Why Is Electric Oven Better Than Gas?

When you walk into an appliance store or shop online for ovens, you’ll find that many models come in two versions: electric models and gas models. While both versions have their supporters, electric ovens prove to be the better option. But why?

Electric ovens are better than gas models because they’re easier to install and produce more consistent and drier heat. They also pose a more negligible risk to your personal health and household safety while also being the more environmentally-friendly option since they don’t burn any gas.

An oven is a significant investment in your kitchen. So, you shouldn’t rely purely on advertising or what the store assistant tells you to buy. Instead, read this guide to know why electric ovens are the superior choice and better use of your hard-earned money.

How Does A Gas Oven Work?

Before you can see why electric ovens are better than gas ones, you must understand that both oven types function.

Gas ovens require a steady supply of gas to supply their burners. There, the gas will burn to generate heat that transfers to your cookware so you can prepare your meals.

When you turn on a gas oven, the appliance will open its valves to let gas flow towards the burners. There, another component is needed to ignite the gas.

Depending on your gas oven brand and model, that component could be:

• A spark generator: This is pretty straightforward. It’s an electrically-powered component that generates sparks to ignite the gas flame.
• A pilot flame: Some gas ovens have a pilot. This component has a small flame that’s always burning, and it’ll ignite the oven’s main burners when you turn them on.

A gas oven’s burner will turn on and off to maintain the correct temperature level inside the appliance. Once it gets hot enough, the oven will stop gas flow, and there won’t be a flame at the burner.

The opposite will happen when the temperature drops too low. As that happens, the oven will reignite the burner and start heating again.

Read: Why Oven Control Panel Gets Hot? Troubleshooting Guide

What Are The Names Of Gas Oven Parts?

Gas and electric ovens differ in many ways. Most notably, you’ll see that they rely on different parts to produce heat and cook your food.

Here are some general gas oven components that you must be aware of:

• Gas burners: These components are where the oven’s heat is generated.
• The spark generator or pilot flame: As seen above, these components ignite the gas flames
• Gas safety device: Gas ovens have a safety device that prevents gas buildup. These devices will cut off the gas flow if it senses that there is no flame.
• Thermostat: These continually measure the oven’s temperature to ensure it remains according to your settings.

How Does An Electric Oven Work?

Gas and electric ovens have many similar parts and functions. However, they differ mainly in how they generate heat.

Firstly, an electric oven doesn’t use gas or gas burners in any way. Instead, these ovens channel electricity through heating elements. 

You’ll typically find these heating elements at the top and bottom of the oven compartment. In addition, convection ovens will have a fan on the back panel, which also has a heating element.

Each heating element consists of conductive materials with high electrical resistance. That means those materials generate lots of heat when the oven sends electricity through them.

Read: Why Electric Oven And Stove Is Not Working – Troubleshooting Guide

What Are The Names Of Electric Oven Parts?

Here are some of the most crucial components in electric ovens. You’ll see that some of them are very different from those in gas ovens:

• Heating elements: As mentioned above, there are multiple heating elements inside an electric oven. All ovens will have a heating element at the bottom. However, some models have another heating element for broiling at the top of the compartment.

Also, convection ovens will have an additional heating element around their fan.

• Thermostat: Similar to a gas oven, electric models also have a thermostat to measure and control the oven’s temperature.
• Fuses: While gas ovens have gas safety devices, electric ones have fuses. Electrical fuses protect against short-circuits and other electrical faults. Besides that, they also have thermal fuses that prevent overheating.

Why Are Electric Ovens Better Than Gas Ovens?

At this point, you’ve seen several differences between electric and gas ovens. This section will dive deeper into the advantages that electric ovens have over gas models.

#1 Easier Installation

First and foremost, electric ovens are much more straightforward to install.

Remember: a gas oven requires a steady supply of cooking gas so you can keep the flames burning and cook your meals to completion. Unfortunately, if your home doesn’t come with a gas line built into the kitchen, you’ll have to pay to have one installed.

With electric ovens, however, your only concern is the power supply. All you need to do is ensure your kitchen has a 220-volt outlet next to the stove.

Even if you don’t, it doesn’t take much for an electrician to set one up for you even if you don’t.

Read: What Causes An Electric Oven To Heat Slowly?

#2 More Consistent Heat

Electric ovens are also excellent at providing heat consistently throughout its compartment. Consistent heating is essential for all forms of cooking. But that’s especially true if you plan on preparing baked items inside your electric oven.

#3 Drier Heat 

When gas burns inside an oven, the flames release a little moisture into the air inside that oven. Electric ovens don’t have that problem, as their electric heating elements produce dry heat instead.

You’ll find that dry heat is much more suitable for roasting and broiling, producing even crispier foods than a gas oven.

#4 Health and Safety Factors

Electric ovens also outperform gas models in two critical areas: health and safety.

Modern gas ovens these days are certainly safer than they’ve ever been. That is because manufacturers build various safety features into them while complying with strict efficiency standards.

However, the fact remains that those ovens burn gas, which is not a renewable source of energy.

Scientific research shows that gas stoves could affect your health, triggering conditions like asthma and other breathing problems.

Electric ovens still come with their fair share of risks, but they’re much safer overall.

Read: Why Electric Oven Heating Element Exploded?

#5 Environmentally Friendly

Last but not least, buying an electric stove is another way you can invest in the environment. Most people know how burning gas to drive a car is terrible for the environment. A gas oven does the same thing, though its emissions aren’t as intense as that of a car engine. 

When a gas oven turns on, it releases methane and nitrous oxide. Worse yet, these ovens continue to release methane even while the oven isn’t being used.

With electric ovens, you won’t have to worry about that. Sure, your household’s electricity isn’t necessarily generated using clean sources. However, more homes and power companies are switching to renewable energy sources.

As energy sources become increasingly friendly to the environment, so will your electric oven. 

Read: Why Electric Oven Gets Too Hot?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some additional questions and answers to show you why electric ovens are better than gas models.

Does A Gas Oven Use Electricity?

Yes, it does. An electric oven doesn’t use any gas, but a gas oven still relies on electricity. That’s because many gas ovens require a spark generator to ignite the gas flames. Because of that, you’ll still need to plug a gas oven into a standard wall socket like any other appliance.

Are Electric Ovens Better Than Gas?

Yes, electric ovens are better than gas models. First, that’s because they’re safer than gas models with lower risks of fires and explosions. Second, performance-wise, they’re better overall by generating faster, dryer, and more consistent heat for cooking.

Is Gas Or Electric Safer?

Electricity is always safer than gas, especially when it comes to ovens. There’s always the risk of a gas leak with gas ovens that can trigger a fire, an explosion, and carbon monoxide poisoning. Plus, burning gas to heat your oven releases harmful emissions to the environment, even when the oven is off.

Do Electric Ovens Preheat Faster?

It used to be that electric ovens didn’t preheat as fast as gas ones. However, that’s rarely the case these days. As time goes on, manufacturers continue to produce more efficient electric ovens that perform much better than older models. As a result, newer electric ovens preheat much faster than gas models.

Can Gas Ovens Explode?

Yes, gas ovens can explode. For instance, a mistake might occur while installing gas lines into your home and connecting them to your gas oven. Besides that, gas leaks can also happen at the burners themselves. Gas ovens come with safety features, but there are rare cases when they don’t function correctly.