Gas, Electric, Induction, Dual-Fuel, Convection, and Steam - Making Sense of the Different Types of Cooking Technologies

I often hear people say – “I wish I had a gas cooktop” but rarely do I hear the other way around. Gas has been the popular choice for cooktops and ranges because it heats more quickly and can be controlled more precisely than electric cooktops. However, with advancing technologies, and the growing popularity of induction cooking, electric cooking now has many of the same benefits that gas offers.

When it comes to ovens, electric seems to be the more popular choice over gas because it cooks more evenly, and now with the introduction of dual fuel ranges, you can have the best of both worlds in one appliance.

Here are some things you should now about the different cooking technologies on the market today.

Cooking with Gas

source: KitchenAid

The heating power of gas is measured in British Thermal Units also known as BTUs. A standard gas range or cooktop generates 8,000 to 10,000 BTUs per burner while the heavy-duty burners on pro-style ranges can generate up to 18,000 BTUs.

The higher the BTUs the quicker your food will cook. Many ranges and cooktops offer different level BTUs on different burners so you can simmer on one burner while searing on another. Gas burners not only heat quickly but they also retain little heat when turned off so cooking stops almost immediately.

Most gas cooktops and ranges today have electronic ignition instead of a pilot light which means besides your gas hook up you will need a 120-volt electrical outlet too.

Gas ovens are not as popular as electric ovens because their temperatures tend to fluctuate, but they do provide a moist heat, which can be advantageous depending on what you are cooking.

Cooking with Electricity

source: KitchenAid

Electric ranges and cooktops provide constant and even heat, however they tend to heat up and cool down more slowly than gas. The heating power of these models is measured in watts with higher heat burners putting out 2000 watts or more and lower heat burners putting out 1200 watts or more. With electric heat it is more difficult to precisely control the temperature.

Electric ovens are more popular than gas ovens because they produce a more constant heat thus cooking more evenly, which is excellent for baking. However, electric ovens produce a dryer heat than gas ovens so keep this in mind.

On cooktops and ranges there are several different types of electric heat:

• Exposed Coil heat is probably the most common and least expensive type of electric range or cooktop and probably the least stylish too. This type of electric heat features coils that sit above the surface of the cooktop or range. Because the heating elements are exposed they are vulnerable to spills.

• Radiant Heat cooktops and ranges feature ribbon heating elements that are concealed under a smooth glass ceramic surface. They are much more stylish and sleek compared with the exposed coil models and are very easy to clean because of the flat smooth surface, making them a popular choice.

• Halogen cooktops, like radiant heat cooktops, have smooth glass ceramic surfaces with the heating element concealed below. These models use tungsten halogen lamps and reflectors to direct heat up to the glass surface, producing an almost instantaneous heat. When turned off they cool down quickly too, making cooking with this heating source similar to cooking with gas.

Cooking with Induction

source: Jenn-Air

Induction cooking, more commonly found in commercial kitchens, is starting to find it’s way into residential kitchens. Induction cooking uses electromagnetic energy to create heat.

Electric powered induction coils beneath a smooth glass surface generate a magnetic field when an iron or steel cooking vessel comes into contact with the surface. Instead of heating the surface of the cooktop, induction cooking heats the pan directly.

Because the surface does not get hot, spilled foods cannot burn onto the cooking surface making clean up a breeze. Induction heating offers rapid heating and cooling, precise temperature control and thermal efficiency, but requires pots and pans to be made out of magnetic material such as iron or steel…ceramic won’t work.

Dual Fuel – Cooking with Gas and Electric

Dual Fuel is a term associated with ranges rather than cooktops. Dual fuel ranges are powered by both gas and electricity. Typically, range burners are powered by gas, taking advantage of the rapid heating and precise temperature control that gas burners offer, while the ovens are electric powered, offering more even baking.

Dual fuel ranges do tend to cost more so think about your style of cooking when deciding if dual fuel is right for you. If most of your cooking is done on the stovetop and you do little baking, then maybe an all-gas range is the better choice. Dual fuel ranges require a 240-volt outlet along with the gas line so keep this in mind.

Cooking with Convection

source: KitchenAid

Convection ovens use a fan to circulate the hot air in the oven cavity, transferring heat more rapidly than a standard oven without a fan. Because convection ovens move fast, hot air around the food, they cook more rapidly and at a lower temperature, helping to retain flavor and moisture in foods. Also, the circulating air helps to eliminate hot spots, allowing food to cook more evenly.

Convection ovens may have a smaller internal capacity than a standard oven because of the space required for the fan, but these ovens can cook more food at one time – the oven can be filled from top to bottom as long as there is an inch of space between items for the air to circulate.

In a regular oven, it’s best to place the items to be cooked in the center of the oven to achieve even baking. Stacking items in a standard oven will result in uneven cooking because some of the items will be closer to the heating element than others.

There are two types of convection ovens: the standard type with the heating elements at the bottom of the oven and "true" convection ovens with the heating elements at the rear of the oven. The latter type is preferred because the heating elements are nearer to the fan, creating more even heat.

Cooking with Steam

source: Miele

Normally if you are cooking something with steam you would cook it on the stovetop but now you can cook with steam in the oven too. Steaming is an excellent method of gentle and healthy cooking that helps retain more natural vitamins and minerals than other cooking methods. Less fatty meats can be cooked without drying out because of the constant injection of steam. Many manufacturers claim that steam cooking is faster too.

One down side to a steam oven is that it can’t brown items…so you may have to pre-brown meats before cooking in the oven resulting in extra time in the cooking process. Similarly, baked items such as breads and pies will appear quite pale when baked in a steam oven so they may need to browned in a conventional oven too.

Learn more about the different types of cooking appliances: Ranges, Cooktops, and Wall Ovens.