If your home runs both gas and electric, the cheaper option for using units for your cooker is gas. Here a KitchenSolution we give an unbiased view on all products, just guiding you towards making the right choice. Below we give you the pro’s and con’s of both gas and electric cookers, but for an in depth review of all cookers, please visit our partner sites for all the latest up to date deals and information.
Deciding which gas range cooker is for you
When the time comes for you to replace your cooker, you’ll find so many different makes and models, all of which are not particularly cheap! Obviously you will have a budget in mind, but do remember that a gas cooker purchase is made very rarely in your life, so going for something cheaper is not always cost effective. If you pay a little more for a quality cooker, it is likely to last far longer.
As all kitchen appliances these days, you can get your gas cooker in almost any style, from traditional farmhouse country through to contemporary stainless steel, you will certainly find a cooker to suit your kitchen. Gas cookers benefit from instant heat from the hob and some even come with special features such as an extra-fast wok burner or cast iron griddle convenient for cooking fish or meat.
Depending on the size of your kitchen, you will also need to decide the size of cooker you require. Do you spend much time cooking? Are you cooking for just yourself or a whole family? Here a KitchenSolution we give you this general tip – a 2-3 cubic foot oven is perfect for one to two people, 3-4 cubic feet for a small family and a capacity above 4 to cater for a larger family.
There are a few disadvantages though to choosing a gas cooker. Firstly, gas ovens are known not to heat evenly inside, meaning that rotating your food is a must and more care has to be taken when cooking produce such as chicken, due to its unhealthiness if under cooked. Also, gas cookers are in general more expensive then their electric counterparts, but this is mainly off set as they are more efficient, so in the long run, your money is made back but the initial outlay is more. Then finally, gas cookers have been notoriously hard to clean, due to food getting under the burners, but fortunately these days more and more gas cookers come with sealed burners making cleaning that much easier!.
A gas cooker is a fantastic purchase for those who really enjoy the art of creating lovely dishes. With so many options available here at KitcheSolution, we are sure you will find the right product for your kitchen
Electric Cookers
So you’ve decided to purchase an electric cooker, but not quite sure what you are looking for. Well, the first choice will obviously be determined by whether you are investing in a fitted kitchen, where the cooker will be built into the kitchen design or if you by a free standing electric cooker, you must make sure it actually fits the dimensions of the space left to accommodate it. Sounds simple, but a few millimetres out and you suddenly have a unit that won’t fit, so your measurements need to be spot on. Standard free standing electric cookers normally measure 50-60cm in width, with larger models between 80-150cm.
You will find two types of electric cookers, single or double. The single oven cooker will have just the one fan and will usually come with a standard grill. Singles are a great choice of you have limited space in your kitchen.The double oven cooker, as it suggests, has a double fan and will heat up quicker than the single fan ovens and have extra cooking space needed if cooking regularly for a family or friends.
When it comes to choosing styles and colours for your electric cookers, they are not as wide-ranging as gas cookers. Most styles fit a contemporary kitchen, rather than the traditional kitchen, as the ceramic hobs do not have a “rustic” feel to them. Colour wise, generally they will come in either white, black or stainless steel, although some K suppliers have different colours to suit your kitchen.
Cleaning electric cookers is normally a far easier job than gas cookers. There are 3 types of electric cookers which are ring and ceramic element and ceramic top. Both the ceramic element and top are fairly straight foward to clean. Soak a cloth in vinegar as this is fantastic for getting through grease and wipe the top surface clean. Use a guard over your pans to prevent initial grease build up. Now the ring element electric cookers are more difficult to clean. Firstly, make sure you cover any unused elements with foil to prevent splattering on them and then place aluminium foil on the drip tray to take any unwanted spillages.