There are many factors that can affect whether you prefer gas or electric. One is, as mentioned above, you can determine what type of range you grew up using. One important factor could be the cost of a stove. Electric stoves tend to be a bit taller than gas stoves. There really isn’t enough of a difference in purchase cost to make much of a difference. The amount really wouldn’t be enough to rule out one over the other. One factor that could make a difference for some people is the operating costs of the stoves. In most areas it is cheaper to use gas or natural gas than the cost of electricity.

An important factor, in my opinion, is the performance of the stove. Which stove works better for you individually, gas or electric? When you turn the burner on a gas stove up or down, it usually responds more or less instantly to that setting. When adjusting the burner on an electric stove, the stove does not respond instantly at all. It takes time for the burner to adjust, when turning it down or even turning it off. This may take some getting used to if you are used to the quick response of a gas stove. Another performance issue, between gas and electric cooktops, is that with an electric cooktop charring, flaming and toasting are all things that cannot be achieved.

Another issue, especially if there are small children at home, is the safety of the chosen stove. Gas stoves have open flames; there is also the risk of a gas leak. Carbon monoxide detectors should be in place in a home that uses a gas stove. Electric stoves are generally considered safer. There are no reported fires associated with electric stoves, but they are much less numerous than fires associated with gas-powered stoves. There are also other stoves for electric cooking now such as smooth top stoves.

Finally, there are a few different little things that can help make up your mind. One determining factor is whether the home you are buying or living in supports gas or electricity. If you are renting, you may not have the option to replace the current stove in the home. If you are building and natural gas is not available, it may not be economically practical to run propane so you can have a gas stove.

Gas stoves can have an odor when you turn on the burners, also if the kitchen is small they tend to heat the kitchen. They are not as easy to clean, for the most part, as an electric stove. In a power outage, an electric stove will obviously not work, while your gas stove will continue to work. Even if you have an electric ignition, the burners can be lit with matches or a lighter. Electric stoves consume more energy than gas stoves. As mentioned before, they can’t really compete with the high heating efficiency of the gas stove.

Hopefully this will provide some insight and insight into the gas vs. electric stove debate.