Chefs and food enthusiasts swear by natural gas cooktops for their efficiency and superior cooking performance. Once used mostly in commercial kitchens, gas cooktops are now commonplace in many Australian homes.
But just how do the benefits of gas cooktops stack up against electric? We take a closer look below.
Faster Cooking
The first thing you’ll immediately notice is how much quicker you can start cooking. Unlike an electric cooktop which needs to warm up, gas cooktops immediately heat your pot or pan once the flame is lit. It’s not hard to see the benefit of this in a commercial kitchen setting, where efficiency is key. In busy homes, faster cooking is also incredibly handy.
Greater Control
Electric coils retain heat for a long time after they’ve been turned off. Gas cooktops cool down just as quickly as they heat up, giving you superior temperature control and preventing accidental burns. Temperatures are highly responsive to the slightest adjustments you make. This offers safety benefits as well as a better all-round cooking experience.
Even Heating
When lit, a natural gas cooktop spreads the flame in a perfect circle under your pot or pan. This ensures an even heat distribution over the entire burner and eliminates the possibility of burned or unevenly cooked food, or cooler spots that interfere with the cooking process in more complex recipes and effect the end quality of the dish. Cookware with rounded bottoms like a wok especially benefit from the even heat distribution offered by gas cooktops.
Cost Effective
Electric cooktops use around three times as much energy compared to gas, because of the time spent waiting for them to get hot enough to start using. Your cooktops are one of the most commonly used appliances in the home, meaning you can save significantly on your utility bills by choosing to use a gas cooktop. It pays to have more than just a natural gas cooktop in your home though, as running a single gas appliance can be expensive. By adding a natural gas hot water system or gas heating into the mix, you could save on overall energy costs, as in NSW, gas pricing works on a declining block tariff - meaning the more you use, the less it costs you per unit of gas.
Durability
Modern electric cooktops are often smooth surfaces made of glass or ceramic. While this makes them easier to clean, it also makes them more prone to scratching and cracking. The metal grates on gas cooktops are much hardier and able to withstand heavy or rough-textured cookware without causing any damage.
Durable gas cooktops are built to last decades while continuing to look and perform perfectly well - even if it does take an extra couple of minutes to give them a wipe over.
You Can Cook During Blackouts
If the power goes out at home, you can still cook dinner on your gas cooktop. This is handy in areas that are affected by blackouts due to inclement weather or frequent outages for other reasons. One of the benefits of having variation in your energy mix at home is that you don’t lose all the functionality in your home if a problem related to one of your energy sources occurs.
Interested in Getting Natural Gas at Home?
If you’re ready to get Natural Gas in your home, check your gas availability by address to get started.