Gas vs Electric Stove: Which Is Better for Your Kitchen?

If you're in the middle of a kitchen remodel or house hunting, cooking appliances should be at the forefront of your mind. Even if you don't consider yourself to be the world's greatest chef, your oven and stovetop are tremendously important. They help set the tone of your kitchen's aesthetic and affect even the simplest of everyday food prep. This makes the choice between a gas cooktop and gas oven and their electric counterparts a challenging one the expense and installation likely means you'll be living with your decision for many years to come.

It's hard to say definitively whether gas or electric cooking appliances are better for you and your family. There are several factors to weigh, some of which may have more import for you than others. To help you make the right decision, we've unpacked some of what you should consider as you shop around. You'll want to pay attention to performance, relative costs, energy efficiency, safety, environmental impact, aesthetics, logistical compatibility, reliability, and of course your cooking preferences. 

Performance: How Gas and Electric Stovetops Compare

Put aside, for argument's sake, cost, design, the logistics of installing a gas line, and so on. Based on cooking performance alone, which is better: a gas stove or an electric stove? Purists might immediately declare the gas stove the champion, but with modern appliances, the winner isn't so obvious.

First, let's look at the advantages of gas cooking:

• Gas stoves are exceptionally responsive.

Gas stoves are standard in most professional kitchens, largely because they allow for greater control while cooking. If something starts to burn and you need to turn down the heat, the effect is practically instantaneous. Likewise, if you have something at a simmer and need to bring it to a boil, gas can make that happen in a flash.

Electric induction burners can match this level of response, but the vast majority of electric stoves in modern home kitchens today are glass cooktops and electric coils. As a rule, these just cannot compete with gas stoves in this regard.

• Gas allows for greater versatility in cooking techniques.

The open flame on a gas stove opens up some cooking possibilities that electric stovetops even induction stovetops can't provide. With a gas stove, for example, you can char a pepper or toast a tortilla. You would have to use a grill to do the same if your home had an electric cooktop.

• Most gas stoves are still functional during a power outage.

Traditional gas stoves don't typically require electricity to function. This means that in the result of a power failure, you can still heat up a can of soup or make a cup of hot tea while you wait out the storm. Of course, this advantage does not necessarily apply if you have a more modern electric gas stove.

Electric stoves have benefits of their own, but bear in mind that there are different kinds of electric stoves. Older models may feature burners that are coiled or spiraled, but the majority of modern electric stoves have glass cooktops. Here is how glass cooktops can be advantageous:

• Modern glass cooktops allow for variable cooking surface area.

It's very common for glass cooktops to feature nested burners. The user can activate a small or large burner in the same region of the stove to best accommodate the diameter of a pot of pan. The flame on a traditional gas burner may not contact the outer edges of a large pot of pan, or it might come up the sides of a smaller pot if the heat is too high. 

• Cooking at low heat is easier on an electric stove.

It can be hard to achieve a gentle simmer with a traditional gas stove. Even a very low flame could be too hot for some dish preparations. Modern electric stoves, however, can maintain very gentle heat more reliably.

• Electric cooktops tend to have a more even heat distribution.

Electric stoves can achieve more even, uniform heating of a cooking vessel. A pan on a gas stove might have more of a heat differential across the pan's surface area. The middle ring of the pan, for example, might be hotter than the outer rim or center. This can make it harder to achieve even cooking when searing.

Note that while glass cooktops make up the lion's share of electric stoves on the market, induction stoves are also available as well. Induction cooking is a somewhat newer technology, and it uses electromagnetic energy to generate heat. Induction stoves have most of the same advantages of glasstop stoves, and they are just as responsive as gas stoves. For many cooking enthusiasts, induction stoves offer the best of both worlds. 

The downside, perhaps, of induction stoves is that they require specific cookware. You must use pots and pans with ferrous metals when cooking on induction appliances. So, cast iron is all good, but aluminum or copper pans won't allow you to cook properly.

Cost: Are Gas or Electric Stoves More Expensive?

Gas and electric stove costs vary by brand and model, but the costs of the appliances are generally comparable. Induction stoves are the exception, and they tend to be much more expensive than a comparably sized gas or glasstop stove.

But you may want to consider more than the initial appliance price tag. If you need to fit your house with a gas line for stove cooking, the upfront costs can balloon pretty quickly. Gas stove installation costs can be anywhere from $400 to a few thousand, depending on the length of the line, your home's infrastructure and architecture, your regional cost of living, and so on.

So, electric stoves are often the cheaper option at the outset. They do use more energy than gas stoves, so your month-to-month utility bills could be a little less if you cook with gas, but it's also possible that any savings would be offset by the expense of regular maintenance on your gas cooker ovens and stoves.

Safety: Do Gas or Electric Stoves Pose a Health Risk?

There is established evidence that gas stoves can have meaningful impacts on human health. For one, gas appliances produce nitrogen oxides, which can exacerbate asthma and irritate the respiratory system of anyone exposed to high levels of the contaminant. Without adequate ventilation, a gas stove can generate unsafe levels of nitrogen oxides in the time it takes to cook a grilled cheese.

The toxic byproducts of gas stoves don't only come from combustion. Unburned gas can contaminate a home with benzene, a known carcinogen. There's no guarantee that a gas stove will directly contribute to cancer or respiratory troubles, but homeowners should be mindful of the risk.

Because gas is the culprit, a newer appliance isn't necessarily safer. Modern gas appliances, even pricey ones, can be just as dangerous as vintage stoves and ovens.

Cooking Green: Which Kind of Stove Is Better for the Environment?

If being environmentally friendly is a priority for you, you probably want to go electric. Gas appliances, by their very nature, consume a nonrenewable resource and contribute to carbon emissions. Electric stoves can run on renewable energy, though of course this is dependent on your home's source of power.

It's worth noting that the federal government, as part of the Inflation Reduction Act, incentivizes the switch from gas to electric by offering rebates on electric cooking appliances.

Home Design: Which Type of Appliance Suits Your Kitchen's Aesthetic?

There's function, and then there's form. What design aesthetic are you trying to establish in your home kitchen?

Modern appliance manufacturers offer a wide array of both gas and electric stoves. They come in all shapes, colors, and sizes. Broadly speaking, glasstop and induction stoves will lend a sleek, modern feel to your kitchen. Electric stoves with coil or spiral burners run the risk of looking a little dated. Gas stoves, no question, contribute to a vintage or classic design theme.

That's not to say an electric stove has no place in a rustic or traditional kitchen, or that a gas stove can't feel contemporary. With the right design touches, you can make either type of appliance suit your aesthetic needs.

Compatibility and Reliability: Is Gas or Electric the Bigger Headache?

If your home has an electric system, you can install an electric stove. Gas, on the other hand, requires an infrastructure that your home may or may not have. You run the risk of needing to run a new gas line to your kitchen, which could get pricey.

Reliability is probably more of a concern across brands and models than between gas and electric appliances. Gas and electric stoves and ovens alike are susceptible to breakdowns and malfunctions when homeowners neglect regular cleaning and maintenance. Thoroughly research reviews on appliance manufacturers and models, and bear in mind that some gas appliances might require a little more maintenance over the years, but otherwise the reliability between gas and electric equipment is about equal.

Cook's Choice: What Do You Prefer?

Ultimately, the choice between a gas and electric stove comes down to your personal preference. Maybe you recognize how responsive gas stoves are but the open flame gives you a scare. Or maybe you're a purist who couldn't possibly imagine cooking with electricity. 

Weigh the pros and cons, but trust your gut. You'll select what's right for your home and lifestyle. And when you do, Liberty Home Guard is there to support you. When your kitchen appliances are a little worse for the wear and troubleshooting your stove leaves you stumped, all you need to do is reach out to us. We'll get you sorted. Learn more about our home warranty plans by calling (833) 566-9564.