electric or gas cooker?

murfilein · 08-12-2019 12:49am #1

we are having our kitchen done and the question came up if we should have our cooker replaced.

how we are only 2 month in our home and received our first bill.

50 euro for electricity, 140 for gas (heating)

would a gas cooker have a big influence on the bill? obviously the heating is running quite a lot these days since it's the cold season, but i can't estimate how much gas bills will be during warmer seasons.

we cook a lot, and we would actually prefer a gas cooker. but a electric one wouldn't be tragic either. it's just that a gas one would be nicer, but only if it's not a big increase in the bill.

do these things use a lot? the cooker would be used every day in our home.

blindside88 · 08-12-2019 12:51am

I would opt for a mixture in an ideal world. Gas hob and electric oven. Gas ovens are very poor in comparison to electric fan ovens IMO. Running costs wouldn’t vary massively either way

Seamai · 08-12-2019 1:00am

An Induction hob is the way to go, it's got the immediacy of gas without any of the safety issues, it's also very easy to keep clean as spillages don't cook on to it like conventional hob. You may need to get new saucepans (they need a steel base) but it's worth it.

antix80 · 08-12-2019 1:12am

Gas shouldn't cost more. If you're used to gas stick with it.
Read reviews when choosing ovens. Gas ovens are considered poor at distributing heat (bad for baking cakes) but the comparison may be with electric fan ovens.
As for hob.. I'm not on the gas mains so i went with induction. Induction hobs are pricey but heat up instantly like gas. I went for the type with slider controls rather than fiddly plus and minus buttons. If i had the choice I'd possibly have gone with gas again, but induction is a good compromise and easy to clean.

L1011 · 08-12-2019 1:39am

I would have trouble identifying the contribution of my gas hob to my bills - summer bills are about 8 quid of gas a month (+standing charge) and that's mostly hot water - but I do have a nearly brand new integral insulated water tank which helps.

Induction is as good as gas for nearly everything except wok cooking; which alone means I could never use it. Induction is not just bad for wok cooking - its actually unusable. Wok is going to be in the air a lot of the time and unheated as a result. But I use an electric oven, as gas ovens are awful.

jlm29 · 08-12-2019 9:21am

We’re not on the gas mains, but we have a gas hob and use bottled gas. A (large) bottle of gas lasts us over a year, I can’t imagine it would Have a huge impact on your bills.

EmptyTree · 08-12-2019 12:25pm

blindside88 wrote: »

I would opt for a mixture in an ideal world. Gas hob and electric oven. Gas ovens are very poor in comparison to electric fan ovens IMO. Running costs wouldn’t vary massively either way

This. For me it's gas hob (all the way) and electric oven. I like the immediacy of gas when cooking on the hob.

Plus, in the event of a power cut you can at least still cook or boil water for a tea. (yes, I know you could go for years without a power cut, but it is a handy benefit of a gas hob)

Mad_maxx · 08-12-2019 12:42pm

murfilein wrote: »

we are having our kitchen done and the question came up if we should have our cooker replaced.

how we are only 2 month in our home and received our first bill.

50 euro for electricity, 140 for gas (heating)

would a gas cooker have a big influence on the bill? obviously the heating is running quite a lot these days since it's the cold season, but i can't estimate how much gas bills will be during warmer seasons.

we cook a lot, and we would actually prefer a gas cooker. but a electric one wouldn't be tragic either. it's just that a gas one would be nicer, but only if it's not a big increase in the bill.

do these things use a lot? the cooker would be used every day in our home.

Gas is way cheaper but a quality gas cooker is way more expensive and you must get a registered gas plumber to fit it, upfront costs are double electric

Samuel T. Cogley · 08-12-2019 12:46pm

Seamai wrote: »

An Induction hob is the way to go, it's got the immediacy of gas without any of the safety issues, it's also very easy to keep clean as spillages don't cook on to it likes conventional hob. You may need to get new saucepans (they need a steel base) but it's worth it.

This! I miss my completely flat (no knobs or anything) induction hob. Quick wipe job done.

katiek102010 · 08-12-2019 1:01pm

Gas won't cost much more. I currently have a full gas lpg cooker. I cook and bake a lot and oven itself is used 2 - 3 time daily. Small gas bottle last 6/7 weeks at 30E.

However the gas oven is a pain in the arse. Temp is not 100% accurate.

I would go elec oven and gas hob all the way

Hoboo · 08-12-2019 1:05pm

If you love cooking, then gas hands down. Especially if you use a wok.

davedonie · 08-12-2019 1:07pm

I got electric for the first time and I like how the pots dont get all burned at the bottom. I got a frying pan that's blue ceramic 2 years ago and it looks as new as they day I bought it. With gas it would have been black on the underside in a week.
Also now I notice the smell of gas when I'm in somebody's kitchen who has a gas hob. I must have been nose blind to it when I had one.

fineso.mom · 08-12-2019 1:10pm

A gas hob and electric oven. I use the hob daily and a 30e gas drum lasts approx 5 months.
Just on the above... Your pots shouldnt go black underneath unless there's a problem with the flow/burn.

Seamai · 08-12-2019 1:15pm

L1011 wrote: »

I would have trouble identifying the contribution of my gas hob to my bills - summer bills are about 8 quid of gas a month (+standing charge) and that's mostly hot water - but I do have a nearly brand new integral insulated water tank which helps.

Induction is as good as gas for nearly everything except wok cooking; which alone means I could never use it. Induction is not just bad for wok cooking - its actually unusable. Wok is going to be in the air a lot of the time and unheated as a result. But I use an electric oven, as gas ovens are awful.

I find it works fine with a wok, have an old black steel one which was one of the few utensils that did work when I switched over, I't gets as hot as I want it. I suppose I don't go flipping it around but I'm constantly moving the food around with a spatula.

Seamai · 08-12-2019 1:21pm

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

This! I miss my completely flat (no knobs or anything) induction hob. Quick wipe job done.

Ours is 6 years old and gets a lot of use and still looks new, I'd rarely even have to use the special hob cleaner. It's also more economical to run.

antix80 · 08-12-2019 3:31pm

You can buy a wok-style pan for induction.. Not quite the same thing i know

[Deleted User] · 08-12-2019 3:36pm

What are people doing with woks that they need to lift them? I use one all the time and it only gets lifted up when finished, food it’s just stirred with a plastic/wooden utensil while cooking?

L1011 · 08-12-2019 4:28pm

Seamai wrote: »

I find it works fine with a wok, have an old black steel one which was one of the few utensils that did work when I switched over, I't gets as hot as I want it. I suppose I don't go flipping it around but I'm constantly moving the food around with a spatula.

That's the way you use a wok - and it isn't the way most people do.

If you're just stirring food around in a wok you may as well be using a frying pan. You're actually just sauteeing the food in the first place then.

Induction does not heat something that isn't in almost direct contact with it. The sides of the wok will never get any heat at all (which they need if you're using it as more than a funny shaped frying pan) unless on gas; and you'll be taking the wok off direct contact very frequently.

Kailee Screeching Glasses wrote: »

What are people doing with woks that they need to lift them?

Cooking with a wok. :pac:

Go watch a video of someone actually using a wok as a wok, not a frying pan.

LirW · 08-12-2019 4:41pm

Induction. I grew up with a gas cooker but I'm not too keen on the gas smell when something simmers for a while and I'm not arsed cleaning gas daily.
It's incredibly efficient.

To contribute to the wok problematic: I went through a few woks, some didn't work as well as others on induction. I'm currently using a Salter carbon steel, it has a good size, is light enough to be lifted and holds heat well enough. It's the best I've tried for induction so far. It's not 100% what I want and I cook a lot of Asian food, so I'm seriously considering buying a single wok gas burner.

0lddog · 08-12-2019 4:44pm

murfilein wrote: »

..... we are only 2 month in our home and received our first bill.

50 euro for electricity, 140 for gas (heating).......

OP, does the €50 electricity bill include the fixed costs associated with the supply ( i.e. standing charge, PSO levy and VAT on same ) ?

If so then you used very very little electricity.

I guess some of it was used by lights, computer, alarm etc.

Your cooker didnt use it all

newbie2 · 08-12-2019 4:49pm

I've recently moved from Electric oven and induction hob to double electric oven and gas hob. Would never go back to induction. Gas is sooo much easier to control - albeit with a tiny bit of trial & error.

BrokenWingz · 08-12-2019 4:58pm

We changed from a gas cooker (I wasn’t mad keen on the oven) but the husband insisted on an electric cooktop instead of the combination I wanted. Still miss the gas hob desperately and am so annoyed with myself for giving in to him. My mum had induction and I disliked it as much as I do the electric.

murfilein · 08-12-2019 6:16pm

thanks for all the replies guys!

another scenario came up: if we go with electric now can we switch later without issues? as in, we are getting a manufactured stone worktop. are hobs always the same size? not that we get an electric one now, and in future when we get a gas one, it's smaller and won't fit the cutout then...

Seamai · 08-12-2019 6:17pm

L1011 wrote: »

That's the way you use a wok - and it isn't the way most people do.

If you're just stirring food around in a wok you may as well be using a frying pan. You're actually just sauteeing the food in the first place then.

Induction does not heat something that isn't in almost direct contact with it. The sides of the wok will never get any heat at all (which they need if you're using it as more than a funny shaped frying pan) unless on gas; and you'll be taking the wok off direct contact very frequently.

Cooking with a wok. :pac:

Go watch a video of someone actually using a wok as a wok, not a frying pan.

I hadn't realised that moderation stretched to lecturing posters on their culinary techniques.
I'll PM you the next time I need tips on making toast.

antix80 · 08-12-2019 6:20pm

murfilein wrote: »

thanks for all the replies guys!

another scenario came up: if we go with electric now can we switch later without issues? as in, we are getting a manufactured stone worktop. are hobs always the same size? not that we get an electric one now, and in future when we get a gas one, it's smaller and won't fit the cutout then...

Run a gas pipe from it to outside if you think you'll need to change later. Open to correction but the footprint (hole in granite) sizes are fairly standard

antix80 · 08-12-2019 6:22pm

Seamai wrote: »

I hadn't realised that moderation stretched to lecturing posters on their culinary techniques.
I'll PM you the next time I need tips on making toast.

Actually the poster is right.. If you cook with a wok to stirfry then gas is essential. If you use a wok to shallow fry then electric is fine.

Gumbo · 08-12-2019 6:36pm

I’ve had both. Made the mistake of not plumbing a gas feed to my cooker when renovating. Wish I did now.

I’d have gas over electric any day.

Eric Cartman · 08-12-2019 6:53pm

The gas hob is superior in every regard but an electric fan oven would be the way to go for that.

L1011 · 08-12-2019 7:17pm

Seamai wrote: »

I hadn't realised that moderation stretched to lecturing posters on their culinary techniques.
I'll PM you the next time I need tips on making toast.

I'm posting as a poster. Moderation is in bold.

Seamai · 08-12-2019 8:04pm

L1011 wrote: »

I'm posting as a poster. Moderation is in bold.

My apologies, might I suggest you practice a less preachy tone when not moderating, I've been cooking since I was a kid, (I'm now in my 50's) and at the risk of sounding arrogant a pretty pretty accomplish cook, I've never found an electric or hob a hindrance to achieving the desired result for pretty decent asian cooking, if it's authenticity you're after do you use a cleaver for doing all your cutting and chopping when preparing food for your wok? We may not be able to replicate everything that happens in a Chinese kitchen, so what do we do? We improvovise!. Stop being so precious.

L1011 · 08-12-2019 8:22pm

Seamai wrote: »

My apologies, might I suggest you practice a less preachy tone when not moderating, I've been cooking since I was a kid, (I'm now in my 50's) and at the risk of sounding arrogant a pretty pretty accomplish cook, I've never found an electric or hob a hindrance to achieving the desired result for pretty decent asian cooking, if it's authenticity you're after do you use a cleaver for doing all your cutting and chopping when preparing food for your wok? We may not be able to replicate everything that happens in a Chinese kitchen, so what do we do? We improvovise!. Stop being so precious.

Why go to the effort of using a wok if you'll get the same result from an easier to handle frying pan?

You get zero of the advantages of a wok unless using gas.

electric or gas cooker?

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