About Kitchen Stoves

Gas stoves offer one option for home cooks.

Home cooks have a long list of options when choosing a new stove. Choices include electric, gas and induction models, which differ in appearance, price and performance. The setup of your kitchen, the power source and your budget likely will guide your decision before you ever cook a meal with your new stove.

Electric Stoves

Electric stovetops or stand-alone ranges require hookup to an electric outlet to heat both the top elements and the bottom oven or separate wall oven. Electric elements tend to get hot faster and keep a more consistent heat than gas models, but they also cool down more slowly when you switch to lower heat while cooking.

Gas Stoves

Conventional electric coil burners have lots of competition on the market today.

A gas cooktop, oven or range needs a natural gas or propane connection to provide heat for cooking, along with proper ventilation to avoid dangerous fumes. Favored by professional chefs for easier heat control, gas stoves typically include burners offering differing amounts of heating power. The adjustable flame also allows cooks to place any size pan on a burner. Cooking with gas costs less than using electricity almost everywhere in the United States, especially if the stove uses an electric ignition system, instead of requiring a constantly burning pilot light.

Induction Stoves

An induction stove takes advantage of magnetic energy in burners set under a ceramic top. This heats the pan you are cooking in, rather than heating the burner and transferring the heat to the pot. While quick to heat and cook and sleek-looking, induction stoves cost more than either conventional electric or gas stoves, and you will need to use pots and pans that attract a magnet, such as those made of steel or iron.

Added Options

Stoves come with optional features, including smooth-top cooktops, which have become common in most medium-to-high-priced models. They allow you to easily clean the stovetop without having to work around coiled burners. You can also find stoves with computerized controls, different numbers and sizes of burners, easily controllable broilers and built-in extras, such as grills, flattop griddles or even a wok. You will also need to decide on a built-in cooktop or oven or a stand-alone range and whether you want a simple range hood or one with a built-in microwave oven.

References

• Consumer Reports: Kitchen Ranges
• Rocky Mountain Institute's Home Energy Briefs: Kitchen Appliances
• HomeTips: Kitchen Ranges and Stovetops; Dan Vandervort