipe books, helping you to achieve dependable results every time you cook. There’s a reason for the saying, “we’re cooking with gas!”
The advantages of cooking with gas
Electricity may have made our lives easier in many ways but gas remains the most efficient and responsive way to cook on the stove. Whether boiling or steaming, sautéing, griddling or stir-frying, there are a huge number of advantages of cooking with gas.
Immediately responsive heat
Even heat distribution
Electric cooktops and the pans used on them need to be perfectly flat or the heat won’t be distributed evenly across the cookware. The flames on a gas cooktop are central so that they heat pans evenly, with no cool spots and without scorching them. As the entire surface of an electric cooktop heats up, gas cooktops tend to be safer as they are cooler when turned off.
Less wasted heat
Electric cooktops emit more heat than those powered by gas, generating excess heat in your home. Gas cooktops not only keep your home cooler when they’re on but as soon as you turn them off the flame is extinguished and the heat source vanishes - not so with an electric cooktop, which continues to emit heat after it is switched off.
Unaffected by power cuts
If your electricity is cut by inclement weather you can usually still cook on a gas cooktop as gas lines tend not to be affected by the kind of weather that can cause electrical power outages. Although electricity is needed to power the ignition, it is easy to simply light the burner with a match.
Cheaper operating costs
Gas cooktops may be more expensive to buy and install but long-term outlay will be lower as the costs of operating electric models are noticeably higher.
A gas cooktop with four burners turned on has a typical energy rating of 35MJ, with an estimated running cost of $1.52 per hour.*
* Estimated cost only - actual cost may differ. It's recommended to calculate costs based on your unique usage patterns and appliances. Additional factors that may influence your appliance's gas costs include its brand, model, energy efficiency, and settings.
