Hello,
If you had the choice, would you install a gas cooker or an electric one?
Is it fair to say that electric fan ovens are the best type of oven to have because the fan helps the oven to heat up fastest and most evenly? Or do gas ovens have a big jet that heats up even faster?
For the hob, I've heard people say gas is best. Is this because it is adjustable and changes instantly? I'm thinking with electric if you turned the heat up there would be a slight delay before it got hotter and if you turned it down, there would be residual heat for a while?
Or is it just that gas is more powerful and has larger jets so that you can, for example, use woks that electric hobs simply aren't big enough and powerful enough to heat?
How do running costs compare? Electric is said to be the most expensive way to heat or isn't that significant for cooking which only is on for a few minutes each day?
For some years I lived in a village without mains gas so I had a ceramic hob and electric oven. I am currently renting a house which has a freestanding gas oven. I think it must depend on what make and model you have.
I remember having a gas cooker when I was a child and the grill had a row of flames along the back of the grill that came towards you and they were quite adjustable and from memory, it was ok to use and like an electric grill, heated all of the grill pan.
This cooker has the jet/nozzle/burner thing (what is it called?) down the middle of the grill, from which the flames go to either side. It is very like a camping grill and my experience of these is that they are not very good. This type doesn't seem to heat the whole grill pan, just the central part. IME this type doesn't seem very adjustable; I guess because it is already pretty feeble at full power.
Perhaps the moral of this story is to use an electric grill or if buying a gas grill, get a good look at the layout of the jet in the shop before buying?
Thanks, Stephen.