!#8# The Pros and Cons of an Electric Cooktop Over Its Gas Counterpart

!±8± The Pros and Cons of an Electric Cooktop Over Its Gas Counterpart

Cooktops are indispensable appliances in our kitchens. Their functions have expanded recently from merely an appliance for cooking to something that reflects styles and that beautifies your kitchens. They have come a long way from the old fashion four burners' model to the current ultra sophisticated unit that incorporates advanced features including digital control panels, smooth tops, precise temperature controls and different burner configurations.

The two most popular types of cooktops that are most sought after in the market are the electric and gas cooktops. Each has their advantages and disadvantages. Depending on your needs, each offers distinct features that vary greatly in terms of appearance, safety and performance. Therefore, if you are thinking of an upgrade from an existing conventional cooktop or are renovating your kitchen and are planning to get a new one, the electric or the gas version are your best bet.

In terms of appearance, the electric version definitely looks much better over the gas due to its sleek design that features smooth surface, embedded digital panels, touch controls and are available in a variety of colors to match your kitchen design. I am not saying the gas cooktop is not pretty but the knobs that appear in most of them are definitely an ugly sight in a modern kitchen that features futuristic design. Moreover, the embedded touch control and the smooth surface in electric cooktop is absolutely a superb compliment to any kitchen designs.

In addition, the variable-size elements in electric cooktop are a huge advantage over the gas version. Variable-size elements means the elements can match exactly the size of any pans and pots. This is something that the gas cooktop is lacking. Other than the variable size elements, other features that are available in electric cook top but are lacking in gas cooktop are the warming zones and bridge elements that will match irregular pans and pots sizes. The variable-size and bridge elements are definitely a must-have for any environment conscious persons as they maximize the usage of electricity.

Other advantages of electric cooktops over its gas counterpart are safety and energy usage issues. In terms of safety, a cooktop that uses electricity is definitely safer than the one uses gas. Imagine having a tank or a cylinder loaded with gas sitting at the back of your kitchen. The incident of explosion of a gas cylinder is certainly higher than the incident of faulty electricity.

In addition, the electric cooktop is one of the top rated devices in terms of energy saving. Most of them are energy star rated which means they are extremely efficient in electricity consumption. The reason is due to the heating elements of the electric cooktop that are matched exactly to the size of the pans and pots where most of the heat is channeled to cooking food. On the other hand, the efficiency of the gas cook top is somewhere in 10% to 20%. Most of the heat is lost in the air instead of being used for heating.

Speaking of the cons of electric cooktop, the first thing that comes to my mind is the slow reaction time. Electric cooktop can be slow in terms of heating the pots and pans. Besides, some models of electric cooktop might be lacking in terms of power and temperature. Some high temperature cooking such as quick boiling and frying with a wok might not be possible with electric cook top. You might want to check with the specs before purchasing any cooktop. Some low end electric cooktop certainly lacks far behind its gas counterpart. But most high end and expensive electric cooktop will have a workaround for this issue.

Other disadvantage of electric cook top compared to gas cooktop is the power supply. If there is a cut in the power supply, then there will be no cooking. In short, no electricity means no cooking. On the other hand, you can still do whatever cooking you like with gas cooktop even if there is no electricity.

In conclusion, there are pros and cons with electric cook top compared to gas cooktop. Therefore, before doing any purchase, do take all these advantages and disadvantages into your consideration. The rule of thumbs here is to figure out what your cooking frequency and style is. For instance, if you do a lot of cooking at home and you require high intensity cooking that utilizes high temperature and fast reaction time, the gas version is definitely your best bet. On the other hand, if you do only seasonal cooking once in a blue moon or maybe you do only light cooking, then the electric cooktop is certainly the way to go.