whats more efficient - electric stove or gas stoves?

Casa2 · Jun 10, 2007 9:58 pm

as82,

The answer is ... induction cooking, which is electric

If your limiting yourself to either gas or hotplate electric then the strict answer to your question is that electric is slightly more efficient. This is because more of the heat is transferred to the more intimately contacted cooking utensil. Gas suffers from more of its heat being dissipated to the surrounding air.

A good general rule-of-thumb regarding efficiency is how much heat is generated that doesn’t go into the intended application.

However, if you meant to ask which is cheaper to run, the answer is gas since you pay about 7 cents per kWh of gas and about 14 cents per kWh of electricity.

Cheers,
Casa

mattwalker · Jun 10, 2007 10:36 pm

OK then so am I saving the planet and my pocket with this?

Electric Oven with a Gas cooktop??

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Casa2 · Jun 10, 2007 10:43 pm

Matt,

Nice beast ... I mean oven.

We've covered effeciency and cost, so let's move onto environmentally friendly (Matt, I hear you're very much into the envirnment

). Gas wins here. To generate electricity you burn coal which, just like burning gas, releases greenhouse gases. The power station is probably more effecient since it's large and can be fine tuned, but then you need to allow for transmission losses which means you're way behind.

Cheers,
Casa

mattwalker · Jun 10, 2007 10:55 pm

Casa2

(Matt, I hear you're very much into the envirnment

).

Oh well, best I ad this to the rest of the environmentally unfreindly appliances in my house....

The list just keeps growing!

Ed Perry · Jun 10, 2007 10:56 pm

I beg to differ - electricity will win hands down if you cook at night! The powerstations keep pumping so if you can restrict to night time cooking you will save the environment. It may not mean too much disruption if you can set your alarm clock for those early hours. And it will save you money - low tariffs at night :!:

Or you can prepare at night and microwave during the day :idea:

Think laterally :!:

Casa2 · Jun 10, 2007 10:59 pm

Ed Perry

I beg to differ - electricity will win hands down if you cook at night! The powerstations keep pumping so if you can restrict to night time cooking you will save the environment. It may not mean too much disruption if you can set your alarm clock for those early hours. And it will save you money - low tariffs at night :!:

Or you can prepare at night and microwave during the day :idea:

Think laterally :!:

Off-peak cooking

mattwalker · Jun 10, 2007 11:01 pm

Doesn't microwaving defeat the energy purpose???

off2theburbs · Jun 11, 2007 3:51 am

well i burn everything in a gas oven :lol:

so if you want to talk that way electric is much better

Ed Perry · Jun 11, 2007 9:48 am

mattwalker

Doesn't microwaving defeat the energy purpose???

Hi Matt

No, I am sure the cost of cooking off peak and reheating with with the added peak cost of (very efficient) a microwave will offset the total cost of heating at peak cost. Say 6kw heating for 1 hours on peak - versus same off peak plus 600w for 5 mins?

Ed

Elizabeth · Jun 11, 2007 8:28 pm

When we're talking about environmental impacts, we need to consider where the energy is coming from. Burning gas is better than burning coal, but it still emits CO2 (about half as much as coal). If you have 100% green power like we do, then electricity is definitely preferable. And probably not that much more expensive as gas prices are on the increase and the cost of renewables is coming down.

I'd love to have an induction stove in our new house they're way more energy efficient. But I'm not so keen about having to splash out for a new set of cookwear ... I gather stainless steel doesn't work, I need something that will work with magnets. Cast iron is great to cook with, but it's soooo heavy especially for shorties like me! I'm still contemplating the options.

e.

Casa2 · Jun 11, 2007 9:01 pm

I mentioned earlier that electric hotplate heating was more effecient than gas. I stumbled upon the figues on the web, so here are the effeciency figures:

Induction: 90%
Halogen: 58%
Electric hotplate: 47%
Gas: 40%

Elizabeth,

Not all stainless steel cookware can be used, but some can. There is magnetic stainless steel and this is used for induciton cookware.

Cheers,
Casa

aaurora · Jun 12, 2007 7:57 am

Very interesting question!! We are getting a Blanco connoisseur freestanding cooker. Is this one ok? http://www.blanco-australia.com/driver. ... r/bfs95fff

Casa2 · Jun 12, 2007 9:42 am

aaurora

Very interesting question!! We are getting a Blanco connoisseur freestanding cooker. Is this one ok? http://www.blanco-australia.com/driver. ... r/bfs95fff

This is a gas stove, so:

* Effeciency: low (gas has lowest effeciency)
* Running cots: low (gas is cheapest fuel in terms of energy output)
* Environmental impact: medium

The oven is electric, but ovens are used a lot less than stoves and are fairly similar regardless of whether they are gas or electric.

ECOECO · Jun 12, 2007 9:55 am

Hi
I worry about induction - does this involve EMR (Electro Magnetic Radiation)?

I ask because I once worked in the power industry and they lost 3 guys to cancer in an enclosed HV area over a long period. :cry:

The cause could be Radon gas daughters which gather around HV lines, causing depleted Melatonin, which normally cleans up the free radicals in the blood stream...

Free radicals cause cancer :?:

Gee these threads get technical. :roll:

Intertestingly Radon gas is a big no-no in places like Sweden where they inspect homes for areas where pockets of the gas can collect. Radon is a natural gas which (I believe) comes out of stone. :idea:

Anyone else add anything :?:

Thanks

Yak_Chat · Jun 12, 2007 1:18 pm

And has anyone thought about which they prefer to cook on?

Turn it up it gets hot, turn it down and it stops overcooking.

I love cooking and I prefer to cook on gas - when your done your done and the heat gets turned off. No wasted hotplates sitting around trying to cool down or find somewhere to move your pot to stop it continuing to cook.etc. Bit of an an issue when the stove is full.

I like the idea of induction, ie the on off abilities. But am also on the fence re the potential health issues.
I'd also like to know how it goes with a wok?
I already use cast iron pots and frypans so can change to induction easily.
At present, I'm still hooked on gas cooktops and either gas or eletric oven, fan forced in either config.
And besides, gas normaly keeps working in a blackout and I hear you Sydney folks know what that's like after last weekend :lol:

Steve

ECOECO · Jun 12, 2007 1:25 pm

Hmmm - gas didn't keep working through the Victorian gas disater a few years ago!!! :roll:

Both is good.

Yak_Chat · Jun 12, 2007 1:55 pm

Very true Eco, but a rarer event than a black-out in my area.
Steve

Casa2 · Jun 12, 2007 2:25 pm

Yak_Chat

And has anyone thought about which they prefer to cook on?

Turn it up it gets hot, turn it down and it stops overcooking.

I love cooking and I prefer to cook on gas - when your done your done and the heat gets turned off. No wasted hotplates sitting around trying to cool down or find somewhere to move your pot to stop it continuing to cook.etc. Bit of an an issue when the stove is full.

I like the idea of induction, ie the on off abilities. But am also on the fence re the potential health issues.
I'd also like to know how it goes with a wok?
I already use cast iron pots and frypans so can change to induction easily.
At present, I'm still hooked on gas cooktops and either gas or eletric oven, fan forced in either config.
And besides, gas normaly keeps working in a blackout and I hear you Sydney folks know what that's like after last weekend :lol:

Steve

Yak_Chat,

I currently use a gas stove (because that's what came with the place we're in) and plan to use induction cooking for the new house that I'm currently designing.

You bring up a couple of good points.

Firstly, gas is quick on off, but trying putting your gas stove very low so that it just keeps the food warm or slowly heating. It doesn't work and the first you know of it is the gas smell. Low settings for gas, at least for our stove, go out readily.

Secondly, is induction safe? I short answer is I don't know. The long answer is that I did a web search and convinced myself that there is no health hazard. I guess everyone has to do there own assessment but try to use government or respected organisation’s opinions, rather than someone stating their unqualified opinion (like I’m doing now ).

I would say induction is safer than gas:
* No possibility of gas leak/explosion
* No open flame to cause fire or contact burn

Now, if only we knew conclusively if there is ANY danger with induction... Remember, when microwaves first came out everyone said they were dangerous, now we all know that they're fine ... but stand back at least 300 mm just to be sure.

I think in every category induction is better, except one - price. They are very expensive.

Cheers,
Casa

P.S. We rarely have blackouts, but it we did, switching to something straight out of the fridge (cold meats and salad?) or a great excuse for takeaway would be the way to go.

mattwalker · Jun 12, 2007 3:08 pm

Yak_Chat

Very true Eco, but a rarer event than a black in my area.
Steve

Steve.....
Thats a bit racist!! :lol: